As we mentioned in our previous link-building article, external links aren’t just important to your SEO ranking factors – they’re vital. In fact, a recent study shows that almost 30% of organic page ranking comes from link signals that the search engine analyzes. These signals include inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, and linking domain quantity (just to name a few).
With so much influence on SEO, link building should be one of your top priorities, as it’ll drive traffic to your site and win your brand that highly coveted search traffic.
But link building ain’t easy. Trust us, we know. Fortunately, links will come if you produce smart, valuable content that provides solutions to your audience. When you provide amazing content, you’ll generate links because you’ll become a trusted source for other sites.
One effective strategy for building links is “thought leadership” – or writing for another site. Creating content for other sites is an excellent way to generate links, and we’re here to break it down for you in a few easy steps.
Leverage Your Expertise
Hey, you’re pretty smart. So, show everyone your industry chops with a guest post for another ad publication. When you leverage your insider knowledge and expertise, you’ll provide valuable content for publications and most likely snag a link for yourself in the process.
While submitting may be new territory for you, it’s actually pretty simple. Just reach out to a publication in your space (or similar industry) and be like, “Hey, would you be interested in an article from noted expert Jane Doe?” The key word here is “expert,” which will most certainly peak their interest and get them excited to feature your work.
Here at Echo Factory, thought leadership is one of our key link-building strategies in the ad world. So when a publisher says “yes,” we dive in and create an amazing article from that noted ad expert Jane Doe. They run it, link back to our site (usually through the author bio), and the link-building party ensues.
It’s Win-Win
When you create awesome content for other publishers, you get two very important things:
- Link back to your website, which helps your own SEO search results.
- Exposure to people who read the article and think you’re a genius. And as we mention in our previous post, link quality is hugely important.
But Where are the Best Sites?
We recommend you start with your established network. Reach out to marketers or publishers that you’ve worked with in the past, or take advantage of all the Linkedin connections you’ve accrued through the years. Stick with who you know and you’ll quickly discover how easy it is to build link quantity and quality.
Infographics and Thought Leader Compilations
Let’s be honest: not everyone is a master writer or leader in their field. And that’s okay, because another great way to build links is infographics. People love to see all those powerful insights laid out with eye-catching visuals. Not only are infographics fun to look at, but they’re also excellent for sharing – especially for B2B marketers.
One great tactic is to compile a list of thought leaders and industry experts. Gather their opinions on a topic of interest, create a mind-blowing infographic, and send it out to everyone involved.
Those thought leaders will most likely share your infographic, which will win you links and some serious props for your insight and design skills.
At Echo Factory, we often build link building campaigns and inforgraphics with an in-tandem thought leaderships campaign for our clients. We do this because even though you may be an expert in your field, you may not have the time to write articles or design in Photoshop. When you work with us, you’ll get a team of content writers, outreach gurus, and SEO specialists who can help you capitalize on your insider expertise.
In other words, you get maximum link results with a much lighter amount of effort.
Value of Thought Leadership
It takes work to be the smartest person in the room, as producing content can often be time-consuming. But once you establish yourself as a trusted source for thought-provoking (and maybe entertaining) content, you’re pretty much assured to round up links consistently. Play your cards right and you may even land an ongoing guest post exchange with your favorite publisher.
Link building may seem tough at first – especially when you’re not seeing exponential results. But stay focused, stick to it, and implement strategies that appeal to your audience, and you’ll soon discover the power of thought leadership and its effect on your link-building game.
