How To Buy Links With Maximum Juice and Minimum Risk
Pubcon 2008
Moderator: Todd Malicoat
Speakers:
Rand Fishkin, CEO, SEOMoz
John Lessnau, Founder, LinkAdage
Aaron Wall, Author, SEO Book
First up, John Lessnau. His main focus was on buying links and how to make them not look like purchased links.
Safe paid links
- Use relevant text
- Only be on the page/one of very few on the site - don’t go crazy
- Variation in anchor text.. don’t reuse same text over and over
Powerful links
- Make sure host website should have good rankings
- Have lots of natural links on the site as well
- Shouldn’t be a major link seller
Tips:
- The links should look like any other link on the web. Side bar and navigation links look suspicious.
- Look for sites that talk about your subject/content within their content.
After the buy:
- Monitor your links to make sure they stay up and host sites are clean
- Use your rankings as a spring board
- Keep making site better - don’t stop after a few links
- Know when to stop buying links
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Next up is Rand Fishkin who is focused on how to buy links without “buying links.”
Event sponsorships - They usually put a logo on site which in reality is a “paid link” back to site. The added benefits include networking, goodwill and branding. Locate geographic, industry specific events to sponsor.
Charity sponsorships - Non-profits/charities. This also has additional benefits - branding, helping people, goodwill.
Website purchases - Linking all sites to each other. owning a network of sites allows you to have control over links and content.
Content buying - identify valuable, well linked to content. 301 to your site and host preferably.
Viral traffic buying - techmeme/memeorandum/wesmirch. techcrunch, stumbleupon. Buy traffic/ads. Measure and improve link and acquisition rate
Blogger product reviews - send a free product. Don’t ask for link, ask for review.
Content partnerships
Blog incubation - Example; McCain got bloggers to write about the same thing, then mainstream media picked it up.
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Aaron wall discusses alternatives to buying links and encourages building organic links.
Alternatives to buying links
Syndicate content - Write a guest blog/article. Be sure to make the links look natural in the content.
Barter - Give stuff away, free [insert product here] for review. Give discounts for certain sectors.
Buy competing websites
Social interaction - Speaking at conference [hehe], talking to people, online and offline social interaction.
Public relations… build off that. While your brand is out there push our brand/product to get more links
Encourage organic links
- Cumulative advantage - contests, polls, keep content active, live. make perceived value higher
- Show social proof
- Signs of credibility
- Yahoo! directory
- Widgets!
Ok so honestly by this point I was all blogged out. I was sitting behind Lisa Barone who was mad live-blogging and I was seriously in awe. So I figured I’d stop trying to do the same, when I obviously missed so much. 
I really enjoyed this session though, one of my favorites actually. It was great to think more about ways to get links, without having to outright “buy” paid links. Thanks guys!
Social Networking is Catching up With Me
This has been one crazy week, from beginning to end. Trying to get everything done before SMX East, some co-workers were let go :(, and my sweet baby is teething. But the most interesting part of the week was that I realized the consequences (both good and bad) of social networking.
First thing, an old friend who I used to chat with in IRC (yea I was a geek even back in the day) found me this week. The funniest part is that once he decided to look me up, all he had to do was search on “jennita colorado” and bam! He found me. I show up for the top 3 links on Google. I’m pretty sure he was shocked to find me so quickly. He actually called me a “web celebrity” which made me giggle. I may be JLo, but I’m nowhere near the web celebrity status of some of my friends (@Suzzicks and @Lindzie).
Normally this kind of interaction occurs frequently on Facebook. I mean how many times have you received a request from someone you went to middle school with, or from an old co-worker that you were never really all that fond of? (One poor guy, I ignored 3 times. His persistence finally paid off though and now we are friends. Hopefully you can’t figure out who he is.) I have been reunited with a number of friends through Facebook. But this was the first time someone from my past, searched for me in Google and found me.
I also find it interesting, that he didn’t even use my real name in the query. He used my “handle,” Jennita. So I thought, hmm what if he HAD used my name. Let’s try a search for “Jen Sable” (my maiden name). Not too bad, 7 out of 10 results are me. The saddest part of that search, is that my profile on SMX Connect ranks higher than either of my blogs. I suppose that means I have some work to do.
The other thing that happened, was that I was invited to give a discussion on “Social Networking 101″ for the CEO and VP of Operations for one of our companies. I still haven’t decided if they asked me to lead the discussion because they think I have great knowledge on the subject or if they simply think I’m an uber geek. After many questions such as “Why would I follow someone?” and “what makes something delicious?” the CEO finally asked “so how many of the sites do you manage content on every day?” Ummmm. A lot! But how do I answer that question? If I tell him the truth he’ll wonder how I get any work done during the day.
Really the best part of the week though, is that it’s over! And next week is SMX East. I’m all packed and ready to go tomorrow morning! I’m looking forward to many of the sessions and getting to know some of the people I’ve met through my various social networking sites. The only bad part really is that I’ll be away from my daught for 3 days… that will be a first.
NYC here I come!
Social Networking | Comment (0)Easier to build someone else’s site
This is crazy. Why is it so much easier to build someone else’s site than it is your own? I suppose it’s like cleaning. It’s a heck of a lot easier to help a friend clean up her house before a party, than it is for me to do it at my own house.
It’s not like I don’t have first-hand knowledge of what I do! One would think that I would be the expert on the topic. hah! Well I have done one thing. I did update my About page, so now you at least know who I am.
Next step: add my work!
goal: have it complete by this weekend
real life: Have it done before SMX East.
Uncategorized | Comment (0)About Time!
I decided it was about time that I create an online profile of my work. I’m in the process…
Uncategorized | Comment (0)