Foundational Link Building
If you're new to online marketing, you probably know you need inbound links but aren’t sure how to get started or prioritize your efforts. I suggest you begin by establishing a base of links from authority sites that work toward building your business reputations. I refer to these as foundational links and believe they are the cornerstone to your link marketing efforts.
Foundation links support a website much like a foundation supports a home, they’re a solid base from which the rest of your linking efforts can build on. For the most part, these links don’t change and are immune to the fickle nature of social media and search engine algorithms. They come from established sources, aren’t expensive to secure and channel both street and search engine credibility. So what are foundational links and how do you get them?
Directories
I consider directory links to be the foundational link. They’re easy to find, relatively inexpensive to secure and are solid performers from a marketing standpoint. Stick to established directories such as JoeAnt, Best of the Web, and the Yahoo! Directory because:
They are human reviewed
They’re organized by keyword categories
All are indexed in the search engines
Use the ISEdb to find niche and specialty directories. Tip: Many niche directories sell mailing lists and/or are part of associations which you can join.
I also recommend you take the time to submit to the Open Directory Project and look for submission opportunities at Wikipedia. Yes I know the Wikipedia uses nofollow on their links rendering them virtually useless from a link popularity standpoint, but—the traffic you’d get from those links is worth it. If you can find an opportunity to add your site where it will make a useful contribution, do it.
Authority Links
Since we’re talking about foundation links, we need to break authority links into two types; links that develop street credibility (business authority) and links we need for high rankings (search authority).
Business authority establishes you as a player in your industry. Links from the Chamber of Commerce, industry Associations, niche networks etc—these type of links work to develop your reputation as a business owner.
Tip: Find conferences in your niche and buy links in their online programs/itineraries).
To secure search authority, you need links from high ranking sites. Since it’s likely the top ranked sites are also key competitors it will be hard to secure links from these people. Search on your “long-tail” terms instead and negotiate links from the top 20 businesses listed.
Search the Wikipedia for your terms, secure links from sites listed under “Resources” and/or “References” on the pages you find. Why? They wouldn’t be listed there unless they were very credible sources.
Independent Newsletters
There are independent newsletters in just about every business niche imaginable. Join as many as you can and request advertising rates from any that allow text link ads in the advertising copy and archive past issues in a spiderable database. If the newsletter showcases guest writers, ask to be included and contribute article content. Keep an eye out for references to additional newsletters and news outlets from viewer comments and advertisements. Tip: Include a ‘request to reprint’ statement under your articles to encourage others to use.
Yellow Pages
While links in yellow page directories do not always pass link popularity, they’re still good to have. If you’re tied to a bricks and mortar location, be sure to hyperlink your address to the contact page and submit your site to the online yellow page directories. Many regional directories list businesses geographically and will include a website that’s indexed by location.
Tip: Even if you do not have a bricks and mortar location, most yellow page directories will let you buy a small ad and include your URL/phone number. You’ll automatically be added to their online directory when you do.
If you used each of these resources to secure one link, you’d have 12 quality links with minimal effort. That’s not bad if you consider each offers additional resources to tap into.
Don’t overlook using thesefoundational resources to build your base of inbound links, by doing so you’ll have a solid linking base to work from. Once it’s in place you can use other more creative linking tactics to grow your link popularity and build on your business and search authority reputation.