Ben’s Basics of Broken Linkbuilding

January 28, 2013 SEO

Broken link building is a system of that can benefit both you and webmasters of other sites; building value for you and gradually clearing the internet of dead links. If you’re looking for an alternative to older linkbuilding strategies or for ways of reaching a new kind of site, it could be a good avenue to explore. It works like this:

1. Identify a broken link to an old/moved/dead resource in your target industry

2. Tell the site owner, politely suggesting that your site would be a good replacement

By identifying a broken link you’re not just doing the webmaster at the receiving end a favour (and hopefully getting a nice new link in the process). Like all good linkbuilding strategies, it’s a way of starting conversations with owners of relevant sites.  but you are very likely to build relationships with webmasters and most importantly of course, getting your link in return for your kindness.

Here are a few tips in order to get you started:

Broken link tool snapshotGet the right tools: There are several great tools out there that will help scour pages of broken links in no time at all. Google Chrome extensions are plentiful but the best we’ve found is Check My Links which is available in the Chrome Web Store. Equally useful is the Domain Hunter+. Adding these to the more general packages like SEO for Chrome and Open Site Explorer (of which upgrading from free membership is encouraged) will make sure you get off on the right foot.

Do some research: There are several bloggers and Mozzers out there that have written some great pieces about broken link building – some at great length – and it is well worth taking the time to get some hints and tips. Take heed of their advice and it’s likely you’ll be up and running very quickly.
Check out these for starters:
The Broken Link Building Bible
Broken Link Building Tips (Melanie Nathan)

Finding the links themselves is simpler than you’d think, especially if you take the time to download the tools suggested. Search for sites relevant to those you are seeking links for – that’s a given – and prior to giving the extensions a chance to do their scanning, make sure it’s actually worth doing in the first place. If the site itself looks badly run then there’s every chance that even if you do contact the webmaster, you’re not going to get a reply. Or want one. As we all know, the best tool for evaluating a potential linker is your own eyes.

If you find many broken links on one page – in our view, anything with 5% bad linkage or more – you can approach it in different ways;
- More than likely, you’ll get out of there straight away and look elsewhere. If the webmaster isn’t keeping an eye on their external links, what else aren’t they doing?
- If you find several broken links then maybe just contact them pointing out one or two – it isn’t cheeky, it’s more helpful than not telling them at all. Start an ongoing conversation about the others.

Finding the webmaster and contacting them should be relatively easy. You will normally find a link to their email address or website either in the footer of the homepage of the site you’re on, or on the contact page. If it isn’t there, then maybe try typing (DOMAIN).COM email into Google. If you really have time on your hands and there’s no other way of finding anything other than their Twitter username, try that instead. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
What to write in the email is entirely up to you but be sure to include the following points;

- Who you are – that should be easy enough.

- Why you’re there – demonstrate your relevance to their field.

- Get the link – It’s all very well and good helping the webmaster out, but you’re essentially there for that one all-important link back. Don’t be afraid of being cheeky; but arrogance is never welcome. At worst, you’ll have done someone a small favour, right?

Hopefully, these bits and pieces of advice will manifest themselves into making you a super-efficient broken link builder, cleaning up the streets one link at a time.

Tweet or Ben Gallivan to discuss this post

Comments Off

Blog post conversion checklist

December 12, 2012 Uncategorized

You write a cool blog post in a clever niche. It brings in a load of traffic and even a tasty link or two. But does it drive revenue, or does the page have a bounce rate so high it can only be seen with a telescope? Getting blog readers to engage more deeply is something that can take the value of a good post to the next level.
Over the past couple of years we’ve encouraged a lot of clients and a few friends to start blogging. We’ve also encouraged those with active blogs to make changes, done a bunch of split tests, and learned from the results. Here’s a quick roundup:

No wait. Here’s a caveat: I’m aware that this rather neglected WP blog isn’t fully optimised, kay? We don’t do our testing here, and are far more likely to be found tweaking and testing a blog about fishnet stockings, business greening, food, ski holidays, fashion icons of the 1930s, or choosing hiking boots. Now that I’ve gotten all defensive, here’s the actual roundup:

1. Relevance. Blog posts don’t have to be product focussed. The best ones often aren’t. But they do have to interest the right kind of people. If viewers come to your site to read about tips for house-training puppies, the chances that they will go on and order a new laptop screen are limited. Sounds basic, but it’s surprising how often relevance isn’t quite there.

2. Formatting. Take your time when uploading. Break up long paragraphs. Add an image or two. Make the whole post pretty. Respect your own work.

3. Make it mobile friendly. Another common problem, particularly if you’re promoting on Twitter or other services often used through a mobile device. You don’t have to go the whole hog and create a brand new fully responsive website (although don’t let me stop you- there are plenty of good reasons to do that). Just make a few basic checks. Ensure that your post looks ok and that any calls to action are usable through a phone. Which brings us neatly to point 4.

4. Calls to action. What do you want people to do once they’ve finished reading? If your post is product focussed, it’s probably looking at a product page. They aren’t going to do that unless you help them get there quickly and easily. If it’s more about building up authority and getting your name out there, your calls to action are going to be more about sharing and commenting.

5. Colour and placement: Conversion rate optimisation basics. CRO is not just for ecommerce. Forget boring little text links. Provide product images and nice bright buttons to click. Position them in the reader’s field of view, not off in a sidebar surrounded by ads.

6. More CRO: Establish your credentials. Let viewers see positive comments about customer service if you don’t have something more specific. Place them by the call to action and outside the blog post.

7. Remember that this page might well be the reader’s first contact with your brand. It might not be immediately clear what the link between the post topic and the rest of the site is. A short footer that ties the post topic to your wider business can be a very good thing.

8. Social proof only works when there is proof. Ever been unimpressed by something like this? There are times when more information is great and there are times when it isn’t.


9. Test. Test test test test. Split testing has never been easier. Lately we have taken to using Google Content Experiments for simple testing but there are plenty of other choices out there that will make it super easy for you to figure out whether the big green button is more effective than the text link.
In short, there are only three things to do. First, figure out how to be useful and interesting to your target market. Then, decide which actions would be most appropriate to the topic and the people in question. Then, apply CRO principles to make sure those actions happen.

Tweet or Google + Jess to discuss this post

Comments Off

3 examples of cool content in dull industries

December 4, 2012 Uncategorized

Today’s post comes from Dave, novelist, culture blogger, and resident Content Guy.

So you don’t sell diamond encrusted watches or Lamborghinis or… I don’t know… rocket-powered roller skates (if they’re even an actual thing). Maybe your business makes and sells garage doors or restroom sanitary bins. But you still want to make engaging, exciting content to build your brand and help your SEO along.

It is possible to create cool content in almost any industry. Here are three examples of companies out there doing it:

Iscar Cutting Tools: super close up video

Iscar make cutting tools. And when I say cutting tools, I don’t mean samurai swords or real, working lightsabers. They make precision cutting tools for engineering, and to be honest my knowledge of engineering kind of runs out somewhere around “precision cutting tools”. I have no idea what Iscar’s tools actually do. What I do know is that when they’re filmed in extreme close-up (I mean, like, microscopic close-up) they look insanely cool.

How cool? Well… Iscar posted this demo video to Reddit in February 2012. 10 months later  it’s been watched almost 600,000 times.

It’s difficult, without bribing Iscar’s accountant or analytics people, to know how these Youtube hits have translated into sales, but it’s certainly raised the profile of a company whose product very, very few of us will ever understand.

Betfair: if you can’t be relevant, be funny

This is a slightly riskier strategy, but if done well can pay off.

The UK market for online gambling is large, and fiercely competitive. As well as the sites of high street betting shops such as Ladbrokes and William Hill, there are myriad online-only gambling sites offering everything from horse racing to online poker, roulette and blackjack. How, then, do you stand out among the big hitters?

Well, if you’re Betfair Poker you do it by hiring an anonymous comedian to tweet about anything other than betting or poker. Their Twitter stream is a surreal series of observations about anything and everything. A typical tweet may include a chart demonstrating the differences between lobsters and crabs (eg. lobsters “enjoy golf, cricket and snooker” while crabs “enjoy only petanque”), or a bizarre micro-story about footballer Fernando Torres being kept alive by alien gods in the year 2358.

It’s an almost unique approach (Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfred all offer a more predictable stream of sports updates), but it’s garnered their Twitter account an impressive 23,000 followers to date and quickly helped increase a greater awareness of the brand in a highly competitive market.

Bounteous advice

“But how can I write a blog about garage doors?” I hear you ask. Well, that’s the thing. Just because you sell garage doors, that doesn’t mean you have to blog about garage doors. Why not have a blog of reviews, and invite guest bloggers to write articles about their experiences with different cars, or car products?

Kitchen towel company Bounty’s website runs a blog about housekeeping tips and even features an activity area for kids. Not bad for a company that sells that thing you use when your brash, annoying friend spills red wine in your kitchen during a party. (And why is it always them who spills red wine?)

“What about me?” Asks my other imaginary friend. “How am I supposed to blog about sanitary bins?”

Okay, well… yeah… that’s even more niche. So why not have something a little tongue-in-cheek, like inviting visitors to review the restroom facilities at airports, train stations, restaurants etc? Many will recognise the photo below, which did the rounds on various social media hubs a few weeks ago. Cardboard boxes, but not boring.

And if you’re wondering who would read a blog of restroom reviews, remember that with a little help from her local council and the media, Scottish schoolgirl Martha Payne’s school dinner reviews have now had close to 9,000,000 views. Her site is now PR 6, for those who care about that kind of thing.

Blogs that expose problems can do well. Blogs that poke fun at problems we all know about can also do well. The best, like Martha Payne’s, are part of fixing a serious problem. What issues are your products designed to address?

 

Comments Off

Things to do: Mobile-friendly email!

November 26, 2012 Uncategorized

There is a lot of positive noise around responsive (or at least mobile-friendly) site design at the moment, and with very good reason. If you’re watching your own site stats or the just the news, you’ll have heard that mobile internet use just keeps on growing. According to some estimates , it’ll overtake desktop use by 2014. Keeping your mobile visitors happy is only going to get more important.

However, a responsive or mobile friendly strategy shouldn’t stop with your site. What about your emails?

Email client growth (or not) from SmashingMagazine.com

 

Estimates of the number emails opened on mobile devices vary widely but the top-end estimate is upwards of 90%. Most sources agree that unlike most other online tasks (eg shopping, holiday planning etc), an email is pretty likely to be opened only once. If it looks or feels poor on a mobile device it probably won’t get a second chance.

A case study published by Experian Cheetahmail  suggests that moving to mobile-optimised mailshots improved conversion rates by 9% in the highly competitive insurance quote comparison field. The measures they took were good common sense:

  • Mobile device users were identified and targeted
  • Fonts were enlarged and the design was switched to a single column
  • Calls to action were enlarged
  • Navigation was changed to reflect a likely touch screen.

For those who like to get their coding hands dirty (or can call upon coding ninjas to do coding ninja stuff), Smashing Mag’s article on creating mobile-friendly email CSS is a must read.  Campaign Monitor also has sensible things to say about how to actually do this.

Tweet or Google + Jess to discuss this post

Comments Off

Between linkbuilding and relationship building: bridging the gap with Google +

November 17, 2012 SEO

Linkbuilding is changing. SEO thought leaders are all agreed on that. It’s time for all of us to stop focusing our linkbuilding on PageRank and MozRank and start thinking more in terms of relationships.

Ironically, one of the most common analogies SEOs use when explaining why linkbuilding is important goes something like this:

“Search engines evaluate websites like human beings evaluate other human beings: by the friends they keep. A person with a lot of popular, trustworthy friends is likely to appear more trustworthy by association…”

The analogy still stands. In fact it’s better than ever, we just need to rethink what constitutes friendship. It’s more than a link in the footer of a guest blog, that’s for sure.

Let’s change the subject for a moment. SEOs, if they’re anything like us, also hear a lot of negativity about Google +. It’s boring, it’s a Facebook clone, nobody uses it… All those arguments can be countered, but compared to the best known social hubs (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn for B2B customers, Pinterest for those in visually-rich fields) G+ is still a pretty hard sell. Getting Local pages set up for those with a bricks-and-mortar presence is fairly simple (and powerful) and so is authorship but as far as getting social posting and interaction going on G+ it’s not always easy to make the case for a deeper, long-term intervention.

Lately we’ve been trying to move away from the idea that G+ is like Facebook with search benefits. We recognise that other social networks have distinct audiences and distinct flavours. So what flavour is G+? Who can we talk to? Aside from authorship, SERP richness and all the other sweet treats Google is offering, how can this hub be used most effectively?

G+ and Linkbuilding

The answer, we’re finding, is to use Google + to connect with linkers. In our test cases that means anyone who has been invited to review a product, high profile product users, anyone who has accepted a guest post or placed a guest post on the relevant site, and business partners. Here’s our thinking on why G+ is the right place to do this:

  1. Plenty of aspiring bloggers and site managers are also looking for ways to improve their G+ activity or need an extra push to even get started. Naturally, we’re going to interact away from our own content too, and those new to G+ might well appreciate a little help getting authorship off the ground, for instance. ‘Be helpful and you’ll do well’ holds true on any social platform.
  2. Using circles means we can talk to a subset of these contacts if we like.
  3. G+ is a good place to give a little social love to those who help us out. It’s easy to +1 a citation, guest blog, or review post. Some sites might not want to share every linking post or page on Facebook but on Google +, where there is comparatively little to lose, they’re less likely to worry.
  4. As Cyrus Shepard pointed out in an excellent post on making best use of Google +, content that gets attention on Google’s social network is likely to be indexed fast. Good news if that content is helpful to us.
  5. By addressing VIPs in a very particular place, we make it clear that we’re after a relationship, not just another Facebook like or Twitter follow.
  6. At the moment hangouts aren’t really going to reaching a mass audience for most small and medium sized businesses. But they’re great for intimate chats with a handful of close contacts. In other words, great for relationship building.

We’re not saying all general customers and fans will be pushed back towards Facebook or Twitter. We’d be fools not to talk to interested people whoever they are and regardless of where they turn up. Info more suited to general customers and potential customers can be addressed as such, and invitations to review a particular new product can be addressed to those who’ll make sending out a freebie worth our while.

In short, we want to move our relationship building activities away from email and towards a friendlier, more interactive (ie more social), and frankly more valuable environment. If we’re going to build a community of engaged, influential people surrounding our brands, email seems like an old-fashioned and rather clunky way to keep in touch. Google + might just fit the bill perfectly.

Tweet or Google + Jess to discuss this post

Comments Off , , ,
« Older Entries