Link Building Strategies Discussion

Let’s talk about link building—one of the most debated topics in SEO. I recently came across a Reddit thread where SEO pros and business owners were swapping stories and strategies. Honestly, it was like striking gold for anyone trying to figure out what’s working in link building right now and how it could make a difference for their business.

What People Were Saying

The conversation was all about what’s been working over the past six months. Despite some chatter about link building losing its edge, most people in the thread agreed it’s still a cornerstone of SEO. What stood out were the success stories—like moving away from chasing high-power websites and instead focusing on smaller, niche blogs that deliver better results. It’s a fresh perspective and a reminder that sometimes the less obvious route can be the most effective.

1. backlink Variation: One SEO shared a story about an appliance company. They had been focusing solely on high-power websites for links. The game-changer? Shifting to smaller, niche blogs like mom and tech blogs. This move brought a fresh variety to their link profile and pushed them up the rankings. It’s a classic case of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
2. The Art of Anchor Texts: Another practitioner talked about working with a credit card company. They ditched the usual anchor text strategy and instead placed generic anchors like “here” or “alternatives” next to the target keyword. This subtle shift in strategy outsmarted competitors and led to a significant ranking boost.
3. Future-Proofing with Links: A particularly intriguing approach was building links for future events. One SEO started building links for a business event’s next year’s forum, way before anyone else thought to do so. When the event’s popularity spiked, their client was already sitting pretty at the top of the search results.
4. Content Versatility: There’s a fascinating case of a petrochemical startup. They initially focused on highly specific content but soon realized the limitations. The solution? Branching out to more generic engineering and industrial sites while ensuring a section of the content was dedicated to their niche. This strategy broadened their link opportunities and improved their rankings.
5. Innovative Linkable Assets: Sometimes, it’s about outsmarting your competition with something unique. One SEO created an interactive calculator for a law/finance client, embedding it within high-quality content. This not only enhanced the content’s value but also made it a hot pick for linking, leading to a significant ranking improvement.

Notable Quotes and Insights:

1. Diversity in Link Sources: One participant mentioned, “In this day and age, you need variety. It’s not all about going for those super high metric websites all the time.” This highlights the importance of not just focusing on high-traffic sites but also including smaller, relevant websites in your link-building strategy.
2. Generic Anchor with Nearby Keyword: Another shared, “I’d experimented with using generic anchors with the keyword I wanted to rank for, placed nearby and found it to be pretty effective.” This tactic involves using a generic anchor text while placing the target keyword close to the link, rather than using the keyword as the anchor text itself.
3. Building Links for the Future: A fascinating approach was building links for keywords related to future events or products. This preemptive strategy can give you a head start in ranking for high-volume keywords when they become relevant.
4. Content Variety: One user pointed out the effectiveness of moving from super-defined content to more generic content, especially in niche industries. This approach can open up more opportunities for link placements.
5. Creating New Linkable Assets: Sometimes, it’s about outdoing your competition by creating unique content elements like calculators, infographics, or data tables, which can make your content more link-worthy.

Main Takeaways:

• Diversify Your Link Sources: Don’t just chase high DA sites; include a mix of big and small, niche-specific sites.
• Be Smart with Anchor Texts: Use generic anchors with the target keyword nearby to avoid penalties and improve effectiveness.
• Think Ahead: Build links for future keywords to get a jump on the competition.
• Content Flexibility: Don’t be afraid to broaden your content scope to secure more diverse link opportunities.
• Innovate with Content: Create unique elements within your content to make it more appealing for linking.