Link building takes much time and effort. You might be spending hours daily pursuing links and missing the most important thing: your resource attracts people; why not make the most of that?
Nowadays, I guess everyone has some web space to place your link at: be it a site or a social media profile page. Thus each of your visitors is your potential promoter. Add a well-executed call to action encouraging people to link back and you’ll see your back link number growing!
1. Create cool badges matching your brand design.
A great example of this tactic (successfully implemented) is SEOmoz that promotes its badges throughout the site:
Link building with the help of badges is not a new tactic but it’s still a highly effective method, especially for user-generated (or partially user-generated) sites. If you operate a social network with some solid membership, you can boost your external linking by offering your members a way to link to their profiles at your page.
Make your community badges customizable and make it a fun process to customize them: create a sleek interface, allow your members to choose the color, put their names / user names on the badge, let them instantly preview the badge. Today every member of any social networking site has at least 10 other places to put this badge on : other social sites, blog platforms, online resumes, etc.
2. Create a relevant widget.
I love using this method for “mini-sites” created for link bait or viral marketing to help spread the word. This shouldn’t be something too complex; a small good-looking count-down widget showing how much time before the event is left should be enough.
3. Show how to link to each of your tool / eBook / guide / contest / etc page (any piece of content you have created for link bait).
In other words, include a short piece of text informing the visitor how to link back to it at each page containing some really useful piece of content:
4. Create a separate page listing all possible methods to link to you: text links, badges, banners, widgeds, etc. Clearly state why anyone would want to link back to you. Add your contact details for ore information.
