The digital PR coordinator’s focus is obtaining links, which are URLs found on a website/blog that, when clicked, directs users to a client’s website. Gaining links from other sites can increase a site’s domain authority and traffic. A high domain authority is important; Google recognizes this and will rank sites with high authority in top search results.
To sum it up: Links increase domain authority, which in turn increases your site’s visibility in search engines.
Getting other sites to link back to your site can be a difficult process. Therefore, you need an effective strategy. Below are some tips to maximize the results of link building outreach efforts.
Content
Each month we create one to two pieces of local content that features businesses, events, or local themes found within our clients’ geo-targeted areas. For example, we recently created an article for a client covering where to find the best brunches and featured several restaurants.
Prior to featuring the restaurants, we first looked at their digital presence, making several observations:
- Are their websites tech savvy? (Would they know how to link back to the article?)
- Do their websites have a blog or press section to feature the link to the article?
- Are they active on social media and have a strong following? Could they possibly share the article via Facebook or Twitter?
- Do they have badges on their website? (We’ll address badges later in this article.)
If the answer to most of these questions is yes, we’ve found a desirable candidate for our outreach.
Outreach
Next we contacted the businesses to let them know that they were featured in our article and attempted to have them link back to it. This is a sensitive process. How we present ourselves to the prospect ultimately determines whether we get links.
A favorable method of outreach is known as the foot-in-the-door technique. This tactic finds that a person who agrees to a small request first is more likely to agree to a larger request second.
Therefore, when conducting our outreach, we first ask the business if they would like to view the article they’re featured in. When they agree to give it a look, we then follow up by asking if they would link to it.
Gifts
Here at Stream, we incorporate two types of “gifts” into our link building strategy: badges and infographics.
A badge is a digital award that coincides with local content featuring businesses. With the best brunch content mentioned above, our design team created a Best Brunch badge. This type of gift appeals to businesses, increasing the likelihood of them posting the badge on their site and linking the badge to the content we’ve written.
Infographics are digital posters with a strong appealing visual presence. Each month the Stream team creates two infographics: one automotive themed (e.g., The History of Auto Safety) and one non-auto themed, which usually reflects the month or season. For example, in October, we created a trick-or-treating safety guide.
We present these infographics to local bloggers near our clients for their use on their sites or blogs. In return for receiving vivid content, we ask the bloggers to link the infographic back to our client’s website.
Follow-Up Outreach
Finally, it’s important to note that although a prospective outreach target may not contact us after the first or second email we send, we continue to follow up. Emails can often be overlooked or lost, so continuing to follow up will only increase our chances of gaining a link.
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