No two words are uttered more often in the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) world than Link Building. You have probably heard that a solid link building strategy equals high natural rankings for your site. If you have done your homework you already know: Google and other search engines often reward sites with higher rankings if those sites are linked to by many other well-established and trusted sites. You know that reciprocal linking, commonly called “link exchange”, or “link swapping”, isn’t as effective as it used to be, but can still be a useful tactic in some cases. You have tried contacting site owners on your own and asking (begging!) for a link, to sometimes no availability. Hopefully you’ve stayed far, far away from those dreaded paid links that Google detests.
How do you succeed at link building? Change your link building thinking, of course! If you’re a blogger, you know that you capture links by being entertaining and interacting with others. This tactic is called Social Media Optimization (SMO). It is a facet of Search Engine Optimization—link building’s close cousin—and SMO can drive quality links and traffic to your site.
The golden rule of SMO is “engage visitors”, not deliver a sales pitch. Although there are likely a few social media sites directly related to your industry, other popular types of social media sites include:
Social Networking Sites – Sites like Facebook.com, Myspace.com, and LinkedIn, where users create profiles about themselves and network with friends. Ning.com, a new networking site, allows you to create your own social networking community.
Content Submission Sites – Think Digg.com, Reddit.com, and Propeller.com. Users create a profile and add content in the form of news articles, blog posts, videos etc. to the site. Other users are able to view this content and vote on it. The more votes your site has, the more likely other sites will notice it and link to it.
Micro-Blogging – Sites such as Squidoo.com, Tumblr.com and Twitter.com allow you to create a blog or mini web page within a larger website. They typically have built-in promotional tools that help get the word out about your micro-blog or mini-site, so visitors to these sites have a better chance of learning about your actual site.
Forums – Forums are sites where users ask questions and other users leave informative responses to their questions. Look for forums related to your industry, as well as related topics on Yahoo! Answers at Answers.Yahoo.com, and remember to join the dialogue with other e-commerce professionals at forums.ebizinsider.com.
Just like traditional link building, SMO has a long list of do’s and don’ts, such as:
· Do brand yourself as your business. Social media users will know in a heartbeat if you’re pretending to be someone you’re not. They won’t forgive you.
· Don’t create a profile on a social media site just so you can add your link to it. Remember, SMO is about connecting with users who in turn may be naturally propelled to link to your site. You don’t have to interact daily, but instead consider social media as a long-term strategy for success.
· Do offer value to your visitors and friends. Give them tips, advice, and suggestions. No one likes a pushy car salesman, so stay away from that sales pitch!
· Don’t love it and leave it—update! Just because you create an informative, great-looking micro-blog or profile doesn’t mean you can forget it. It is crucial to post fresh content and update regularly.
· Do track your SMO efforts. Data analytics programs like the free and extraordinarily robust Google Analytics allow you to measure the amount of traffic and revenue the social media site is bringing to you. The response may be slow at first, but continue updating your SMO presence and interacting with users, and you’ll see a difference over time.
A link between two websites represents a relationship to search engine crawlers. Just like real life, relationships are better when they are as authentic as possible. Social Media Optimization does not replace traditional link building strategies – it’s an update that has the potential to create links that drive traffic, conversions—and ranking power–to your site.
