Link Building: It’s All In the Details

When it comes to link building (but with most other things as well) most people try to find shortcuts. They look for ‘secrets’, smart things that can get them to rank very quickly, preferably without any effort. Unfortunately, I have to say that there are no link building secrets, shortcuts or quick tricks. Well, except for one maybe; have an eye for details.

Just think about it…

• Do you start your email with ‘Dear Webmaster’ or with ‘Dear Lauren’?
• Is your content good or great?
• Do you use a spell checker?
• Do you mention the word ‘Pagerank’ in your emails or not?
• Are you an ‘SEO Link Builder’ or a ‘Product manager’ according to your email signature?
• Do you send out thank you notes?
• Do you use the word ‘guru’ in your Twitter bio?
• Have you thought your content’s title well through, or did you just write down the first thing that came to mind?
• Do you test or do you assume?
• Do you block your HTTP referrer or not?
• Are you going to send a press release on Tuesday morning or Friday afternoon?
• Do you buy your links from a broker or privately?
• Do you take no for an answer?
• Can you answer the most important link building question?
• Do you *really* understand what you’re promoting?
• Do you *really* know who you need to target?
• Did you hire the expensive designer, or the one that was $50 cheaper?
• Do you use the phone as well, or email only?

And that’s just a *very* small portion of all the details you have to think about. Nothing special, it’s all common sense. Get it all wrong, and you’ll find yourself spending your Saturday nights at the DigitalPoint forums, complaining that ‘link building is so hard and it’s not working anymore’. Get it all right, and you’ve got a chance of dominating your niche.