When you implement a content marketing strategy a key component is getting backlinks. That can be tricky for new-on-the-scene marketers who don’t have connections with editors and bloggers. Even seasoned marketers can struggle with getting their content promoted by influencers and high domain authority sites via backlinks.
An SEO strategy is virtually useless if your content doesn’t perform well online. Some marketers attribute up to 80% of your SEO rank is determined by content. What’s a marketer to do when other blogs and media outlets just aren’t that into you?
If you want your content to be a backlink generator follow these 5 simple steps to SEO greatness.
Create Cool Content With New Ideas
If you aren’t getting backlinks it could be because your content is stale.
If you’re doing your research, you’re probably coming across the topics that you’re competitors are writing about. And you may think it’s a good idea to write about the same things to become a backlink generator.
The problem is, everyone else is doing that too. Don’t write the same things your competitors are writing. Come up with new, relevant content that makes sense for your audience.
Avoid self-promotion. It’s common knowledge that most people don’t want to be sold. They go to blogs seeking information, not a sales pitch.
In most cases, Google rankings rely more on links from high domain authority sites than from a high quantity of backlinks. They usually take a quality over quantity approach to SEO.
High domain authority sites are incredibly competitive, so if you want them to backlink your content it has to be original and well done. Researching high domain authority sites that you’d like your content to be backlinked from can help you generate new ideas for relevant content.
Appeal to Your Target Audience
What if you’re writing new and interesting content and still not a backlink generator? It’s possible that you aren’t writing to your audience.
If you’re promoting your work to the right people, you’re giving it to other websites that appeal to the same audience as you. If they aren’t using your content, it’s possible you aren’t writing for your audience.
To fix this, look to your page analytics, do a competitive marketing analysis and a deep dive of your target market. Then keep a running list of ideas that appeal to that demographic.
You may also have to re-evaluate user intent. If you are working off of a keyword list that you created months ago, the readers of today may be asking themselves new questions. Make sure you are answering the right questions surrounding each keyword to stay relevant.
Change Your Promotion Strategy
It’s possible that you aren’t getting the backlink exposure you want because you aren’t promoting your content correctly. You can change your promotion strategy in a number of ways to become a backlink generator.
Ensure you’re writing to people who appeal to the audience you are trying to reach. Personalize your emails for each editor or blogger. Never mass email your content to a number of influencers at one time.
If you’re sending your content to a general email address, rethink that approach. Instead research emails at an organization and find a person to send your content to.
Make sure you’re promoting the right content. Listicles aren’t likely to get as many backlinks since most bloggers can throw them together with ease.
On the other hand, informative infographics, videos, research, expert round-ups and other compelling content performs well. Understanding what content is good for linking and which content is not, may be the key to your successful strategy.
Improve Your SERP Snippet
Improving your SERP snippet can improve your Google page ranking. A compelling SERP snippet could increase your CTR enough to move you up to page 1 or 2 on search results. Putting you front and center on the screens of bloggers who are looking for content to backlink.
But even if your SERP snippet doesn’t improve your SEO that much, a clearly defined description will still help bloggers decide if they want to use your content. It’s an important piece of the SEO puzzle.
When you consider all the things that appear on a SERP, from ads to definition boxes, local search results and more, it’s easy for your snippet to get lost if it isn’t compelling.
Look For Patterns In Content That Ranks Well
Unquestionably, high ranking content has backlinks. If you want to be a backlink generator in your industry, you need to learn from the pros. While you don’t want to duplicate tired content, you can note the important characteristics about high ranking content that appeals to your audience.
While you don’t want to duplicate tired content, you can note the important characteristics about high ranking content that appeals to your audience.
Look for things like length, how often ranking key words are used, how many links and backlinks are in the content and voice, to name a few. All of these things and more can reveal patterns about what works for your audience.
Content that is strategic and relevant to your audience is more likely to generate backlinks from domains with authority.
Become A Backlink Generator With An Exceptional Content Strategy
If you’ve been following this article you know your content strategy should include new, creative content that’s relevant to your audience. It should also be based on competitive research that reveals keyword writing patterns in your industry.
You say you’ve got content that meets those benchmarks? Then you may be ready to send it off, one-by-one, to high domain authority influencers who can help you promote with backlinks.
With this strategy, you can slowly begin to grow your backlinks, and increase your SEO. In less time than you may think, you can be a backlink generator. And more backlinks means more business success and visibility.
At the end of the day, it does take some work. As they say, nothing worth it is ever easy. If you’re looking for more help on your SEO strategy than this article offers, check us out here.
