Best SEO Link Building Practices You Really Want

Link building is the practice of having other websites direct traffic to your site. Good quality links help you get the right type of traffic and help you get good rankings on search engines. Link building is not something you do short-term. It takes quite a bit of time not only to research how and where to get good quality links but also takes constant attention and something that needs to be done consistently.

So where do you start and get good quality links from?

Business Contacts and Customers
Just finished a project for a client? Ask them to link their website to yours with their recommendation. This will get traffic to your site that are most likely to be a potential customer too.

Guest Posts and Content
Offer to write content on other people’s blogs that are related in the same industry you’re in. This is a great way to get great links and network at the same time.

High Quality Resource Links
These would be things like having a link in Better Business Bureau directory sites. Or even get some visibility in Wikipedia.

News Media & Blogs
Get on with the press. Have someone write an article about you on their blog and introduce your business.

Relevant Social Industry & App Account Links
If you contribute to someone in your related social sphere, have them link your website to their site.

Social Media Link Acquisition and Content Marketing
One of my favorites. Engaging and building relationships in social media is a sure way to get people to like you and your content. If they like you, they’ll visit your site. If you’re content is compelling, they’ll comment on it.

Hope you found some of these link building suggestions helpful. Good luck
By: Jocelyn Wilhelm Source: JWSocialMedia.com

Top 10 Secrets to Writing Popular Posts - Kevin Jorgensen

Do you wish you knew the secret to writing popular blog posts? You know, the posts that get over 200 comments, 20 backlinks, and hundreds of shares on social networking sites?

Use Simple Words

The first thing you’ll probably observe when you look at popular blog posts is they’re easy to understand. And that’s true regardless of the subject matter.
Why? The reason popular blog posts are easy to read is because the author choses to write with simple words.
I try to write my content using 8^th grade vocabulary (like Time magazine), rather than writing like a highly educated person. I’d rather you be able to read and understand quickly what I wrote, than use my writing to convince you I may know more than you do about a particular subject.
The interesting thing is you will still come across as an expert – perhaps even more so. Even better – readers are more likely to share content that they think other people will understand. Use simple words, not fancy ones.
In addition to simple language, there are some words that seem to attract attention better than others (source Hubspot). You might consider these words for your subheads (don’t over do it).

Use the Word “you”

Really great content sounds like it was written specifically for you. Do you know why? Often because the writer simply used the word “you” instead of “we” or “them.”
When I write in this manner, what I’m doing is trying give you the sense that it’s just you and me, as if we were sitting down at Starbucks for a cup of coffee.
A simple method to help you do this is to think of someone you know and write your blog posts as if you are writing just for them. Some writers will even keep a picture of a person on the side of their monitor to remind them that they are writing for just one person.

Write “how-to” Posts

People want useful information. You want to be popular. Write useful information and you’ll be popular.
The formula for writing a “how-to” post is simple. Sit down and write out all of the steps involved in doing something in particular. Map each step into a sub-head and then write in that ‘you’ style, using simple language, how to accomplish each step.
Let’s say you want to show your reader how to subscribe to your blog with an RSS reader. Your headings might be “Choose a Reader,” “Sign Up,” “Click on the RSS button,” and “Subscribe.” Under each heading you would give more information, explaining what to look for, the pros and cons, and pointing out issues that might be confusing.

Not Too Long But Not Too Short…Just Right

Goldilocks was on to something. She only wanted things that were just right to resolve her immediate problem. Taking her queue, your content should be just long enough to completely address the issue you’re writing about. Some content will be longer than others but in order to be popular, no content should be fluff and likewise, it shouldn’t read like War and Peace either.
People love details – as long as the details make a point. Fill your how-to content with statistic, facts and information a reader will want to reference. Charts and graphs are great and add to visual appeal as well as increase appeal. Those references often end up being inbound links back to your content.

Hook Your Readers

The first rule of hooking readers is to write a great headline. Great headlines have four qualities. They are:

• Unique: Unique headlines can only be used for your blog post, like this post I’m writing right now. It’s unique because there is only one Kevin Jorgensen!
• Useful: A headline is useful when it promises practical information. The reason “how-to” guides are popular is because they give answers to problems.
• Ultra-specific: Adding numbers or stats to a headline makes it ultra-specific.
• Urgent: The best way to create urgency is to put some kind of deadline into your headline. “6 Days until the Next Stock Market Boom” or “Your Last Chance to Get a Free Copy of My Book” are good examples.

The best headlines have three or four of these features in them. This formula is called the Four Us.
After the headline, you hook readers by writing a great first sentence. How do you do that? Asking questions works really well. So does making a crazy statement that simply can’t be true, but then you promise to show your readers that it is. The point is to write a first sentence that people can’t resist. Quotes also make good first sentences, as do statistics.
Next, your reader will probably skim your post, especially if it is long, looking at all of your sub-headlines. This is why your sub-headlines need to also hook the reader.
Readers should be able to scan your sub-headlines and get a summary of what the post is about. Try writing your sub-headlines like normal headlines, using the Four Us formula. That way, you read them and say, “I’ve got to read that!”

Create a Conversation

One of the most important parts of writing popular blog posts is writing conversationally.
Have you noticed all the questions in this article? How about the italicized phrases? There’s a reason for this style. People forget that blogging is social media, and being social means knowing how to carry on a good conversation.
If you were having this conversation in-person the way to make it a great conversation is to listen and ask the other person questions. It shows the other person that you care about what they are thinking, and that it’s not all about you—because it’s not.
The same is true for a blog. Monologs are boring.
Creating a conversation also means you exchange words with each other after the blog post is done, usually in the comments, though some people prefer to email privately.
If there isn’t a dialog then it’s a monolog, and that’s no fun. So at the end of your post, always ask people what they think and tell them to leave their thoughts in the comments.

Prove Your Points

It’s important in your post to prove any claims that you make. For example, in the section where I said that graphs and stats in a post get more backlinks, I actually linked to another blog post that backed up what I was saying.
If you don’t do this, you’re likely to lose credibility and people won’t believe what you say.
Another benefit to proving your points by linking to other posts is that you are sharing with your audience another good source of information. And the chances are, the appreciative author you link to will probably link back to your blog at some point.

Show You’re an Expert

Lots of bloggers can get uncomfortable with this one because they feel like they’re tooting their own horn. Actually tooting your own horn rarely works.
To show you’re an authority on a subject means you have to get other people or organizations to say that you are an authority. Then you simply point out what they said.
Following this approach, you’re not bragging, just pointing out what others claim. Of course, it matters how you say it, so be humble.
There are also some words that seem to generate more inbound links (the proxy for authority) according to Hubspot:
 
You’ll see blogs with “As Seen In” sections displaying the logos of important companies and media sources, like the New York Times, underneath. This is an endorsement—another way of showing you have authority.
Testimonials from readers and clients are also a form of authority. If you’re interested, here’s a post on how to effectively use testimonials that explains more on this topic.

Care About Your Readers

I’ve discovered that if you truly care about people—including your readers—you will naturally try to write a popular blog post, because you are always looking for ways to write better. In other words, you’ll constantly try to learn new ways to improve your posts so you help more people. And that’s the Golden Rule for success blog posts!

Pay Attention to Search Optimization

In your blog posts, focus on the keywords for which you want to be found. Use one keyword in a post and keep the frequency between 1 use in 50 to 1 in 100 words. Improve the context of your keywords for on-page search: page title is the most effective place for keywords, use keywords in headings and content, and use the blog post description to convince searchers to read your content. Another place that writers often overlook for keyword use is the alternative text for images.
Source: IMRCorp.com

50 Qualities of the Best Business Blogs in the World

Every day I get emails from all over the world of business owners and marketers asking me one simple question:
“Marcus, will you take a quick look at my blog?”
And to the best of my ability, I always try to take a look. Yes, I’m feeling the time crunch more and more, but I still find so much joy in having someone in Europe put enough trust in a “pool guy from Virginia” to give him or her blogging advice.

Doing It Right

I mention this because over the last 2 years I’ve looked at and analyzed hundreds of business blogs. Some companies were big. Others were small. Some had an army of content producers and curators. Others had an army of one. Some had an unlimited budget for blogging and social media while others couldn’t rub two nickels together. Some sold soap. Other sold jet engines.

Yep, by this point, I’ve seen some of the best, worst, and most diverse the blogosphere has to offer.
This being said, I’m always impressed with businesses doing it right. I love it when success is achieved and when folks are getting positive results through the incredible medium that is blogging.
But results don’t just come naturally. There are certain actions and qualities that one must take in order to rise above the chatter and receive the love from their readers, their industry, and the other master of all—Google.
So that’s what this post is about, 50 of the most essential qualities of some of the greatest business blogs in the world. Here goes…

50 Qualities of the Best Business Blogs in the World

1. They answer the basic consumer questions first and foremost.
2. They don’t suffer from the curse of knowledge.
3. They don’t try to impress readers because they know that happens naturally with great teaching.
4. They don’t brag about themselves, their company, and why they’re so awesome.
5. They are willing to have a conversation below the post (in the comments section) or behind the scenes via email.
6. They don’t waste words, and if they can state it shorter, they do.
7. The owner/CEO of the company is involved and also is a blog contributor.
8. They include at least one image on every post.
9. They make it readable by using short paragraphs, bullets, headers, etc.
10. They include video as much as possible.
11. They address subjects no one else in their industry is willing to address.
12. If they see something wrong in their industry, they tactfully call-out the action, person, or company doing it.
13. They leverage as many employees as they can in the content curation process, and see every member of their staff as a “blog contributor.”
14. They don’t have a bunch of frivolous red tape, filters, and stupid management teams holding up every blog article that’s written.
15. They have thick skin and don’t back down as soon as someone doesn’t like what they have to say.
16. They are very consistent in their writing schedule, and most post at least twice per week.
17. They recognize the importance of great content combined with solid SEO, and don’t turn their back on either one of the two.
18. They don’t like to waste the time of their readers.
19. They never talk about their silly company picnic, employee retreat, etc.
20. They look to shine light on others “doing it right” in their industry.
21. They don’t try to make everyone happy.
22. In fact, they push customers out of the sales funnel as much as they push customers down the sales funnel, all for the pursuit of building the right tribe and creating the right clients.
23. They don’t care about their competitors stealing their “secret sauce” because, well, it’s likely not a secret anyway.
24. Their writing has personality, flair, and passion—the opposite of a college lecture hall.
25. They don’t give a rip about metrics that don’t mean a dang thing…like Klout.
26. They don’t bury their head in the sand when it comes to addressing issues (good, bad, and ugly) their readers are thinking about.
27. They are the best listeners in the world because they understand that listening to customers is all they really need to do in order to have unlimited ideas for blog content.
28. They are master storytellers.
29. They talk about their customers way more than they talk about themselves.
30. They write with passion and clarity.
31. They know their shtick.
32. They’re not afraid to make you laugh or make you cry.
33. They see themselves as “teachers” and “educators.” This is not just a blog thing, it’s a cultural shift within the company.
34. They quickly get rid of employees that don’t share this vision.
35. They see everything their business does, every service it renders, and ever product it carries, as a content opportunity.
36. They stay on the cutting-edge of their industry.
37. They run stories and articles when no one else will…because it’s the right thing to do and they’ve got guts.
38. They know by “giving it away” they will receive way more in the long run than their competitors who hoard information, thought, and industry best-practices.
39. They make the time to blog when there is none.
40. They understand the need for community, but also realize community is nothing unless their business doors are actually open and they’re turning a profit.
41. They invest money into their blogging platform so it doesn’t look cheap.
42. Even though their goal is to educate, they still understand the power of subtle selling, calls-to-action, etc.
43. They focus on numbers that matter the most—visits, leads, and conversions…and not on stats that don’t always equal profits—likes, tweets, shares, etc.
44. They are willing to be imperfect, make mistakes, and learn as they go.
45. They track their blog’s ROI (return on investment) and realize which articles are generating the most revenue and which ones are not.
46. They think wayyyy outside the box.
47. They show gratitude, support, and sincere appreciation to those readers, fans, and other companies that support them.
48. They don’t strive for “awards” or “best-of lists” or anything of that matter, understanding that such accolades will come naturally if they just do their part.
49. They understand complaining for the sake of complaining is a stupid business model and eventually, if done too much, will turn them into “the boy who cried wolf.”
50. They love what they do. They do it well. And they are relentless in their pursuit of excellence.

Your Turn

What’s funny about this list is that even though I’ve listed 50, there are many more I’ve not mentioned, which is why I’d love to know your thoughts. What qualities would you add to the list? Which ones do you disagree with? Which ones have you had the toughest time with?
Written By:  Source: TheSalesLion.com