Last week, Michael wrote about his take on link request emails. I thought it would be valuable to share my own perspective on the subject, coming primarily from a background of making email requests to site operators. The lessons I've learned aren't universally applicable, but they've helped go a long way in getting attention and having a high probability of getting the link.
STEP 1: Determine Value
Some links are worth an incredible amount of time, money and effort. Others are worth a quick email, one follow-up and a shrug if you can't get them. Determining which is which is the tough part. The best way to determine a link's value is to see where the page/site ranks at Google in general. If the site's pages are consistently ranking in the top 3-5 results for the target terms, you've struck gold. If it ranks consistently in results 6-20, it's still carrying a lot of value. If the rankings are highly sporadic and you only find a few relevant pages that rank in the top 20, the value is lower.
One big mistake early link builders make is determining a link's value based on PageRank. I think it's a grievous error, as you'll be highly over-valuing older sites and, in many cases, overlooking pages that rank well, which to me is the single best indicator of value. The Page Strength tool can be more valuable (as it provides a lot of relevant data), but again, I wouldn't rely on the score itself. Look at the links pointing to it, the inclusion in DMOZ/Wikipedia and the human tagging on the page, but don't assume that a link from a Page Strength 5 will be more valuable than a Page Strength 3.
Once you have a good idea of relative value in your mind (value = time/money you should spend acquiring the link), you're ready to proceed to the next step.
STEP 2: Content Targeting
This step is so often overlooked that I get the feeling there's an official link building guide out there with a chapter missing. In Step 2, you have to look at the site/page you're requesting a link from and ask yourself this question:
If I owned that site, what content on my site (the site you're link building for) would entice me to link to it.
Here are some of the possible answers:
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If the page is a directory or takes paid submissions or is linking directly to several of your competitors' homepages, they're likely to link to you without any special content considerations
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If the site's a research or informational site, you'll need to have a resource that provides value to their readers. Oftentimes, a tool, multimedia piece or collection of data/research unavailable elsewhere will be the key.
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If you're dealing with a direct (or indirect) competitor or a commercial entity in the space, a compelling piece of content may need to be accompanied by a reciprocal link (if you're willing to go that route). Although reciprocal link building as a strategy is well past its prime, in a one-to-one link building campaign, it can be extremely valuable and won't hurt you if you're doing it infrequently.
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If the site is a government, non-profit or educational site, content that looks and feels non-commercial can really help, as can linkbait-style content that delivers value to visitors without requiring payment/registration.
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In some cases, there's almost no content you can provide that will satisfy the requirements of a picky site owner, at which point, money enters the equation (if it hasn't already).
A great example is to think about SEOmoz itself - if the blog, the articles and the tools didn't have such an open-source, community feeling to them, is there any chance that hundreds of competitors in the SEO world would be linking to us? Thus, the value of building a site that has a non-commercial (or subdued) feel to it becomes clear. The quality of a site's GUI also comes into play when link building - professional layout, color schemes, spacing and graphics play a shockingly big role in how well received the link requests become.
Once you know what content you need to get the link, you have two choices - build it, or decide that this link isn't worth the time & effort. Sometimes, you'll find that so many links require that content piece that it's worth building after all. Make sure you remember all those links you've passed over because you didn't have worthy, linkable content - you can always go back to them once you've built it.
STEP 3: Establishing Contact
In some cases, it's enough to send your link request in the first email, but for important sites where there's a high risk of being turned down, I always think of the relationship first. Establish a relationship, and oftentimes, the link will come to you without even asking - if it doesn't, that relationship is at least enough to separate you in the future from the morons who send email spam and those who send the one-off link request.
There's an infinite number of angles from which to approach a site, and your style has to change depending on the size, industry, focus and feel of the site. Don't worry, after a while, link builders develop a sixth sense about how sites will respond simply from clicking through a few pages (SEO company owners - cultivate and reward this skill in your employees; it's invaluable).
Even though I can't share all of the methods for approach, I can give an example that's worked in many situations in the past:
Dear folks behind website.com,
I have to say it - I'm a fan. I came to your site through Google (who doesn't, right?) and was immediately impressed with what you've built. I've recently joined the ranks of site owners in the ultra-soft cotton bedding world myself, so I've been looking around and researching who else is on the web.
I'm sure you're busy, but I was wondering if you had a minute for two short questions - #1 - For your article on Indian fabrics (URL), did you actually travel to India to buy those or do you have connections? and #2 - Have you found a good resource online on sewing silk? (NOTE: Obviously, you need to make the questions relevant to your industry, and the second should plant the seeds for a piece of content you plan to write and have them link to)
Much appreciate your time - I hope all's well in Kansas City (I'm out here in Seattle and it's pouring, as usual).
Best wishes,
John Such-and-Such
"But, Rand", I hear you say, "that's dishonest!" In some ways it is, but not entirely. You really do like their site or are, at the least, envious (since it's ranking well). You also have at least a passing curiousity in their business, so question #1 should reflect that and question #2 is fairly direct as well, since you want to determine if anyone else has put together great content to fill that niche.
The rapport you've built through this contact should continue for at least one more back and forth before you go the link acquisition route. And, while it may seem distasteful in some ways to be building a relationship solely for the purpose of a link, you should be thinking of this as a potential industry contact, and possibly even a future friend - just because you're meeting because you want a link, doesn't mean the relationship has to be purely selfish. I have people I've chatted with, done work for, and even met in person and shared a beer with that I met through a link request. Approach link building with a relationship in mind and you're sure to have a better chance of success.
STEP 4: The Link Request
You've worked hard to get here, but this is the most precarious part of the equation. The wrong link request could ruin your shot, so you want to be as careful as possible. Universally, I've found that there are two ways to make the link request - directly and indirectly.
With a direct request, you literally ask if the party will link to your content. This approach works best if the site already links out to others in your space, for their content or merely because they provide relevant services. You can also take the financial angle and ask if a paid link is available - many times the answer is yes. While purchasing links gets a bad rap from Google, when it's done in a one-to-one, direct fashion, it's virtually untraceable unless you're buying it through Google Checkout or MC's put a bug on your laptop.
The indirect method asks the site owner to merely look at your content, and possibly provide their feedback or input. This method is perfect for educational/resource focused sites that you think are a long shot. Remember that even if your request meets with no link, you can always refer back to the direct method afterwards, particularly the financial incentive.
Whatever method you use, it's of critical importance that you find some shared point of reference or logical explanation for your link. If you can't find a place on their site where it would be relevant and intelligent for them to provide a link, either you're not looking hard enough or you'll have to pay. The key is to have a connection between your link, their site, and the users who'll visit both that makes sense to you and the site owner. Link building is an excercise not only in patience, but psychology, too. If you can get inside the mind of a site owner and understand his motivations, you can make that link happen.
One last note - link building via email requests IS absolutely a numbers and time game. The highest success rate I've ever seen hovered around 75%, and it's usually below 50%, even for highly relevant, quality sites with great link builders. Target 100 links, plan on getting 25, and you'll be thrilled if you can get 40.
Nice detailed article Rand. As I've commented previously, building the relationship first really pays off. I like how you put it, that it seperates you from the other spammy requests because you have a higher level of trust with the webmaster.
Something interesting happened the other day. Someone saw that I was using the same template for WordPress that they were trying to use. Because it was thick in Javascript, AJAX, and some customizable options, its not a simple plug-n-play template. They asked how I got it working and if I could help. I didn't think much of it, was glad to help, and told them what I did to make it work. The next day I had two links coming in from a very well indexed copywriting blog thanking me for my help. So you are right, sometimes if you build the right relationships, you won't even have to ask for a link. (And needless to say, I'll be happy to help the same person again).
"But, Rand", I hear you say, "that's dishonest!"
If I smell anybody wasting my time with bullshit questions like this on the pretext of getting a link, my blood will boil.
... but getting back on topic...
If your site has genuine merit don't become a LinkWeasel. Write to the site, confidently tell them about your content, and you will likely get your link without wasting anybody's time.
LinkWeasels get their butts kicked in the end by the developer of expert content. Spend your time there first then your linkbuilding efforts will pay.
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Rand, I think that this is a great post overall. I just don't agree with the one strategy element.
If you want to contact the webmaster... ask if there is any content that you can develop on your site or on his that will build a partnership. They might want an article on the topic of your expertise... or a guest columnist. Maybe they will link to you if you make a tool that their visitors can use. Or offer to showcase them on your site if they have exceptional content.
Thinking win-win works most of the time. Be willing to earn the link and the relationship will be stronger.
Point taken, EGOL. There are certainly folks who may get pissed off if they think you're trying to game them. At the same time, I'm sad to report that I think this method has a higher chance of success than sending a direct request.
As for expert content - I completely agree. This post is really for those poor fellows whose job it is to link build. I'm training a few of those folks next week, and their task is not an enviable one. :)
You are probably correct if the site wanting the link has content that is not automatically linkable or marginally linkable... but if you have great content you don't have to do this IMO.
Also, there will be some sites where a linkbuilder who does not have command of the content topic will embarass the site owner by sending a link request that has perfect grammar, etc. but sounds like a total idiot in the context of the content. This is where STEP #1 from your post comes in. There may be situations - such as sites with highly technical content where you identify the most valuable links and create a template letter that the webmaster herself can tailor to the content of the site.
I have a couple of employees who help me with linkbuilding - both have earned a lot of college credits in the area where they are working. They find candidate sites/pages then I assess link value and I write to the most important ones myself. This makes sure that I am asking for the right link in the right place and that the request is done to the best of our abilities. Employees send the messages to the second tier sites under my signature using one of multiple letters that they select based upon site characteristics. I am convinced that the yield is higher this way.
Furthermore, I know my site and it's content much better than the employees. When I look at a site who might link to me, I often think of an article, blog post or other page on the site that might be a perfect match for the link request. Deep links are often easier to get than homepage links. Often you get two links out of that request - one to the specialized resource and one to your homepage. Don't be afraid to ask for two links if your site has some nice deep content.
So, doing the linkbuilding work as a team with the site owner might be a smart thing to do.
One other tip... we do ALL linkbuilding work on one computer. This allows us to maintain a history of what sites/pages have been prospected for links. Saves lots of time in a extended and thorough search.
You should really write a post on this :) It sounds like you've got an amazing process. I think you also have the advantage of coming from a very trustworthy background when you make the link requests; is that something that transfers or is it unique to your situation?
One of the keys to getting links from academics, authority sites, content editors, etc is a knowledge of Information Literacy. IL is the ability to find, evaluate, select, organize and present information. Before they link to you they are going to look at your site and see if it passes those five IL criteria. These folks do that by habit, their sites are built upon that foundation, and that is every reason why they have a site that you are drooling to get a link from.
But, lots of SEO thinking goes contrary to IL. Consider linking out... Lots of SEOs are very stingy with their links but a person who thinks in the IL vein will look at your site, see the links and realize that you are a well researched person who cites information sources. So linking out actually attracts the highest quality links. Links are actually valuable content to the IL person. Linking out brings back far more than you "thought" you lost (plus, it gets you the ranking benefit of a load of KW rich anchor text pointed at the top sites in your theme).
Philosophy over mechanics... Think about the folks who design the algos and what their background is....
^.^;
But seriously... this is one of the big pitfalls of online communication. It behooves one to adjust one's whole manner and approach in any first encounter based on the personality with whom one is dealing, but how does one know which approach is best when one is writing a perfect stranger whom one cannot even see or read? There are people out there who are very pragmatic and A) they can tell when they are being approached by a sycophant and B) indirect approaches boil down to the statement, "I think you are dumb enough to fall for this oily grift of mine." And that's an affront.
Then, however, there are people who fall into myriad other categories like 1) people who are sure of themselves and their own content and who like being pandered to by linkbuilders 2) people who don't realize their site's own potential and are thrilled by the attention (growing rarer all the time) or 3) people who are just genuinely nice about it all (also growing rarer). Rand's approach will work very well on these types most of the time, though a few might wise up and feel they are being used.
In face to face contact, one can read people much more easily on the air about them alone, but this is not a convenience much afforded by online communication. I think EGOL and Rand both have excellent techniques. If one is approaching a webmaster or author that has enough content and a discernible voice, one may judge by that voice which type they might be, and thereby effectively choose one approach or the other to better success, I imagine.
I think in the end, individuals speak a very different language. Despite being very practical about all of it, I am naturally a very upbeat and complimentary person, and I think my mails probably come across as overly honeyed to the more straight-forward crowd. That simply can't be helped, but it's good to know that, according to Rand's idea, I still have a shot with the arrogant pricks and nice guys of the world.
requesting links is the only way to gain exposure. If you build a palace in the forest, you need to announce its presence somehow.
Great post, I really like your approach. Personally, I don't send a lot of email requests if any (of course I only work on my sites as a hobby) mainly because I am not a native English speaker and I don't really feel comfortable and I am afraid that my grammar and spelling are going to make me and my site look bad.
However, during the past month I have been receiving non stop emails for one of my sites. It's a site that I built mostly for fun but did really good (digged three times, thousands of del.icio.us bookmarks etc). Now it ranks anywhere between page 1 and 3 for all the keywords of it's niche, something that I am really proud about because it is a competitive niche. This has been really educating for me because I was able to see a large number of different emailing techniques. One that I wasn't sure how to react to, was the totally sincere one. Something in the lines "We are contacting you because Google thinks your site is good resource"
I am sure they were tempted to add WTH are you outranking us? :)
I wouldn't worry about your English. You speak (type) it better than most of us here.
And if someone says "Google thinks your site is a good resource", they most likely found your site with SEO software and it's pretty much the same thing as Michael said: "Hey, your site ranks better than mine, please give me a link so I can eventually outrank you."
Hi there,
I am very new to this industry but am learning every day and trying to soak it all up! Rand's article is great and is what ive been advised to do so far however my problem lies int he actual sourcing of links.. Could someone advise me as to whether there is a written rule as to how to source links or is it a free for all until you develope your own style and get a bit more used to the process as a whole?
Thanks,
Ginny
I'm surprised this post didn't get more thumbs up...perhaps it's because of the age of the article.
I've had great success asking for links when the site i'm link building for is non-commercial e.g. an attraction, resource, and obviously non being a direct competitor helps :) Find where your competition gets their links from and ask to be included.
I use an aliased email address...like rand says it's a bit misleading but not really...you're basically acting on behalf of the client and you'd probably get pretty dismal results if you started off by saying "Hi, I'm Jon Doe and I'm a online search marketer..."
For the sites that are commercial in nature...you pretty much have to have great resources, dish out some cash, free stuff, tool, or give those sites some type of benefit for linking to you.
The funny thing I'm realizing about link building is it really depends on the time of the day you send out your email. I'm on Pacific time and I usually don't get around to emailing potential backlinkers until late at night.
Then suddenly it dawned on me, I should be emailing people on week days, probably around 8am. That's generally when people notice emails coming into their inbox. If you start emailing people in the middle of the night, chances are you get thrown into the clutter of all their other piled up messages and spam...
Rand, I'll start by saying that this article rocks.
Still, after 2-3 years, I think it's working just the same! (and of course, if there are any more news - I hope we can see another article about what have been changed)
Indeed, it's a hard work and thanks again for summering this so well.
Guy.
Another great strategy to incorperate is not just to simply ask for a link exchange. You can give away free licenses of you main product to the webmaster, so he can use that in a contest. This will be a win-win situation. Their visitors like to get free stuf, you get traffic and exposure
This post is a joy to read.
 Link building campaigns can often feel like taking "a shot in the dark". Connecting with the people behind the website is where I get my enthusiasm.
Since my efforts have just recently begun, I been doing a lot of odds and ends "favors" (hey, do you need a logo designed? I can help you with a business card if you like.) and the time I invest will inevitably come back with interest (hopefully higher rankings!)Â
Don't be shy and spread some love!
Another great article it's so hard to even make a comment on. There's no point saying much when I couldn't put it any better.
Great resourceÂ
Rand,
Great stuff as usual. I am brand new to SEO, having just come on at my brother's start up, and read your how-to every day. He pointed me to your site and I'd still be fumbling through link building and blogging blindly if we didn't have your Advanced Tools. Wait a minute, I am only 3 weeks into this job.................Making sense of SEO is possible for a newb like me.
Keep it up. Please.
 Alex Einspruch
 www.ziizoo.com
I like this reply, MisterO. It recognizes that different approaches will work to gain links from different webmasters - who own different types of sites. The person who can divine this will get the most links overall.
The other half of the equation is to understand the site that you are linkbuilding for and how it's content relates to the sites you are soliciting links from.
It requires both knowledge and instinct, and those both come with experience. And even recognizing the fact that one needs to take a different approach for different webmasters and sites calls for additional strategizing--i.e. additional time. Ultimately, I think many people are better off sticking to one method most of the time, but for particularly crucial links, considering both certainly might prove worthwhile.
Concerning the second point, needless to say, the whole process demands that one research various related and competing sites to get a fundamental understanding of the materials. I should hope that, despite how time-consuming it is, most linkbuilders learn to foster an interest in what they learn as they go. This not only makes the bitter pill of sifting through content a little easier to swallow, but also, when it comes time to actually send those e-mails out, one can at least feel a little genuine in showing the enthusiasm or practical understanding necessary to receive a positive reaction. With the right attitude, the whole process can be quite elegant and edifying.
Great post. This method is high acceptable. But in most cases, authority sites don't answer to all e-mail messages but you can't loose anything if you try. I think it is good to send e-mails from accounts from our domains because those free e-mail accounts look too much spammy.
Absolutley fantasic piece. I'm just about to start link building again after quite a long lay off. This will help form my strategy. Totally priceless!
Good article, gave me some ideas I can work on.
I just have to ask you about *your* links on this blog. Why do you keep giving them so bad link texts? "take" is hardly something that describes his article in a good way, and I know you know that. So why do you keep linking like that?
Emil - I've gotten into the bad blogger habit of linking colloquially rather than topically... I'll have to work on that.
Great article and feedback.
Thanks.
AlexÂ
Great article. I personally don't see any ethical dilemma with writing in context to the author of a site to establish a link. It's the same as dealing with people we don't like in the business world.
wow, this is a really good post. i feel like i just read 3 or 4 blog posts all combined on the same page. much thanks to the author and also to egol for contributing so much to this discussion. looking forward to learning more about link building.