Screw Link Building - It's about relationships. Ryan Jones presentation from Clickz Live NY 2014. Topics include Google penalties, Matt Cutts photoshops, Link Building History, Analytics, Relationship Building, & Brand Building

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@RyanJones

2. @RyanJones
Manager – SEO & Analytics
www.RyanMJones.com
This presentation online:
http://tiny.tw/3iGk

3. 3A Brief History Of Link Buildin
@RyanJones

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@RyanJones

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The Evolution of Link Building…
@RyanJones
Directories
Link
Exchange
s
Article
Submissions
Press Releases
Widgets
Infographics
Guest Blogs
Blog
Comments
Forum
Signatures
Profiles
Local / Places
Link Triangles
Paid Links
Youtube/Pinterest
301s &
Subdomains

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Let’s Talk About Search Engine Penalties
@RyanJones

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Cutts 1:20:14
Thou Shalt
Not Guest
Blog
@RyanJones

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My thoughts on guest blogging are pretty transparent
@RyanJones
Here’s How I Reacted To That:

9. Search Engines want to takes action on:
INTENT… NOT
TACTICS

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Tactics vs. Strategy
@RyanJones
A strategy is a plan of action with a
goal. It consists of several tactics.
A tactic is a smaller, focused, less
impactful action that’s part of a strategy.

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@RyanJones
WHAT IS
YOUR
STRATEGY?
Guest Blogging Is NOT a
Strategy.
Strategies include:
Acquire lower funnel traffic
Increase brand awareness
Ask: “what’s the goal of guest
blogging?” What’s the goal of
rankings?
That will lead you to your strategy.

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DON’T BE A LINK BUILDING IDIOT
@RyanJones

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@RyanJones
LINK BUILDING
Evolution vs.
Creation

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Brand Building
Content Marketing
Press Mentions
“Going Viral”
Social Engagement
These are Earned Links
QUIT CREATING
LINKS.
START
EARNING THEM

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If You Can Automate & Scale It…
SEARCH
ENGINES
CAN
DETECT
IT

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This is NOT Link Building

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Engines Favor Brands
Because Brands Earn Links
Big Brands don’t think of it as “Link Building”
They treat link building like any other type of ad:
• Is this audience appropriate?
• How many eyeballs will see it?
• How much traffic should I expect?
• Will it convert?
• Does it accomplish my campaign goals?
@RyanJones

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THIS IS HOW I BUILD LINKS
I Turn This:
Into This:
Source: Google Webmaster Tools Crawl Errors Report@RyanJones

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MEASURING LINK BUILDING
VANITY METRICS:
# of Links
PageRank
Page Authority
LRDs (linking root domains)
BETTER METRICS:
Visitors
New Visitors
Conversions
Unique Referring
Domains

20. FACT:
LINK BUILDING IS
HARD

21. SO DON’T DO LINK BUILDING:
DO BRAND BUILDING
DON’T GET LINKS.
GET ENDORSEMENTS
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

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The Evolution of Link Building…
@RyanJones
Directories
Link
Exchange
s
Article
Submissions
Press Releases
Widgets
Infographics
Guest Blogs
Blog
Comments
Forum
Signatures
Profiles
Local / Places
Link Triangles
Paid Links
Youtube/Pinterest
301s &
Subdomains
Relationship Building
&
Real Marketing

23. 23
Let’s….
@RyanJones
Linkedin.com/in/jonesy
www.RyanMJones.com
Ryan Jones
Manager – SEO & Analytics
SapientNitro