4 Link Building Success Stories

At Vertical Measures we provide an array of services for our clients, from content development to social media marketing and local search marketing. However, much of what we do is traditional link building –sending targeted link requests.

The purpose of our blog is to provide readers and subscribers with tips and best practices to follow in all of the aspects of Internet marketing we work in. And though many businesses may not want to share “secrets to success,” we would like to share some of our link building success stories with you in hopes that you will share yours in the comments.  These successes came with personalized e-mails and creating content.

Getting Personal

The first two success stories are examples of how extremely personalized e-mail requests are pertinent to obtaining a link when manual link building.

1.  The Request: The number one competitor backlink for one of our clients was a pirate costume website.  When contacting the webmaster, our staffer reached out in pirate speak: “Ahoy Webwench, I like yer site.” The first email back was a rejection e-mail, though the webmaster was assured that if she changed her mind, there was rum in it for her.

The Result: A reply saying, “Argh, what the hell, I’ve added yer site.” The link with anchor text was placed on a very relevant PR 5 page on a PR 7 domain.  This link is likely to send qualified leads to our client.

2.  The Request: A staffer found a quality link opportunity by searching through competitor backlinks.  Upon further research of the webmaster, it was found that the site owner claims to be able to always predict the outcome of the Miss America Pageant.  The written request joked that we’ll have to call on him the next time we’re trying to predict a pageant.  The request sparked conversation and got us in the door.

The Result: The site owner added an in-content link and wrote an entire paragraph about our client and how that product integrates with his services. The page was very relevant and provided context for the link.  The link used a targeted keyword phrase and was placed on a PR 4 page on a PR 5 domain. Also, it was the first main content link on the page.

Content Creation

The final two success stories are examples of using content to obtain a quality link.

3.  The Request: Our staffer approached a SayCampusLife.com branded Twitter account after finding their blog appropriate for our client’s site. Then, she worked with the client to develop a blog post that was informational and topical for SayCampusLife.com readers.  The VM staffer also used the client’s social media clout and following as a bargaining chip to obtain the opportunity.

The Result: The post went live and the client tweeted it to its 35,000 followers.  Eventually the post gained more th an 20 backlinks and there were many retweets,  some by very influential tweeters in the education industry.  The client’s keywords were used and the domain is strong as a PR 4.  The page eventually became a PR 3.

4. The Request: I found a site that provided golf tips, which was very relevant to one of our clients.  I approached the site owner about adding a tip from our client, a professional and expert in the industry, with a link back to the client as a reputable resource.

The Result: I obtained the link, photo and tip from the pro with many thanks from the webmaster for providing useful content.  The client link was the only external link on the page.  The domain was very relevant and a PR 4.  Also, the client was able to position himself and his company as an expert in the golf industry.

What are your link building success stories? Share with us in the comments!

Tags: content creation, Link Building, link building advice, link building success, personal email requests

This entry was posted on Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 5:00 am and is filed under Link Building. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.