Link Building... Time-intensive. Frustrating. Sometimes confusing. Yet Unavoidable. Because ultimately, it's still the trump card for higher rankings.
The pertinent questions:
- Will link building still be very important for rankings in the medium term?
- When will link popularity be devalued in favor of other algo elements (that are less tedious, from a webmaster's point of view)?
The answers:
- Sorry, but link building is still going to be the SEO trump card for the foreseeable future.
- I wouldn't hold your breath for search engine algorithms to place less importance on link popularity until the Semantic Web arrives, or maybe when HTTP gets replaced by a new protocol. Because links are still the basic connector, the basic relationship, on the Web. And for the forseeable future they're going to be the easiest way for a computer program to judge the importance and trustworthiness of a Web page.
5 Ways to Discover Link Building Ideas
Keyword Research
Use your favorite keyword research tool to find out what people are searching for. Look for phrases that indicate the person is looking for answers to a problem. These could include such words as "how to," "help," "tutorial," "fix," and "problem." Now you know specific problems that customers need to have solved. Use this information to create a great link building strategy -- and gain new customers at the same time.
Customers
You can discover link building ideas simply by talking to customers and uncovering their challenges. This includes conducting a survey, making phone calls, or asking customers in your brick-and-mortar locations.
B2B? Conduct a survey of clients to find out their challenges for the upcoming year. Make sure to ask open-ended questions. That's the best way to find the less obvious opportunities.
Staff
Talk to your account managers, customer service staff, and salespeople. They're the people in your organization who have the most contact with customers and the best understanding of their issues.
Tip: Have customer service representatives keep track of problems or questions customers have throughout the week.
Forums, Blogs and Social Media
Spend time reading forums, blogs, and social media sites in your industry to discover recurring problems people face. For blogs and social media, pay close attention to the comments people leave. Much is revealed in those comments.
If someone said something you want to explore in more detail, don't hesitate to contact them directly. Many will be willing to elaborate.
Consumer Review Sites
Spend time researching consumer review sites for your industry. Try to spot recurring issues. Review sites provide a wealth of invaluable customer data.
Use the information gathered about what customers are searching for and brainstorm link building ideas with your staff. Include people from different departments since you never know who'll come up with that incredible idea.
Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3628498
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