Organic Link Building Explained By Internet Memes

Link building is a key to search engine optimization.  All major search engines take the number of links to a site in account when determining search ranking.  So, if you want to increase your search ranking, you will need to get people to link to you.

But how?

Here are some tips of getting others to link to you explained by perhaps some of the most linked things on the Internet: Internet Memes.

“I Like Turtles”

What this teaches us about link building: This young boy with zombie make-up likes turtles.  Of course, that’s not what the reporter expected him to talk about when she came up to him.

The point is that relevant links matter.  If you run a website about race cars, you’re wasting your time trying to get links from a blog about flowers.  Not only do search engines give more weight to relevant links, but you’ll see more traffic that way as well.

Think about it.  How likely is it that someone reading a flower blog will click a link about race cars?  Not very likely.  How likely is it that someone reading a blog about race cars click a link about race cars?  Much more likely.

Keep in mind that the site linking to you does not have to have the exact same topic as yours.  It just has to be related.  A site that sells auto parts might link to your race car site.  So might a site filled with sports car reviews.  Take some time, find some related sites in your niche, and focus on getting links from those sites.

“Imma Let You Finish”

What this teaches us about link building: As Kanye West displayed at the VMAs, people think it’s rude when you interrupt them.  Don’t just show up on a message board, forum or comments section of a blog and start spamming a link to your site.  People are having conversations and your posting will definitely annoy them.

If you want to post on blogs and message boards to spread your message, make sure you add something to the conversation.  If you make a few good points and include a link to your website in your signature or at the end of your post, people will be much more receptive than if you just jump in and interrupt them.

Christian Bale’s Rant
NOTE: There’s a lot of NSFW language in this one

What this teaches us about link building: Be nice.

Whether you’re asking someone for a link or participating in a discussion online, remain professional and polite.  If people don’t like you, they’re not going to link to you.

Also, it helps if you link out to some sites as well.  Showing that you’re willing to help others as well makes you seem like a good person and that will make people more likely to link to you.

The Rick Roll

What this teaches us about link building: Build your site around a few key posts.  Some people call these “pillars” while others call them “link bait.”  It doesn’t matter what you call them but it matters how you use them.

By 2007 Rick Astley was largely forgotten.  But once the “Rick Roll” hit the Internet, he was suddenly at the forefront of pop culture.  Wisely, Astley recognized that his song “Never Gonna Give You Up” was once again popular, and he ran with it.  He appeared at the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2008 and the newfound popularity of his song caused Astley to be named Best Act Ever by fans of MTV Europe.

Rick Astley could have ignored the popularity of his old song or he could have hid from the spotlight.  Instead he recognized what his “money maker” was and he ran with it.

The same is true when link building.  Take the time to craft a few quality pieces on your website and promote those pieces extensively.  Don’t spam Digg every time you write a new blog post; know what articles are link bait and promote those.

LOLCats
lolcats

What this teaches us about link building: Try to reduce spelling and grammar errors in your writing.

Nothing makes a website look less professional than misspelled words and terrible grammar.  Before you start promoting your site, read through all of your written content and make sure that everything is presented as professionally as possible.  It’s definitely worth the time.

Lego Stop Motion

What this teaches us about link building: They say that “content is king,” and they’re right.

High quality content will be linked to.  If you’ve written a great blog post, created a beautiful image or designed a fantastic web application, people will link to it.  You’ll find much more success when you spend time creating something great than if you just spew out rehashed content.

Quality is definitely more important than quantity. Good web content writing is key and it will help you build links.

Miss South Carolina

What this teaches us about link building: You’ll find success if you provide an answer to a question people are asking.

Spend time looking at blogs and message boards in your niche.  Find out what people are talking about.  If you run a music website and people online are asking for reviews of a new album, provide that review on your site.  If you give people the web content they want, they will visit your site and they will link to you.

Just try to answer their questions better than Miss South Carolina did.

“Charlie Bit Me”

What this teaches us about link building: Be accessible.

Almost everyone finds something to like in the “Charlie Bit Me” video.  Some people think the kids are cute, others love the British accents while others will find the mischievous laughter hilarious.

Creating a website for a large audience is the best way to get others to link to you.  If you have a site about football that’s geared towards fans of a particular team, try and add some content about other teams or players as well.  Write commentary about an especially noteworthy issue in the sport, even if it doesn’t  involve your team.

This will increase the number of people that read your posts and therefore the number that will want to link to you.

One Take Music Videos

What this teaches us about link building: Be social.

The most impressive part about most “one take videos” is that a large number of people managed to coordinate themselves well enough to film an entire music video in one take.

This same social connectivity will help your link building as well.

The power of social media will get you links.  Sites like Digg and StumbleUpon are great for link building and therefore should be a part of your search engine optimization strategy.  Join these sites, participate in them, meet people there, and then watch your content spread across them.

Chuck Norris Facts
chucknorris

What this teaches us about link building: Become an authority on something.

Work hard to become a place for breaking news or up-to-date gossip or the best commentary.  It’s not easy, but if you can make your site the place to be for your topic, people will link to you.

In general, what these Internet memes have taught us is that link building isn’t easy.  You’ll need to be polite, social, hardworking, talented and creative in order to gain organic links.

However, once you’ve mastered these techniques, you’ll be on your way to success.  Organic links are an excellent way to increase your search ranking and should be part of every search engine optimization project.

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