The success of link building depends on who is doing it and how it is done.

First, you need to understand the purpose of link building.  Many non-professionals don’t build links because they just don\’t get the point. Some  people may  think that optimized links in their content can be unnatural or disturbing for readers. This might be true, but it depends on how you do it. The links will be a natural addition when they help readers to explore a subject further.

One should understand that he/she is giving additional value in the form of external resources when readers want to learn more. At the same time, links save time for readers who don\’t want a lot of information on one page. Links also help other pages on your site, and external sites with worthy content, rank high and be found by real people. They help  the Web to be more organized for us all. Links are vital for SEO (search engine optimization)–they help the promoted page to rank high for its keywords and to be found by those looking for it. Link building is essential to increase anyone\’s web presence.

It\’s not just about sending out templated emails and sometimes responding to the replies. Moreover, we all should understand that spam is evil. There are plenty of ways to gain natural links from related pages, without getting on people\’s nerves.

Link building requires some technical skills (to insert the link codes, for example) as well as  extraordinary search skills (to find strong link partners for automated or manual link submissions).

A good link builder is the one with a \”good eye.\” This person is able to see the link value of certain pages within the enormous pile of worldwide Web information. Ideally this person will have wide interests,   is versed in hundreds of subjects, and is capable of identifying a great link partner on-the-spot.

Link building requires a creative approach. While everyone knows the rules, only those with original moves and strategic vision can outrank others.

Devotion, determination, and passion will help a link builder to do the job repeatedly on a day-to-day basis. You also need patience. Link building is time consuming. The results of this kind of work won’t be apparent right away. The only great thing about it is that when you do “your thing” correctly, the results will come sooner or later.

To be successful in building links for your site, or the sites of your clients, you can\’t be shy. You need to go out there and interact with others. Sometimes, you need to ask for a favor. You need to explain and convince. You need to be active.

Link building is different from link baiting–as work is different from fun. While the second can have a nice effect, it cannot be your long-term strategy. For solid results you need to build strong \”permanent\” links that wouldn\’t disappear as fast as they had appeared. Don’t just create a buzz that will result in some occasional traffic–it\’s just a waste of your time and bandwidth. Better to have onw  really interested visitor who might buy from you, or otherwise convert for you, than to have 10 drive-by visitors who won’t stay longer than a few seconds.

Some people can tell stories, while others can\’t. If you can, you are lucky and you can use it in link building as well. Links that aren\’t boring live longer. Try humor. If your link is funny, it will stay in place for a long time; if the content is funny, it will gain links continuously.

The links should be useful. They need to bring additional value to the content. Those automated, spammy, sponsored, or otherwise annoying links we see on the Internet aren\’t useful and bring no additional value, that\’s why they go away pretty fast. Moreover, they have a negative impact  on those sites or pages to which they link, and thus even harm them.

Relevancy is another key to long-lasting links. Until recently one of the hardest but most desired place for links – Wikipedia – is pretty stable for really relevant links even if they sometimes break their guidelines. Keep your links relevant all the time.

I hope this post will inspire others to link to it.

P.S. To make this article useful and, moreover, to prove the point, here are relevant links to the articles I previously wrote on link building that might be helpful:

Basic Link Building

After studying and exploring what you can do within your website, this post teaches strategies you can do for your site off-page–like link building.

Some Ideas for Getting Links

This is where you can be really creative, with things you can do repeatedly in order to continue ranking higher than your competition.

Link Baiting Ideas

In the first article of this series I explain what link baiting is, then share ideas on how you can get lots of links without lifting a finger.

More Link Baiting Ideas

A second part on link-baiting ideas–with  ideas you won’t find elsewhere since I came up with them by myself.

Ideas For Getting Links, Part 3

Links are everything on the Internet,  and this third article in the series brainstorms the creative ideas on getting more link love for your site.

Interviews as a Link Building Approach

I personally consider this method as one of the most effective in link building: Conducting interviews isn’t so easy, but it is still not as hard as writing original material and asking webmasters to give you some link love.

Building Links with Directory Submissions

I am all for the directory submissions and since sometimes people don’t get the power of getting listed in strong online directories I have decided to give some arguments for the directory submission and explain my professional point of view.

Link Building Strategies with Social Media

Get some strategies for this part of your online marketing so if you go this road, you do it the right way.

SEO Competition is your another Way to Build Links

Your competitors are your best friends when it comes to outranking them: Discover why by clicking above.

Ways To Get Links

In  this post I am talking about the most valuable links: ones that are relevant, from the resources and sites that are relevant to yours.

Other Ways to Get Links

Link building tactics include: Friends, family, clients, partners, profiles, networks, reference sites, video sites, blogs, forums, directories, press-release websites, link sellers, social media, and more.

Shavkat Karimov
Internet Marketing Manager
mobileStorm, Inc.
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