Audience-first link building strategy - the fastest way to get links

In the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), links hold the crown jewel status. 

These are the units that build your online reputation. 

In simpler words, the more number of links to your website, the better your chances of ranking for your content on Google search. 

Is it really that simple?

All that Google cares to rank a website's authority - links?

Though it sounds simple, it is not. 

Let me explain with an example.

You want to buy a car for your family of four. 

What are your next logical steps?

You go to Google search or other search engines and look up for best family cars.

You are likely to get results which showcase a set of cars ranked based on parameters for different family types. From this list, you will understand what car would better suit your family. Ideally, you will shortlist the category and do a more refined search now.

Like, say, best SUV family cars. Now, you will get more search results. From these, you will further refine your perception. 

So basically you will search through different websites until you come to a better conclusion on the car you would like to purchase. 

Now from these review and comparison websites, you'll often have links to other websites where you can book a test drive of the car you like from a local dealer. 

Such links are present to help you complete your transaction for which you started your search in the first place. 

These transactional links are highly valuable as they make the most sense for the user. 

These links satisfy the searchers intent and hence, have a better chance of increasing offline interactions driven by your online searches. 

Such links are highly valuable. 

But let me ask you this question now - How does Google or other search engines know which link is worth how much?

There is an obvious answer to this but let me just continue with our example. 

So, in our case, a local dealer gets our user's test drive request. 

They fix the appointment and follow up with the customer. This appointment is usually also tracked on Google Analytics. It is a product of Google. All collected data is shared between Google products. 

So Google as a search engine literally knows that say, User X, wanted to know about Family Cars. He searched for them. A test drive appointment also is now booked. This means a transaction was done from the review website to the local dealer's website via a link. 

The value of this link increases now. This mainly because the link helped satisfy or serve the purpose of the search. 

Now imagine our user even bought the family car from the local dealer. 

What will happen next?

There would be email transactions and online payment. Let's say that our user was using Gmail as their email service. Google will now be able to know that a purchase transaction was done. 

This further increases the value of that particular link from the review website to the dealer's website. 

There is also one more thing happening. 

The domain authority of the review website and the local dealership will increase in that particular locality. 

Let's take this example a step further. 

Suppose after 3 months, the family car bought was due for the first check-up and there were email transactions for the same. Based on this information, Google will now know that the local dealer is more settled and is slightly more trustworthy. They are better than other local dealers, who were not able to get back to their customers immediately for the first service in the initial three months. 

Thus, the link between the review website and local dealer website becomes more relevant to the search engine. The logical way of looking at this is to see the extent to which a link can add value. 

Let's summarize the example:

1. A link is valuable if it takes the user to the next level. For example, the user moves from reading reviews to booking a test-drive
2. The link gains more worth if there are repeat transactions of different kinds
3. The connecting websites will also see an increase in their overall domain authority as they satisfy the search intent of the user better than their peers and provide the next level content to them
4. If there are more than two or three repeat transactions between the user and the website, then the link further gains value as it seems to help people more number of times in their lifetime

I agree that this was a simple example. I also agree that everyone will not like what I have explained in points 2 to 4.

The thing I didn't mention is that there are two main kinds of links. Nofollow and dofollow.

The main difference between nofollow and dofollow links is the presence of rel="nofollow" HTML tag. A nofollow link has it, and a dofollow link does not. There has been a recent update on "nofollow" links by Google to better evaluate them - https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/96569?hl=en.

And the entire SEO industry thinks that nofollow links are not really worth the deal. 

I do not think so. (Obviously, it's always me against the world kind of thought process :))

Yeah, there will be a difference in impact. But that will change if your website or the link can actually provide value to the searcher. 

I know no one says this but let's see this from my perspective.

The main question is -

How do Search Engines like Google stay in business?

Let me say this before you start going in the wrong direction - it is not by their ad revenue. 

Ad revenue will only come if there are a lot of searchers. 

To attract a high volume of active searchers, the search results, have to be of high quality. 

Now the quality of search results has to be excellent to keep people coming back and also for acquiring new users.

Here is a list of searcher's expectations:

1. Search Intent: The search results need to satisfy the intent with which the user is searching. The results also need to be highly specific to the needs of the user as a person.
2. Meet expectations: Internet users have ever-increasing expectations. Hence, search engines like Google tend to be looking at providing more relevant information. 
3. Local information: Post-2018, a massive drive towards pushing out locally relevant content has happened. Now the Internet is being used to collect local information.
4. Actionable: Most users are searching for information they do not know or know very little about. The need to know more drives them and the next logical step is execution. 

Let's see an example to explain how Google search results convey the above 4 points. 

A user wants to buy a pair of running shoes. 

He/she does a simple search: running shoes in [city name]. 

The search results are a list of local businesses on a Google map, online stores and blog/news about running shoes and social media posts from runners about their shoes. 

The search results solve a variety of searcher intents. 

Ranging from offline/online purchase to content for them to consume about runnings shoes. 

The first priority is for offline sales. Online searches usually result in offline purchases. The Google Maps listing stores are ordered based on how near they are to your location or if they are on your office/home route. Other factors considered are - your location history/travel history, rating+reivews of the local businesses from people who have been to those stores, the response and online activity of the store owner. Apart from these, there are other factors as well but not significant for our example. 

After the Google Maps listings, we have online stores in the search results. The user can instantly purchase them online. 

The last set of search results provide news articles and blogs. This content helps in making an informed choice of shoes.

So from the above explanation, it is clear that the search results are trying to answer a variety of search intents. The content provided is also helpful, local and actionable.

To provide these 4 values, Google needs to evaluate the worthiness of each website before listing them on its search results. This is executed by giving different value or worth to links. 

Everyone thinks that this value of a link is fixed based on whether it is a nofollow or dofollow link and the domain authority of linking website.

That is true for day 0 analysis of links. Post that the value is dynamically changed based on the following parameters

1. The average time spent on pages/domain by a visitor after clicking through from a link in the website (Google can see this with the help of its crawlers and the data from the visited website Google Analytics)
2. Value-based actions taken in a single search session (Google search, is also a website, and it too has individual sessions in its Google Analytics). Google can understand the evolution of the user's search queries and also see if they are taking any value-based actions on the websites they are visiting. 
3. The number of users who have been satisfied with a link and the website connected to it.
4. The speed at which the link is being shared by people using social media and other mediums such as email, SMS, online messengers, bookmarks etc. 
5. The speed at which a broken link is identified and corrected
6. The page load time vs the number of users retaining on the website and taking action
7. Number of people directly visiting the website from browser URL cache after first clicking through the link
8. The number of websites using the same link and the text used for the link
9. The number of users talking about it. The phrases from the content are used for such discussions.

Based on these factors, a link's worth is dynamically improved or decreased.

Hope that sets the following base platform:

1.  A link's worth is dynamic in nature and is dependent on how much value they are providing to the audience or user or searcher
2. Focus on the content quality or value the link will provide. Not if it is a "nofollow" or "dofollow" link

With the above, let's get to the topic of this article.

Audience-first link building strategy. It has the following stages:

1. Understanding your audience needs

1. Creating value for your audience

1. Prospecting for venues where your audience will invest their time in

1. Reaching out to the prospects with a value proposition that will help the audience, them and you

1. Execution of the link strategy and PR outreach

Stage 1: Understanding your audience needs

Let's try to work with our first example of running shoes itself. Suppose you are a local store selling running shoes and you want to do an audience-first link building.

What does your audience need?

Quality running shoes. 

What are the buying stages for a person looking to get a pair of running shoes?

• They'll collect information on local stores and online stores which are selling running shoes.
• They'll try to understand the different options available and what is more likely to suit their needs.
• They'll look for the variant and which stores they are available, their ratings, etc.
• They'll ask the opinion of their friends and family about the stores. 
• The final stage is test, purchase and post-purchase self-evaluation of the product.

An excellent tool for this would be https://sparktoro.com/

Stage 2: Creating value for your audience

Valuable information for the audience in our example would be the following:

• Different options available in running shoes
• What category of people like what variant of running shoes
• Running shoe worth based on the brand and value for money
• Detailed reviews and ratings of the product and actual photos shared by real people
• Endorsement from friends or family members previously on a running shoe

Stage 3: Prospecting for venues where your audience will invest their time in

These are the possible places where the audience might invest their time in:

• Google Maps listings/online stores with reviews, ratings and photographs of the products from actual people
• A local blogger explaining the different varieties of running shoes
• A shoe manufacturing company website explaining it's products
• A local shoe repair shop owner's blog
• A runner's club blog post explaining the gear and kit for beginners
• A marathon registration page providing details about the event and kind of shoes needed
• A fitness group blog post and social media posts about running and it's health benefits
• A deals website explaining the set of running shoes that are on sale
• Social media posts from a celebrity and a local influencer who are using the shoes
• A working professionals group who have decided to get fitter by the next quarter with the help of running

The above are the various prospects whom the shoe store owner can approach for obtaining links which in turn would be useful for their audience.

Stage 4: Reaching out to prospects with a value proposition

The number one problem in link building is finding the right email address of the prospects. 

Here is where I would suggest doing things differently. 

Before reaching out to people, create a social presence for yourself. Be true. Be original.

Clearly mention things about your business. Your goals, milestones in your social media. 

Now approach your scoped prospects on social media or via email address. Have an open conversation of how you can add value to their business. 

Talk to people. 

Talk about their business/cause.

Talk about your mutual customers. 

Talk about the future.

Share your visions. 

Sell them your story and vision.

Ask what they want and explain what you can give. 

Convince them.

Remember one point clearly. You are a business owner, so are they. You need links, and they need great content to retain as well as acquire new customers for their own brand/group.

Explore what kind of content works well for them. Is it video, blog post, infographic, social media stories, etc. 

Offer your content in their preferred format. Give multiple options to choose from. Work with them to see what content works well for them organically as well. 

To better understand the execution, let's continue with our example. Let's suppose the runners club is interested.

For their club, they need the members to be consistent and take part in all group runnings. The best way to retain runners for the long run is by helping them get running partners and the right gear. 

Hence, giving them a printable checklist for beginner's of running and the gear required is useful. 

Similarly, suggestions on habit building apps, Facebook groups for runners, shoe care and local running trails are also valuable content. 

If you notice the above two content suggestions are useful and at the same time, they have a section for the store owner's brand to be featured. The first option gives a way to feature good shoes for beginners and offers available in store for them. The second option explains how to care for your running shoes. 

Combined these two content items can help bring in new customers of the group to your shop and also bring them in for repeat business due to the care tips provided. 

The reasons such content needs to be featured and linked back to your website are below:

1. People are comfortable doing a transaction with someone who has helped them with sound advice. 
2. The more benefit they gain from someone, the more likely they are to do repeat business with them. 
3. If a brand goes a step beyond and provides help with post-purchase care, that is a definite plus and will help in acquiring new business via referrals. 

There are a few crucial steps to building a mutually beneficial relationship. 

Trial & Error:

Work on content that works for both brands. 

Push it out in different content formats. 

Try to understand which kind of content works well. 

Do more of that content.

Repeat this cycle every six months.  

Social Media

Feature the runners club in your social media and newsletters. 

Give a shout out to them whenever needed. 

Offline branding

Have flyers and posters of the runners club in your store. 

Similarly, have your offer coupons and exclusive deals in the runners club.

Sponsor some of the trail runs or merchandise. 

Other content 

Do combined podcasts, maintain YouTube channels and feature the others channel.

Stage 5: Execute the link building strategy and PR outreach

It is crucial to be prepared for every stage. The chance of success in the plan suggested by me is at around 20% (this is incredibly high compared to other link building approaches).

Just to repeat the salient points

1. Link worth/juice is dynamic in nature rather than a static worth assigned based on the type and the referring website's domain authority
2. It is good to get links from websites of higher domain authority. I recommend concentrating on getting backlinks from websites that are appropriate to your audience
3. This method of acquiring backlinks that are beneficial to the readers is not new. But there are not many people who follow it. 

So go out there, prospect websites which make sense to your audience. 

Build content for such websites.

Initiate and maintain a relationship with such websites. 

Experiment with different content formats. 

See what works. 

Repeat more of that.

Sponsor offline events. 

Get more press coverage.

Cheers to a bright future, and an impressive number of relevant links whether they are nofollow or dofollow.

Here is a YouTube video of me explaining the Audience-first link building approach