Over the past couple of months I’ve started getting requests from bloggers who want to write for this site. That would be great — except I never advertised for guest bloggers. I don’t even have guest bloggers here. Even when I stepped away from the blogging grandstand a few months ago, nobody filled my size 8’s.
The truth of the matter is that I don’t have a problem giving other bloggers and article writers a link. If there’s something I like or a site that fits into the context of a project I’m working on, I’ll give it airtime here. I believe most bloggers feel the same way. We know we’re not islands unto ourselves.
But if you’re going to ask for a link, then request one in a way that you know I’m giving them out. I don’t have guest bloggers, so don’t ask if you can guest blog for me (unless we’ve already established some kind of relationship).
Where do I freely give out links?
Well if you haven’t noticed, I’ve written two super meaty posts for Amazon affiliates. One of which has 86 links and the other has 25. I write linkbait for Amazon affiliates because I sell an ebook to Amazon affiliates. See it over there in the sidebar?
If you’re the writer of an article for Amazon affiliates, there’s an excellent chance you’ll get a link from me in the future. If you sell a product for Amazon affiliates AND you have an affiliate program, guess what… I’ve included links to product sites for Amazon affiliates. I don’t just link to content, I also link to products.
What do my outbound links say about me?
I include most of my links in list posts.
So if you want me to link back to you, send me your link in terms that I might write a list post about your topic. In fact, send me a link related to a topic that I’m currently talking about.
I recently started a press release writing service and I’ve been blogging about that very topic. So it stands to say that in the future I’ll probably write a list post related to press releases.
Even if I don’t, I would be 20 times more receptive to a link seeker who understood my outbound linking style than someone who just fished my site out of a directory.
Don’t give me what you want – give me what I’m already linking to
What many link seekers forget about blogger outreach (a fancy way of saying you want bloggers to mention your site) is that the clues to getting a link are often right in front of you.
If you want links from a blogger, first look at their ENTIRE site and make sure they include links to other sites. If they do, in what context?
Via list posts? A helpful resources page? A blogroll? Do they give links to other peoples linkbait? Are they infographic lovers? Do they give links to other peoples blog posts? Do they syndicate articles from other peoples blogs, as Ragan’s PRDaily does? Or do they accept original guest posts?
Is there a specific day when they give out links? For example, Kristi Hines at Kikolani.com does a Fetching Friday post that highlights some of the best social media, blogging, productivity and SEO posts on the web. (Disclaimer: Kristi has been kind enough to give me unsolicited link love on more than one occasion.)
And lastly, why do they give out links? Are all of their links affiliate related? Are they linking to sites within their own blog network? (You can usually tell if this is the case when all the sites they’re linking to look alike.)
Yes, it is a heavy task on the front end. You will be required to look and read through many sites. For all your Dahlia Valentine-esque toiling you may only find a few eligible link prospects a day.
But…
The end result is sweet, sweet relevant links
Not the kind of links you need to be concerned about whenever Google unleashes an algorithmic hornet’s nest. These are good links. Sexy links. Links that other people covet.
And they’re not impossible to get. You have to do the things that make people want to link to you and most importantly, you must take a proactive approach in seeking out those links.
If you have a linkbuilding secret to share – share! I use CommentLuv… which lo and behold, is another linking opportunity here.
