Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Your new client is a real estate agent in Phoenix, with a brand new site.
Everyone says that "content is king" and that "link bait" is the way to go.
Just exactly what content can be developed for this client that will gratuitously attract links in enough quantity to compete in the Phoenix real estate market, where most of the top ranking competitors have, literally, hundreds (many have over 1000) links from unique domains.
?
[edited by: DomainDrivers at 2:16 pm (utc) on Feb. 21, 2007]
I am. I am assuming that email that is sent to any party that was not expecting to receive it, or without some other pre-established relationship, can only be defined as an "unsolicited" email. I admit that I am curious how it's not.
If that mail is commercial in nature, then it is unsolicted commercial email - UCE.
I am willing to listen to arguments to the contrary, but it's pretty cut and dried to me, so far. Please explain to me when UCE is an acceptable way to promote content. That's just an approach that is not on my menu.
Now, I am not here to argue the propriety of it. That's not my gig. People do it. I am just trying to determine if promoting content via UCE is considered to be acceptable around here. So far, it seems that it is. Just trying to find the boundaries.
It is up to everyone to determine if that is the course of action that they want to take. Including a prospective client, who should be made very aware of the policies being used to promote their site by an SEO consultant. Some will not care, but many site owners would never want to go down that route.
If the client doesn't want their site promoted via UCE (and mine fit that description), then what methods are to be used to promote that content?
[edited by: DomainDrivers at 6:59 pm (utc) on Feb. 22, 2007]
then what methods are to be used to promote that content?
DD, Chamber of Commerce sites routinely link to member sites. That's a glaring opportunity. In your defense, perhaps the Phoenix Chamber doesn't do a direct link, but many chambers do indeed give links to member sites.
Many authority sites have link lists of resources. Many of those same authority sites request emails for suggestions and additions. Anything that fits the profile of what they are linking to has a higher chance of getting linked to.
There are many authority pages that WANT to link to authoritative or helpful websites. Identify what is getting linked to, review if there are enough links going into that to warrant building a resource for obtaining those, and note how many are asking for emails for suggestions.
DD, if your really want to move away from any possible UCE problems, here's what you do:
Write up a press release for the signature of the person in charge of the agency. Send it, on the company's letterhead, to all the local news outlets, chambers, orgs, etc., that might be interested. Be sure to mine the bosses and other folks business contacts. Ask them to include a short,personalized not encouraging their contacts to throw a link at the page.
It'll cost a few bucks in postage, but, Ta Da!, no problems with UCE.
On a project like this, what would you estimate for time for:
1) content development
2) link bulding
thx
1) content development
I was just over at compete.com, Bill Gross' latest project. It's a social search stumbleupon-alexa-siteadvisor type mashup. Their corporate blog is an impressive effort. The writing is great and it's very useful. Something like that can't be sold out of a box. Yeah, there's a lot of pressure to sell seo in the box, but something real and lasting doesn't come in a box.
2) link bulding
That can't be sold in a Bronze Package, Silver Package, Gold Package box. Take a look at the variance in success rates. The reason for that is because obtaining those links isn't easy and takes a bit of strategizing.
Maybe the average real estate agent, with their dull perception of web marketing, probably prefers to buy the Gold Package as long as the box says one thousand links. It's the nature of business thinking to pay for something and expect a specific result. The how of it isn't really important.
So in a sense, the market is shaping the marketing, creating the box. It seems like you're trying to keep this in a box the market can understand. Understandable. I don't fault anyone for filling a demand where demand exists. It takes a specific business skill to do that.
However there's another way to do it, that perhaps you can't easily slap a Gold Package sticker on.
[edited by: martinibuster at 9:38 pm (utc) on Feb. 24, 2007]
A third site that is climbing is a blog that has a varied base of links and is entrenched in the real estate blogosphere.
Real estate is a niche that is rapidly evolving online. Most visitors just want access to the active housing inventory. Few are compelled to link because there is little new, original content. Most local papers have access to local mls data and are now competing in the serps for the same eyeballs so they can still sell advertising to the same agents.
If your client wants to rank well, he'll need to do more than CofC links. If your job is to just get him links, you'll have an uphill battle. Writing static content is passe. He'll need to blog to compete, or take his chances with reciprocal links. The problem with the latter is that the older agent sites that have link juice are backing off of recip links, so the low hanging recip fruit is generally from sites that are in your same boat.
If he blogs, he'll need an audience. They typical audience for real estate blogs, though, are not consumers, they are other real estate bloggers. Good for links, but not much else.
[edited by: Kirby at 8:48 pm (utc) on Feb. 23, 2007]
can't be sold in a Bronze Package, Silver Package, Gold Package box
That just earned you a few drinks on me MB.
I just need to know what to tell the client in terms of expected cost. I suppose that some people can sell SEO services as an open ended proposition, and send a bill for whatever at then end of the month. I haven't encountered a single client that fits that scenario.
So, what can I tell them it will cost per month, for how many months, however you'd quote it?
[edited by: DomainDrivers at 4:52 pm (utc) on Feb. 24, 2007]
[edited by: martinibuster at 9:29 pm (utc) on Feb. 24, 2007]
I am going to recommend to this hypothetical client that they
1) Build a calculator that tells how many decibels of road noise exist at every address in the city (of Phoenix)."
To do that, I will need to find that data (making sure it's public domain), and then, develop a way to present it on my website. Possibly I will need to hire a database programmer as well, if it is to be searchable and organized. And I need to find away to keep the data current.
2) Once I have that in place (I not yet sure of the time to deployment, it could be months of waiting), I will send written press releases to various places (local newspapers, relocation firms, social and fraternal organizations, chambers of commerce, state development agencies and other authorities). I will ask them to link to my noise data, for nothing in return.
3) The budget for this is virtually open ended, both on a monthly and duration basis. It seems that I must explain to the client that good SEO work cannot be quoted with any accuracy, in terms of hours spent and expected result. It sounds like the famous cliche "if you have to ask, you can't afford it."
If the client doesn't want their site promoted via UCE (and mine fit that description), then what methods are to be used to promote that content?
There's unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and in-person visits.
I'd suggest instead of worrying too much about the definition of UCE, it's better to rely on the "sniff test." Only send emails that you think the recipients may actually want to read, and problems should be rare.
Remember, most webmasters want to link to quality.
Regarding those competitors at the top of the SERPs, there's some bad news for your client. You can't just do what they do and beat them in the SERPs -- their links will still be worth more because they are older. Catching up will most likely require hard work and creativity, such as other posters have described.
"Regarding those competitors at the top of the SERPs, there's some bad news for your client. You can't just do what they do and beat them in the SERPs -- their links will still be worth more because they are older. Catching up will most likely require hard work and creativity, such as other posters have described."
I hear this concept a lot, and others have said similar things in this thread.
The only probelm with it is that I have directly observed numerous examples (dozens, in fact) of brand new domains in some very competitive markets that simply:
1) Optimize for their primary terms
2) Build content that primarily sells houses based on that, and not tangential content for link bait purposes
3) Reciprocate.
They are often on the first page for primary terms in as little as six months.
It's a very straightforward way to proceed, it can be implemented immediately, with some links being earned in a matter of days, and it can be quoted with exact costs known to the client.
I am just weighing that against the link bait methods that are being proposed.
This is SO true, ALL PR (NOT PageRank) is GOOD PR...!
I once had this idea when I was in my teens and wanted to become a "Famous Rockstar" that I should do something really "illegal" like peeing on the kings car or something and call the news BEFORE doing it and say it's my public opinion about Monarchy or something...
(Just an example)
Either they'll HATE you or they LOVE you, any what they choose to do they're gonna LINK you! (which is what you want... ;)
