Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Here's my plan, I welcome your comments and thoughts.
First, new content development. This will be my linkbait, consisting of 4 main areas.
1) Calculator: I'm creating a new industry calculator. An expert/academic in my field created a calculator in excel, then wondered on a forum if anyone would create a web version. Why yes I will! I'd been wanting to, the barrier was the time to create the calculations...but the expert's done that. The calculator will be GPL and code available for download from my site. I do not plan on embedding a link into the calculator. Instead I'm hoping the academic will let everyone know they can get it from my site (i.e., I'll let them develop links for me).
2) Getting my competitors and suppliers to link to me: In my field we need continuing education. It's a farce, everyone pays for a week conference once a year and listens to people pitch their product. I'm going to create an online exam system. The material for the exam? It will come from the manufacturers websites - who have large volumes of tech info. To get your ed credits, go to the supplier's website, read, then come to mine and pass the exam.
3) I've got a historical research project that has a pretty good volume of material. I'll be publishing this material.
4) Videos: I don't know videos, but I do know our clients do not understand our products. I'm going to create instructional videos that are primarily instructional not promotional (most videos in my niche are horrible promotional pieces, Leisure suit Larry behind a desk pitching their product).
Then I plan on starting to seek out links for each of these. In order:
1) I'll push this calculator in the academic circles. I'll also ask the expert to tell everyone and ask that they link to me.
2) I'll approach every 'resource' page in my niche, including those pages that are my competitors. I'll also approach wholesalers for links. And I'll do a press release (targetted, only to 2-3 publications in my niche). And I'm hoping I can get some suppliers to link to me - since I'll be sending my competitors to them (to read the material on their site, before the write the exam on my site). If I can even get one, it's of the magnitude of IBM linking to a local computer store.
3) Every academic/dmoz/resource page in my niche, around the world finds this historical research stuff cool. I'll be pushing for links from places like that to my historical research stuff. Searches on 'widget history' should bring up some nice sites.
4) No idea on videos. Never done them before. I may just publish them and see what the heck happens.
Right now I'm PR 5 with yahoo showing about 5400 backlinks. Probably 500-1000 of them are real links.
At the same time as I"m doing this, I plan on writing 25-50 articles to target specific search terms and publishing them as well. I won't specifically link build to the articles, I just use them to draw search engine traffic.
Thoughts on this plan?
Question, what do you mean when you say that only 500-1000 of your backlinks (out of 5400) are "real"? Just curious.
Good luck!
it does sound like a lot of work
That said, there are no silver bullets and even the best laid plans mean we eat the mice.
Here's my plan, I welcome your comments and thoughts.First, new content development. This will be my linkbait, consisting of 4 main areas.
1) Calculator:(...)
Haha, I love it! I t hink one year or so ago you mentioned in one of your post that the industry calculator thing was what you still had "up your sleeve" if you ever need ot pull it out.
Do I remember correctly?;-)
The calculator you're thinking of is more along the lines of a data feed. I actually charge an annual subscription fee for that calculator and have many 100's of clients who use it. If I have to go to the mats (matts?) at some point, then I'll give that calculator away for free in exchange for links.
My subscription calculator is actually under heavy review - and that was one consideration. The company I get some data from to feed the calculator has gone into direct competition with me, at a lower price. Since I've always been the low cost provider, I've got some issues to resolve if I want to continue doing so.
One option was to stop doing the calculator. I decided I want the network connections I get from selling the calculator, too much (including the fallback position I noted) to just let this line of business drop.
Another option is to stop being the low cost provider. I think I'm headed this route. I'm going to add some features and then double my price. Don't like it? The basic version is available from the data company. Don't like what they're doing? Well, you've got my pricing.
Anyway, good luck with it
The historical project in 3) progresses well. Still a few weeks from getting it complete.
1) and 3) will give me enough to start going hunting links.
The videos in 4) I'll likely hire out when I have a moment. The educational stuff in 2) I want to use a package on the server that needs me to upgrade to a new version of php. So that's forcing a server upgrade which we're in the midst of. It's never easy.
Hit deep on academia. I would suggest spending 75% of your calculator link bait promotion on those ancient websites within those genres, and find ways to keep those conversations ongoing. Be patient with the communications and you might see some big results.
If the link concept is a big ethics issue you could always 'nofollow' it, right?
Value is King.
p/g
