.EDU and .GOV Case Studies

[philipjterry]

Please post interesting examples or case studies of how a site succeeded in nailing down a heavy duty .EDU and .GOV link. Preferably evidence of commercial sites to make it more thought provoking.

Thanks a lot,

[CainIV]

Provide compelling content that people care about and tell them about it.

[cxajyy]

Hide links.

[philipjterry]

Any 'never before seen' ideas?

[BillyS]

Cain has it right.

Getting an .edu link is MUCH easier than a .gov - we've probably twenty .edu for each .gov

The most interesting .gov we have is a citation in proposed legislation. Again, this was gained by publishing unique content. We have a guy on staff that is a very good analyst and he was able to provide additional insights based on some published research.

[philipjterry]

When you mean insights - statistical data, ground breaking findings or.... Are you able to drop us a hint as to specifically the type of 'unique content' that is looked up upon by these authorities...?

[SEO_Noobie]

Actually there is a Matt Cutts video out there floating around that has him saying that .edu and .gov links have no special power over a .com.

[BillyS]

philipjterry - educators teach, so if you're writing about a topic that's learned in school there is a good chance they'd link to your information.

Our content is used for all kinds of online tutorials, references, study guides...

You need to look at data some way that no one's ever done before. It's not as hard as it sounds. You can also explain a complex topic in a very simple way or use great examples. Teachers love that stuff.

[tangor]

Some tricks of the trade are not going to be revealed... while we are all friends here, we are also competitors. That said, stroking EDU and GOV for links is generally done with direct contact with the principals via email or phone and giving them a compelling reason to link. There is no magic way to get that done.

[philipjterry]

BillyS thank you - you have just sparked off a part of my creative brain into overdrive. I appreciate it very much... Do you suggest building tools to organise this data in a unique way? I am a fan of problem solving and helping people find the right answer to their complex problem...

I disagree 'Tangor' - how can we be competitors if we do not know what our websites are....? I think you should understand the fundamental principle in business of 'adding value to the market place' to fuel economic growth. Sharing is caring. Everyone can only benefit - the odds are one in a Zillion that we tread on each other's toes.

I am happy to share any of my strategies...

[philipjterry]

Another benefit for you is that someone could share a way of improving or building on top of your strategy... Don't hold back - you can only gain.

[martinibuster]

I disagree 'Tangor' - how can we be competitors if we do not know what our websites are....?

The title of this discussion requests cases studies. Case Studies consist of intimate and highly specific information. Generally most reasonable people will regard it as unwise to share specific and detailed business strategy. General advice that can extrapolated to different situations is the kind of valuable information that many members share. ;)

Business strategy is the essence of what determines whether someone is going to make next months mortgage, pay for their kids dental bills, make payments on the car, etc. Tangor's response was made in the spirit of helpfulness by explaining why you may not receive specific case studies. ;)

Nevertheless, Tangor provides advice that goes to the heart of .edu and .gov link acquisition. Please re-read his advice because it is gold.

...EDU and GOV for links is generally done with direct contact with the principals via email or phone and giving them a compelling reason to link.

Tangor stated it perfectly. ;)

[philipjterry]

Thanks Martin, appreciate your response. What I think would make this forum better - is 'never before seen' ideas. 'New stuff' like for example Wheel's thread about his process of link building is a fantastic example of how he thinks. But simply telling me to 'contact a principal over the phone or email and giving them a compelling reason' is of no help to a webmaster in this forum.

Bill Gates explains that to solve a problem - you might be highly specific about every details and define the process. Tangor's answer is far too vague.

Thanks guys - I am just trying to improve the experience for everyone.

[philipjterry]

Martin, rather than dis-encourage people - I think your mission should be on the contrary to make this forum more interesting. It's about sharing 'valuable' information. Value is created for you and your forum by doing this.

[CainIV]

What I think would make this forum better - is 'never before seen' ideas

You did ask for case studies - those of which are of course extremely value to any business, due to the relationship between rankings, links and earnings.

Therefore, you probably shouldn't expect to come to a forum and necessarily find a nicely written case study presented on this.

You have already gotten some very strong information - it has been shared. The best thing you can do is re-read through the post, then search WBW for other posts that address the topic of EDU (since there are lots here)

[philipjterry]

Why are you dis-encouraging people from sharing? It seems like you are trying to quash the goal of sharing valuable information to help each other.

One thing I learned in business is to always think about the 'end result'. What you guys say is not adding momentum to that. Then again I have realized in life there are two types of people. In link building it is a good idea to find this out: there are two type of people in this world;- those that add momentum to help you get where you want and those that add friction. The trick is to cut all those that don't and quickly hunt down and stay close by the 'angels'. Although sometime angels can be disguised as I have found out later.

[jeyKay]

Actually there is a Matt Cutts video out there floating around that has him saying that .edu and .gov links have no special power over a .com.

I also heard that Santa Claus' exists...but found out that wasn't true either. I'd love to see that video.

[wheel]

Why are you dis-encouraging people from sharing?

Chastising well respected moderators who have shared plenty of ideas over the years won't help your thread.

You want .edu link building ideas, go to pubcon and attend one of his sessions.

As for the rest, you don't need 'new' ideas. You need to focus on the old ones, of which there are plenty of posts around here. By the time you've accomplished those techniques, you'll understand that eventually it's not about learning some new technique, it's about applying specific examples of well known techniques.

Martinibuster mentioned something years ago at a pubcon about finding .gov links. I came home, applied it, and found a great way to get a .gov link.

Am I going to share with you where that .gov link is? Not a chance. Do you need uber link skills to get it? No, I found it using techniques you can read about here just be reading.

[CainIV]

Phillip, you are so concerned with proving a particular point, one of which still escapes me, and in doing so, have missed the answers you came to this thread for.

Martinibuster and the others on the thread have been around for a long time in the online industry. Search through WebmasterWorld and do your "due diligence" to research the vast material here. I am sure your question has been answered many times.

[philipjterry]

OK I will... Thank you for your comments, I will become more pro-active searching here.

Wheel, for you and 'old regulars' here, these ideas might not be new. But, for people like me - a 27 year old who has only been in the business for 1 year. There is plenty to be learned by starting a targeted thread like this one. We can only gain. And recruit fresh talent to add their own experiences.

Please look underneath the surface. I am not challenging moderators for the sake of it, or for pride. But to encourage more people to add strong value to this thread, not divert them away from the important question above. Don't blow out constructive comments straight away - listening to what is going on underneath the meaning is the only way to improve.

Repetition is not a bad thing, particularly if it is summarized and recapped conveniently in one thread. People can then easily add 'what is missing'...

There must be some things you pro's don't know yet? :)
I am learning that sometime's it's just the little guy tinkering in the garage with the best idea. Let's open the doors for them. :) The Right Brothers - who I think are the greatest innovators of all time, challenged each other recklessly in order to get constructive outcomes and interesting ideas. :)

[phranque]

regarding the matt cutts comments on edu/gov TLD's, here is a recent GWC video where he mentions the subject:
[youtube.com...]

however you must always read between the lines with these things.
"automatically" does not equal "practically".
it is typical that edu/gov domains will collect page rank since they tend to be source material rather than referencing external content.
they also tend to have consistently higher hosting and domain "Trust and Authority" [webmasterworld.com].

[philipjterry]

Does Matt tell us things that are biased against their Google values? For example he will play down the value of .gov and .edu for a reason.

I understood the closer you are to websites in 'the circle of trust' the more trust you have. .Gov and .edu fit that bill perfectly. Whoever says they have the same value as any other site might need to rethink for a minute?

Maybe I am wrong.

[Jane_Doe]

I just try to write interesting articles. It is such an adrenaline rush to go through my back links and find unsolicited links from places like major radio stations, newspapers, government agencies, etc. It is not like it happens every day, but when it does it is way cool.

[BillyS]

I just try to write interesting articles. It is such an adrenaline rush to go through my back links and find unsolicited links from places like major radio stations, newspapers, government agencies, etc. It is not like it happens every day, but when it does it is way cool.

Agree.

We've got four .gov links because some of the statistics we came up with were referenced in pending legislation. We have a syndicated radio personality that talks about our site about four times a year. We know that happens because we see a large surge in traffic.

You're not going to get an .edu talking about toothbrushes, but there are a lot of topics taught in school.

BTW - I'm old school when it comes to links. I'd never email or call someone for a link. Different strokes for different folks...

[philipjterry]

How do you mean old school BillyS? Offline marketing first?