Garrett French of Citation Labs: Developing New Campaigns in the Same Ol' Vertical | Ungagged 2015

Developing New Campaigns in the Same Ol’ Vertical 5 Deadly Link Campaign Ruts (and how to bust them)

@garrettfrench @citationlabs

You know you’re in a rut when:


1. “There are no more blogs in my market.”2. “I’ve run out of internet.”3. “The only relevant websites out there are my competitors.” 4. “No one answers my emails anymore.”5. “SEOphobes are suspicious of link builders.”6. “They keep asking for money.” (and the prices are going up!)

Citation Labs Biases


Intro

We build 300-350 links per month.

We charge per link.


We seek repeatable tactics supported by 1000s - 10,000s of potential linkers.


We design tactics that don’t require payment for links.


Busting Link Campaign Ruts


What’s a rut?

What is a Link Rut? ● Assumptions● Biases● Fixed Opinions● Blindnesses

...That Prevent Links.


Feeling a little stuck...

Where Do We Find Ruts?1. We see ruts in our clients’ approach to link building.

2. We stumble into our own ruts by accident (and then we grow).


My Target SEO Keywords Define My Market

RUT #1


Problem: Only Seeing Keyword Traffic Numbers, Not the Big Content Picture


Rut #1: My Target SEO Keywords Define My Market


Sunglasses, for example:



To Find Utility Topics, Search Your SEO KWs like this:

● sunglasses site:.gov● sunglasses health● sunglasses safety

Learn how your keyword (“sunglasses”) fits and intersects with related topics.


Learn how your keyword (“sunglasses”) fits and intersects with related topics.




Now we can discover new audiences for promotion…● intitle:"macular degeneration" site:.org

(can we donate sunglasses?)● intitle:"cataracts" inurl:blog● intitle:"Astigmatism" inurl:resources

Link Building = Blogger Outreach...Right?

RUT #2


Bloggers are great.


Rut #2: Link Building = Blogger Outreach


Bloggers are definitely great.

● lots of blogs out there● they accept content pitches● yes, you can still actively guest post (with quality content)

Obviously, bloggers are great.


BUT


They’re not the only websites out there.



@mahannay :)

There are others!



Other Valuable Page Types:

● Curated Links● Resource Pages● Curated Lists



Breaking out of SEO KWs makes these pages easier to find● intitle:"sunglasses" inurl:resources

now becomes● intitle:"macular degeneration" inurl:resources

BONUS: New Topical KWs Help You Find New Blogs● intitle:"macular degeneration" inurl:blog

Link Building is All About Relationships

RUT #3


Yes… 5-10 Links in Your Industry are “All About Relationships”


BUT


Rut #3: Link Building is All About Relationships


We leave these elite links to BizDev and C-Suite.

Most potential linkers don’t want a new relationship with you or your brand. They want good content that serves

their audience.



Link Building is All About Serving Your Linkers’ Audience

● Who do your target linkers care about?● How is this audience in need of help?● How can your content help this audience?

photo courtesy of jackwallsten on flickr



Demonstrate How You Serve and Value The Linker’s Audience

“We surveyed 150 Seniors with Macular Degenerative Disease and found...”

“We turned this survey into an infographic/guest publication/public service announcement...”

“We started a new scholarship/lesson plan collection for future ophthalmologists”

But linkers don’t want to be friends with you.


They do want to serve their audiences. Helping linkers do their job = links.


Relying on Email Outreach Only

RUT #4


We primarily email, but often WAIT to email broadly until we’ve had several

phone calls.


Rut #4: Relying on Email Outreach Only


Phone calls with real, live content audiences help us discover soapbox issues in a given vertical…

“Here’s our idea of what’s important - what are we missing?”



Phone calls help to temp-check your content concepts…

“If we create X would you share that with your site visitors?”



Phone calls provide feedback to your Editorial Director

“It looks like ‘7 sunglass styles your mom wore better than you’ does not appeal to our target linkers…”

photo courtesy of thecameragirls on flickr



Advice on positioning your outreach:

Write intro emails from a research perspective.You’re working to make a difference for an audience they care about!



DO NOTE:

“If you want to hop on the phone please let me know!”

...can really help to humanize your outreach and get you real insights.

Tactic Failure in Vertical X = Tactic Doesn’t Work

RUT #5


The converse is common in best practice articles about link building...



Failure is an opportunity IF you areaccountable to your team and boss.


Rut #5: Tactic Failure in Vertical X = Tactic Doesn’t Work


Think out probable points of failure:

● Is our content lined up properly with linkers’ audiences?● Are our potential linkers tech-savvy enough to update their pages?● Did ANYONE respond at all? What did they say?● Are we having deliverability issues?● Is our pitch off-putting somehow?

Now make some changes and send more emails.


Rut #5: Tactic Failure in Vertical X = Tactic Doesn’t Work


We found that weekly client calls (AKA “accountability”) helped to:

● Get our whole team in-the-know about what’s working and not working.

● Help our disparate parts (outreach, templates, content, etc) see the big picture.

● Show our clients that we are working hard, and creatively, even if links aren’t coming in quickly.

Over-Trusting Big Data, Best Practices and Metrics

RUT #6


Don’t IGNORE them…


BUT


Don’t let them bias you against TESTING.

@garrettfrench @citationlabsphoto courtesy of cayusa on flickr

Rut #6: Over-Trusting Big Data, Best Practices and Metrics


Best Day of Week to Outreach

...varies based on vertical and location.



Female vs. Male Personas in Outreach

...varies based on vertical and location.



DA 30+ Only

...means you will pass up 1000s of relevant, topical opportunities.



Anything over DA 90 don’t bother

...means you will pass up “long shot” outreach.



Best Keywords to Use in Article Titles

...are usually biased based on sample set.

When a tactic fails...


When a tactic works...


“Try & See” something or somewhere else.






“Try & See” if it’s a just a good tactic or if it’s a best practice.


EVERY SUCCESS WE’VE EVER HADOCCURRED THANKS TO AN

EXPERIMENT.


● The product research/adventurous toddler approach

“Best Practices” aren’t magic; they’re just experiments that didn’t fail.

Get Into the “Try & See” Mindset


Questions?


@garrettfrench @citationlabsphoto courtesy of

avardwoolaver on flickr

Garrett French of Citation Labs: Developing New Campaigns in the Same Ol' Vertical | Ungagged 2015

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