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Posted by jamesagate

This post was originally in YouMoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of Moz, Inc.

Many of us faced a challenging 2012 and 2013 has been no different. Rankings were won and lost, a lot of bad links were removed and quite frankly a lot of businesses and departments had to be re-designed. We all know it’s a pretty “interesting� time to be in the link-building and SEO space.

Since we are now over half way through 2013 we decided it was time to gain a better understanding of how this year is going for those in the industry. The purpose of the survey was to really capture the current market sentiment and better understand how industry peers are faring.

We produced an infographic from the results (embedded in its full form at the end of this post) but I also wanted to write up an analysis here just for Moz readers simply because I feel there are quite a few interesting bits of data that are well worth discussing.

Before we get into it, a quick disclaimer:

This post is for information purposes only. These results are not intended to steer you towards specific linking tactics. Surveys have certain inherent flaws and in a market like ours where perception and reality can sometimes become disconnected the data certainly isn’t going to be perfect.

You should make business decisions based on your own experiences and data or hire a professional who is able to assist in doing so.

Adding a disclaimer might seem a little officious, but I do see it as my responsibility to add some fair warnings in here. People coming back to me in 6 month’s time saying “Your survey said paid links were widely used… why don’t I rank anymore?!â€�… can’t say they were not warned.

This is not a black hat vs. grey hat vs. white hat thing by the way; we’re all pretty much in the same boat floating on an ocean owned by someone else [Google]. My point is there are too many individuals in my opinion being given access to large audiences online who go on to author arguably flippant remarks and tenuous “facts� that get passed off as gospel. This kind of behavior likely sets many beginners or even intermediate SEOs down the wrong path or one they really don’t understand.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s get started…

Who took the survey?

I found this information interesting, not just because it helps us better understand some of the answers given later on in the survey, but because we get the chance to see how people really “label� themselves in the industry.

In our industry I guess we do spend quite a bit of time labeling ourselves or attempting to define our role within a business, but the real aim here was to see how many people called themselves a link builder with a view to observing any declines in future surveys of this kind.

As was noted in the infographic, it is great we got such a good spread of individuals answering questions as it helps to give perspective from across the organisation.

How much does your business or agency spend on link building on a monthly basis?

I was personally really looking forward to seeing the results of this particular question because I think it acts as a better barometer than most things, as to the effectiveness of link building.

By and large, people won’t continue to pour money into something that isn’t working. Businesses often vote with their wallet so to speak.

Granted, money related questions in surveys aren’t without bias because certain individuals will almost certainly inflate their figures almost instinctively.

You will note that nearly 39% of those who responded work within an organisation that spends between $5-50k+ a month on linking initiatives. That’s a decent sized budget and while obviously there will be respondents who work at an agency where this is distributed across a number of client projects, it does mean there are a number of businesses out there spending big bucks in an attempt to proactively and passively acquire links. Which as I said, means not only does that demonstrate the continued effectiveness of links as part of SEO but that the budget is justified, i.e. they can see an ROI.

The expression goes that a fool and his money are easily parted and frankly any business that can afford say $30k to invest into link building programmes is unlikely to be a fool. They are going to be seeing a return. Say what you want about other things, but links are still the dominant signal to Google and that doesn’t really look set to change.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you face in link building?

Based on the results of this question we found the five biggest challenges that anyone who does link building faces.

Here I’d like to offer up some actionable advice for each specific challenge, looking at some of the ways we internally overcome these challenges and linking out to some great resources that are out there.

Finding link prospects

I dive a bit deeper into this particular challenge in this post here.

Further reading:

• Link building using Google Search

• Find blogs that link to your competitors

• Link opportunities for B2B companies

Creating efficient processes

As I mentioned earlier in this post; many businesses and departments have been forced into almost entirely re-inventing themselves and their internal processes, so understandably this is one of the key challenges faced currently.

This is really a blog post all in itself, but here are a few resources that you may find useful…

• Using Google Docs to manage your digital projects

• How to systemise your link building process without compromising on quality

• The secrets of scalable content production

• Using Trello to manage SEO projects

• Scaling outreach without looking like an idiot

Getting link prospects to respond

Never an easy thing. As the link building market swells and as outreach-dependent linking continues to surge in popularity there are naturally going to be more people out there playing the field, which can mean that certain sites are:

• Propositioning – think about why these people want to link to you. I’m not going to go all “create great contentâ€� on your ass, but you are essentially making a sale here so if you’re not floating their boat you need to rethink your approach.

• Diving deeper – this may sound like a prospecting tip, but if you can seek out sites which aren’t getting hit with hundreds if not thousands of emails daily, you stand a much better shot of getting a response.

• Getting better at outreach – whether you improve your email writing or leverage a bit of psychology by learning to build links and get traffic like Derek Halpern, there is no doubt that outreach standards do matter a lot.

Determining anchor text strategy

I am a firm believer that there is no set one-size-fits-all approach to anchor text ratios. What works for some sites and in some verticals would get your burned before the week is out in other markets.

So my takeaway for this would be to talk in terms that are relative to your market and the type of project you are working on.

If you are looking for a walkthrough then have a read of this.

Knowing which links are helpful and/or harmful

There are some great services/tools out there that can help you to audit your backlinks and proactively manage the risk of future linking campaigns. This information is just a few mouse clicks away and whilst you probably shouldn’t rely solely on the judgment of a tool, it can cut down tremendously on the legwork and even guesswork that goes into determining which links are helpful and which are harmful in your profile.

A tool like LinkRisk allows you to spot the harmful links but also help you identify the really strong ones as a result of your link prospecting efforts.

What are the most common forms of link building?

I have to say that this one didn’t really deliver too many surprises. 2012/2013 has seen a meteoric increase in guest blogging activities which tells you a few things really; they are effective when done well and you almost certainly need to be diversifying your stable of tactics, because if we’ve all noticed an increase in guest posts I think it will be safe to say Google has as well.

5% of respondents admitted to participating in paid linking. I was quite surprised that even this many people admitted to it and I congratulate their honesty, because I guarantee that the number is higher than this :-) .

What are the 5 most effective link building tactics?

We asked respondents to rate a wide range of linking tactics on a scale of 1-5. 1 being potentially damaging all the way through to 5 being extremely effective. We then organised these into a top 5 of tactics based on the average rating that these received:

Author bio vs. in-content?

A common question we come up against relates to the effectiveness of guest posts where the link is in the author bio vs. placed within the body of the content.

We have seen no evidence to suggest one is more effective than the other and we recommend a combination of the two simply because placing a strict restriction, like in-content, only can limit some strong publishers for example.

Here is how our respondents feel about this subject:

Infographic directory vs. targeted blog?

Similarly we wanted to get a feel for the general market consensus as to the effectiveness of gaining a placement of an infographic on a blog versus getting loads of placements on infographic galleries/directories.

We have found placements of infographics on targeted, top-tier publishers to be a highly effective method for enhancing search engine visibility I would also argue that some of the better quality infographic galleries are a worthwhile link to secure.

I am talking about the ones that maintain some kind of editorial review process. We have seen on numerous occasions, an infographic being picked up by other sites as a result of the seed placement on one of the higher end infographic galleries.

Here’s what our respondents thought…

What are the 5 least effective link building tactics?

As you might expect we then rounded up the data from the previous question to give us the “relegation zone� in the league table of linking or the tactics that were considered least effective by our respondents based on their average rating.

I won’t comment on the effectiveness of any individual tactics personally here, but I will say that in certain markets and with certain types of sites these tactics are still working. While we should strive to do better forms of link building undoubtedly (if we want to mature as an industry and get a seat at the big table), we do have to be mindful of what is actively working and look at how we can learn from that.

Which tactics do link builders consider dangerous?

I have to say there are probably other linking tactics that I would consider dangerous and perhaps even more dangerous… but here is how our respondents answered this question:

My immediate reaction to these results was that there was likely a little bit of confirmation bias going on. You are likely to have seen the fairly recent events involving a UK florist and their insatiable appetite for advertorials (whether it was advertorials that caused the spanking or not, this was inferred as the cause everywhere) as well as Google’s relatively public smashing of some blog networks. It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility to argue that some respondents will have taken on board these big industry events and even if just subconsciously they will be finding evidence in their day to day work that these tactics are indeed dangerous.

In reality, it really does come down to how you execute. Any kind of linking tactic comes with risk when not done well.

Fear, uncertainty and doubt are growing problems for link builders

11% said that they weren’t sure which links were going to harm or help them which would corroborate the notion that this is one of the biggest challenges faced by link builders presently but the data from the survey would suggest that for some, the last 12 months has driven them to analysis-paralysis. So much uncertainty, fear and doubt that close to 5% aren’t planning on doing any link building at all.

As I’ve said before, we’re all trying to make our way in Google’s ocean and if you’re not rowing, but your competitors are… standing still starts to look just as risky as being proactive.

What about the next 12 months?

It is clear that the outreach-dependent forms of link building are going to be taking priority for the next 12 months and beyond with respondents planning to focus investment in tactics including guest blogging, digital PR, infographics and building relationships with webmasters.

I find that last one particularly interesting because I think many of us are waking up to the idea that links (certainly some of your links anyway) can drive a good amount of traffic on an ongoing basis. If there is a website that already has an audience (and the trust of that audience) why wouldn’t you explore ways of working with them and developing that relationship? That’s a ready-made set of prospective customers…

And here it is in full format:

I welcome your thoughts and feedback on the data – I will try to respond to all comments promptly.
Please also feel free to suggest questions for inclusion in next year’s survey.

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Posted by HappyBrooke

This post was originally in YouMoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of Moz, Inc.

It’s been three months since the good Mozzers allowed my SEO from a Newb’s Perspective to see the light of day, and I’m back for another round. Except now HappyBrooke has had a dose of reality.

That’s right — I’ve hit some potholes. And I found out that Brooke’s list of essential qualities SEO pros need (which I listed in the last post), though it didn’t claim to be comprehensive, lacked one: the ability to be resilient. Props to Heather Baker for noting this in the comments. In this post, I’ll share my fledgling thoughts on how to cultivate resilience in the face of failure. As Heather pointed out, if you want to do SEO well, you’ve gotta be resilient.

My friends who are, like me, “newbs” to SEO will probably find my epiphanies more helpful than those of you who are old hat. But no doubt veterans have developed strategies on how to stay resilient in your daily battles to rank. If you’re willing to share your strategies with me in the comments below, I’d be tickled.

Why SEO is a bumpy ride

As you and I both know, SEO done right can pay off in tremendous ways for our clients: through website traffic, conversions, brand awareness, loyalty, and retention (just to name a few perks that come from online marketing success). If you can rank, you can reap the benefits.

But there are no guarantees.

In my first four months on the job as an SEO, I’ve not experienced a major Earth-shifting Google algorithm update (yet), but I have experienced the daily joys and challenges of our field. You all know how it goes.

Since starting my job at Happy Dog, this has all happened to me:

• I gained clients, and I lost a client.
• I created content people liked, and I created content nobody gave a rip about.
• I watched rankings skyrocket, and I watched rankings drop it like it’s hot.

Boy-oh-boy am I realizing that to do SEO, you need a healthy dose of Dory’s “just keep swimming� resilience at times.

Credit: Tumblr

Watching the analytics and the SERPs, just waiting for traffic and rankings, feels awfully like trying to get a fire going at a summer night’s bonfire (without the fun of hot dogs and s’mores). You stare into the flames and wait for a spark. Add another log. The fire dies down. You shiver. You frantically run to find twigs. Finally: a tiny blaze! Hallelujah! Then suddenly, a major gust of wind blows it out. Nooooooo!

I don’t know about you, but my emotions follow a pretty specific pattern when I’m idling in no-rank-land. First, I’m frustrated. My client has a great business. He/she deserves better rankings. But then I feel a sense of entitlement: I’m putting in the hours, so it’s maddening that my work isn’t paying off. I feel desperate. My client is paying me to achieve results. Am I a failure? Stricken with grief, I eat candy bars and slump in my desk chair drinking straight from the coffee pot.

What comes next? Well, I’m hired to help our clients optimize their web presence. I’m expected to drive traffic — my clients will not twiddle their thumbs and wait patiently. The pressure’s on. What am I going to do?

The eventual outcome of this whole emotional journey is that I get a grip (finally) and muster up whatever resilience I have. Then here’s what I’m learning to do: to take a marker to the good ol’ proverbial drawing board to see what can be done. This moment, my friends, is the essence of what we do in SEO.

It’s not easy being creative

The reason SEO is so challenging/exhilarating/frustrating/tiring/overwhelming is that, as many experts have already pointed out, there’s no secret formula to earn links, start ranking, and succeed at search engine marketing. There are literally as many ways as your creative mind can dream up, which means you could see astounding results if you climb out on a limb or you could see no results at all and completely, totally flop.

There’s a risk to every creative endeavor we undertake. When we do it on behalf of someone else, the risk increases. In the face of all this pressure, we have to learn how to embody resilience — every day, every hour, every minute, no matter what the analytics are saying.

I’m learning that just because I try a tactic and it doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean I have failed. I’m going to be honest for a minute and shed some light on three of my “failures� in the hopes that you will a) realize you’re not alone, and b) get some ideas of how to move forward.

Brooke’s SEO Blunders

I’m still learning Photoshop. Please don’t judge.

1. Nobody wanted my content

Problem: I spent hours pouring research and creativity into blog posts for a client and then pitching them to appropriate platforms. For weeks, nobody bit.

What I did next: Tweaked the ideas, made tiny edits, and re-pitched the content. People were unimpressed, so I created more content with gusto. Then I set aside the content nobody wanted for the time being and revisited it when I’d had a little space to see if I had any new ideas to improve it. Turns out, I did.

Reality check: Failing to attract an audience’s attention is an age-old dilemma for artists (which we are). Hey, if there’s anything I learned from my college creative writing classes, it’s that if you expect a standing ovation for everything you write, get ready to be disappointed, hon. Plenty of writers spent years writing and pitching tomes that nobody wanted to publish (poor Jack Kerouac had On the Road done in three weeks, or so he claimed, but it took the guy years to find a publisher). Unless you’re already a smashing success, you’re not entitled to anybody’s attention.

How to stay resilient: Learn from the rejection and tweak your overall strategy. Was the content too shallow or too technical? Did you choose an angle or approach that didn’t jam with your audience? Was the platform you chose to publish on the wrong fit for the content? Try something new next time. Don’t fret. You can’t hit it out of the ballpark every time.

2. I lost a client

Problem: All throughout the first few months of their campaign, my client seemed wishy-washy, always about to give up. I played cheerleader on every phone call and email, promising that the rankings for their brand-new, beautiful site were going to improve. But the client, waiting for the leads to roll in, was getting antsy. Just as things were getting exciting on the SEO-side, they bailed.

What I did next: My boss and I did a “What went wrong?� analysis, and we affirmed that the campaign had been solid. The rankings had been slow to come by, but forecasting a month or two down the road, we saw that things were looking up. However, we realized how important it is to check in with our clients and make sure they are happy — this client had had questions but never raised them with us. This experience made us resolve to check in more often and create that opportunity to talk about our clients’ concerns.

Reality check: Even if you perform high-quality work, clients often expect to get leads and see results in a shorter time period than it may take to achieve them. It is important to clearly articulate to your clients that in SEO, “slow and steady wins the race.� In our case, we should have communicated more with our client and made sure they did not have unrealistic expectations of us.

How to stay resilient: If you do a good job but still lose the client, don’t hang your head in shame. The thing is, there will always (or at least often) be a better strategy you could have used. Losing a client can be an opportunity to reflect on how well your strategy worked. With SEO, even the best strategies take time, and you can’t force your clients to be patient. All you can do is focus on providing the best quality SEO services that you can.

3. I couldn’t figure out how to market a client in a boring, “blah� industry

Problem: The day they called to request SEO services, I couldn’t even wrap my head around their product. Wait, so what do you guys do again?

What I did next: I changed their entire keyword strategy three times, didn’t sleep, and tossed idea after idea out the window. Honestly, this was a tough one. One thing that helped (at my client’s suggestion) was having learning sessions with them on the benefit their product provides. When I started to grasp that, it was easier to drum up ideas (I’m still drumming).

Reality check: Not every client will be easy to market. Some industries are just doozies.

How to stay resilient: Nick Stagg from Lemonpromotions brought up a great question in the comments on my first post: “How do you make a plumber sound sexy?� How, indeed? There are probably hundreds of ways to go about it. Overall, I think promoting the plumber will involve four steps:

1. Understanding the unique value the plumber provides,
2. Knowing who needs his/her services,
3. Succinctly articulating his/her value, and
4. Creatively sharing it.

As marketers, these are challenges that can inspire and push us. Ultimately, every industry has a need and a purpose, and you can (and will!) find strategies that will work.

Takeaways

If you’re stumped or failing:

• Talk to your clients. Keep the relationship strong. Share your resilience with them. In no-rank land, they’ll need it, too. Let their enthusiasm for and expertise in their field revitalize you.
• Try new things. Be adventurous. Experiment with new content or approaches. Sometimes failure propels us out of the box we were stuck in when nothing else can.
• Give yourself a break. Don’t make yourself miserable by wallowing in continual blame and guilt. Everybody fails! But dwelling on it for too long will prevent you from moving forward.

Whatever you take away from this reflection (I hope it’s not just dissatisfaction at my attempts to provide solutions to common SEO ailments — comment below with your better ideas! I long to hear them!), remember that we’re all still learning how to do this business in an ethical, effective, exciting way. If you fail once, or fail again and again, cultivate resilience. Return to that drawing board. Remember that at the end of the day, your integrity and the connections you make with your clients are the most important things – not your ability to make them rank.

My impression of the SEO community after just a few months of reading blogs and forums is that you people are hungry for the tools and tips to do your jobs better. You don’t want to just do an okay job. You want to succeed, and you want to do it in big, beautiful, bold ways. When you experience discouragement, consider J.K. Rowling’s words in her commencement speech at Harvard back in 2008 (they apply to SEO and to life in general):

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.�

Fail, but do it resiliently. And get back up. You’ll do better next time.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don’t have time to hunt down but want to read!