The best ideas for "building links" seldom arrive whilst you are sat there thinking of ways you can build links. I don't mean to start off on the wrong foot here and provide you with one of those posts that proclaims "just hit publish" and links will rain down from the sky if your content is "great" enough.

We'll be getting links with the process I am talking about today, but there are also a whole load of benefits besides links to come from doing this.

Why you should still care about links

Despite all the noise in the industry, links form the very basis of the web and remain the key component in Google's algorithm, so having a plan in place for how links are going to be attained is essential for any ambitious business.

Beyond the dramatic improvement in search engine visibility that we all know links can deliver, the right kinds of links can offer:

• Significant referral traffic
• Online brand awareness
• Social proof (improving conversion)

Links were here before Google; they are the stitches that connect the patchwork quilt of randomness that we call the internet. I don't want to pretend that I forget all about Google when we're looking at link opportunities but we are constantly looking at ways to get more than just ranking potential out of a link.

Earning links isn't a myth

The organic, editorially earned link isn't a myth. Unless you are a big brand, though, it will require some time, creativity, and investment up front. Get it right by building a piece of long-term foundational content, (not solely tapping into something that is hot for five minutes and then gone), and you can provide your business with a platform that means every month you're not starting with a blank scorecard. You can then layer additional online marketing efforts on top and enjoy a compound effect.

How to get filthy linking rich

Many of you will be familiar with Robert T. Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad—it's worth a read if you haven't. The premise of the book is that the rich don't work for money but rather have money work for them, Robert explains he effectively had two dads growing up (one actually being his friend's dad); one who died a multi-millionaire, and one who died broke despite having had a decent job and a good education. Long story short, you get rich (and subsequently richer) by thinking differently than everyone else.

There are comparisons that can be drawn between what the book is talking about and most things in our daily lives; the fit get fitter, the rich get richer, bestsellers sell better and so on and so forth. When it comes to SEO, it's no different.

In fact Mike Grehan wrote a paper which discussed this concept specifically in relating to links and search engines. He highlighted;

"...how great the bias is for high ranking pages which are fundamentally ordered on link based algorithms, to attract more links."

In essence, those pages that rank prominently strengthen their lead naturally because they attract more links as a result of ranking at the top. Smart marketers can turn some links into more links.

I wrote a post a while back about targeting influencers and content creators at the exact moment they were looking to link, therefore increasing your chances of getting a link. Since then, though, it has become clear to me that this concept really is much bigger than that. We've slowly but surely developed and refined the process to maximize the links and eyeballs a content asset can attract passively over time.

And it is that process which I am going to run through today...

1. Concept
2. Seed placement
3. Prime
4. Supportive outreach
5. Extend

The chart below shows the growth in referring domains for a content asset we developed using the above process:

The asset was launched six months prior to the start date of this chart and the consistent growth continues to this day—it was designed to meet a need in the market and is something that users and influencers alike have an interest in and will continue to have an interest in for years to come.

That's over 100 links attained passively, and the average Domain Authority of those (according to LinkBabel) is 63, so these are decent links as well. Sure, not all are big-hitting-need-to-write-home-about links but they are relevant and most are with publishers we'd ordinarily seek a relationship with if we were promoting it proactively.

Here's a chart showing pageviews for the 6 months after launch (it's certainly not what we in the industry would consider "viral," but the asset targets a long-tail phrase, and pageviews are showing steady month-over-month growth):

Stage 1: Concept

We're more often than not seeking to cover a question, tackle an industry concept, challenge a misconception or provide the most comprehensive and useful piece on a particular topic.

What makes a good idea?

• Something you can talk credibly about: It may sound obvious, but don't stretch your fabric of expertise too far.
• Something that has long-term appeal: You want to be a value investor rather than a speculator.
• Something that will appeal to customers AND other content creators.
• There is currently a void of decent content covering the subject.

Sources of inspiration

The key to this part of the process is to get inspired and then begin the fairly manual process of identifying which of the ideas are the real opportunities. Again, I can use an investing analogy here because it is no different to investing in anything else; start broad, do your research and narrow it down to the opportunities you are going to pursue.

• Magazines in your industry: Look for the pillar topics that have evergreen potential and see if they are as well served online.
• Talk to sales teams: They often have valuable insights into customer pain points and common questions.
• Keyword research tools: Dig through industry keywords (often more toward the long tail, but in some cases big head terms to find people looking for answers and solutions).
• Use Google Images: Sometimes visual queries are under-served.
• Related topics in Wikipedia: Browse the "See Also" section to help ignite some lateral thinking.

How do I know it's an opportunity?

You are ultimately looking to identify queries that are underserved.

Picture yourself in the shoes of both a potential customer and a fellow content creator. Do you feel you can find what you are looking for with the current results that are returned on query X or Y? If not, why not? And how can your planned asset fill that gap?

If you can reach both of those types of users then once you've given the asset that little initial nudge, the content itself pays its own way for life.

A strong example of an underserved query is the question "what is outsourcing?" Quite a broad term, but if Google's Keyword Planner Tool is to be believed, one that gets asked over 5,000 times per month. A good number of those are likely to be other content creators who are seeking a nice succinct explanation or guide to outsourcing that they can reference and link to for a piece they may be writing on a related topic. Imagine creating a visual tutorial that introduces outsourcing and looks at how a business can get started. That would certainly beat the current lineup of content on offer, then you'd just need to carefully optimize it to make sure yours is the asset people find.

What type of assets will work?

I'm a big supporter of evolution rather than revolution in SEO. The format of the content isn't necessarily the thing you need to focus on ("OMG we can't do infographics because they are so 2013!") it is the substance of the piece that is more important. The "problem" isn't with infographics per se, but rather the way they are executed. Granted, sometimes the opportunity actually is bringing a different format to the table, but the world doesn't declare books (physical or digital) as "dead" just because a couple of authors put out a couple of bad books.

Maybe it isn't the vehicle, but rather the person driving it. But I digress.

My point is that this process can be applied to a multitude of different content asset types, the key is recognizing the opportunity you have at hand and whether it is the substance of the piece, the format of the piece, or both, and then act accordingly.

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Note: The extent to which and the order in which you complete the following 4 stages depends entirely upon the type of content asset, the type of project and the goal of that project.

For example, we've worked on projects where the client didn't want the asset on their site, they wanted to give it exclusively to a 3rd-party publisher and focus on helping the asset reach prominence on that site so that they could leverage the social proof and traffic (although not the links). Equally, we've worked on projects where we publish first on the client site before seeding it with a big publisher.

I'll be running through each of the stages and then I'll leave it up to you to slot them together in the way that makes sense for whatever it is you are working on.

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Stage 2: Seed placement

This is going to be a high-profile publisher directly in your industry or perhaps tangentially related (go where the audience is!), and that site should enjoy prominent syndication. A good example of this is Entrepreneur.com being syndicated to regional news websites who leverage the deeper coverage of business issues that they don't. We could get into a whole conversation about duplicate content and auto-syndicated links, etc., etc., but I'll take authoritative, relevant links any day of the week—particularly if I only have to build a relationship with one publisher to get them!

Why give the seed placement to someone else?

The "initial exclusive" ensures we get the attention of the influential blogger and power publisher—they are getting something we've put blood, sweat, and tears into first, before anyone else—in some cases before we even publish on the client site. This is frequently a powerful bargaining chip. Remember, though, that the residual links can end up with that third-party site if they end up outranking you (not always the case), but that shouldn't put you off, because often giving a site an initial exclusive opens doors that wouldn't be possible when pitching content that is already live on your blog.

Where can I find a seed placement?

If you are stuck for ideas then a good place to start would be one of the multitude of premium advertising networks out there including BuySellAds or Federated Media. Or you can take a dip inside Google Adwords and use their display planner to get some ideas. If you are doing this for a client, then talk to them and ask them which sites they read.

What qualifies as a seed placement?

A fairly straightforward but not necessarily perfect barometer is whether you quote the site by name (because it is a publisher with a recognisable brand), or whether you describe it based on domain authority (because you know nobody has heard of the site). If its the former then you've probably got a good candidate, if it's the latter it doesn't mean it isn't a good site but it might be more suited for contacting during the supportive outreach stage in this process.

Another key reason to use the calibre of brand as a barometer is because you can leverage this initial seed placement when it comes to supportive outreach. This publisher's brand (and their editorial integrity) lends huge amounts of credibility to your asset resulting in a much lower level of friction when talking with other sites because there is a feeling of "If it is good enough for X, this piece must be legit."

Stage 3: Prime the asset

Publish the asset on your site and prepare it for immediate and long-term success by priming it for easy social sharing and incorporating common sense optimization of on-page factors.

More specifically;

• Accessibility and visibility of social sharing buttons
• Accessibility and visibility of any embed codes or downloads
• Keyword research and optimization of titles and the content itself, relating back to the opportunities identified in stage 1.

These things serve to heighten your visibility across social channels, reduce friction should someone wish to share the piece (either socially or in the form of a link) and finally it heightens your visibility in search—to maximize your reach and longevity of the piece with customers, other content creators and influencers at the very moment they are doing research (looking for a source to cite).

Grab this solid checklist that Rand put together about on-page optimization for a checklist.

Stage 4: Supportive outreach

The aim of this part of the process is to secure the last of the proactive coverage. Links lead to more links so getting your asset visible with some nice initial traction is how we can be sure it'll be a success long term.

The likelihood is that the types of publishers you'll be working with at this stage are going to be more niche-specific bloggers, smaller or regional publications and even personal blogs that are authored by experts in your industry.

I put together a post to help you identify, research, and organise link prospects which you might want to have a read of.

Securing the seed placement is a lot more like a high-touch sales/business development relationship so it is harder for me to design a process for you. When it comes to supportive outreach, however, we can probably afford to tailor a template email rather than write bespoke each time. We're not mass email-blasting here, but we are looking to secure a higher number of links, therefore we need to be efficient.

It isn't easy to get noticed in someone's inbox, but there are some best practices for sending these kinds of emails:

• Find the person's name
• Get a professional email address
• Make sure it is the right person
• Be meticulous in your proofreading
• Be personal (but sincere)
• Respect their time and be concise
• Think carefully about certain words that might flag spam filters

As well as some really good guides on the subject:

• Subject line: this guide
• Persuasive body copy: this guide
• Signature (and overall format): this guide

Stage 5: Extend

There are several aspects to this stage, all of which I'll go over in more detail below:

• Paid content discovery
• Paid social media advertising
• Attribution checks
• Content repurposing

Paid social media advertising

The three main platforms we work with for these types of campaigns are:

• Facebook: Read this guide from First Conversion
• Twitter: Read this guide on KissMetrics (basic but gives a good grounding if you are getting started on the platform)
• StumbleUpon Paid Discovery: Read this guide on Search Engine Land

Paid content discovery

A good presentation from Wil Reynolds on this subject.

The three main platforms we work (or have worked) with for these types of campaigns are:

• Zemanta - how many links does $1300 get you?
• Taboola
• nrelate
• Outbrain

We prefer Outbrain, but it isn't perfect by any stretch. We've found some campaigns devour the budget in minutes, and others barely get any impressions at all despite being for the same client, but I'll leave you to make your own judgement as to their effectiveness. I wanted to present them as valid campaign extension options because they more often than not tend to add some value.

Content repurposing

Here's a solid guide to content repurposing over on the Content Marketing Institute.

And some quick ideas to get you started:

• Translate into other languages: English-language markets are inundated with content, and international markets less so.
• Turn into other formats such as video, slide decks, or eBooks for wider distribution.

Attribution checks

This is something that can be done on an ongoing basis because if your asset is attracting links on an ongoing basis it will also likely be attracting people who are pinching it or from it and not attributing.

In the early stages of the campaign you can often find some really juicy link opportunities by finding the sites that have covered the piece but not attributed correctly. After that you may find people who "borrow" large chunks of it (Copyscape to the rescue) then you could always ask for the attribution and send them a DMCA if not.

• Reverse image search using Google Images or Tineye: Need a solid guide to image link building? Look no further than this one.
• TalkWalker Alerts: Set up a few including parts of the title, full title, brand name etc.
• Monitoring brand name mentions and manually reviewing these to see if any are content asset coverage with a citation but no link.

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Finally - I confess, I haven't been entirely honest with you, because to really get the most out of this method, you can't be 100% passive. You might need to tend to it from time to time, updating the piece to keep it relevant, for example. Or consider further "extension" promotions if there are seasonal peaks of interest in the piece; the asset is, after all, dual-purpose. Just because you've got it positioned to consistently drive links and traffic, what's to stop you from being proactive and using it attract more customers at, say, a key buying season in your industry?

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So, there you have it: Our process in 3,000 words for developing content assets, some of which go on to earn thousands of links and generate thousands of social shares long after we've finished active promotion. With the right idea, the right format, a good initial seed placement, intelligent priming, and thorough supportive outreach, a content asset can take your link building campaigns to a whole new level.

I'd welcome any feedback or questions in the comments below.