B2B SEO Strategy: Part 4

Forget anyone who tells you otherwise. SEO is still about getting links. Most SEO's out there will tell you that all you need to do is create "quality content" and the links will follow. The truth is that, especially in narrow B2B or industrial niches, it's extremely difficult to create this kind of "link-worthy" content, and even harder to promote it. That being said, there are a number of strategies that still work.

1. Solicit links from distributors & sales partners: Often, B2B and industrial companies have distributors & sales partners that would be happy to link back, especially if the client is willing to "trade" links. Take a look at your organization and ask yourself where it would make sense to ask for links.
2. Sponsor community organizations: Sponsoring community organizations is a great way to get links back to your site. The organization itself is likely to link back (you can even make it a condition of sponsorship). You can also use the sponsorship to attract local media coverage.
3. Industry publications: Guest posting or reaching out to editors of industry-related online publications can be very effective. This is very much an old-school public relations game: it's all about compiling a list of potential press contacts and developing relationships with those contacts. While this is difficult for a small company to manage on its own, an good agency can make it happen.
4. Manual link-building: Manual link-building on Web 2.0 sites like wordpress.com, blogspot, and others can still be an effective technique, especially in low-competition niches. Manual commenting on related articles is also quite effective. This is tedious work, but fortunately it can be safely and effectively outsourced. Be careful not to contract with anyone who uses "automation" strategies.
5. Purchasing dropped domains: Every day, thousands of websites fail to pay their domain renewal fees and go dark. Many of these sites spent time and money building perfectly good links, which can all be snatched up by purchasing one of these "dropped domains" at auction. This strategy requires a expertise, however. You have to have the tools and knowledge to carefully inspect the backlink profile of each domain and various other metrics to gauge value, then bid accordingly. It's very easy to end up with a dud if you aren't careful. However, if executed effectively, this is probably the most powerful link-building strategy for clients with a limited budget.

There are many other strategies, of course. I've just selected a few that fit well in the B2B & industrial markets. It's been a good run. Over the last three months, we've talked about keyword research for B2B, competition analysis, & link-building. This gives you everything you need to launch an SEO strategy for your B2B or industrial company. Interested in more detailed information? Need someone to handle the gritty details of your first SEO campaign? Drop us a line.  We'd love to help.