Almost any SEO expert you speak to will agree that link building has become an integral part of the ranking mix. It’s easy enough to create hugely compelling content when you’re trying to promote the most appealing products out there, but what about when you’re selling something less exciting?
In this quick post, we’re highlighting some of the most effective ways you can catapult your link building strategies when you’re operating in a boring industry. In an online world where the quality of your content is ruthlessly decided by your audience’s level of engagement, these are the best ways to make an impact:
Create unique images and infographics
Your industry might not appeal to the general consumer, but no doubt there’s a flock of professionals out there looking for the latest trends and information. Take your content up a gear by creating custom images and informative diagrams for the majority of your posts. Industry experts will love it because it’s useful and you’ll gain links through being a unique information source.
The images don’t even need to be all that intricate. Actually, in some cases, the simpler the better!
Not to toot our own horn, but take our blog, for example. You’ll notice that pretty much every post we publish features a really cool unique illustration that’s custom made by our team. You’ll also notice that most of these pictures and graphs are so simple, yet visually appealing. It’s a little push to make you want to check out the blog. This is a prime example of the simpler the better.
Put a brave spin on hard subjects
Nothing gets people going like a new and fascinating angle on an old subject. If your industry is already filled with boring lectures echoing the same old message over and over, it’s a huge opportunity to stand out for being the brightest ray amongst the clouds.
You’d think the topics of death and climate change would combine to create an impossibly tough subject to cover, but Green Acres Woodland Burials manage it just fine. Their blog explains how Woodland burials are growing in popularity, especially for people that are particularly concerned with the environment. As well as selling the benefits of a green send-off, the brand also starts conversations regarding philosophical belief systems, stories, memories and the difficulties of loss.
By covering subjects that are right at the forefront of their target markets concerns, they’re placing their brand as a thoughtful and compassionate authority.
Invite contributors to provide their unique take on your products or services
If you start to think about all the different people that your industry has an impact on, you’ll likely come up with a broad range of people that have very different takes on your market. You might have a very serious message that you want to get out there, but pushing it might not get you the results you want. It’s better to publish a mix of content, some with serious intent and others that are designed for pure entertainment. A great way to come up with ideas that are “out there”, is to invite others to share their thoughts.
Rentokil, a pest control company, run a blog that strikes a great balance between entertainment and commercial intent. Have a look through their posts and you’ll come across as many clickbait-style posts as you will helpful, informative pieces. They invite contributors from around the world to share their most extreme insect-based horror stories. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of good old-fashioned scare tactics, especially if you’re in the business of protecting people from something repulsive!
Build An Evergreen Resource Centre
Know pretty much everything there is to know about your industry? Then slam all that juicy knowledge into a very handy library of facts for others to link to. The name of the game here is quality. Bloggers and journalists that cover your industry will be looking for the most reliable resources out there, so you’ve gotta aim to compile the most comprehensive collection of useful information available.
Evergreen information never gets old because it’s not bound by a timeframe. “10 easy ways to improve CRM in 2018” might be a decent blog title for instant gains, but every year that goes by will make it less relevant. Evergreen information will stay correct and useful forever. Think about all the questions your target customers will be asking about your goods or services or the most complicated factors within your industry that you can break down into easily digestible explanations. The more in-depth your information is, the harder it’ll be to beat.
Creating content that is better than anyone else’s has become known as the skyscraper technique. By looking at the highest ranking pages for a particular subject, you can see what’s already winning the war and then produce content that’s even better. As long as you’re creating content that’s a vast improvement on what’s currently owning the rankings, you can be sure your content will build a steady stream of strong links over the long run.
That’s it! Just because you think your brand might operate in an industry that most would consider boring, that absolutely doesn’t mean you can’t make your link building approach something to get excited about. There’s a way to shed a lively light on any subject, you just have to get your creative juices flowing. At the end of the day, your websites link profile is only going to be as strong as the artists responsible for building it. Some of the tactics we’ve mentioned above might sound awfully taxing, but if you’re in a competitive space, there’s no such thing as a quick or easy way to jump ahead.
We really hope this quick list has helped! Feel free to get in touch or leave a comment if you think there’s more to add. We’re always happy to answer any questions and discuss the latest moves!
