After learning about link earning in class, I think the most intriguing thing to me is the idea of “earning” a link. It takes work to get somebody to link to you. It isn’t just give to you or something you can request and be gifted. To build your site with external links you have to do something to earn those links.
Obviously, writing good content is the easiest way to earn a link. If your site is worth reading with interesting and user-first written content, you’ll attract more users naturally. A site with half-effort content, unoriginal ideas, boring visuals and a lack of detail is a larger site’s nightmare to associate themselves with.
Because linking to a site is physically connecting your site to another, the other site represents yours in a way. It shows the users that you support the content of the site and what it stands for. Knowing this, you have to align yourself with what the larger sites are looking for.
Some other interesting ways to earn a link is good visuals. Even with mediocre content, if your site produces excellent visuals, it can be a way for another site to expand their own maybe content-first site to growing a visual base. Original photography, illustrations, and videos are great ways to produce excellent visual content that supports the written content with something to look at. These original visuals can become their own link, if the larger site linking to you adds them to it’s own site and tags you, those original visuals can almost become a linking machination of their own.
At the end of the day, links are a currency. Just like in the real world, you’ve got to work for your green. If you really want to make a productive site, you’re going to have to earn your way to the top one way or another. Links are the way to the top, and a lack of links are a one way ticket to irrelevancy.
5 Responses
You did a great job at describing how to find links the right way for your website! Great Job.
Great post! I also didn’t know very much about what link earning entailed until I took this class. I like that you used the analogy of links as a currency. It really helps me visualize that you have to work to create content that is relevant and valuable to other sites.
Great Post! I like how you explained how links are like currency and you have to earn them. Links allow your site to be seen as relevant and authoritative to the search engine. I like how you mentioned visuals as a way to earn links. Visual can enhance the content already on the site and it can make the UX so much better for the user. Overall great post!
Very descriptive and a great explanation of how links are like a form of currency to be earned. Great post!
Hello, I like everything that you have to say. Link earning is so important, and most site builders don’t even realize it. This is great info on how to build more links.