Comments on: Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day—Neither is effective link building http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/ Advanced Search Engine Marketing Tips to Succeed Online Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:07:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: N.Kateus http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-6894 N.Kateus Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:50:29 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-6894 So, it's about the same as my 401(K) administrator recommended for financial investing: diversify, limit the amount you put in fast-action high risk, but concentrate on the long haul, stable base. Makes sense to me. Knowing your material intimately is one thing; being able to relay it to others clearly is a gift that you use well and we all benefit. (I think that's a 'warm fuzzy' but it's quite true.) n.kateus www.fundraisingsoftwarepro.com So, it’s about the same as my 401(K) administrator recommended for financial investing: diversify, limit the amount you put in fast-action high risk, but concentrate on the long haul, stable base. Makes sense to me.

Knowing your material intimately is one thing; being able to relay it to others clearly is a gift that you use well and we all benefit. (I think that’s a ‘warm fuzzy’ but it’s quite true.) n.kateus http://www.fundraisingsoftwarepro.com

]]> By: Rex http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-5471 Rex Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:39:48 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-5471 Here is a fun variation to blog commenting (which, by the way, I seem to be doing a lot of tonite; we're having a blizzard here in Utah so maybe I've got some subliminal urge to connect with the Domenican Republic right now). Anyway, here it is: college newspapers. They often have a website with articles posted and nearly all use the same software which asks for your link like blogs do. They actively seek comments. You can browse via a site I will tell you about in minute and when you find an article about which you have somthing to say, you make a sincere comment. It's fun and it doesn't feel like work so you can do it while watching television or otherwise spending quality time with your significant other. Go to collegepublisher.com and you should find there a list of some of the affiliates. Each site will have links to other papers which publish that day. Here is a fun variation to blog commenting (which, by the way, I seem to be doing a lot of tonite; we’re having a blizzard here in Utah so maybe I’ve got some subliminal urge to connect with the Domenican Republic right now).

Anyway, here it is: college newspapers.

They often have a website with articles posted and nearly all use the same software which asks for your link like blogs do. They actively seek comments.

You can browse via a site I will tell you about in minute and when you find an article about which you have somthing to say, you make a sincere comment.

It’s fun and it doesn’t feel like work so you can do it while watching television or otherwise spending quality time with your significant other.

Go to collegepublisher.com and you should find there a list of some of the affiliates. Each site will have links to other papers which publish that day.

]]> By: Rex http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-5470 Rex Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:24:18 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-5470 I had not considered that a no-follow link could have value. But, yes, if it generates traffic it would be valuable. My area is law and most law blogs (or blawgs) are no follow and they actually receive very few comments. It's not clear to me how commenting on other lawyers' blawgs could generate traffic for me but I'll explore it. P.S. Thanks to Jez for the link to OnlyWire. I had not considered that a no-follow link could have value. But, yes, if it generates traffic it would be valuable.

My area is law and most law blogs (or blawgs) are no follow and they actually receive very few comments.
It’s not clear to me how commenting on other lawyers’ blawgs could generate traffic for me but I’ll explore it.

P.S. Thanks to Jez for the link to OnlyWire.

]]> By: linkfead http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-5286 linkfead Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:28:20 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-5286 I’m not sure if its coincidence, but I’ve also noticed very impressive ranking climbs in Yahoo after getting listed in DMOZ. I’m not sure if you have any insights on this? Recently I had a site that was ranking on page 9 -13 in Yahoo that shoot right up to result 3 and the only change was a DMOZ listing. Yahoo is a mystery to me. Your lucky i cannot get into dmoz, my guess is its because i am a directory. Judging by the listings for directories in dmoz i'm not sure if they frown upon them, maybe they find them as competition. As for my link building efforts, i'm finding it tough not being a writer an all. Creating quality content both in-site and in other locations is the key. If all eles fails, pay for it... I’m not sure if its coincidence, but I’ve also noticed very impressive ranking climbs in Yahoo after getting listed in DMOZ. I’m not sure if you have any insights on this? Recently I had a site that was ranking on page 9 -13 in Yahoo that shoot right up to result 3 and the only change was a DMOZ listing. Yahoo is a mystery to me.

Your lucky i cannot get into dmoz, my guess is its because i am a directory. Judging by the listings for directories in dmoz i’m not sure if they frown upon them, maybe they find them as competition.

As for my link building efforts, i’m finding it tough not being a writer an all. Creating quality content both in-site and in other locations is the key. If all eles fails, pay for it…

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-778 Hamlet Batista Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:55:32 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-778 DrDave - Thanks for your comment and visit. DrDave - Thanks for your comment and visit.

]]> By: DrDave http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-773 DrDave Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:51:31 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-773 I followed your link here from the "Smackdown" post on sphinn, so I would agree that comment links are working for you. This is an interesting article, and I realize now that I have already largely been targeting sites that could send me focused referral traffic. "detour search traffic" As Danny Sullivan phrased it in his comment. Anyway, having the concept more well defined now I should be able to go about it more effectively. And my ignorance shrinks a bit more. Thanks. I followed your link here from the “Smackdown” post on sphinn, so I would agree that comment links are working for you. This is an interesting article, and I realize now that I have already largely been targeting sites that could send me focused referral traffic. “detour search traffic” As Danny Sullivan phrased it in his comment. Anyway, having the concept more well defined now I should be able to go about it more effectively. And my ignorance shrinks a bit more. Thanks.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-576 Hamlet Batista Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:27:11 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-576 <blockquote>Hi Hamlet, Do you plan to divulge the links to any of your sites, it would be interesting to see them….</blockquote> Jez - At the right time, I will.

Hi Hamlet,

Do you plan to divulge the links to any of your sites, it would be interesting to see them….

Jez - At the right time, I will.

]]> By: Mutiny Design http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-572 Mutiny Design Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:09:06 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-572 Thank for the reference to this OnlyWire tool - looks very useful. I guess i owe you a link then :P I think Jimson has a good point below, each site requires its own angle. Thank for the reference to this OnlyWire tool - looks very useful.

I guess i owe you a link then :P
I think Jimson has a good point below, each site requires its own angle.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-560 Hamlet Batista Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:51:45 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-560 <blockquote>I just found this site today, and I’m very impressed with the way the topics are presented! </blockquote> Thanks! <blockquote>But before we argue about Search engines, you have to decide what percentage of your traffic you should work on: Direct (returning visits, etc.), Referral (forums & social bookmarks, etc), and Search (Google, Yahoo, etc). Those are the basic 3 stats from Google Analytics. It all depends on the nature of your blog or wesite: Free site? Selling products? etc. Once you decide, then put your efforts in that area. Comments? </blockquote> Your comment makes perfect sense. Please note that my focus on this blog is primarily search engines. When I talk about social bookmarks etc. is primarily for the link value for search engines.

I just found this site today, and I’m very impressed with the way the topics are presented!

Thanks!

But before we argue about Search engines, you have to decide what percentage of your traffic you should work on: Direct (returning visits, etc.), Referral (forums & social bookmarks, etc), and Search (Google, Yahoo, etc).

Those are the basic 3 stats from Google Analytics.

It all depends on the nature of your blog or wesite: Free site? Selling products? etc.

Once you decide, then put your efforts in that area.

Comments?

Your comment makes perfect sense. Please note that my focus on this blog is primarily search engines. When I talk about social bookmarks etc. is primarily for the link value for search engines.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-556 Hamlet Batista Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:53:01 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-556 Mutiny - There is a lot of ideas packed in that comment :-) What I can tell you, from experience, is that the worst feeling for an SEO is tasting a delicious profitable ranking for some time, and suddenly see the ranking tank. That is why I don't like to advise quick (spammy) tricks. You need to think long term. Focus on getting the authority links first. Those are the hard ones. They will keep your site ranking. The easy links you can get any time. Mutiny - There is a lot of ideas packed in that comment :-)
What I can tell you, from experience, is that the worst feeling for an SEO is tasting a delicious profitable ranking for some time, and suddenly see the ranking tank. That is why I don’t like to advise quick (spammy) tricks.

You need to think long term. Focus on getting the authority links first. Those are the hard ones. They will keep your site ranking. The easy links you can get any time.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-555 Hamlet Batista Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:36:13 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-555 Jason, That is how I've built all the traffic and links to this blog Jason,
That is how I’ve built all the traffic and links to this blog

]]> By: Jez http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-542 Jez Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:39:05 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-542 Hi Hamlet, Do you plan to divulge the links to any of your sites, it would be interesting to see them.... Hi Hamlet,

Do you plan to divulge the links to any of your sites, it would be interesting to see them….

]]> By: Jez http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-541 Jez Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:37:36 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-541 Hi Mutiny, I tracked back to your site earlier so commenting has not done you any harm :-) Regarding social bookmarking http://www.onlywire.com/ is a free tool that allows submission to multiple bookmarking sites, they have a FF plugin too, so you just click a button in your toolbar when you want to bookmark a page... Hi Mutiny,

I tracked back to your site earlier so commenting has not done you any harm :-)
Regarding social bookmarking http://www.onlywire.com/ is a free tool that allows submission to multiple bookmarking sites, they have a FF plugin too, so you just click a button in your toolbar when you want to bookmark a page…

]]> By: Jimson Lee http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-538 Jimson Lee Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:10:06 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-538 I just found this site today, and I'm very impressed with the way the topics are presented! But before we argue about Search engines, you have to decide what percentage of your traffic you should work on: Direct (returning visits, etc.), Referral (forums & social bookmarks, etc), and Search (Google, Yahoo, etc). Those are the basic 3 stats from Google Analytics. It all depends on the nature of your blog or wesite: Free site? Selling products? etc. Once you decide, then put your efforts in that area. Comments? I just found this site today, and I’m very impressed with the way the topics are presented!

But before we argue about Search engines, you have to decide what percentage of your traffic you should work on: Direct (returning visits, etc.), Referral (forums & social bookmarks, etc), and Search (Google, Yahoo, etc).

Those are the basic 3 stats from Google Analytics.

It all depends on the nature of your blog or wesite: Free site? Selling products? etc.

Once you decide, then put your efforts in that area.

Comments?

]]> By: Mutiny Design http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-531 Mutiny Design Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:24:53 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-531 I think the most important criteria initially is pretty much anything that will get you ranked in Google for a term that will bring you targeted traffic. I have seen some people achieve this by spending a few thousand pounds on links in directories. For mildly competitive search terms, this seems to work quite well. I know one site with about 600 links which ranks above other highly spammy sites with 1000's of links. I've also seen sites rank for search terms that have approx. 750 searches a day just because they are listed in the Yahoo Directory and have a handful of other links, but these rankings seem to be temporary. I'm not sure if its coincidence, but I’ve also noticed very impressive ranking climbs in Yahoo after getting listed in DMOZ. I'm not sure if you have any insights on this? Recently I had a site that was ranking on page 9 -13 in Yahoo that shoot right up to result 3 and the only change was a DMOZ listing. Yahoo is a mystery to me. As you say though, and has been the focus of many of your articles, if you want to be one of the big boys you’re going to have to get some real high quality links. They may not bring as much converting traffic as organic/PPC, but this can make your traffic go through the roof. If you can keep it up, the results of your quality link building/baiting will be what gives you industry recognition and in turn will probably allow you to up your prices and get the biggest clients. On Jason's comment above regarding gaining readership through commenting. I am on the fence with this one, I think most of your readership will come through the socialbookmarking sites. However, I found your blog via your SEOMoz posts and have kept coming back because its the only <i>advanced</i> SEO blog around. I think the most important criteria initially is pretty much anything that will get you ranked in Google for a term that will bring you targeted traffic. I have seen some people achieve this by spending a few thousand pounds on links in directories. For mildly competitive search terms, this seems to work quite well. I know one site with about 600 links which ranks above other highly spammy sites with 1000’s of links. I’ve also seen sites rank for search terms that have approx. 750 searches a day just because they are listed in the Yahoo Directory and have a handful of other links, but these rankings seem to be temporary.

I’m not sure if its coincidence, but I’ve also noticed very impressive ranking climbs in Yahoo after getting listed in DMOZ. I’m not sure if you have any insights on this? Recently I had a site that was ranking on page 9 -13 in Yahoo that shoot right up to result 3 and the only change was a DMOZ listing. Yahoo is a mystery to me.

As you say though, and has been the focus of many of your articles, if you want to be one of the big boys you’re going to have to get some real high quality links. They may not bring as much converting traffic as organic/PPC, but this can make your traffic go through the roof. If you can keep it up, the results of your quality link building/baiting will be what gives you industry recognition and in turn will probably allow you to up your prices and get the biggest clients.

On Jason’s comment above regarding gaining readership through commenting. I am on the fence with this one, I think most of your readership will come through the socialbookmarking sites. However, I found your blog via your SEOMoz posts and have kept coming back because its the only advanced SEO blog around.

]]> By: Jason http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-525 Jason Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:05:54 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/07/25/rome-wasn%e2%80%99t-built-in-a-day%e2%80%94neither-is-effective-link-building/#comment-525 This is definately some sound advice. I've seen lots of sites that try to build links long before providing valuable content and, while they might temporarily earn a higher Technorati ranking, they seldom last long. Your suggestion that the best way to gain readership involves commenting on other blogs is dead on. More often than not I've been directed to a site because the commentator provided some value to the post :) This is definately some sound advice.

I’ve seen lots of sites that try to build links long before providing valuable content and, while they might temporarily earn a higher Technorati ranking, they seldom last long.

Your suggestion that the best way to gain readership involves commenting on other blogs is dead on. More often than not I’ve been directed to a site because the commentator provided some value to the post :)

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