SEO in 30 Days, Day 26: Basics of Link Building, Part 5

Link Building Opportunities on Social Networking Sites

In Day 25 we continued our discussion of the basics of link building, covering the importance of linking to .edu and .gov sites, and some quick tips on how to get those links. Today we’ll conclude with link building opportunities on some of the most popular social networking sites.

A profitable social media presence always starts and ends at your own website. A blog and a user forum are fundamental tools for social link building. These form the foundation of your social network from which you can hone, centralize, and unify your message as you branch out into as many outside social media venues as you wish, always drawing people back to your own home base. A blog and user forum is the bridge between your site and all the various accounts that comprise your social networking presence.

The process is simple. Post relevant, interesting content on your blog and facilitate active, engaging dialogue on your forums, then post links back to them on all your social networking accounts. Every time you post something on a social networking site (Tweet, Status Update, etc.) it refers people back to your account which in turn refers them back to your blog, forum, or homepage. You can even link your social networking accounts with your blog such that every blog post automatically produces a social networking posting referring back to it.

Many excellent social networking sites exist, but the 3 staples of any social online presence are Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Twitter
A Twitter presence is only as good as the Tweets and Follows shared. Tweet about subjects your audience would find compelling. Retweet other people’s Tweets that you think would interest your audience. Follow relevant fellow-Tweeters.

Facebook
One of the best ways to market yourself on Facebook is with a Facebook Page. It’s worth investing in having an attractive, rich, and engaging Facebook Page for people to link to as Fans (or “Likes”). Be sure to put your main keywords in your Page name (if you have less than 100 Fans, Facebook now lets you edit it). Post a Fan Box widget on your blog and incorporate a Like widget into your homepage. These are all ways that other Facebook users can link to you and share their recommendation of you with their social network, whether from Facebook or your own site.

LinkedIn
A LinkedIn account should appear as professional as a Facebook Page appears fun. On Facebook and Twitter, most of your link-building is with your market directly. On LinkedIn, you have more of an opportunity to build linking relationships with other businesspeople. LinkedIn also has interest-based, industry-focused Groups you can (and should) join in addition to making Connections, and to find new ones.

The key to successful link-building using social networking sites is to stay active on those sites. Don’t just read what other people are posting, post regularly yourself. Comment on posts. Don’t just post to advertise; post to engage, share, participate. Provide fresh relevant content to keep contacts interested and coming back for more. Then you’ll find other savvy link-builders out there discovering you and approaching you for linking partnerships based purely on the social media “reputation” you’ve built through your active participation.

Visit again soon for Day 27 in our SEO in 30 Days series on the search engine optimization benefits of adding video to your website.