To Link, or Not to Link…

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There's a lot of controversy over a topic like this. Many people say, "Don't link, because it sends other people your link-juice and hurts your SEO."

Others say "Do link, because if you pass on link juice to an authority site, it helps your SEO."

Why You Should Link In Your Blog

Here's my opinion on this matter, as well as the subject matter of day 7 of Darren Rowse's 31 Days to Building a Better Blog.

Linking is good.

Let's not focus on SEO for right now. It's a needlessly complicated subject that I would not recommend any new blogger to try and partake, but that's a topic for another day.

Let's look at linking from a social standpoint.

1. Authority blogger writes a very insightful and informative article.
2. Tons of people read this article, and give it social love.
3. Of these people, some are bloggers, who write their own opinion on the subject.
4. The authority blogger gets more eyeballs to his or her site (because of all the blogs linking to the article)
5. The bloggers gain more eyeballs to their sites (especially if they have a great headline) because of trackbacks on the original blog)
6. The readers of the post that links subconsciously think, "This blogger gives credit where credit is due!"
7. Everyone wins!

See how linking is awesome?

"Don't be selfish, link to other bloggers in your niche on your blog." Click to tweet

So how does one go about creating an awesome link post?

How To Create an Awesome Link Post

Well, here are the six types Darren Rowse says to consider:

1. Build Upon the Points of Others -- This is what I normally do. I find a good post, and I build upon it; give my own twist on it, put my own logic in it. Some people may like my style better, and some may not. I keep the ones who do :)
2. Take the Opposite Point of View--This one is self-explanatory, but if you disagree... well, write a post on why you disagree! Here's a little tidbit--if a reader sees a trackback titled "Why You Shouldn't Link Outward" on a blog post about why you should link, then the reader will likely click that trackback in order to get both sides of the story. Great way to get traffic, but don't do it maliciously or offensively--be civil and courteous yet state your point clearly.
3. Build a Resource on a Topic-- Pick one topic, look at what various bloggers have to say about this topic, and write about the conclusion you came to. You can link to a lot of tutorials, or you can summarize each one. Strive to make these types of link posts a great resource post that people will bookmark for future reference. Refer to The Crucial Question for more information on this.
4. Speed Linking-- This is similar to building a resource on a topic, except it's a broad range of topics that are relevant to your target audience. It might be a good idea to use some of your own links in these resource posts as well!
5. Single-question Interviews-- This is a great way to build relationships with other bloggers. Send one question to one, or many, bloggers, write their answers, and link to their blogs in this post. Readers can see different perspectives of great bloggers.
6. Suggest Further Reading & Give Examples--You don't need to write a link post per se, but you could write a post, and just give a great example of someone else doing this. For example, I love Derek Halpern's Social Triggers blog. It always backs everything up with clear-cut examples. Sure he uses his own examples, but it still reinforces the point clearly.
7. Bonus: Write a massive "pillar" post with links interspersed everywhere--A "pillar" post is a post that leaves nothing to the imagination. It tells you how to do something and it tells you good. Each action step has a concept backing it up, and it may be from the archives, or it may be from another blog. Links galore! These types of posts may not necessarily get a lot of social media love, but they do get a lot of bookmarking love.

I added that last one in because I've noticed a lot of posts like that being very popular in the comments. They take a looong time to write, but they are worth it.

Your homework: Link outward in your next post

1. Figure out a popular topic that hasn't been beaten to death with a stick.
2. Read a few blogs about this topic.
3. Pick one of the types of link posts from above (or get creative)
4. Write the post, keeping in mind to link outward at least once.

It's really easy; just write with the intent on adding value rather than writing to make a sale.

Your turn: What are your thoughts?

To link, or not to link? Leave a comment!

In peace, love, and prosperity,

Rasheed

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Tagged as: Blog, blogging, Darren Rowse, post creation, Search engine optimization, Social media, success