The role of a ‘link builder’ is one of the most difficult in SEO. It requires dedication, technical knowledge, creativity, and initiative. I don’t mean to assert that a person needs all those characteristics to succeed as a link builder, but they would certainly be of benefit in what is undoubtedly a very challenging process.
These are 3 skills a person needs to achieve success as an SEO link builder:-
Balancing Creativity and Analytical Thinking
Creativity is hugely important in modern search engine optimization and link building. Link building as a process has many parallels with inbound marketing, and it takes creative nous to find fresh and innovative ways to reach out to webmasters and begin the process of earning a link. This type of creative capability is much sought after in professional link builders as thinking outside the box can often lead to the capture of more high profile and authoritative links.
This creativity is not enough, however; the link builder must balance that with an analytical methodology and technical know-how. Understanding the function of links and how they can be used to build authority is essential for helping the link builder attribute value to those links. This might involve knowing how tools such as ‘Linkscape’ work, and the value that can be garnered from competitor analysis because successful link building inevitably requires a holistic approach.
These skills can both be encouraged by the working culture that is established in the workplace, but if the prospective link builder is already endowed with these characteristics then it will be a lot easier for them to further develop these skills. Creativity is needed to go about winning links but analytical thinking is needed for link prospecting and strategy structuring through data analysis.
Professional Writing
When links have been prospected using the creative and analytical methods of thinking discussed above, the next step is to go about acquiring those links. This requires the link builder to have strong language skills and the ability to write confidently. The most common way of acquiring links is still simply to ask for them, and this often means writing an email to the webmaster or site administration and explaining to them eloquently and persuasively why they should link to you. I hesitate to give an example because every link request email composed should be different depending on the level of trust established between you and the webmaster, the content of the link itself, and many other determining factors.
The most important thing is to not simply ask for the link. First of all, establish a relationship with the person you are requesting the link from (remember they are a person), and explain to them the benefit they gain from linking to you. Link builders who know how to construct articulate and convincing prose will always have a great opportunity to win the more high profile links.
Dedication
The process of link building does not stop. The most successful search engine optimisation campaigns have a continually developing and expanding link profile that is constantly winning diverse links from authoritative sources. This means the link builder must be dedicated to consistently looking for new links and thinking of new ways to acquire those links. Not having a finite stop and start date can sometimes be a concern for link builders, but the key focus in a link building campaign will always be organic growth and development. Link builders with this dedication and ability to manage in the short-term while focusing on the long-term will reap huge rewards for the strategy they are working on.