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Over the years, link building strategies have evolved and matured.

Long gone are the days of link farms and link exchanges.

Today, link building is about earning links through outreach and high-quality content and less about spammy techniques that try to trick search engines.

Still, link building (or link earning, if you prefer) remains an effective strategy for increasing organic reach and getting discovered.

However, it can also be leveraged to drive traffic as well.

Yet, many brands and marketers still struggle to implement a successful link building strategy.

A decade ago, link building was easy. You tossed a few bucks at a link farming company or set up dozens of your own sites and interlinked them. A few hundred dollars or a few hours of work and your site was rolling in top ranks.

Those were the days, right?

Wrong.

The problem was that link building was too easy.

If link building were still easy, then everyone would be doing it. (And everyone used to.)

Link building today is hard.

But with the right tools and knowledge, you can be one of the few utilizing it to its full potential.

Below youll find 50 different types of links you should be earning for your business or clients, as well as strategies for acquiring them.

Keep in mind, there is no easy way to build links and not every link type will make sense for every type of business. But I am certain you will find at least a few new link strategies to implement.

Since this is a long list, I am unable to go into great detail for each type of link, so whenever possible I have offered additional resources where you can learn more about the specific strategy.

The strategies below are a mix of options for driving ranking and driving traffic.

In general, social, forum-style, and certain PR links dont have direct impact on organic rankings but are great for driving referral traffic.

While .edu links are not inherently more powerful, .edu sites do tend to have high domain authority, making these links valuable.

To earn .edu links, you can allow guest posts from students (ideally those studying your industry) and encourage them to share the post with teachers/classmates.

Consider offering students a discount or ask about an alumni directory at your alma mater.

Much like .edu, .gov sites tend toward high domain authority.

To earn .gov links, focus on how you can help veterans of the armed services.

Offer discounts, training, or scholarships and reach out to your local VA or SBA and notify them of your program.

These carry the same benefits as .gov and .edu links, but are easier to get.

Try sponsoring a charity program, offer your services/products pro bono, or volunteer.

Editorial links happen naturally when you publish high-quality, engaging content.

Build a diverse content marketing plan for the best chance of earning these.

The best way to get links from the press (e.g., newspapers, magazines, radio, TV) is by creating a resource or study that journalists will cite.

You can also use HARO to answer reporters questions, but it can be time-consuming to sort through the twice-daily emails.

This is a good in-depth post about media link building.

Internal links are some of the easiest to build.

If you use WordPress, I recommend a related post plugin to find more internal linking opportunities on your own site.

Complementary businesses have a similar target audience but dont directly compete with you.

To earn links try offering to exchange guest posts, write a review of their product/service, or co-build a marketing campaign.

If you can get competitors to link to you, you know you are doing something right.

Consider creating a job board or do some in-depth, original research thats so valuable they cant help but link to it.

The value of these links lies in the audience, which are people who are highly involved in your industry.

Search for top niche forums in your industry and start engaging.

Offer value first, then share links when it makes sense.

If you dont already have your site added to all your social profiles, go do that now.

A simple step, but it sometimes gets overlooked, particularly because there are just so many social platforms.

Check:

And any others where you maintain a presence.

You want to post new content to your social channels.

But also use a tool like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule content multiple times to keep driving traffic.

This is separate from other social media links because it requires a very careful approach.

Reddit users particularly dislike being sold to, but it can be done if handled carefully.

Brent Csutoras has written extensively about marketing on Reddit.

Another simple, but overlooked link.

If you havent already, create a company page and add a link to your site.

No, dont go out and get dozens of crappy directory links.

But DO look for legit industry directories.

This is a good source for finding niche directories.

Cant find one for your industry or niche? Create your own.

Think Yelp, Bing, etc.

This is particularly important for local brick-and-mortar stores, but can help online brands, too.

Check out this post for a list of local directories.

If you have the dev skills (or someone on your team does), create a WordPress theme or plugin that others in your industry would find useful.

Alternatively, commission one and white label it.

Write an ebook, then add a link.

Simple stuff, right?

Writing a book can be time-consuming, so consider hiring an editor to help you turn a series of blog posts into a book.

A similar strategy for getting traditional media links, but focus more on your local area.

This is a good resource to get started.

Yep, good old guest blogging.

Find an industry news blog or complementary business blog and pitch a solid, well-written post.

Manual outreach is a numbers game, but it does work.

Look for broken links to pitch resources for, reach out to webmasters when it makes sense, and above all make sure you are offering value.

This video on Moz is a great resource for manual link building.

Dont forget to claim your listing and add your website link.

In many cases, people will see this information before they see your site.

See your brand listed or talked about somewhere? Ask for a link.

Set a Google Alert for brand mentions and reach out when you find someone is talking about your brand.

Branded anchor tags are good, but so are key term anchor tags.

You can literally see real-time sales and conversion data for any website, and which campaigns drove that traffic. Start your free trial today.

Use key term anchor tags internally, and ask for them when you are comfortable doing so.

Is there a topic or process you spent a ton of time researching or perfecting?

Publish a resource or how-to guide for others in the same position.

Think about it if you were looking for a resource theres a good chance other people are searching for a guide, too.

Compile a list of resources or ideas people in your industry would find useful.

For example, a list of 50 links youd want to earn or places to find free stock photography.

Offer value and you will earn links.

You can create these based on your own research or curate stats from other sites.

Create in-house using a tool like Canva (they have a specific infographic creator) or outsource.

I mention performing and publishing your own research a few times in this post.

That is because unique research is fantastic at attracting links including from infographics.

Make sure you send out your research results and state it can be used in infographics.

Go on sites like Quora and offer useful answers to questions.

The key here is offering value, not just searching for places to drop your link.

If you have a newsletter list, use it.

Also, consider sponsoring a newsletter for a complementary business.

Anytime your logo shows up online, ask for it to be a clickable graphic with a link to your site.

YouTube is often touted as the second largest search engine, so make sure to upload any video you record there with an embedded, clickable link.

Dont overthink video.

You can go live on Facebook using a smartphone and good lighting, then upload the video to YouTube.

Did you give a speech, teach a class, or present a webinar?

More here:
50 Types of Links You Want & How to Build Them - Search Engine Journal

Matt Ryan just recently told you that Belmar is now enforcing "Resident Only Parking" to help keep out-of-towners away and now another Jersey Shore town is following suit.

Asbury Park has now brought back metered parking to help keep visitors away.

The pay-for-parking will start back up on May 1st. This was originally nixed to try and help Jersey Shore residents who are financially struggling.

"We're hoping if you're required to pay for parking you'll go somewhere else," said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn.

If you do need to go to the Asbury Park area, officials suggest that residents use the paid parking app called Asbury PARK instead of physically touching the meters to pay.

For now, the e-scooter and bike-share programs are on hold.

Take a look at the original article at APP.com.

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Asbury Park Bringing Back Paid Parking To Keep Crowds Away - 943thepoint.com

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For episode 191 of The Search Engine Journal Show, I had the opportunity to interview Mark Traphagen,Vice President, Product Marketing and Training at seoClarity.

Traphagen talks about how and why SEO professionals need to be thinking differently about rankings today and beyond.

Mark Traphagen (MT):It seems like a lot of us that are in the search marketing industry certainly feel like its accelerated and we all know that that could be a trick of our minds.

It always seems like theres more happening in the present than there ever was in the past for all of us, even in our lives.

But at seoClarity, we actually track those things.

We take literally hundreds of thousands of screenshots, for example, of the search of our clients, actual search results every day.

We have years of tracking data on that and we watch how the SERP changes.

What weve seen is that in the last two to three years, its definitely been changing at a pace that is exponentially higher than in all the years of search history before that.

Were actually seeing those changes, we have the data that we can track those.

Then you ask why is that or how is that happening?

I think a lot of that may have to do with just the advances in automation, particularly machine learning and what artificial intelligence that Google and other search engines are employing.

It wasnt all that many years ago that most of this was kind of hand-done if we want to change something, this would go back in the slide rule days, engineers had to figure it out and program it and code it and that sort of thing.

Now a lot of that is being done at a much faster pace by using things like machine learning to Google can be more agile and change things constantly and test new things and adjust, so search is changing almost daily.

MT: I think one of the biggest changes in attitude that I see the most successful SEOs having is to resist the temptation to get hold by every little change that happens.

Like every update, every reconfiguring of the search results page, every new search readers guideline that comes out.

I mean, you want to keep up with those things and theyre interesting to know about and you want to them, but I think weve been at a time for a while now when the smartest SEOs are realizing that the most value for their companies or their clients comes from keeping a big picture in mind and going back to the fundamentals:

All these things with the user in mind.

Because the big picture is, what Google is moving toward and pushing toward and getting better and better at, year by year, is matching that user experience matching what the ideal Google user is actually trying to get to and to use.

So, Im not saying ignore the small things, but dont get carried by the moment-by-moment trends.

Brent Csutoras (BC):But the more you start to see the evolution of search right now, the more you start to see a need for people to have the knowledge to be able to determine that.

Like you said, really savvy SEOs are extremely essential right now, wouldnt you say, considering the fact that you have to be able to determine which one of these bright and shiny objects is worth chasing?

MT:Thats really well put and I think its more essential than ever. And the area of expertise has changed.

As you put it earlier, back in the old days at least, you could be an SEO if you knew how to link build, you knew enough to make sure that your site was easily crawlable, and you had a little bit of understanding of the importance of content, things like that.

But now its become much more an area of needed expertise, which is great for the industry, for our careers, those that are willing to invest the time and becoming the experts of that.

We now have to be real decision-makers, marketing decision-makers where were looking at, as you said, the most important thing is:

Right now while were recording this, were in the middle of the pandemic experience and I think thats coming home more than ever.

But one of the things that a crisis does is it gets you hyper-focused on what really matters.

What do we need to get down to?

So having the data is so important.

I think more and more SEOs are realizing I need to not only have access to the best possible data, but have the experience and the wisdom to know:

Then, secondarily, communicating that to the rest of my organization or my clients depending on your situation to help them understand how we can work together to make the improvements that are going to matter.

MT:Ranking reports are still valuable for what they are.

But I think what were seeing is that if you rely on what I would call a traditional ranking report alone, you can get a very misleading picture.

And this ties in very well to what we were talking about a moment ago about its not just having data and then next extension is having the right data, but also knowing how to look at it.

I think the big story with calling a traditional ranking report (focused on the traditional 10 blue links) where we cant go by 10 anymore

So the simple links to your website on the Google search result page no longer reflect the reality of what happens in a great many search queries.

The most obvious example that weve seen is the growing number of search features, which are all the things that can appear on a search result page or even within those traditional web links that are not just that good old-fashioned blue link with a two or three-line description underneath it.

More Resources:

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Featured Image: Paulo Bobita

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How SEOs Need to Be Thinking Differently About Ranking with Mark Traphagen [PODCAST] - Search Engine Journal

Aiding your mental health has never been more important than now.

And that is why a Jersey Shore non-profit is working tirelessly to ensure everyone has the resources they need to get through this pandemic.

According to a press release, the Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) works to, "provide mental health and substance abuse education, prevention, support and treatment," and they are asking for the public's help.

They are working tirelessly to provide services and to keep everyone connected but a lot of people are struggling and PBHG just doesn't have the funds to help everyone on their own.

We are currently living amidst very challenging times, said Mary Pat Angelini, PBHG Chief Executive Officer. People struggling with mental illness and substance use issues are faced with even greater challenges.

That is why they are asking those who can spare the funds to donate gift cards so those struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse can afford food, clothes and other basic household items.

Gift cards for Walmart, Amazon, Shop-Rite and Grub Hub are strongly suggested because they can meet a lot of the immediate needs of PBHG's patients.

Donations of any food, gasoline or gift cards to other essential retail stores are also much-needed items.

The donated gift cards will support:

Electronic gift cards should be sent to Judy Daniels at JDaniels@preferredbehavioral.org.

If you are mailing your gift cards, please mail them to:

Preferred Behavioral Health Group700 Airport RoadLakewood, NJ 08701

I know we are all struggling right now. But just imagine having to go through this pandemic while battling through an addiction or not having the mental health resources you need.

Any and all donations make a difference. Remember that and thank you in advance.

For any other information or for questions, please contact Judy Daniels at (732) 367-4700 Ext. 2240 or send an email to JDaniels@preferredbehavioral.org.

And remember. If you think YOU need help, please do not hesitate to reach out for help.

Here are the phone numbers:

Stay safe and stay healthy everyone. And thank you too PBHG for all that you do to help others.

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The digital marketing landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, and it can be challenging for marketers to keep up. Luckily, there are many reputable companies that offer online courses so that marketers can expand their knowledge. And in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many MarTech companies are even offering their learning material for free. It's important, especially in this work environment, stated Tom Brodbeck, SEO Specialist at Fishers, I.N.-based Found Search Marketing, to continue to learn new skillsets.

Only those marketers that put in the effort to continuously learn can avoid falling behind as digital marketing becomes more technological and data-driven than ever before. Being a well-rounded marketer, he continued, lets you think more broadly about problems your client may face rather than the one or two areas you specialize in.

Thats why weve put together a list of the best free martech resources digital marketers should consider in 2020.

The Google Analytics Academy is a set of free courses by Google. Marketers can learn Google Analytics from the basics through to advanced use of the platform. Theres also more in-depth courses on specific features and mini-courses on other related topics. After going through the courses, marketers have the option to test their knowledge and get certified.

Along with training for Google Analytics, there are also courses for using Google Data Studio and Google Tag Manager. These tools go beyond the reporting and tracking capabilities of the core Google Analytics product offering so that marketing teams can better leverage data insights to formulate marketing strategies.

Marketo has a number of free courses related to email marketing as well as courses for using Marketo Engage specifically. These courses cover topics like personalized email strategies, cross-channel marketing, lead management, and data analytics. Marketers and sales teams can develop crucial skills for leveraging email to generate qualified leads and improve conversions.

HubSpot Academy offers free courses on nearly every area of digital marketing. This includes its own certifications in inbound sales, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and more. There is also training for HubSpots Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub SaaS solutions.

Along with its training in the major areas of digital marketing, HubSpot Academy offers courses on more interesting niche topics. These include contextual marketing to tailor websites to specific individuals and frictionless sales to improve the efficiency of sales processes. There is an enormous variety of courses available, even for marketers that arent interested in using HubSpots products themselves.

Skillshop is a set of free online training programs for Googles suite of professional tools and solutions. Most of these products are invaluable for marketers, such as Google Ads, Google Ad Manager, Google Marketing Platform, and other tools related to paid advertising on the Google search engine.

For Google Ads, in particular, Skillshop has free certification courses for display ads, search ad campaigns, ad campaign optimization, Youtube ads, and Google Shopping ads. Thats not to mention more specific courses for YouTube, local search, and other non-marketing related topics like the Android ecosystem.

Yet another free Google resource is the Digital Garage. This is a massive repository of free courses on a wide range of topics and industries, including digital marketing. Most of the marketing-related courses are focused on the basics, with a free certification program available called the fundamentals of digital marketing.

There are also beginner courses available that marketers may want to take to understand relevant topics outside of digital marketing, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, online business security, storytelling, and more. For those companies suddenly working remote, courses like digital well-being, team building, and the fundamentals of everyday leadership may be of interest as well.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Moz Academy will be free through the end of May. There are courses available from the fundamentals to more advanced topics related to search engine optimization. Marketers can learn everything from keyword research and backlinking strategies to on-page and off-page SEO optimization tactics. There is also training for Mozs SEO products Moz Pro and Moz Local as well.

While its not free, Moz Academy does offer a certification program for SEO professionals. This training focuses on using the Moz toolset to find and target competitive search engine results pages (SERPs) as well as leveraging SEO within a broader digital marketing strategy. Moz is a leading authority for SEO, so marketers that want to build credibility should consider taking advantage of their courses while theyre available for free.

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6 Free Martech Courses That Will Help Sharpen Your Skillset - CMSWire