The Executive Suite: The Lazy Webmaster’s Guide to Link Building

Ok, maybe you’re not actually lazy, but you’re definitely pressed for time. After all, you have to stay up to date on all the basics of SEO, plan ahead for search engine updates, do keyword research, optimize for search and social….the list goes on and on.

You can have a meltdown just thinking about it!

So with all that’s going on how do you find time to continuously attract links to your domain?
Well, today is your lucky day because I’m going to share some quick tips that will help you reap the benefits of link building without spending ridiculous amounts of time slaving away. Before we go any further, I want to set something straight…

Smart Webmasters Favor Strategy Over Tools & Tactics
You don’t need to worry about Panda or Penguin, you need a process!

Although tools and tactics can make our lives easier, we must be careful not to rely on them too much. It’s better to have a well-planned strategy and use a mix of helpful tools than to depend on only one way to get results.

Do you know any SEOs who took a beating the last time Google changed its search algorithm?
That’s exactly why I recommend a strategy based on building different types of links. Think: editorial links, “outreach” links, traffic generating links, etc.

You also don’t want to rely on one specific tool to get the job done. That way, if anything changes down the road, you’ll be able to adapt without too much disruption to your business. Keep your focus on building links from relevant sites.

I need search engines and readers to find my website and I don’t have forever to make it happen. One of the most important parts of my link building strategy is making the best use of my time.
Let me show you how.

Why I Use “Batching” (And Maybe You Should Too)
Batching is a time management technique.

When done right it helps maximize concentration and decrease distraction. In fact, I’ve found that using batching can help cut your link building time in half.

The main principle behind batching is to group similar activities and do them all at the same time. For example, you choose a block of time and only optimize content during that time. Or, from 10:00 until 12:30 you only do email outreach.

The benefit of working this way is you’re more productive with one task than switching between different tasks.

Batching is the secret weapon that’s going to help you put (part of) your link building machine on autopilot.

Although link building will still require a time commitment, our goal is to get the best results in the least amount of time using “set and forget” systems.

6 Steps a Site Owner Can Take Today to Build Links
Building quality links is essential for success with traffic and search.

I promised to show you how to put your link building efforts on autopilot. So let’s see exactly how to build links without a staggering effort.
It works like this:

First, you need to do a little legwork. By completing these tasks in advance and working in focused bursts, you’ll lay the foundation to spend much less time scrambling around trying to grow your website’s link profile.

Spend some time making a few lists. You want to make lists of:

Influencers, press and bloggers in your niche. Who has authority and trust in your space? Who reviews the latest products and services? Note the relevant players.
Guest posting opportunities. Guest blogging is one of the best ways to get quality links to your website. Make your job easier by identifying possible guest posting possibilities in advance.
Broken links. You can get some great links by reaching out to sites linking to outdated resources and letting them know a better site to link to (yours!).
Possible keywords. Use tools like SEMrush, Majestic SEO, Searchmetrics to see the keywords that your competition is already ranking for.
Blog aggregators. Sites like Technorati and Scoop can be useful for getting dofollow links and more eyeballs on your content.
Relevant directories, listings, and resource pages. Getting your website listed in reputable directories, listings, and resource pages is one of the easiest ways to get links back to your site.

One of the best ways to make a quick list – look over your competitors’ backlinks. Competitors intelligence is a honey pot. Media, blogs, and directories – you’ll be able to make a great content plan using competitors’ experience.

SEMrush Backlink Report

Ahrefs Report

Then, once you have your lists, use batching to work on the following six activities in short, focused bursts.

Do email outreach. Reach out to webmasters linking to outdated content, site owners who may be interested in your latest piece of content, or just build relationships. Doing this in batches keeps email from taking control of your day.
Optimize your content. Review your existing content and optimize for both long tail and short tail keywords.
Study what works–Spend time studying what kind of content gets shared in your niche. This will help you develop and distribute link bait.
Develop content. Create blog posts for your site, press releases, guest blog posts, and infographics.
Supercharge your sharing. Work on building audience funnels and alliances. This will help amplify the reach of your content.
Pick the low-hanging fruit. Make insightful blog comments and forum contributions. Promote old evergreen content every so often on social networks. These are easy tasks that don’t take much time.

Following these tips will help you automate your link building campaign and get more leads and sales with less time.

Do you have your own “lazy” link building tips? Please, share your link building techniques in comments!