✅ What Link Building Really Means (Simplified)
Link building is the process of getting backlinks — links from other websites to yours.
A backlink works like digital word-of-mouth. When another site links to you, it’s essentially telling Google:
“We trust this website. It has value.”
The more reputable sites that link to yours, the more authority and trust Google gives your website. This leads to better rankings, especially for competitive keywords.
✅ My SEO Approach: Target Buyer-Intent Keywords First
Most SEOs focus on educational keywords like “what is…” or “how to…”.
I don’t.
I target purchase-intent keywords — search terms used by people who already know what they want and are ready to take action, like:
- “Buy ___”
- “Sign up for ___”
- “___ trial”
- “Hire ___”
- “___ near me”
These keywords are less competitive, easier to rank, and bring visitors who are ready to convert. Perfect for new sites — as long as you build some baseline backlinks.
✅ The 3 Link-Building Actions I Take for Every New Project
1️⃣ Launch Everywhere Backlinks
When launching a product or site, announce it across platforms—this generates initial brand searches and links.
Places to launch:
- Product Hunt (for tech)
- Social media (especially LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram)
- Your personal network
Setup checklist:
- Google Analytics installed
- Google Search Console verified & sitemap submitted
- Ask friends to Google your brand and click your site (brand search signals)
Treat every business update like a mini-launch and share it publicly.
2️⃣ Submit to Directories
Real businesses list themselves in directories — so should you.
Use general directories (LinkedIn, Crunchbase, About.me, etc.) and niche directories (industry-specific lists).
Track submissions in a simple spreadsheet:
- URL
- Email used
- Password
- Description used
This makes updates easy if your business info ever changes.
3️⃣ Respond to Journalist Requests (Earned Links)
Use expert-quote platforms to earn powerful editorial links:
- #1 Source Bottle / Source
- #2 HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
- #3 Featured.com (formerly Terkel)
Strategy:
- Answer one journalist request per day
- Explain why you’re an expert
- Provide real value, not just a pitch
- Let your author bio contain your link
This builds authority steadily over time.
✅ Bonus: Build Linkable Assets
Sometimes one creative idea beats months of outreach.
Example: DoNothingFor2Minutes.com
A simple mindfulness timer → earned hundreds of thousands of backlinks.
Create mini-tools or fun concepts, launch them, and see what sticks.
✅ Creativity = SEO Advantage
Creativity increases your link-building success.
Daily creativity exercise: get 5 random objects and connect them into a story or idea.
Treat creativity like a muscle — practice builds it.
🧾 Bottom Line
Do everything slowly but consistently:
✔ Launch publicly and repeatedly
✔ Submit to directories
✔ Answer one journalist request per day
✔ Build creative linkable assets
✔ Share every update on social platforms
Small actions compound into big SEO authority over time.