Contextual Links are Better so get them!

Everyone can agree that links are good. Regardless of where they came from, for the most part, any link is better than no link. Whether it’s from a PR 0, or a PR 10, on the homepage, comment or even as a no-follow, a link will add some credibility to your website (in Google’s eyes).

Obviously, not all links are created equal. While all links are good, some (such as high PR do-follow links) provide more ‘link juice’ than others. Finding high quality links can be tough, however finding the best kind out there, contextual links, is actually not as hard as you may think.

A contextual link is located within ‘content’, or inside an article, paragraph, or body of text. Google assumes that a link within a related piece of content is highly valuable because it means someone is specifically talking about you, rather than simply adding a link to their footer or advertising section. The more relevant the content is to your website, the more value it gives that link. For example, links that are located inside blogs or articles of high-PR websites related to your website are some of the most valuable links you can find.

Obviously, having contextual links isn’t as easy as simply requesting a link exchange or getting a friend/business partner to add your banner to their site. This is where relationship building plays a key role.

The first step is to research blog websites that are related to your industry. Usually, a blog will have a public author with contact information (you may need to dig in a bit deeper to find it). If you can’t find any on the website, see if the blog uses twitter or Facebook. Contact the blogger and introduce yourself and your website. At this point, you can either propose to do an ‘article exchange’ in where you provide a contextual link (via an article) on your blog in exchange for the same with them. You may also ask if you could write an article as a ‘guest blog’ on their website, however in order to do this you should be providing them with something interesting and unique for their user base. Thirdly, depending on your business, you may convince the blogger to simply write about you if you’re interesting enough.

The key component to being able to get contextual links is to build relationships. Don’t simply spam bloggers with a generic email asking for links, this will only get you a very high ignore rate. Instead, chat with the blogger, build a relationship via email or social media, and ask when the time is right. Remember, everyone is looking for connections and exposure, so consider any relationship a two-way street.