• 06 Apr 2021
• 6 Min read

Where we built links in March 2021

• by Polly Kirkup

Timing is key in any form of outreach. Whether it’s jumping on the back of national holidays, getting a head start on discussing a new Netflix series, or reacting to news stories, being one of the first to open conversations around popular topics is hugely effective in building backlinks and establishing yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry. 

At Glass Digital, we spend a lot of time as an outreach team ensuring we plan and push out our client campaigns at exactly the right time, giving our clients the best chance at quality exposure. When the timing is perfect, the quantity of links can increase too.

Quick note: Domain authority (DA) is a measure of site authority developed by Moz. As a rule of thumb, the higher the DA, the more valuable the link.

HELLO! (DA 89)

This was a perfect example of hitting the nail on the head in terms of timing. As soon as Harry & Meghan announced that they were expecting another baby, we gathered some odds from our matched betting client on the names most likely to be chosen and sent them straight out to national and regional press.

This took no time at all but paid off in the form of links because it was so topical and was an instantaneous reaction from our outreach team.

We specifically targeted journalists who regularly discuss entertainment and royal news and it was picked up by HELLO! Online, BETA, and Scottish News, who all have large readerships and high domain authority.

Tip: Working smarter doesn’t need to be complicated. If your expertise lends itself to passing on quick but topical information, use this to your advantage. Check for breaking news daily.

Student Beans (DA 65)

Just because something is time sensitive doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. It was through checking entertainment news that we found applications for the popular TV series Love Island were being accepted. After discussing this in an outreach ideation meeting, we worked with our content team to produce a quiz that calculates your chances of appearing in the upcoming season.

 This was a fitting way to gain exposure on something widely talked about while appealing to the show’s intended target audience. We outreached via Twitter as well as email, as we find this an effective way to reach with the younger demographic. We ultimately landed a link on this student site.

Tip: Take a chance by using Twitter to send out campaigns. This can even give the added benefit of helping you to build relationships with writers.

PCR Online (DA 65)

Often, the best way to gain the right exposure is to be totally targeted with the sites you’re sending content to. This also helps to convey your brand voice as expert and over time can mean you’re at the top of a journalist’s pile when an opportunity in your niche arises.

The gaming industry is more popular than ever, being widely discussed on major news sites. Using the knowledge of our client’s gaming experts, we devised an editorial idea around enhancing the gaming experience and PCR Online, who are dedicated solely to this industry, thought it was perfect for them. Our bespoke feature is now live and driving valuable SEO value as well as traffic.

Tip: Being targeted, finding your niche, and asserting yourself as specialist in your field can result in relevant links on industry publications.

Growth Business (DA 53)

When using a media enquiry service, you may get overwhelmed by the volume of requests and struggle to identify the relevant opportunities. A great place to start is to take into consideration the different skillsets within your company and consider who would be best to discuss potential topics presented.

Growth Business asked the hypothetical question ‘What would you do with 500k?’. After reading further into the description, they were aiming this at entrepreneurs only. This was a perfect fit for our Managing Director and ultimately meant we were featured.

Tip: Keep note of which employees are happy to put their name to comments. The wider the variety of job roles willing to contribute, the wider your backlink profile.

Working Dads (DA 32)

Reacting to the news doesn’t always need to involve a huge digital PR campaign or press release. Interesting or relevant stories that link to your knowledge base can be just as useful, sitting in your pitch as backup evidence or just as a source of inspiration.

Sky News published an article around the potential rise in new babies born after COVID-19 and, in response, we sent out an editorial on behalf of our client on preparing your firstborn for a new addition to the family. The positive angle amid the pandemic resonated with Working Dads and they took a bespoke piece.

Tip: Think of ways to spin news stories to fit with your ideas. A relevant hook means your article is more likely to be chosen.

Psychreg (DA 48)

Sometimes, it’s pure fascination that gains you the links you’re looking for. Attaching your expertise to pop culture and celebrities can really work in sparking the interest of both editors and readers. For our mattress client, we devised visual piece of content on the sleep habits of well-known entrepreneurs. Psychreg thought this idea would be a great read for their audience and featured the full campaign on their site.

Tip: Use the emotions in your campaigns that are best fit for your brand image. Being relatable ensures your content is shareable in terms of social media and creating a buzz earn you links from national press.

Business Leader (DA 51)

As part of our outreach service, we often ask clients to put together prospective comments for us to send out. This involves sending out the comment in response to an event and outreaching it to target publications before it has been asked for by journalists.

In this case, we focused on the Spring Budget and achieved a link on well-established business publication for our property client. Both timing and the help of an industry expert was crucial for this to pay off, as you’ll usually be up against competition from others in your field.

We use our time wisely as an outreach team, checking the news, preparing for upcoming events, and devising campaigns that are perfectly suited to our clients. It’s this time management that plays a huge part in the linking exposure we gain.

For other examples of where we’ve built links, take look at our links vault. You can also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook to be the first to know of future successes.

Interested in outsourcing your outreach to our expert team? We offer link-building alone or as part of a full SEO campaign. Contact us to discuss what will work for your business.

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