You may be wondering why I am writing about link building in a post Panda and Penguin world, as with anything you do online there is a right and wrong why to get the results you need.
Even though websites across the planet are asking to have links removed whether through email requests to website owners or Google’s Disavow Tool they are still important to your online business success.
Of course it all comes down to how you actually get these links and where you are getting them from. This is where cornerstone pages come into play and can help your reach the goals your need.
Not only are cornerstone pages a great why to organise your content into relevant sections and then link out to the internal sales/product pages they are also a very effective way to get relevant back links without you having to ask or manipulate anything.
So How Does This Work?
If you remember in the previous posts these content pages have to be high quality, it should help the end-user (reader) with useful and informative information that solves a problem or leads the reader to perform an action.The high quality of the page encourages other businesses to link to them, especially now as search engines are favouring sites that offer authority references to other sites.
These pages are not sales pages there are very targeted and focused content which is what makes them very attractive in link building. However you can use cornerstone pages as landing pages to get additional information from site visitors. However my research shows that not many websites like to give a link to a landing page.
Well written pages can easily become the authority in their specific niche, firstly because of the quality of the focused content the additional links and resources that it offers, and how you have it positioned with-in the site structure. Ideally it would be linked to internally using the main site navigation and then any other sub category, keyword related pages with-in the site.
Remembering at all times that the purpose of this page is to become the authority and in doing so adds value to any links on that page to the products or services you are offering.
To get a bigger picture of how all this fits together you may find these posts helpful;
- What is Cornerstone Content
- Cornerstone Content, Why It’s The Best Way To Rank A Site
- How Cornerstone Content Can Benefit Your Online Business
Now that you are seeing the bigger picture of how content marketing works you should also see why it’s a great way to get sites to link to your content.
Being The Authority In Your Market Can Change Everything
If you have followed the steps outlined in the articles so far you should be well on your way to creating your first authority page.
Being the authority in your niche is the fastest and most effective way to build trust. Not only are you number one in the free search engines but now you have other websites and social media sites talking about you and even linking to the content you are publishing, that’s social engagement.
It is also an effective way to get your brand noticed without having to pay a truck load of money to any SEO company or Marketing firm that may or may not use tactics that could get your site in trouble when future Google updates are released. It’s all about providing quality content which in turn builds trust for your business you are giving Google exactly what it wants and giving your site visitors the answers they need.
Getting this right is the key to having a successful online business, if you have any questions or concerns you can contact me or simply leave a comment below.
I first discovered the use of cornerstone content from a guy named Brain Clark…
“A cornerstone is … basic, essential, indispensable, and the chief foundation upon which something is constructed or developed. It’s what people need to know to make use of your website and do business with you.”
Here’s a snippet from Copyblogger that makes this concept very clear..
Imagine with me for a second… someone has just arrived at your website, and this person has no idea what you’re talking about. And this is an important visitor.
Pretend further that this single visitor could make the difference between success and failure for your business. She has no time to waste poking around your site trying to figure out what you’re all about, so she immediately picks up the phone and calls you, demanding an explanation.
What do you tell her?
You’d likely explain by giving her the essential information about how you can help, and why you perfectly meet her needs, right? And I’m betting you’d want to explain it in the most compelling fashion you could, given what’s riding on the deal.
In a nutshell, that’s what Google wants you to do with the content on your site.
Article Source: http://www.copyblogger.com/how-to-create-cornerstone-content-that-google-loves/
If you have any questions or concerns about this content marketing strategy please add your comments below. I will be more than happy to answer these for you.
