Link Building Strategies: The Outreach Secrets We’ve Used [Part 2]

In the first part of our article, we covered the basics to help you understand link building plans, the benefits of link exchanges, and key link building strategies.

But what’s next?

In the second part, we’ll dive into advanced tactics like link building outreach, competitor backlink analysis, essential tools we used, backlink monitoring, etc.

If you’re new to SEO and eager to expand your knowledge, you’ll find helpful resources at the end of this complete guide on link building strategies.

So, stay tuned as we share the strategies we’ve used to achieve real results!

Link Building Outreach: Our Step-by-Step Approach

Backlink outreach is a key part of our backlink strategy.

To make sure our emails grab attention, we put extra effort into creating messages that really catch the eye.

If we don’t catch their attention, they might just ignore us. That’s why we use some neuromarketing techniques to make our emails more engaging and increase our chances of getting a response. But don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it seems.

To make things easier, we also use outreach tools to simplify and automate the process. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.

Interesting, right?

So, let’s break it down.

Create a List of Domains

First, we find potential websites we’d like to get backlinks from. We usually focus on relevant companies that have a strong online presence.

Before reaching out, we always check the domain rating (DR) on Ahrefs.

Next, we search for the right people on LinkedIn to make our outreach more personalized.

To keep everything organized, we use Google Sheets. Our ideal spreadsheet includes:

• Domain name
• DR and traffic (50+ DR + 1000+ traffic)
• Contact details
• Outreach status (e.g., contacted, follow-up, reply received, etc.)

We also automate the process as much as possible. For instance, use Ahrefs for checking a target domain’s DR and traffic and Mailmeteor for sending mass emails and automating the follow-up process, and more. 

Now that we’ve built the list, the next step is finding and verifying email addresses for effective link building outreach. 

Let’s dive into that. 

Find and Verify Email Addresses

So, the best link building plans only work if we’re reaching the right people with the right emails. But how do we make sure our outreach hits the mark?

The last thing we want is to waste time contacting the wrong person. So, we focus on getting accurate email lists. This helps us speed up the process and avoid delays in our link building proposal.

Who do we contact? We typically target employees in the marketing department, but sometimes we also reach out to others, like content managers or client success managers, especially if we’re not getting a response from our primary contact.

What if our main contact doesn’t respond? No problem – we have other options.

Here’s how we do it:

1. First, we check the company’s LinkedIn page to find employees with the right roles.
2. We scrape the profiles, picking up the person’s name, position, and profile URL.
3. Next, we make smart guesses about their email address using common formats like [email protected]. Then, we use the Clearbit Chrome extension to confirm the email is correct.

In the right corner, you can see how we enter a company domain, and it shows employee roles.

Why do we do this? Well, we want to make sure we’re emailing the right person. That’s why we also use email finder tools for an even quicker result.

But wait – before we send anything, we make sure every email is verified.

So, link building strategies are only as good as the emails they’re sent to. And a successful link building proposal starts with getting that right!

Create a Good Email Template

So, we’ve found and verified the email addresses. Now what?

You might think the hard work is over, but the next challenge is even bigger: getting people to actually care about your offer.

How do we make sure our emails get noticed? The answer is simple: we focus on crafting a personalized email template that grabs attention and gets results. So, without this step, even the best link building strategies won’t work.

But, how do we do it? Here’s our approach:

• Start with the recipient’s name in the subject line. It shows we’ve taken the time to make it personal.
• Introduce ourselves clearly. We don’t want to come across as a scam, so we make sure they know who we are right from the start.
• Keep it clear and direct. We explain exactly why we’re reaching out.
• Show what they’ll gain. What’s in it for them? So, the more we highlight the benefits, the more likely they are to respond.

So, we ensure our link outreach emails don’t get lost in the inbox.

Follow Up

Sometimes, people get busy and your email might slip through the cracks. But a quick follow-up email can do the trick without being too pushy.

We usually send our first follow-up after a week. In this email, we might mention additional exchange domains to keep the conversation fresh.

Here, you can see how we follow up with fresh exchange domains to keep the conversation going.

If there’s still no response, we wait a few more days—2 to 3 days—and send a second follow-up. This time, we keep it light with just a sad emoji 😞 to show we’re a bit bummed but still hopeful for a response.

Remember, if they’re not interested, that’s okay. Not every opportunity will work out, and it’s important to move on and keep looking for new ones.

Competitor Backlink Analysis: What We Do

To build the best backlink strategy, you need to know what your competitors are doing. That’s exactly what our specialists handle.

We track competitor backlinks to discover new link building opportunities and stay ahead in the game. Here’s how we do it:

First step: We check if the website is actually our competitor.

Next: We analyze their backlink profiles to find websites that link to them but not to us.

Our goal? Reach out to those websites and build new connections.

By doing this, we also identify trending content ideas and understand what works best for our target audience. Cool, right?

What tools do we use to check competitor backlinks? Let’s explore that in the next part.

3 Best Link Building Tools

Link building strategies cannot be successful without proper tools in place. Let’s take a look at three essential link building tools we use, along with their benefits and drawbacks.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is one of the key tools our specialists use to refine and optimize SEO strategies. From tracking backlinks to analyzing competitor data, it’s an essential part of our toolkit.

This is the Ahrefs dashboard, where we track backlinks and analyze competitor data.

Pros:

• Competitor research
• Keyword Research
• Website Audit
• Content Research
• Rank Tracking
• Mentions Monitoring
• Free SEO tools like SERP checker, Website Traffic Checker, Keyword Generator, and more.

Cons:

• Pricey
• Doesn’t offer a free trial
• Offers limited integrations
• With so many features, it can be difficult and overwhelming sometimes for beginners to get started

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is our go-to tool for keeping things organized. It’s perfect for tracking who we’ve contacted, what stage we’re at, and what’s next.

In this screenshot, you can see we track outreach progress..

In fact, when we talk about the best link building tools, Google Sheets plays a key role in making our workflow efficient. It’s ensuring that every step of the outreach process is clear and well-managed.

Pros:

• We use Google Sheets for several tasks, like finding backlink exchange opportunities, reaching out, and tracking progress. It keeps everything organized and structured, making our link building process smoother.
• It also helps our team work together on link building by letting everyone update and share information in real time.

Cons:

• Limited storage 
• Depends on internet connection
• Can be complicated for new users

Mailmeteor

Mailmeteor is a simple yet effective tool that lets us send personalized emails in bulk through Gmail.

For our link building strategies, we use Mailmeteor to simplify the process of contacting potential partners. It makes outreach efficient, saving us time while still keeping emails personal and impactful.

Pros:

• Real-time email tracking
• Contact segmentation and follow-up
• Scheduled mail merges
• Automated email sending
• Mail merge with attachments
• Spam checker 
• Sending emails from different aliases
• Adding Cc or Bcc recipients
• Unsubscribe management

Cons:

• No drag and drop builder
• Mailmeteor follows the Gmail sending restrictions, so you’re limited to sending a maximum of 2,000 emails per day.
• Works only with Gmail. 
• It is not suitable for transactional emails, like account creation emails or shipping confirmations.

Conclusion

To summarize, here’s how we make our backlink strategy work? Let’s think about it:

• How do we find the right websites to get links from? We focus on domains that are relevant.
• What makes our emails catch attention? We keep them personal and clear, so the person knows exactly why we’re reaching out.
• How do we track our progress? We stay on top of every step and follow up to keep things moving.

With these steps and of course, with the help of the best link building tools, we’ve managed to make our link building organized and more effective.

So, if you need link building services that are truly effective, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

FAQs About Link Building Strategies