One of the vivid things from the Link building Fundamentals sessions was the crowd that stuck behind after the sessions. They would ask questions and converse about this and that in relation to the agenda. It was just as it happens after a talk and the speaker is disturbing his or her cards to the participants, and they ask so many quick questions in the process. In our sessions, they did the same and what worked to their advantage was the fact that our session was right before the lunch break and this allowed them to hang around as long as they wished. They asked a variety of questions from different levels of this topic. Some of them wanted to get information that suited the as experts, while others wanted the basic level that fits novices. However, one thing resonated in all questions and that is confusion. Most of them did not know how to achieve the best from link building or choose the best offer and they seemed to have a notion that there was a divine method and once they discover it, they would be ‘healed’.
Ideally, this shows that most people do not understand what link building is or where they can get assistance. They wonder what their budgetary allocation should include and how to find the best services in the region. It was clear that they were dissatisfied with the status quo and the services they had invested in. That is why they were inquiring in a bid to find out what they had done wrong or should do to avert the disaster they saw ahead.
This is the same kind of hopelessness I sense during the link building sessions. Some of the clients who make consultative calls also have a certain level of disappointment and they are eager to find light at the end of the dark tunnel. Their desire is to find an illusionary answer that will assure them they are doing the right thing. On the other hand, I try to explain that there is no better way to build links and that what they have done is the best. They need to do what they can and also weight the risks and the benefits involved. In addition, the individuals who offer link building services, consultancy, tools or training under this field need to advice the clients wisely and honestly, in relation to their sites and the possibility of drawing links.
I like giving the attendants an example of two sites; that is, the beekeeping federation and the WALL STREET: Money Never Sleeps, which relates to a movie. The sites are different and they target a different audience. Therefore, the link building techniques and strategies for these sites is not the same and it is a matter of tailor making them to match the audience. That is what all experts in this field should do by listening to the clients and advising them on the best way to do things.
