So, now you got a website for your business and you’ve started to implement Orange County SEO strategies into your site to increase your reach, get more customers, and, yes, increase your revenue. But I know, you want to further improve your reach. You want as many eyes as possible on your site. That’s what most businesses want for their sites, isn’t it?
One way you could further expand your reach is by link building. In fact, today, it’s more important than ever to build high-quality links if you want to compete online. The thing is, it isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Link building is one of the more difficult aspects of SEO. Why? Well, because it goes beyond your site and requires you to get 3rd party sites to agree to link to your sites. Not only does this improve your reach, but it also establishes you as an authority in the market. Despite this, for many businesses, link building is their main struggle in trying to improve their SEO.
So, where do you start? What are some things you should consider? In this post, I’ll be dealing with using Orange County publications and sites as a springboard to start using link building in your business’s SEO strategy.
Link Building in Orange County
Like I said, link building isn’t easy. Being difficult as it is, it’s usually best to cast your net as wide as possible to get more prospective sites that can link to your site. There’s nothing tying you to Orange County, so you don’t have to stick to local sites only. So, it’s easy to send an email or message to anyone across the globe to link their site to yours.
When you, however, want to pursue link building avenues in Orange Country, it goes a bit further than reach and I recommend it as an avenue when you want to create local brand awareness.
One way to do this is by using guest appearances or guest writing on other websites and link these back to your site. It’s almost as if it’s a natural form of link building. Since you’re an Orange County business, this is a perfect fit and a perfect way to create awareness around your brand. Despite this, many owners are so focused on just running the business that speaking or being interviewed is not something they’ve thought of.
The Big Players
If you're thinking of local publications to build your brand by link building, the first publications that come to mind are publications like OC Register, OC Weekly and OC Business Journal. These are some of the big players in the county, they’re well known, and they can be considered the upper tier of Orange County publications
If you therefore have the opportunity to work with some of the journalists from these publications, then you should definitely consider it. The exposure and link value you can obtain from these sites would be of immense value.
Keep in mind, though, that these publications are not the be all and end all of a link building strategy. Personally, I have seen many businesses use all their resources and efforts in trying to get into these magazines, and more often than not, it doesn’t pay off.
Trade & Interest Groups
What if you don’t get into one of these publications? Well, there are many other options to consider that can give you as good a reach as some these publications.
One of the most underutilized areas of link building I’ve seen is trade specific publications. Orange County is a thriving market with many businesses and groups coming together to support their respective industries and there are many of these types of publications. It can be as general as a chamber of commerce, but also a niche like a meetup group that are enthusiasts of a certain breed of dog.
Irrespective of the group, the important thing here is that these trade and interest groups are a great way to find some worthy link building opportunities. Also, these groups usually each have their own website and own marketing that you’ll be able to benefit from.
Apart from possible link building opportunities, these groups also offer another opportunity in that it opens the door to more businesses and establishes your credibility in the field. Remember, all the members of a trade organization are typically connected to several other companies, organizations, and websites that, in turn, want to connect to other businesses as well.
So how do you go about creating awareness around your brand and credibility by using these groups? Well, become involved and get some speaking engagements and features on these groups. It’s a perfect way to build your brand, establish yourself, and open yourself to bigger and better opportunities.
Being involved locally in Orange County and being an active participant is one of the most important aspects of these groups. In this way you’ll get the most value and the most benefits. In other words, when working with these groups, don’t go in with the main goal of link building. You must go in with the understanding how it will help your business as a whole.
Blogs
Blogging, generally, is an easy way to get started with link building. With it you’re able to add value to another site and have it link back to yours. Once a reader reads something you wrote on their favorite blog, it immediately increases the chances of them going to your site. By reading on their favorite site, you’re also able to immediately establish yourself as an authority in the field.
With this is mind, all the blogs that are based out of Orange Country is a thriving area of link building examples. For example, Orange County is famous, and has been for more than a decade, for having a rich culture of parenting and food blogs. But don’t forget, Orange County has many types of blogs that go beyond parenting or food. You’ll find anything from blogs focused on community news, to the start-up scene, and politics. If you search a bit, I’m sure you’ll find a blog related to your business.
Sure, the popularity of these types of blogs have dwindled a bit in recent times, but they’re still a great resource for link building. At the end of the day, everyone likes working with local businesses and many of these blogs want to support them. That’s why I like to work with local blogs when trying to build a site’s portfolio.
Podcasts, Radio Shows & Channels
Typically, when we talk about link building and publications, most people automatically think of text on a page like blog posts and articles.
However, the rise of podcasts and YouTube channels are another fantastic opportunity. These platforms have shown immense growth and are now on a par with blogs for people who are looking for information.
Because of this, many companies or educational institutions will start podcasts or YouTube channels where they not only spread information, but also promote their and other businesses. These can be excellent link building opportunities, especially when they’re accompanied by strong and feature rich websites. Apart from podcasts and YouTube channels, there’s also radio shows that present opportunities from time to time.
Just like blogs, if you do some digging, you will find many Orange County based podcasts, radio shows and channels that you can approach to start link building.
Always Remember, Link building Requires Creativity & Value
Remember, link building requires creativity, persistence, and a commitment to providing value. It’s about give and take. These sites will link to your site if you bring something to the table. It’s thus imperative that you provide value to their consumers.
So, do you have a unique story that others can really learn and get value from? Do you have information or technical knowledge that other players could benefit from?
Then it’s time that you start on your link building journey.
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