This SEO Strategy Is Infinitely Better Than Link Building

Today, we're going to talk about what's actually stronger than link building. If I think about over the years, what I've been able to do so far with businesses, we have a software business, we have an ad agency, we have an events business, we have podcasts. We've managed to build audiences as well. Through those audiences, we've been able to also invest in other marketing technologies or just tech companies in general. In my early days on the SEO side, what I learned is that, you know, the 2 most important things even today are content and links. And so, you know, naturally it's like, okay, it makes sense to produce great content, but how do you go about getting the links? And so you'd read about a lot of these different things talking about you have to create linkable assets, you have to do guest blog posting, you have to go get a directory link, you have to get this EDU link over here, right? These are all the standard SEO learnings as you start to pick up the skill. When you start to optimize for links, it's like, okay, where can I go beg for links? Where can I go request links? Where can I ask for broken links? All that type of stuff. And you realize at the end of the day, some of the largest websites in the world, they didn't have to beg for links necessarily. They just created really, really, really good content First, and then from there they built off that foundation and they started to reach out to other people, not just for links, but to go beyond that. When I think about any type of, you know, social media app, or when I think about email, at the end of the day, you're looking for these touchpoints. These are kind of seeds or the foundational pieces of building an actual relationship. And when I think about all the relationships I've developed over the years, um, it— all relationships take a ton of time. So for example, doing the Marketing School podcast, now we've broken 50 million downloads. And, um, with the 2 podcasts combined, And, you know, it took years and years to build up that audience and to build up that trust. When I think about Clubhouse as well, the time I spent in the drop-in social app, I spent a lot of time in the app spending, you know, 35 to 40 hours a week in it. But it took time to, you know, build up that relationship with, you know, people in there, build up those relationships. And then those were all little touchpoints within Clubhouse. And then we took it to Instagram and then, you know, took some of those conversations to Zoom. For example, one of the DJs I used to listen to all the time, he works with like Tiesto, he works with Armin van Buuren. In. These are kind of EDM DJs. We did a Zoom call. It's because we had a touchpoint on Clubhouse and then we DM'd each other on Instagram and then it went to email and then we set up a call on Zoom and then we had a great conversation for about an hour or so. And then, you know, now we still kind of just keep in touch, but, um, it takes time to foster these relationships. I was just in Miami recently and I went to the TED conference a couple of years ago and, um, you know, I met, um, you know, one of my friends Bobby. Um, he was at this TED dinner. And then we talked, and then you know from there we added each other on Twitter. And then you know when I went back to Miami a couple weeks ago, you know I threw a dinner and I invited him to it. And then also at the same time, you know, you know we we talked there, but then so relationship developed a little more. And then you know about a week and a half later, you know I met up at at his place in Miami, and then we also did another dinner. And so that's how relationships they that's how they they blossom. First it starts from a seed, and then it slowly builds up, slowly builds up, and it just takes a long time. And so when you think about what's going to be a lot more like like a high leverage type of thing is one of my friends might have a really powerful website, but here's the thing. If he has a really powerful website, he probably knows a lot of other people that have powerful websites too. But you don't want to think— what I'm trying to get at here is you want to build the relationships, which takes— the relationship takes a lot of time. Relationships take time to foster. But don't just go for, you know, links at the end of the day. Seek to add as much value as you can so you're making deposits in the relationship bank every single day. So you're getting better, getting better, getting better, giving, giving, giving, giving, and then occasionally you'll ask for something, right? You know, the link is going to be at the very bottom of the list because when you're working with, with amazing people, they know other amazing people. It's like, hey, do you know who else I can collaborate with, right? So, um, you're no longer just asking for one link, you're now collaborating. You're maybe you're getting a group of people together and it might become 10 links, 20 links, 30 links, whatever, right? But more than that, you'll be able to develop partnerships with other people. Um, I just— what I like to do personally is Being in all these types of networks, being in, you know, YPO, which is an entrepreneurs peer group or entrepreneurs organization, Neil and I, you know, doing our Growth Accelerator peer group, being part of TED, you know, Singularity University. These are all different groups and I get different perspectives. I learn a lot and you also get to meet like-minded people. And you keep in touch with some of these people too. I remember for Singularity University, I met one of the SVPs of global marketing. Um, for Unilever. And then everyone else was amazing in their own right. In YPO, people have a certain criteria. They need to be running businesses that are doing over $13 million a year or at least $20 million in valuation. Um, and so you meet people that are like-minded and they know other like-minded people too. And they just, you know, y'all just connect each other. You know, when I think about some of my closest friends, they have very strong websites. Sure. Like we'll link to each other. That's like the smallest of the asks. You want to get to a point where you have so many great, amazing relationships that the link is the smallest thing that you'll get from it. Because, you know, you're gonna get other introductions, you're gonna be able to help them out, you're gonna get business opportunities, you're gonna get partnership opportunities, the list just goes on and on. A relationship goes way further than just going for a link. But when you focus small, when you think small, and you're just thinking about the link alone, it's not enough. And it doesn't matter right now, you might say, Eric, you have businesses and all that, like you have a lot more leverage, but I started as an SEO first. But I started to cultivate those relationships initially, and, you know, even when I was a marketing manager, I would throw groups myself. I would, you know, get a group of marketers together for dinner. I would pay for the dinner even though it was like a cheaper dinner. And, um, you know, that's what we would do. At the end of the day, I think it's long-term thinking because you are thinking about links. You're, you're in SEO, you have SEO as a career. Well, naturally you should be thinking long-term. Just thinking about the link is actually thinking too short-term, right? So think as long as you can think relationships. And, um, you know, when you start to build up a network of people, then you can start to, you know, get to other people quickly and they'll know who you are and it's much easier for you to get this link, right? But, um, yeah, I mean, look, you can always think about, you know, creating linkable assets. You know, I talk about, you know, product-led growth. You can make a product, those get links as well. You can make a calculator, those get links. All those things get links. Um, you could have an amazing piece of content. Those will definitely get links. You can buy a website too. Um, but I'm telling you, when you have relationships, you know, they might point you to someone and say, hey, by the way, you should buy this website. I know this guy's website, you can buy it, right? Or I know this, this amazing designer that can help you with this, this linkable asset. So, That's what it is. Go for relationships over the links. Every single day, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go for that instead. And the payoff, the dividends you're gonna get long-term, there's no comparison there. Don't forget to check out the next video over there. Okay, over there. And before we go, open a new tab, levelingup.com, to learn more about the book. We may or may not have other goodies tied to this book. All right, levelingup.com in a new tab. You check out the next video first in a new tab, and we'll see you later.