I recently took training from Zdeněk Dvořák on link building. In this article, I will share with you the 7 most important conceptual tips that I took away from the training.
I’ll end the article with a “simple” challenge that makes the training richly rewarding not only in experience but also in $$$.
Let’s get to it.
1. Link assets are the foundation of everything
I used to think of link assets exclusively as a place on the web/ within articles.
However, as Zdenek correctly pointed out, link assets can be virtually anything:
- newsletter,
- podcast,
- server on Discord,
- conference talk,
- a booth at a trade show…
The joke is simply that we don’t have to exchange link for link, but we can exchange link for any valuable consideration… This exponentially increases the number of ways to acquire links and the number of things that can be operated with in negotiation tanks.It sounds primitive, but I never thought of it until now.
2. Watch out for link patterns
Unfortunately, link building activity is by definition against Google Search Essentials (formerly guidelines). Therefore, it is important to engage in it with this in mind and to be cautious in what one does.Goole has historically cracked down hard on PBNs (Private Blog Networks) and also tries to ruthlessly penalize anyone who appears to be manipulating links.
On the other hand, avoiding link patterns is hard, though it may not seem so. The main challenge is to not be too greedy and to not feel that if something occurred to us, it didn’t occur to a lot of other people and algorithms… including those that detect the link patterns…
Thanks to AI, Google is getting (and will get) better at pattern recognition, as demonstrated by December’s link spam update. So it’s important not to underestimate this issue and think about it from the beginning of link building activities to the end. In this light, then, in Zdeněk’s words, the bulletproof goal is “to have as many links as possible generated with a minimum of our input”.
3. Focus on internal linking
Within links, we should not only think about external links, but also internal links (from other places on the web).
Zdenek says this, Filip Podstavecc said it in WordCamp, and I come across this advice not infrequently in interviews with foreign pros.
So far, I’ve added my blog sections, I’m continuing to build content hubs, and I’m trying to expand the topic map in line with semantic SEO principles. However, I’m almost convinced that internal linking is one of my site’s biggest weaknesses, and one that I will definitely focus on in 2023 and 2024.
4. Newsjacking
When we know where the new highway will go, it makes sense to buy a garden there…
This principle was also mentioned by Zdenek Nespor in his lecture. Trying to occupy a territory where there is no one (yet) is in principle much easier and more profitable than trying to catch up in a rat race with the competition that already has a head start.
Personally, I apply this tactic primarily to topics that I enjoy and will continue to enjoy in the future. Namely: Bricks Builder, Notion, Chat GPT and so on.
So far, this strategy is bearing fruit and if there is interest, I’d be happy to write up some case studies with specific numbers/events as well.
5. Link your own sites creatively
Although I have a number of sites, I’ve always linked them in a **”lest it be said” way (**for example, in footers, friendly sites sections, etc.) rather than linking them in some creative and meaningful way.
For example:
- Have boxes within articles directly with links to other pages,
- Link sites to each other as we link internally, one site at a time,
- Use social networking projects, newsletters, etc…
This is definitely going to be another one of the things I’ll be focusing on as a result of the training.
6. Have a Contact page everywhere
If you don’t have a Contact page on your site, Google can easily consider your site untrustworthy and assign it a lower ranking.
It’s a simple thing, however, I had no idea about it and if I dig into my conscience (and my own website database) there are definitely many such cases.
Fortunately, the fix is simple. So Zdenek thanks, these low-hanging fruit tips are exactly what I love so much about training in general)
P.S. I would expand this entry by adding an About the Author page. This is because in addition to authority within a topic (topical authority), Google also uses the concept of authority of the author (for those interested, the video here), and if the author has his own page on the site (where you can click through from his individual articles), you can go against Google’s wishes and benefit from its intent.
7. Learning to squeeze the tools properly
Although I’ve been using Collabim for a long time, Zdenek has convinced me that I don’t use it nearly as much as I could. However, thanks to his video tutorials (available after the training), I can definitely remedy that.
Zdenek also recommended for pros a subscription to Ahrefs, which is expensive (about 50k per year), but has features that have the potential to definitely earn that amount several times over.
For now, I like to use Ahrefs tools for free (including the great Ahrefs webmaster tools also for free) and a bunch of other paid tools. 50K seems too much for my purposes for now, but we’ll see, it could change at any time)
Was the training worth it? or overall summary
Yes, it paid off. So much for the summary.
But I always like to come up with an action challenge for every training session to make sure that I somehow translate the information I’ve picked up into practice and **don’t get stuck on *splaining how practical it is (not that that ever happens to me… , but yes, almost always ).
For this training, the challenge is simple: get 100 backlinks for your site.
I know how to do it, and given the cost of the training ($6,000) it will be one link for $60 (and my time), not bad.
You can follow the progress of the challenge in this article.
Links received: 4/100
Thanks for reading this far, and let me know in the comments how you approach link building, or what educational material has caught your eye lately?
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much does training cost?
The training cost less than 5000 CZK excluding VAT (January 2023).
When is the next edition coming out?
It is scheduled for release in September 2023.
What will participants get from the training
Trainees will receive presentation slides and access to the Notion database with tips on link building + an invitation to join a private FB group.
Does the training also take place offline?
It does not. The training is currently (2023) held exclusively in the online space.
