Joozed
New Member
Hey all! I've dabbled with YouTube, but I'm mostly a marketer. My agency HAS worked with a lot of YouTubers that want to rank higher though, and this community has actually been a go-to resource for me to learn through how you guys go about building your channels. So:
1. Thank you for all the help you guys have given me.
2. I wanted to share something that might help you in return (no courses or anything, just a little tutorial in this thread).
It seems like the standard SEO work is something most YTers are pretty aware of, but I don't see a whole lot of talk about backlinks. Even if the whole domain authority thing doesn't work exactly the same way as a regular website, building good links can still be a huge win, and it's not particularly difficult to do it white-hat.
In my opinion, Q&A links are probably the easiest way to accomplish this if you're just starting with link building.
The general idea is to position yourself as an authority to drive referrals, but also build some decent backlinks to improve your SEO. Here's more or less my process for that:
Step 1: I Set Up The Accounts
The first thing I do is set up an account for each of the websites I’m trying to rank on 10 different major Q&A sites (like Quora, Fluther, etc.). I then personalize the page as much as possible by creating a custom description, adding my social media accounts, and uploading my logo.
Step 2: I Choose Some Targeted, Relevant Questions
The next thing I do is choose 10 different questions related to my business niche. In the case of video content creators, this isn't all that much different. For example, if you were building links for an insurance website, you might choose questions like “what is the best type of life insurance”. For a channel about video game reviews, maybe you want to look into questions and topics like "what kind of hardware is in the new PS5" or "why is Cyberpunk delayed", stuff like that. I’ve found it helps to get inside the head of my target market and try to think about what questions they might ask.
Step 3: I Write a Detailed, Relevant Answer
Finally, I do a little research on each question so that I can write an accurate answer. The answer should be of as much value to the reader as possible. The aim is to get upvotes so your answer commands more authority. I also include any target keywords that I want to rank for in each answer (as naturally as possible) and a natural, contextual backlink. I tend to vary between branded, naked, and generic anchor text for each answer. Once I’ve written the 10 questions and answers, I post them to 10 different Q&A sites from the accounts I built in step 1.
The Results
The best thing about this strategy for me is that it lets me leverage the ranking power of authoritative Q&A sites. Q&A sites tend to rank on the first page of the SERPs for tons of search queries. By having a link in some of those pages, I can generate lots of referral traffic. I also get the added bonus of having 10 powerful, highly-relevant backlinks from high DA websites.
The biggest problem with this strategy for me is the amount of time I need to invest in researching and answering different questions. Those that don't have the time or the content writing ability are usually the types of clients that my company works with, but if you've never done any link building, this is an easy DIY strategy you can start with to bolster some quick wins.
Has anyone used any other link building strategies that they’d recommend? Let me know! Let's get a discussion started.
Cheers,
Joost
1. Thank you for all the help you guys have given me.
2. I wanted to share something that might help you in return (no courses or anything, just a little tutorial in this thread).
It seems like the standard SEO work is something most YTers are pretty aware of, but I don't see a whole lot of talk about backlinks. Even if the whole domain authority thing doesn't work exactly the same way as a regular website, building good links can still be a huge win, and it's not particularly difficult to do it white-hat.
In my opinion, Q&A links are probably the easiest way to accomplish this if you're just starting with link building.
The general idea is to position yourself as an authority to drive referrals, but also build some decent backlinks to improve your SEO. Here's more or less my process for that:
Step 1: I Set Up The Accounts
The first thing I do is set up an account for each of the websites I’m trying to rank on 10 different major Q&A sites (like Quora, Fluther, etc.). I then personalize the page as much as possible by creating a custom description, adding my social media accounts, and uploading my logo.
Step 2: I Choose Some Targeted, Relevant Questions
The next thing I do is choose 10 different questions related to my business niche. In the case of video content creators, this isn't all that much different. For example, if you were building links for an insurance website, you might choose questions like “what is the best type of life insurance”. For a channel about video game reviews, maybe you want to look into questions and topics like "what kind of hardware is in the new PS5" or "why is Cyberpunk delayed", stuff like that. I’ve found it helps to get inside the head of my target market and try to think about what questions they might ask.
Step 3: I Write a Detailed, Relevant Answer
Finally, I do a little research on each question so that I can write an accurate answer. The answer should be of as much value to the reader as possible. The aim is to get upvotes so your answer commands more authority. I also include any target keywords that I want to rank for in each answer (as naturally as possible) and a natural, contextual backlink. I tend to vary between branded, naked, and generic anchor text for each answer. Once I’ve written the 10 questions and answers, I post them to 10 different Q&A sites from the accounts I built in step 1.
The Results
The best thing about this strategy for me is that it lets me leverage the ranking power of authoritative Q&A sites. Q&A sites tend to rank on the first page of the SERPs for tons of search queries. By having a link in some of those pages, I can generate lots of referral traffic. I also get the added bonus of having 10 powerful, highly-relevant backlinks from high DA websites.
The biggest problem with this strategy for me is the amount of time I need to invest in researching and answering different questions. Those that don't have the time or the content writing ability are usually the types of clients that my company works with, but if you've never done any link building, this is an easy DIY strategy you can start with to bolster some quick wins.
Has anyone used any other link building strategies that they’d recommend? Let me know! Let's get a discussion started.
Cheers,
Joost