1. Using Your Blog to Build Links
Through Interviews
Advanced Link Building: Part 2
Visible.net
By
Cody Barrus

2. We Will Cover
● What your blog needs to
be effective
● How to find quality
websites to build links
● Collecting emails and info
● Using interviews to reach
out, create a relationship
and solicit a link
● Following Through

3. Long-term goals
● Build a strong backlink
profile
● Improve SERP* results
● Raise Page Rank
● Create engaging and quality
content
● Increase referral traffic
● Prepare for Part 3
*Search Engine Results Page

4. Before you begin
● In order to use your blog to build links, your
blog will need to already have quality blog
posts
● 5-10 posts minimum
● The reason: Nobody wants to link to an ugly,
unprofessional, spammy or empty website

5. Tools You Will Need
Download and install -
● Google Chrome:
https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/
● Install these Google Chrome extensions
● SEO Site Tools
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/diahigjngdnkdgajdbpjdeomopbpkjjc
● Status Pagerank/Alexa Toolbar
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bjgpmafbkgcchdjehdpnfgfgbdfahapa

6. Finding a Site
● There are many ways to search for quality
sites to reach out to. One useful method is
a blog search in Google. Simply search for
“blog:search term”
● For example:
● Blog:self defense
● Blog:fashion
● Blog:school issues

7. Blog Search Example

8. Here's the blog
● First lets ask, “Will it make a good link?”
● Read content to make sure the posts are
relevant to your niche and good quality

9. Lets Check Our Tools
● Check the page rank (PR)
● The higher the PR, the better the link
● Only reach out to sites with a PR of 2 or more

10. Make Sure the Site is Reputable
● You can do this by
checking the blogs
backlinks using the
Alexa Toolbar
● Make sure they are
linked to by good
sources

11. A Good Source
● It has a PR higher than 2 (PR 3)
● Doesn't have suspicious back links.
● Now it's time to gather the bloggers
email and store it in a spread sheet.
● Emails are sometimes hard to find.
Look in About and Contact pages.
● If you can't find an email, check
what social networks they use and
copy a link to their profile into the
spread sheet instead.

12. Example spread sheet
Collect between 15-20+ for each link building campaign

13. Send an Interview Proposal
● We are going to ask each blog if we can
interview them via email
● People love to talk about themselves so the
response rate is very
high for interviews
● People who are
interviewed usually link
back to the interview
without even needing
to be reminded

14. A Few Rules
● Only interview via email
● Phone interviews take
a lot more unnecessary
work
● Don't mention that you
are link building
● Do mention that you will
link to their site at the
end of the interview

15. An Example Interview Proposal
● Email is short and direct
● Mentions them by name and mentions their niche
● Gives a link to an example blog post or interview
– Having quality blog posts helps!

16. Their Response

17. The Interview
● Now it's time to write a 5 question interview
● Look at their site and ask thoughtful questions which
they will be interested in answering
● Also make sure the questions will create good content
● Remember, they still may not respond if they think you
are trying to use them or take advantage
● We are constantly building a relationship

18. Example Interview

19. The Follow Through
● After they respond with their answers, simply
copy and paste them into a blog post in a Q&A
format.
● Q: Tell me about yourself. A: Well, my name is
Alice and I am an artist...
● Or be as creative as you would like to be.
● Make sure to add a link to their website at the
bottom of the article

20. After Posting the Interview
● Follow up with another
email
● Mention that the post is up
& include a link
● Let them know, “I would
appreciate it if you could
share this link on your blog
and social networks.”
● Remember to thank them

21. Rules
● Send out Interview Proposal emails in bulk to
manage time
● Do not post interviews back to back on your
site, instead keep them spread out between
regular blog posts
● After the interview process, keep their email. A
relationship has been created, if you have
something you would like the world to know
about, email past interviewee's

22. Win Win
● While what you are doing
is building links and
promoting your online
business, you are also
promoting the people you
are interviewing
● This is good for everyone
involved, as long as the
work you do is well done

23. Good Luck
● Slide show by Cody Barrus –
cody.barrus@visible.net
● Visible.net