Let’s face facts. Most of my long time readers have been churning out blogs full of useful content, filled with optimized keywords and overflowing with hope that the big G is going to discover the sites and quickly rank them on top of the serp’s.
I get dozens of emails a week asking me for help from folks who have done everything right with their niches and are still not ranking worth a darn on Google. The reason is simple enough – they just don’t have the quality or quantity of backlinks necessary to elevate themselves to Google’s front page.
This is a common dilemma and lies with the fact that it is very hard to get keyword optimized backlinks in specialized niches. In a recent article I mentioned that the reason social media was so popular is because it allows people to interact with one another. The thing is that most sites using social media are MMO or make money blogging niches. I mentioned that it is hard to find a group of people who are aficionados of “Oil Filters”. Lots of folks will read your “10 tips for using stumbleupon” article and even send you some backlinks but nobody reads posts about “10 safe methods of disposing used oil filters” and the chance of getting a backlink is nil.
The thing is, the “real” money is in the niches and not in the blogging about blogging field. The end result is that there are two camps when it comes to internet marketing. The largest camp which has developed over the past year and a half is made up of MMO and Blogging sites. The smaller camp has been around a lot longer and predates the invent of web 2.0 or social media networking. This camp consists of the niche marketers who have found a way to rank well on Google for “Oil Filters”and other less than sexy niches.
The second camp has had things easy for some time now. Thanks to the social media boom very few would be marketers have any understanding of SEO and the result has been almost no competition in the search engines for a lot of highly searched terms. I know first hand that ranking for a keyword these days is actually easier than it was two years ago. Thanks to a couple of major Google slaps the serp’s have been cleaned of a lot of the spam sites that were so prevalent not so long ago – sites that while garbage did occupy prime serp real estate. These sites were the competition. With them mostly eliminated and a lack of new SEO marketers the serp’s have been wide open for those skilled enough to ascend them.
So what’s the trick?
The trick involves optimized backlinks. Yes this isn’t something I haven’t said a hundred times before. I have. But… saying you need backlinks is a lot easier than getting them. So how can you get backlinks to niche sites?
In fact I have had numerous emails from readers who mentioned that my “Friendz of Griz” concept is fine but what about people who don’t have a MMO blog? How can they get links from friends for their “Oil Filter” blog?
So I have given this some thought. The biggest hurdle to getting links to small niche sites is that you really don’t want to advertise your niche. You need links but you don’t want people to know that there is money to be made selling Air Force One shoes online. Unfortunately if you want links then you will have to disclose your niche sites to some people. To this end I am going to add another page to this blog which will hopefully help in this quest.
I will provide a list of general niche topics like Art, Auto, Business, etc. If you have a niche then select the General niche that is closest to yours (or give me a General niche I may have missed) and send me an email indicating that you are looking for links in the Auto niche for example and that you will leave an email address for others to contact you that may have a suitable site to trade links with you. This way you won’t have to give up your particular keywords to the wider audience.
Think of this as a bulletin board – post your email and indicate what kind of links you are looking for. You can use anonymous emails to keep your identity quiet if you wish. Those of you with similar niches can simply email each other and work out the details away from prying eyes.
Keep this in mind. Many of the niches you are working are not that competitive and you will be surprised at how few quality links you will need to make some headway. Remember that this is for real links contained in a related post or a site wide sidebar. You do not want a crappy link stuck on a PR N/A page full of links. If you want to help each other out then send quality links.
Don’t worry if your niches are not exact matches. I may have an oil filter blog and you have a auto body blog. Close enough. I have an oil filter blog and you have a cosmetics blog. Not close enough. Don’t just get links for the sake of getting links – just concentrate on getting the right ones. Getting too many wrong links could end up penalizing both you and the site linking to you so use common sense.
Don’t get hung up on who has more PR. Doesn’t matter. I have said this repeatedly – a keyword optimized link is worth a lot even on a PR0 blog. Most of your competition can’t get links with their keyword in the link. Your rank in the serp’s is based on keyword authority more than any other factor. The blog with the most links using their keyword wins. Period.
A word of caution – do not exchange links with a bad neighborhood site. You will suffer if you do so make sure the other site is legit. No p*rn, drugs, s*x etc.
I will be including a number of my niche sites on the list as well. Don’t be dick’s – help each other – don’t compete unless you already are and then maybe look at dominating the niche together.
If you need an example of how quickly keyword optimized links work just look at the competitive niche “make money blogging”. Both Bloggernoob and Blogging Zombie (friends of our little group) vaulted to page one for the term shortly after they received a handful of optimized links from Vic, Frank, Elliot and I as well as a few others. Granted these were some high authority links but they were competing in a very competitive niche – home to Problogger, Dosh Dosh, Steve Pavlina and a few other heavy weights. Justin’s Blogging Zombie doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of links that Problogger has and yet he sits right along side Darren Rowse on page 1 of the serp’s. Not bad for a site not yet a year old. The difference is all in the quality of his backlinks and the fact that the links use the keyword “make money blogging“.
This is all about trust. Give it a try. If anyone runs into a “dick” just let me know and I will tarnish them publicly on this blog or at least warn you to stay away.
Just email me with your General Niches and an email address others can contact you with and I will add you to the Niche Support page.
Cheers,
Griz
Update Oct 2008 I have now added a page entitled “Link Resources” which lists a fair number of sites you can use for getting backlinks.
Brilliant…I’ve wanted to do this, but since I lack your readership its been hard to get going.
E-mailing site owners out of the blue hasn’t worked well, so this should be great. I’ve sent you an e-mail.
Grizz,
You post could not have come at a better time. I need your opinion or your knowledge with gotlinks dot com? I am working a local niche and it seems several links are coming from this site and they are set up for several different sites. My target is a local city bankruptcy site.
localniche@gmail.com
Dennis,
The links you exchange on link directories like Gotlinks dot com are next to useless and may actually hurt you. The problem is that these links are all on link pages full of irrelevant links and no content. I’m suggesting that everybody trade links but do it by using anchored keywords in your posts and with sidebar anchored links. These are the most useful and they are the most legit type of links you can get.
Thanks Grizz,
I just seemed to be running into several sites that were using this site and they all seemed to be on the pg1 & 2 of G. I just now started to “really” analyze sites that are my competition by looking at their links and keyword density. I must again say thanks, because of your “Free SEO lessons” I am starting be able to make a plan to implement.
As usual,
Thanks
-D
Seo is all about networking. I don’t know how i got to know u grizz, but im really glad im part of your group. hit me up for any requests. This goes out to everyone in this network
thanks for the link buddy.
This is a brilliant idea, Grizz, I want in. I also emailed you about a similar concern, but you haven’t answered yet.
Another awesome post and super idea! Once again you prove how willing you really are to help others!
Griz, if you could setup a forum, this will be a great way to actually exchange info and network with people.
Thanks for the good idea mate.
Gabriel
Thanks Griz. Anyone who has tried to get links by “cold calling” knows how frustrating it is. Here is an opportunity to share links with like minded site owners. You would be crazy or just too lazy to not take advantage of it. I’ve already traded a few and will do more. Ben
Yeah, a forum would be amazing for doing this kind of networking. There isn’t, AFAIK, a really good forum solely dedicated to this type of niche SEO work.
Nice idea Griz. Do I see some requests for a forum?
There is a popular board I know of that has a dedicated link exchange forum that most of its many members have completely ignored! Mmm… time to change that perhaps
Thanks Terry, I have used your link exchange board and It’s a good thing. I’m finding peoples eagerness to get involved with your board and this post less than I expected, but it’s still better then e-mailing people out of the blue. I’ve gotten a few positive responses between here and your board, but overall it seem to be the same old thing. No interest. A thanks but no thanks e-mail would be nice so I can move on. Ben
Ben, that’s the way of things in this game. You can tell everyone some great money making tips but you can guarantee 90% of them will go away and do nothing.
That’s why Griz and Vic know they are pretty safe giving away most of their secrets – they know that most people will never act upon them, so competition will never increase much.
Its ok by me – more chances for me and the few of us that are keen to work hard to climb the ladder of success!
To Everyone,
Terry is so right – most people don’t act, they like to think and ponder…
As for the forum idea – go to thehonestway dot com (sorry I’m too lazy to hypertext it) and sign up and use Terry’s already built site if you would like to chat about exchanging links. No need to build another forum – let’s utilize what we already have.
To those of you who want to exchange links with me – no problem but it will take a day or two to get back to each of you – just a bit bogged down at the moment.
Keep sending in the niches.
Great idea Grizz, count me in. I’ll be emailing you my list of niches in about 45 seconds. Thanks!
Terry’s forum isn’t allowing me to register. I’ve sent him an e-mail, but is there something I’m missing?
David, I replied to your email.
I keep the forum closed to new registrations to keep out the damn spammers who cost it its page rank several months ago with their bloody crap urls that Google picked up on. Won’t allow that to happen again as I’m trying to get the PR back.
So if anyone else needs to register, shoot me an email letting me know you’ve come from here (or I may ignore it!).
Really helpul idea in your post Grizz. I’m reader of your makemoneyforbeginner blog and here too. I’m starting making blog using wordpress dateless sniper themes from Court’s blog. I reads Court’s blog too. I’m already have two paid blog, and this is one of them. Other is https://stopsmokingshotguide.com. I want to joint this help each other group. Anyone in the close niche to me, which want to help each other or need link feel free to email me at yusepazka@gmail.com
Btw Grizz, maybe you can give advise for this two sites for me.
Thank’s grizz for your sharing.
Hi Griz.
Great idea creating a great opportunity.
Hello, been reading your blogs for sometime now and i highly reccomend you to all my blog readers. You truly are the guru in your field. I Have added a link to your blog on my blogging page https://earnmoneyfree.co.uk/blogging
Whoops sorry, added your link here https://earnmoneyfree.co.uk/blogging.html its a new site so still finding my way arround
Griz,
Great idea. I’ll get an email off to Terry soon. Been working on my Golf Talking blog, https://golf-talking.blogspot.com, and got it up to number 147 out of 18 million on a G search. The goal is in site…gotta get more links. Thanks for your generosity.
I’ve been reading your How to Make Money on Line for Beginners Blog for a couple of weeks now and it is a great resource for especially The Make Money Blogging Lessons. Thanks, Now reading this blog and it’s great to. To get to the point I set up my Blogs the best I could as you outline really well in Make money Blogging Lesson 1 and I put AdSence on it. Now I have a question Do you think Google minds If I put links to other Blogs ex. https://makemoneyforbeginners.blogspot.com/ on my Blog and are Post pages considered separate pages from the G Ad boxes Thanks again reply or no reply. Larry W
Larry
You can add links without worrying about Google as long as you don’t overdue it. G suggests no more than 100 links so you have some wiggle room. Lol.
Every page is considered a separate page as far as ads go – no more than 3 ad blocks per page.
Good luck Larry
Hi Grizzly – I found you on Monika’s blog and I liked what you had to say.
This is a brilliant idea you have put together and a generous offer.
But I noticed you mentioned porn links and that is worrying me. I get how to use SEO on my page but I’m hopeless when it comes to links. And I’ve noticed I’m getting linked to from porn sites. How and why is that happening – will it harm my blog and is there anything I can do about it? Thanks. PS – I love your pic – are you from Canada?
Hi Cath,
Porn sites rutinely spam legit sites using trackbacks. If you get this then just delete the trackback – they are hoping for a link from your site. Google will only penalize you if you link to a bad site (like porn, pharmacy etc). You will not be penalized by them linking to you. You can’t control who links to you and Google realizes that.
I am indeed in Canada – way out in the middle of nowhere to be precise. You can read my little bio on my ugly blog if interested. https://makemoneyforbeginners.blogspot.com/2008/03/you-will-learn-nothing-useful-with-this.html
Thanks for stopping in Cath.
Thanks Grizzly. Wow you really do live in the sticks don’t you? And you even have a wolf for a pet. It looks like a really nice place though.
I’m not just dropping by tho – have subscribed. Now you can’t get rid of me.
The ugly site that I changed is mywdwtrip.com. I’m going to try the big adsense block on there like you have on the site you just showed me.
thanks grizzly for helping me make this successful website https://easymoneygrowsonline.blogspot.com/
I always thought the link exchange might hurt the traffic,but this post and the results are enough to belive i was wrong.i am new blogger and i blog mostly about finance and economy at
https://www.gettingmoneywise.blogspot.com
it will be great for me to get some nice traffic though link exchange
Thanks in advance
Also…I was wondering if, instead of doing direct reciprocal links if we did a “triangle”. Example: Site owners “A”, “B”, and “C” all share similar niches. Site owner “A” links back to site owner “B”, who links back to site owner “C”, who links back to site owner “A”.
Would that work?
That would work.
Excellent, I sent you and email about this with my website.
I might have missed something, I overlook, forget, and totally flub a ton of stuff up. I don’t do link exchange, now site I Have has a link page. I only have a few articles and only post them to one site. I don’t do a lot of the stuf Ive seen others do. Here’s a “formula” of sorts that I use.
When I write a post I:
Use H1,H2 (twice)
Every post has one or two “target” words.
I use these words at least three times. (phrases)
I bold at least once usually twice.
I link with target phrase to the post twice. (from other blog I own)
I submit to at least two social networks. (digg,mixx,etc.)
I don’t write a post unless I’m willing to do it all the way.
I write articles and only link to home page.
I deep link by blog comments that allow.
In three minutes at this site I determined:
The owner is grizzley.
Grizz has a community
Grizz has rules
One of which is not to put keywords in the “name”
Because that is spamm?
If I used a keyword in the name, I would benifit, maybe dirastically, not sure.
Would a keyword, hurt this blog or make this comment any less valuable or invaluable?
The bottom line is you don’t shoot a deer on someone elses property. When your at a non-smokers house you don’t smoke.
My tip for back links. I was on page one google for 3 months for “best business to start” Got about 2,000 visitors a month from that word. How did that happen?
I put that widget with social networks on my blog and a couple people “dugg it” or what ever.
If you want back links and don’t want to get 3 or 4 links to each post, use the widget and let your readers do it for you.
Grizz, is your following working together when you submit a post to digg. Do they digg it too? Do you digg them?
This would be huge.
Rememeber you don’t have to out run the bear, you just have to outrun the other guy….
[...] in 28 sales, times $7 affiliate commission, meaning almost $200 for less than one hour of work. Finding links for your niche blogs can be a challenge, but you have to be creative and keep in mind how important this is in internet [...]
You can write articles about anything, write as many as you can using your keyword as anchor.
Personally I only use ezine articles as your link is placed on a page with a very high PR. 10 PR3 links is better than 1000 PRn/a
…and if your blog has little or no competition you will be on the first page within a month. Watch out for the sandbox though
Regarding the articles…I’ve done that with ezinearticles too…the only problem I’ve run into and maybe I am just confused as to how this works, is that I am ranking well in quotes, almost always on the first page, but not ranking well without quotes in many cases.
How do I fix that????? I think that it’s a problem because according to crazyegg.com it hasn’t translated to increased traffic (I use the traffic search volume according to google’s keyword tool to go after keywords with at least 1000/month search volume for the low-competition keywords)…
…and isn’t that the point? Finding low competition keywords with decent search volume and traffic?
I’m looking to build links locally in Phoenix Arizona and in the Spanish / languages niche. Any ideas? info(at)letutor.com
[...] in 28 sales, times $7 affiliate commission, meaning almost $200 for less than one hour of work. Finding links for your niche blogs can be a challenge, but you have to be creative and keep in mind how important this is in internet [...]
Greetings,
What is the best web hosting company?
I’m trying to build a web site for my new business.
appreciate your feedback,
-Henry
I liked reading your blog…keep up the good work.
[...] The best resource that I can give you for this is a post by Make Money Online Grizzly titled” Finding Links for Those Niche Blogs.” I would suggest you to held over there for more clarity and then also check out their [...]
I experienced the impasse in the search for backlinks to my website. But after reading your post, I am more excited to find some links for my website. Thank you for sharing this great post.
Hi Griz.
Great idea creating a great opportunity.
I liked reading your blog…keep up the good work.
Thanks !!