In the SEO world, knowing how to build links is one of the major aspects of a successful SEO company. Even with all the talk about quality over quantity, I still see our clients’ competition pursuing spammy links and directories nobody would ever think of using. Is it helpful for the searcher? Absolutely not, and I have a hunch that eventually — although nobody knows when — Google is really going to crack down on it, or change their algorithms so low-quality link directories no longer factor into the mix. The solution? Focus on the what’s best for all parties — use editorial content as linkbait.

It’s a basic rule: the more you give, the more you get. Here are a three major reasons why you should be using editorial content as linkbait.

1. The days of easy links are over

Once upon a time, all you had to do was ask for a link back to your site and you’d get it. These days, with higher demand the price goes up. You have to provide some sort of incentive, and with Google saying “tsk, tsk” to paid links, it’s safer from an SEO perspective to use editorial linkbait. Plus, the better the article, the more leverage you get, i.e. better link position, anchor text options, etc.

2. Building relationships is more important

From the blogger perspective, it’s cool for someone to approach you for a guest post, especially if the content is genuine and insightful. As a linkbuilder, you HAVE to add value. It’s really not an optional thing anymore. The relationship is key here, and with editorial content, you’re building a solid foundation for future relationships. If linkbuilding is a popularity contest, you’d better start making friends with people online.

3. Authority rules

We tell our clients that they are the authority on their business and industry. They live, eat and breathe it just like we live, eat and breathe search engine optimization. And guess what? People like linking to authoritative, resourceful articles. Solid content positions you as an authority, especially if it’s well-written. It’s also the content that’s going to make your links shareable . Even if you did manage to get a link to a crappy article, nobody is going to care. But a highly researched, polished article will get more mileage.

4. Editorial linkbait withstands the test of time

I believe Google has integrity, despite however many billions of dollars it’s making this second. Google built its empire by creating awesome tools for users and putting them first (most of the time). They’ll continue to do this, which means anything not relevant for the search will eventually fall by the wayside. If linkbuilders put all their eggs into the backlink basket, it’s going to be a sad day when Google tosses it out the window. Editorial content, however, always stays. Being helpful always stays. Maybe it’s naive, but somebody’s got to do it.

Have some more ideas? Send them my way.