So I’m not so sure that this is what you would really call a secret. This is about who you are, how you do it, and what can make you a great link builder.
Can people who don’t have it be good link builders? Sure they can! But maybe they aren’t going to make the best link builders.
Should you give up if you haven’t got what I talk about? Hell no—most things in life are attainable with the right attitude. There are always going to be people who are more naturally adept at something, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be learned.
The link building “secret” that I decided to talk about is being inquisitive. Not a tool, not a way of using Followerwonk or search operators that you haven’t seen on a blog before. What makes you figure out new stuff? What puts you ahead of the competition? What helps you get the links that the others in your niche are not?
An inquisitive nature.
That’s it. That’s my big secret…or rather my secret as to what makes a link builder successful.
What’s that I hear from the back? That creativity is more important?
Creativity comes from having an inquisitive nature, is my response.
What? Tools are more important? I’m calling BS. Anyone can work a tool. A competent SEO knows the ins and outs of a tool. The best link builders can take a tool and get something from it that others can’t. Is Picasso considered a great because he knows how to hold and use a paint brush? Most people could paint their kitchen.
Picasso could take the same tools as any other artist and turn it into something special. Something different. The naysayers are shouting now. I can hear you: “Picasso was never appreciated in his lifetime,” you shout. To which I reply, “The best link builders aren’t shouting about what they do.” Think about that for a second. Take a step back. The ones that are doing the best work aren’t going to share it with everyone, not just yet—other SEOs will ruin it.
But we are heading off piste.
An inquisitive nature means that you:
- Have a thirst for knowledge and will never be satisfied that you know enough
- Take industry standard tools and press all the buttons to see what happens
- Look for ways and means to get things doing quickly but to a great standard
- Want to try out new things and that you are prepared to take a risk to find out what will happen
- Will test and test again, just to see what happens if you do it slightly different
Maybe it is less a secret but more of a mind-set. Think about the best link builders that you have worked with, and you will probably find that they have this character trait—it’s what separates the good from the great.
An inquisitive nature can separate the good link builders from the great. [tweet this]
This tip, and 19 more, can be downloaded in one PDF.