SEOs are always trying to develop new link-building techniques, so when a new resource hits the stands, you’ll often find the SEO fraternity clambering to get involved.
Pinterest is the new kid on the link building block, providing a great new platform and community which groups great websites in specific niches. For those not familiar with Pinterest, it is like a digital pinboard where people can organise and share their favourite things on the web. These boards are then broken down into specific categories, such as weddings, fashion etc.
But What’s This Got to Do With Link Building?
People are making a note of their favourite pages on the web, “so what” I hear you say. How do I get a link on the PR6 Pinterest homepage? To quote Rafiki, “Look haaaarder…”. People are marking their favourite pages on the web. Then they’re filing them in a category. Then other people interested in that category ‘Like’ and comment on that board. Are you with me yet?
All the best resources in one place, categorised by niche
So, people in your niche have made a list of all their favourite places online. Then other people in your niche, who also have their own list of favourite pages, have connected to that board in some way. You are left with a web of great resources, identified by category, to work through. Instead of typing ‘wedding blogs’ into Google or Bing and wading through mountains of results, you are given a much wider variation of sites which are clearly active and which people have been enjoying recently.
Ok, So Spell It Out for Me…
Pinterest gives you an insight into exactly what sites people are loving in your niche which opens up an incredible array of opportunities to take advantage of from a link building perspective.
These include:
- Generating a huge list of sites which you can connect with, write guest posts for and partner with in some way to promote your product/service.
- Getting an insight into exactly what content people are pinning/liking/tweeting and linking to in your niche. You can use this to create similar content on your own site and promote to get similar exposure ·
- Creating your own Pinterest account and building a fantastic resource for people in your niche and somewhere to connect with them. You can use this to develop relationships and brand advocates which will inevitably lead to links. This, of course, doesn’t even take into account the opportunities outside of pure links which Pinterest opens up.
As another social platform where you can identify and interact with people in your niche, there is a huge amount of potential to build strong relationships and gain further exposure that doesn’t necessarily have the end goal of building links.
But that’s for another post. So forget chasing that unobtainable homepage link and dig a little deeper to discover the great opportunities this new platform has created. Let’s get Pinning!
