Over next few weeks, I am going to post on several topics. An email a friend received this weekend was the perfect segue into something that I really wanted to point out.
Notice, please, that I am not jumping down Zillow’s throat for this blatant attempt at using people’s vanity to get them to take an action that they otherwise wouldn’t. That’s what marketers DO…online is no exception. SEO is no exception. Eric Bramlett included it in this post Linkbuilding basics. That’s an OLD post. Stroking egos is NOT a new marketing technique.
But this isn’t the first time I have warned people about widgets and badges either. Why do these guys still do it?
Hint: It works
Another reason is: Both my post and Bramlett’s are older posts so it bears repeating. Don’t link to local competitors or those who compete with you locally. Locally related high ranking sites linking to you are GOLDEN to an SEO effort. Google has no way of evaluating if those links are coming from a competitor or not. They don’t care.
For those who may be saying: “I don’t get it.” Here’s the linked e-mail above through an SEO’s eyes…
We like you. We’ve chosen you as a LOCAL EXPERT. (SEO eyes: You have a blog or site that has good standing in the search engines..we want a link…) Click here to get a badge (SEO eyes: link included) to put on your site PROCLAIMING how good WE think you are. (SEO eyes:Yet the message to the search engines is EXACTLY the opposite..it is how good YOU think WE are–hehe–nicely done! My competitor is now linking to me!).
Therein lies the rub. And the lesson, IMO.
Vanity is a Deadly SEO sin. Building your online authority requires you to measure it the same way that the search engines do…by those who link TO you (deeds) and not by being caught up in the praise of flattering words (words).
Scott G says:
My sister works for the same brokerage that I do and she has her site linked to mine although it is not a very high quality site right now. I try to limit the number of links heading out. The more opportunities to exit your site, the faster people will.
March 16, 2009 — 1:08 pm
James Boyer says:
Eric, this can be such a hard sell. I was at a brain storming meeting a few weeks ago at my RE/MAX office along with a few other agents, and the supposed technology person for the biggest team in our office. She was spouting off about how great it was to put your listings on Trulia, blog at trulia, and how great their widgets were.
I tried to point out that all she was doing was helping trulia, but she nor the other agents got it. I asked her if her team had ever gotten a lead through trulia and she said she really did not know, but gave the old favorite line that it is good to get your name and listings out there where ever you can. To that I responded that i would be happy to sit down with her and further explain my point. To date we have not had that meeting.
Trulia and Zillow really have the majority of the Realtors out there snowed!!
March 16, 2009 — 2:21 pm
Claudia Gonella says:
Looks like blogged.com is using flattery to get its “I’ve been blogged” badges up. And it only provides a no-follow link from its directory.
March 17, 2009 — 4:28 pm
Teri Lussier says:
>Don’t link to local competitors or those who compete with you locally.
I completely pulled my ActiveRain account for this very reason, it simply made less and less sense to me to be building a site that was ultimately and always and forever going to be my competition.
March 17, 2009 — 6:19 pm
Eric Blackwell says:
@James – Less of a sell. More of an education process.
@Claudia – The good part is that blogged.com is not your direct local competitor. 😉 Hmmm…That’s exactly what some of the listings aggregators do with listings….hmmmm (grin)
@Teri – Yep. The principle is the same. Once they prove that they will be your competition…time to take action.
March 18, 2009 — 6:20 am
Mike in Dallas says:
Yeah i think badges are a joke. i dont like to link out to anyone. I dont even link out to my own agents,
March 18, 2009 — 9:51 am
Eric Blackwell says:
@Mike – We are HAPPY to link out to our agents. If you are a broker and you don’t link out to your own agents? You either think they are not worth it or you think that they are your competition and you are going to feed yourself before them.
Agents in our office get a link to either their website or blog or both if they have both. I expect them to link to us and be proud of where they work as well.
Maybe the difference is that our broker doesn’t sell…but I really cannot see your scenario building a trusting relationship with your agents…
Thoughts?
Eric
March 18, 2009 — 11:37 am
Jessica Horton says:
When are you (or Greg) going to pass out some dog bones to go under my photo? I just hit #2 for my city and #5 or 6 for the next major city. Ohhh yeah…I have like 2 or 3 WARM buyers registering at my site per week without registration. They call me! I don’t call them.
I want my damn bones under my photo! I’ll give ya a quarter a month. 😉
Teach on master! Grasshopper is learning.
March 18, 2009 — 4:03 pm