As I drifted from my desk in thought, it became clear that actually, that is what link building really is. Regardless of how it is packaged, Rand’s technique is used by SEOs every day.
“Dear Webmaster…”
“Dear Blogger…”
“Dear Reporter…”
Each outreach method includes a line about a great resource/article/idea that helps them, contributing to your SEO in the process. We are essentially offering (or begging for, really) something in exchange for a favor, also known as a link. So, how is how is going through an address book any different?
Most of us have tried broken link building, or what I call The Exchange. It reduces cold call syndrome by offering while asking. “Here are a couple broken links that you might have missed” is a much more successful ice breaker than “Hi, I work with… Hello?” The webmaster gets a gift and (hopefully) gives you enough time to ask one little, itsy-bitsy, tiny favor that would mean the absolute world to you. If this is a new concept, check out the many great resources on broken linking building tactics, like this and this.
The Exchange is a great angle, but it doesn’t give anything back to our digital or local communities. A webmaster catches a couple 404s, you get a link, but what about the kids?
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