So you have finished all your on page optimization, you have killer content, and now all you need are some juicy backlinks! Even though your content is stellar, and you are developing a good social presence, you might need some help building links. Because the hard truth is, if you are in a competitive niche, links are hard to come by.

But you don’t have time, and really need help to get the links that will make the big difference. If you have the money, the next step should be to hire someone to help you. Most of you will rush out to hire a SEO to start getting your links. But you might be surprised to hear a SEO might not be your best option. At least that’s what Julie Joyce has been saying lately. I am not 100% sure of Julie’s logic, but I completely agree. You see, SEO and link building are two different processes all together.

Link building is obviously a big part of the overall process, but it speaks to an area of SEO that is specialized and unique. Here at IMN we have an amazing team of link builders, that build links all day long, and as such they are true specialist. Link building is so specialized that many link builders end up developing characteristics and skills that many SEOs never hone in on.

5 Skills Found In Amazing Link Builders

1. Good Communication – At the core of every stellar link builder is an amazing communicator. We have all heard that link building is all about relationship building, and relationships start with good communication. Strong link builders know how to talk to people and develop trust. Some of the best link builders I have known over the years would be amazing sales people for the same reasons!
2. Well Organized – How do you manage prospect lists of hundreds of contacts for multiple campaigns? And then track responses, and correspond with them? You develop a system that is very well organized. Good link builders are extremely well organized and can manage multiple tasks at once. Excellent link builders are so organized; they can tell you their success rates, what time of the day they were successful on, and other data points that help them perfect their process.
3. Awesome Research Skills – Good links require lots of work, and many times that means lots of research. Tracking down prospects, contact information, and sometimes social media accounts all requires lots of research gusto. Awesome link builders understand the right questions to ask that will guide their research in the right direction.
4. Relationship Building – Good SEOs understand the relationships found between web sites and search engines. Good link builders understand the relationships between human beings. A good SEO can tell you all of the technical aspects of a web site’s HTML and IA. A good link builder can tell you who the site’s target audience is, and how to get them to link to it. Doing that successfully, all comes down to understanding the basis for human relationships.
5. Leveraging Content – Good SEOs know how to optimize great content to rank. Good link builders know how to build great content. They also understand that sometimes it isn’t about quality but more about what type of content will “work”. They can identify a prospect and know exactly what that person will link to, and build it. That’s the difference, SEO’s optimize, link builders strategize.