5 Degrees of Link Relevance //

Theoretically, SEO should be easy. If you’ve done it before, the strategies will be obvious.

SEO’s hardest part is implementation and execution. Consistency. Every day.

Link building is a great example of this.

Why? This article will tell you why.

You will also learn to use the “5 Degrees of Link Relevance” framework to create the best theoretical strategy, and to find the best way to build high-quality relevant links consistently over time.

List the “best” or “most relevant links” in your area.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Most people don’t understand link building.

To compete with online giants, you need both quantity and quality.

It’s not enough to choose between the two.

This is a serious problem.

It forces you to redefine preconceived notions like “link relevancy” into a more realistic definition.

See, “relevance”, is not binary. It’s not all black or white.

It is possible that a link to a Viagra website will be “not relevant” for an insurance broker.

There are different “degrees” to which links can be relevant. Links can be “highly”, “slightly”, or anywhere in between.

Both are needed when you want to capture the scale of your shot!

Let’s further break down this issue, using my framework to demonstrate how to prioritize the relevance of links based on strategies and tactics for each.

The majority of your link-building strategies and tactics should be in the middle, rather than at the extremes.

First degree: the’most’ relevant but often the least scalable

First Degree is often the answer when you ask others what links they think are “most relevant” in your space.

Here’s the problem.

First-degree links are not usually very scalable.

When it comes to link building, the most relevant sites in your area are usually bad because:

A simple matrix is another way to look at this problem. Each axis balances the “quantity” with “quality.”

First-degree links are of high quality but very few in number.

The sites that are often at the top in the SERPs for your niche already fall into the following categories.

Consider a major brand of media like The New York Times to understand this point.

It’s unlikely that they will link to you without an eight-figure deal.

So, yes. Look for as many as you can. Sponsoring a non-profit in your area is a great way to win.


But…

Only so many can be made!

On a comparative basis, it becomes prohibitively costly to scale up to the thousands (if you don’t say tens or thousands) of domains needed to compete at the Major Leagues.

How much would you estimate the cost of syndication between NerdWallet and CNBC?

No idea. It’s probably more than the entire marketing budget of your company.

Instead of wasting time on irrelevant sites, or those that are already ranked by major media outlets and direct and indirect competitors, you should readjust your definition to make it easier to achieve.

Second Degree: Highly Relevant and Scalable

Second-degree links have high quality and relevance. They are also scalable.

You have found your sweet spot.

Second-degree links can be topically or theme-relevant and are highly scalable. (This means that many sites will link to you if they are similar to these).

Here are some of the most common characteristics that you look for in a partner:

This is the focus of your attention on high-quality and quantity!

What is the significance of this apparent semantic difference?

This way of thinking will help you discover the best tactics to use in order to obtain as many links as possible.

For example, in general, some tactics work better (or worse), depending on the size and prestige of a site.

You can see the breakdown by Domain Rating (DR), Domain Authority (DA), or both.

Other words:

Candor’s “Hiring Freezes”, a link magnet play that was played at the peak of COVID-19, is a perfect example of link building on a second-degree level.

In an uncertain period, they created a valuable tool that rounded up the real-time status of employment:

They then leveraged this resource to gain attention and visibility , and some quality links from editorially-based sources such as VentureBeat (an Industry publication vs. Mainstream Media).

This strategy also has the benefit of long-term leverage.

Here’s how:

The last point is extremely important. Note it down.

The good news is, most of your competitors are going to ignore it and invert.

You shouldn’t.

Search for daily newsletters that marketers use.

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Terms.

Third degree: audience relevant and highly scalable

Now let’s get to the fun part.

The third-degree links play a critical role in increasing the quantity of links during a campaign to build links.

It’s important to have enough that are still relevant even if they aren’t the “most relevant” (like in the examples of first and second degrees above).

Here’s what you think.

Even if they are not directly relevant to the topic, third-degree links can still be of interest to your audience. They can also be an alternative to a service or product (i.e. a solution that is different from your main product or service). They’re also highly valuable and scalable.

Here are some examples:

Take a moment to think about your buyer’s experience.

The majority of first- and second degree links are at the bottom of your funnel. They are primarily focused on who are you, or What you do, for people.

Let’s say, for example, you sell Pet Insurance. Most people believe that “relevant” means something about “insurance” or “people who are looking for pet insurance.”

Yes. Yes.

You have no scales there!

Do you believe someone who is talking about “pet-insurance” on the Internet will link to you at some point? Answer: No, they are probably already direct or indirect competitors.

Plus, it’s super niche.


Instead, you should move up the funnel.

Consider: What type of large, active online audience would be likely to buy pet insurance?

Blogs by moms

Do mom blogs have a high relevance to pet insurance?

What do you think the person is who spends money to buy new pets and takes care of those they already have?

Mothers and their children!

(I know, it’s stereotypical. This is still a good guideline for the direction of travel around the globe. (Moms do most of the work for kids and pets.

Instead of trying to convince other insurance companies that they should review your product (because they will not), you can get mom blogs to discuss your pet insurance.

This will give you a link that is relevant and could potentially increase your revenue.

Even if the link does not relate directly to your product or space (insurance), it is still relevant.

The majority of product reviews, regardless of their shape and flavor, fall under this category.

A brand of organic skincare would then target all “natural,” “sustainable,” and “ecofriendly” blogs in the world.

Second and third degree links are only as strong as their linkage.

Finding out what they want and then providing it opens the door to reciprocation.

Fourth degree: Highly scalable, but less relevant

We’re now moving into gray territory.

Fourth-degree links can be extremely scalable. On the other hand, they are usually much less relevant.

You can use fourth-degree links to replace your product or service if they are not relevant. Consider: Links for the sake of links, with no other value.

These warning signs can help you identify them:

These tactics are old-school SEO 1.0 style. You know what kind.

You can use anything that looks similar to this:

In general, the more scalable (low-quality and less relevant) a tactic is, the less desirable it is.

So.

Do you still need these?

Possibly, yes!

Quantity and quality are both necessary for success.

This real-world acceptance separates the link building pros (who see what actually works) from all the empty, hollow, fauxfluencers out there who never descend their privileged-ivory-tower positions.

Should you use these links for 80% of them?

No! You should not do this unless you want your site to be penalized or if you don’t really care about it.

But.

What percentage of your links should you use? Sure>

You’ll find worse ratios if you reverse-engineer your competitors.

Keep the reality in perspective.

Fifth degree: Low quality and irrelevant (yet extremely scalable).

Fifth-degree links are usually very low quality, and are high risk (i.e. they are ignored or may be penalized through manual action).

Included are:

Avoid these like the plague

They are not only “not relevant,” they will also likely not drive buyers to you.

This dead horse is no longer worth beating, do you think?

Relevance of links is fluid. There’s a sliding spectrum or scale.

While it is true that certain links are “not pertinent,” most often, links can be “highly”, “mostly”, or “slightly”.

You will need and all to scale up!

Because often the “most” important links are the most difficult to obtain, build, acquire, or pay.

You can’t be too picky if the most profitable spaces have at least tens thousands of domains referring to them (which is what all of them do).

There will still be a need for a lot of links that are “mostly” and “slightly’ relevant.

The ones that are aimed at a specific audience may seem “less relevant” initially.

They’re what help you balance quantity and quality over time.

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