Marketers Advised on Viral Link Building

by Samantha Noble on 14th May 2010

Marketing professionals have been offered advice on how to utilise viral link building in a bid to boost brand profiles.

Writing for Search Engine Watch, Peter van der Graaf – who has worked on hundreds of projects in the area around the world – told readers that because individual link building can sometimes be time consuming, a viral approach may be a viable option.

The method has been characterised as a word of mouth movement where information can go from one social circle to another and can often be spread with lines such "you’ll never believe it" or "you have to see this".

What may interest marketing managers, including those who use link building services, is the comparison between both viral and conventional approaches and the success rates in terms of user interest, Mr van der Graff added.

Normal link acquisition provides a consistent but steady rise in search rankings, but a viral equivalent can offer a ranking jump before dropping down again in terms of popularity.

However, he warned readers that the lack of control and potential for message "mutation" brings a risk of "brand damage" that should be considered.