Earning something that’s truly valuable takes hard work. But earning links from reputable and related sites requires something more. You can’t just work hard — you need to be clever and maybe even a little controversial to attract the right kind of attention with high-quality links.
Consider this: How many hours did you spend yesterday thinking about whether you should link your site to someone else’s? I’d bet the answer is extremely close to zero. The fact is that most Web site owners aren’t out hunting for other sites and pages to link to — you need to create compelling reasons for them to reference your pages.
- Offer Something Exceptional and Unique
Can you assemble the world’s largest collection of cosmetic surgery before and after photos? What about a resource page for patients considering bariatric surgery that will help them explore their options? Or a video library showing breast augmentations using every major incision variation? By creating something exceptional on your site there’s a better chance you can earn inbound links. - Give Something Away
The golden rule of marketing is that people love free stuff. For instance, a medical spa might offer free product samples with a skin care procedure, or a cosmetic surgeon might offer a free eBook for people considering surgery in her area. - Offer Advice
How To’s and Top 10 Lists are popular among readers they are also likely to earn you inbound links. - Get the Word Out
Sometimes just being newsworthy is enough. Distribute a press release through the online wires about happenings in your medical practice, or those exceptional features on your Web site. - Build a Community
It can be hard to create an active online community, but medical device manufacturers, hospitals, and skincare products companies have all created community forums and blogs that encourage client participation. Interesting community commentary can easily invite inbound links. - Be Controversial (or Just Contrary)
Most of our medical clientele prefer to avoid controversy, and there are definitely some strong arguments for taking a conservative path. But making bold statements online can encourage discussion online and earn you inbound links. The key here is to say things that are attention-grabbing but still defensible and devoid of hyperbole or exaggeration. - Tell a Joke
A few years back, during the Winter holiday, we published a before and after photo in a client’s gallery showing Santa Claus before, and Santa’s head on a body builder’s body after. The photos were accompanied by a funny story describing Santa’s radical surgical transformation. We leaked a press release about the page and within a week had earned more than 1,000 inbound links from all across the Web. - Tell a Story
Most Web site owners are hungry for content. Invest time writing a compelling article and then offer it up for syndication…in exchange for a link back to your site.
There are of course hundreds of other ways to earn inbound links, but this short list should help any do-it-yourself medical marketer have a go at earning inbound links. Etna clients can rest assured that we employ all of these strategies, and more, to help them reach the top of the ranks.
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