LINK ANALYSIS TOOL
Have you ever wondered how a few seemingly simple words can change your world?
Well, in the past few years, Link Analysis has become a very popular topic among marketers who want to take advantage of the growing number of links being shared online. And it's not hard to understand why – using Link Analysis tools makes it easy to find and analyze links that are being shared across the web.
But what is Link Analysis, and how can using it help grow your business?
Defining Link Analysis
Think of a hyperlink as a pointer or a card that you may click on to access a web page. When a user clicks on a hyperlink, a browser opens the linked page in a new window (or tab).
The popularity of a hyperlink is measured by the number of clicks it receives – the more clicks, the more popular it is. Search engines like Google count clicks to determine a page's ‘rank' (its position in search results) and use this as a measure of that page's value. This can also be measured directly within Google Analytics.
So, when a user hovers over a link in their clipboard and clicks, or when someone clicks on a link while online, this is referred to as a ‘referral' or ‘transaction'.
However, when someone clicks on a link and lands on a page that was previously unseen – this is known as a ‘novelty' page or ‘one-off' landing page. These are the types of pages that are most valuable for marketers, as they typically contain highly targeted and actionable information that can be used to develop marketing campaigns and improve sales.
Why Should You Care About Link Analysis?
There are a number of benefits to measuring and analyzing links, as it provides a clear picture of how people are finding your information online and which sources of information are most valuable to them.
If you're not sure where to start, here are a few reasons why you should care about Link Analysis:
Links Determine Popularity
When you have a clear picture of the links that are gaining the most popularity, you can easily determine what content is most valuable to your target audience. It's helpful to know that not all popular links are created equal, and you should only use this as a starting point to determine your core content.
You can also use the information to determine what media platforms your target audience is using the most, so you can create content for them in the future.
Links Reveal Trends
If you've been collecting traffic stats for any length of time, you know that traffic increases and decreases in ‘waves' – this is known as the ‘trending' or ‘tweekend effect' (summer vs winter trends).
While this may be useful for identifying popular topics, it can also be a good tool for marketers who want to determine the ‘trending' topics or keywords for their industries.
By measuring the popular links within your industry, you can quickly determine what is and isn't popular, and whether or not these keywords are valuable to your target audience. If you decide that they aren't, it's simple enough to find a new set of keywords to track – the information will always be there.
Links Can Measure the ‘LIKES'
When you reach out to potential customers via social media, you can ask them to rate your product or service. But what happens if they don't like your product or service?
In the past, if a customer didn't like your product or service, they may have used a somewhat vague reason to explain why they didn't like it. But now, with Link Analysis, you can find out exactly why they didn't like your product or service and what you can do to change their mind.
For example, if a customer who bought a product from your company didn't like the way it delivered or the way it worked, you can use this information to determine whether or not this is a good use of your company's resources. If you decide that it is, you can use the data to improve the service you provide.
Deciding Which Tool To Use
As mentioned, there are several different Link Analysis tools available, so it's important to understand what each one has to offer. The most popular ones are Google Analytics and Ahrefs, with a sizable following in the SEO/marketing space. Here's a quick comparison of the features of each one:
- Google Analytics
- Ahrefs
- Seobook
- Wishpond
- HubSpot
- Hootsuite
- Bing Web Analytics
As you can see, each one is fairly similar, which is great if you're looking for cross-platform comparison – you don't need to own or use every tool to analyze links.
Depending on your experience and what features you need, one of these tools may be your best choice. If you're looking to get started analyzing links rapidly, Google Analytics could be a good option thanks to its simple UI and versatile features.
Which Type Of Link Analysis Is Best For Me?
If you work with a team of marketers or freelancers who are all located across the country, it may be beneficial to use a tool that allows you to access your data remotely. Google Analytics and Ahrefs offer this feature, so if you're looking for a tool that can be accessed from anywhere, these are two excellent options.
If, however, you're operating your own marketing agency from a remote location, and you need to be able to access your data from anywhere, then the best option is going to be Seobook.
The main reason behind this is that Seobook offers a local version of their software, which means that you can install it on your own server and access the data anywhere you have an internet connection. This is a tremendous convenience if you're working remotely.
While there are several other tools that can be used for link analysis, this short tutorial will only cover the basics – if you want to get more in-depth information on this topic, we recommend checking out these SEO/marketing tool reviews of Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and Seobook.
