Why is link building like the upcoming election? The more links you have to authority, high-quality sources in your content, the more likely your chances of being the selected as the top “candidate” on Google or other search engines that get great page rank.

With this in mind, it’s time to talk about the seriousness of building links so that you can achieve the measurable outcomes your company is striving for, such as meaningful leads and new customers. Since it’s estimated that well over 50 percent of web pages may contain junk or spam, you’ve got to focus on showcasing the quality content and quality services you offer.

Think like a buyer: To start, a recent Marketing Sherpa article reminds companies to think like a buyer. Buyers have varying degrees of readiness and product knowledge, so the same keyword phrase may not be most effective for every type of buyer. If you sell pet boarding services, for example, text with keywords geared toward a buyer who is just “browsing,” such as “what to look for in pet boarding” may be effective. You will also want to provide keyword phrases tailored to the buyer who is ready to act, such as “pet boarding weekend stay Atlanta, Georgia.”

Don’t waste keyword opportunities:  Second, don’t utilize keyword phrases like “go here” or “read here” when you could utilize precise keyword phrases for your service when building external links for lead creation.

Stay on focus with your content articles:  Google is more precise than ever in assigning page rank, and if you mix up your content with unrelated links, you will seem off target and not as appealing. Don’t cram several keywords into your content as soon as you post it; it’s more effective to build external links for lead creation when you add the keywords and links on a metered pace.

Maximize those images:  Tag every image you include in your blog or social media posts with keywords to help generate external links for lead creation. There are numerous affordable and diverse stock art photo services online, and you can be very specific in the type of photo you’re looking for.

Review and change:  Buyers’ activity changes over time, and by using tools like Google’s analytics options, you’ll be able to pinpoint which keywords are turning into real leads and which you may want to shift your focus away from. This is the fun part of content marketing – you can be very precise in your efforts.

A final note:  Like many other content marketing tools, link building works best when you place it within the context of an overall strategy that keeps driving home the main message.