So you are probably reading this post title thinking that this is too good to be true. Well it’s not! And I will prove it…
Back in March of 2009, I came across a regular column on CNN: Small Business, called Website Remedies. This column “enlists Web marketing and search-engine optimization specialists to analyze small-business Web sites in need of an overhaul.” After reading one of the articles, I noticed something that caught my attention and really got me excited. At the end of the post, it asked if any other SEOs or Internet Marketers would be interested in contributing, to e-mail them.
So I did just that! I sent a personal e-mail to the editor, telling her about my experience and how I would love to contribute to an upcoming post. After about three months of hearing nothing, I pretty much thought it was a lost cause…and frankly I forgot that I even contacted them. However one day, there it was, sitting in my e-mail. A letter from the editor requesting a time to discuss a future website that would be featured in their Website Remedies section. I couldn’t believe they actually contact me after so long and wanted me to provide advice on a particular website.
A few days later I did about an hour long phone interview with the editor, giving feedback on the website and offering my recommendations on how to improve the site. About a month later, the post was published, with a nice little do-follow link back to my employer at the time’s website. Even though that article page only has a PR of 3, the subdomain it is on (money.cnn.com) is a PR of 9 and the base domain (cnn.com) is a PR 10.
Now judging by the last post (July, 2010), it seems that they have either retired that column or have cut down on the number of posts they publish under that particular section. However it would be worth a shot to try what I did and see if they reply back.
A Lesson Learned
This is just one example of how someone can receive an amazing, high-quality link back to your website or blog. The lesson is, that these opportunities are available every day. You just need to keep your eyes and hears open and always be looking for opportunities of how you can provide value to a certain market. Doing things like guest blogging, conducting interviews, answering questions people have in forums, are all outstanding ways you can gain quality backlinks, while helping your target audience
