ChatGPT for Link Building: Game-Changer or Not?

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Link building, in its current form, is more manual than it needs to be. Don't mind the tactic you pick, there's piles of grunt work you ought to do before a link rolls in.

For teams with only a few link builders, that means crazy hours—that too on work as interesting as doing the dishes. The ideal solution is of course to have more resources, but that's not always an option. You couldn't do much other than just push through... until now.

With AI and ChatGPT in the picture, link-building can finally be less of a chore.

(And of course, if you want to things further up a notch, there's Smartlinks too—the zero outreach link-building platform)

Why Experiment With ChatGPT at all?

If you're wondering if ChatGPT is more sparkle less substance, that's fair. But thanks to the ginormous scale that the app has hit (100 million+ users), you can breathe easy. There's enough evidence pointing to the fact that ChatGPT is the real deal. It helps you:-

1. Save time

Things that take humans hours, if not days to do, chatGPT can do them in seconds. Even for something as complex as writing an entire blog post, all you have to do is enter a prompt, and voila. Before you can go to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water and come back, your blog will be ready. And that's just one of the countless problems openAI's chatbot can solve. We'll even discuss some of the link-building tasks it can do soon, but the larger point is this. With the right prompts, you can free up hours upon hours of your day using ChatGPT.

2. Save money

Don't have the money to hire a team of writers and editors? No problem. ChatGPT alone can do what a team of content writing interns can do, for free. It can create compelling social media content, and craft website copy, and blog posts. Heck, it can even write compelling emails with impressive open rates. For link builders who go heavy on outreach, that's a superpower.

3. Do things at scale

The speed and savings that ChatGPT brings make it easier to run experiments at scale. From writing more outreach emails to amping up content production, there's a lot you can do a lot more of.

All in all, learning your way with ChatGPT could be your ticket to running a leaner business. Not to mention how AI is the future, and businesses that don't embrace it risk being left behind. Even for link builders, it can make getting results cheaper, faster, and a lot more convenient.

So, let's talk more about that:-

10 Ways You Can Use ChatGPT for Link Building

1. Ideate link-worthy content

There's no secret formula to creating content that goes viral (and gets tons of backlinks). Still, there are things you can do, and content types you can aim for that maximise your chances. Some common examples of that are:-

Listicles

Original Research

Infographics

Statistics roundup blogs

But that's not where the list ends. With ChatGPT, you can inspire yourself to think even more outside the box. With just one prompt, you can get a result like:-

Not bad for just a few minutes of effort, isn't it? And don't forget, you can get even better results by giving ChatGPT additional context.

2. Reply to HARO requests

HARO link-building is a popular tactic among link builders. And for good reason. The backlinks you earn via HARO, though take effort, are usually high quality. That means they're backlinks that can move the needle faster for your target content.

However, earning HARO backlinks is contingent on how you respond to requests on the platform. A poorly drafted response is unlikely to get journalists to trust that you're the expert they're seeking. But a well-drafted one? It turns the tide in your favour.

The problem is it's not easy to always know a good response from a bad one. Moreover, it's just as important to answer requests quickly as it is to answer them well. Luckily, ChatGPT can help with both. Here's an example:-

It only took me a few seconds to generate and is pretty close to something I could’ve crafted manually.

3. Create link bait tools

ChatGPT is a great resource when ideating link-worthy content. What it also does well is help you create link-bait (and otherwise useful) tools. The likes of calculators, mini-games, and even backlinks checkers. Stories like the one below are far too common on the internet now.

Of course, you need some programming know-how to bring your idea to life. But if you have the requisite knowledge, ChatGPT can help you save a lot of time.

4. Write guest posts (at scale)

Guest posting is another effective link-building tactic. However, it can be challenging to find suitable opportunities and create high-quality content at scale. And every seasoned guest poster knows that if your content isn't good, it gets rejected.

But with ChatGPT, creating high-quality guest posts doesn't need to a long affair. Of course, you can't just use a single prompt and jump the gun with the result you get.

That doesn't mean you can't automate parts of the process. Even simple things like generating topic ideas and writing introductions can go a long way in helping you guest post at scale.

5. Craft outreach emails

We touched upon this when discussing how ChatGPT can improve HARO link building. As you've seen in the example there, ChatGPT is pretty good at drafting emails if you feed it the right info. Here’s an example:-

This means that you don't have to create outreach emails from scratch ever again. Even more, you don't have to brainstorm perfect responses to emails either. ChatGPT can assist with that.

6. Ramp up content production

If you're wondering what kind of results you can get with one year of creating AI SEO content, here's a case study:-

The tool used herein isn't ChatGPT but an alternative powered by GPT 4. Nevertheless, the point remains that AI writing tools (ChatGPT included) can help you ramp up content production by several magnitudes.

You can 2-3x or even 10x the amount of content you put out. With stringent editing protocols in place, you wouldn't even have to worry about content quality.

But, why is that relevant to link builders? Well, more content equals more opportunities to get backlinks. It also aids with increasing a website's DA (or authority), which yet again is an advantage when seeking backlinks.

7. Optimize anchor text

ChatGPT can be used to generate relevant anchor text suggestions based on your target keywords and the context of the link. Here’s proof:-

Now, this may not seem like much but remember that doing so manually would’ve taken you at least 10 minutes, if not more. With ChatGPT, I could do it in less than a minute.

8. Help with niche edits

Here’s how you go about niche edits:-

Find websites in your niche that have outdated or incorrect information and offer to update it with new and accurate information.

Look for articles in your niche that lack depth or analysis and offer to add more value to the article with additional insights or research.

Offer to guest post on websites in your niche and include links to your own content within the post.

In all three cases, ChatGPT can be a good resource for brainstorming and creating replacement content.

9. Poke holes in your link-building strategy

I know firsthand that link-building can be tricky. It's a process that involves a lot of experimentation and tweaking to get right. Even if you think you have a solid strategy, there's always room for improvement.

That's where ChatGPT comes in handy. It can help you spot weaknesses in your approach and identify ways to make it stronger. Here’s an example of how you can go about it:-

Of course, your strategy needn't be as obviously wrong as in the screenshot above. Even for something well thought-out, ChatGPT can help illuminate gaps.

10. Learn the ropes

If you're new to link building, it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, ChatGPT can help you learn the ropes. Ask it to provide you with information on link-building basics, best practices, and common mistakes to avoid. See for yourself:-

And any follow-up questions you have, you can just ask in the next prompt. Seems easier than sifting through countless websites and books, doesn’t it?

ChatGPT Isn’t a Link-Building Silver Bullet

While ChatGPT is an incredibly useful tool, it's not without its limitations. Here are a few things to keep in mind:-

1. A confident liar

While ChatGPT is incredibly advanced, it's not always accurate. The AI can generate false information or make incorrect assumptions. As a marketer, it's important to fact-check any information you get from ChatGPT and use your own judgment.

2. Can become a crutch if you use it too much

It's easy to become over-reliant on ChatGPT. But as a marketer, it's important to remember that AI is a tool, not a replacement for critical thinking and creativity. Use ChatGPT to augment your link-building efforts, not replace them entirely.

3. May put you in Google's crosshairs

While using ChatGPT isn't against Google's guidelines, using it to generate spammy or low-quality content could put you in the search engine's crosshairs. As with any link-building strategy, it's important to focus on quality over quantity and avoid any practices that could be seen as manipulative or spammy.

4. It can't innovate (yet)

While ChatGPT is incredibly advanced, it's still limited by its programming. The AI can't innovate or come up with truly original ideas. For example, while it can help you come up with ideas for link bait, it can't come up with something truly innovative like Brian Dean's Skyscraper Technique. As a marketer, it's important to use ChatGPT as a starting point for your link-building efforts and bring your own creativity to the table.

5. Is yet another thing to learn

Learning how to use ChatGPT effectively takes time and effort. As a marketer, you already have a lot on your plate. Adding another tool to your toolkit can be overwhelming, especially if you're not familiar with AI or natural language processing. But if you're willing to put in the effort, ChatGPT can be an incredibly valuable asset to your link-building efforts.

What You May Need Instead: Smartlinks

ChatGPT does make link-building easier, but it’s still the equivalent of a brighter lantern to a problem that needs the invention of a lightbulb.

And taking up that mantle is Smartlinks. It tosses the old (excessively manual) approach to link-building in the bin, paving the way for the future.

With it, all you have to do is:-

Enter keywords you need backlinks for,

Get matched with opportunities,

Send a one-click backlink request,

And voila!

You earn backlinks without dizzying prospecting, tiring outreach, or never-ending negotiations. Just focus on creating link-worthy content and Smartlinks does the rest.

👉 Click Here to Try It Live!