Link building is challenging, and everything that has the capacity to make this task easier seems like the best gift ever, doesn’t it? Still, depending on who you ask, AI tools are either the best thing since the invention of sliced bread or the worst mistake that’s going to put mankind into a sci-fi dystopian world. But who cares if it can help you with link-building?
We bet that since you’re reading this article, you probably agree that links are great for visibility. At least, you’d like to try and see how AI can make a difference. And this is regardless of where you stand on this debate. So, let’s see which possibilities, risks, and benefits of using ChatGPT you can expect when building links.
The Perks You’ll Get Using ChatGPT for Link Building
You may not be surprised to learn that many people are exploring different ways to use free tools like ChatGPT for link-building purposes (especially if you are active on literally any social media account). However, it may not be very clear why some people are doing that. Well, as it turns out, ChatGPT does come with so many benefits:
- It’s definitely faster as everything takes minutes and maybe an hour or more to fine-tune instead of days and weeks.
- It costs way less than hiring an in-house team or outsourcing your link building.
- It can write new original content on any topic you can think of in minutes (well, sort of).
- It can create tons of pitches and generate millions of ideas.
- It’s a great tool for coming up with new strategies for your link building and SEO in general. After all, who doesn’t want an SEO sidekick?
The truth is that there are some ChatGPT use cases for everyone, whether you do your link building organically or buy backlinks. It can give you a fresh perspective on how you approach your SEO. You can even try to debate with AI and try to get some inspiration out of it. No matter how crazy it sounds, why not give it a try? Who knows maybe something new occurs to you while chatting with GPT.
The Trouble With Using Artificial Intelligence Tools to Automate or Build Backlinks
Now, hold on. Before you go firing your SEO specialist or content writer or even canceling that contract with the agency, let’s come clean. Free AI tools are far from being perfect and might even pose risks for your business. The truth is that using ChatGPT for link building is a little bit complicated due to some flaws:
- It often provides weirdly inaccurate content that also sounds off to most people. Some can even spot AI content in seconds.
- Remember that if you’re using any version older than ChatGPT-4, its database is behind the times (still stuck in 2022, the last time I checked it). So, it’s not likely to give you relevant real-time data, like keyword research aligned with current trends.
- But even the latest version will have a disclaimer that you have to check important information because it can make mistakes. Humans make mistakes, too. No doubt. But isn’t AI supposed to be a superhuman?
- At its worst, it’s basically a word blender, so you will be better off not relying on it 100% for your link-building strategy.
- Even when you integrate a couple of other link automation tools, without a human to act as a guard, you’ll end up with questionable links at best.
- On top of that, there are some serious data safety risks related to ChatGPT usage. 1 in 3 employees might put their companies at risk of a data breach without even knowing that.
So, should you click off now and go bury your plan to use ChatGPT for link building? That’s not what this subheading or the post is about (quite the opposite, in fact). We just want to inform you of the pitfalls or risks so you can be armed with the best ideas to avoid these issues and still get great results. This brings us to the next topic.
ChatGPT in Link Building: What Will Work in 2024?
Since ChatGPT first became a thing, people have been exploring the roles of AI in business and marketing, hoping to use this tool to optimize everything and anything. Scoring some sweet links is just one of the many creative ideas people have come up with. Here’s how to use ChatGPT to build backlinks yourself without having to spend (almost) anything.
#1 Partnerships With Websites and Influencers
This is perhaps one of the most common ways to use ChatGPT for links. Almost every young person you know follows at least one social media influencer, so it’s not a surprise that 92% of marketers see influencer marketing as an effective tactic to boost visibility. What’s more? 28% of marketing specialists consider it a very important way to score backlinks. All this sounds great, except for one tiny little detail or snag.
It takes a lot of time to dig up all the relevant websites, brands, or influencers in your niche that might be open for a link-building partnership. However, you can probably do that in less than a minute using the right GPT prompt. I mean, you could do it the old way by typing “organic food + write for us” in any search engine and end up with what you need (which is still cool).
Source: Google search
If you don’t want to use Google (ew, so old-school!), you could go for AI and get a list of options to help you narrow down your search and then start from there.
Now that you have a list, you can easily copy and paste the names into Google and get the contact details (aka SM accounts) as well as look at the kind of content style that appeals to their audience. This is important because if you want to attract a similar kind of audience, you should get some inspiration from them.
Source: Google search
#2 Do You Tweak Your Keywords?
Source: Conductor
Keywords are the sauce to high-ranking content and a site in general. In fact, it is considered the most useful metric for tracking SEO performance, much better than backlinks. No wonder most marketers invest in good SEO keyword research tools. Still, you can use ChatGPT to come up with new keyword ideas or find similar ones to what you already have.
The more specific your prompts are, the easier it is to find just what you are looking for. So, take the time to master the ChatGPT prompt guidelines ASAP.
Of course, it’s best not to take these answers at face value. The next step is to run them through your preferred SEO tool to get a more in-depth look at the keyword data. For example, by using the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool, we found the following details on the first option offered by ChatGPT.
Source: Semrush
And again, this is a great example of how ChatGPT can be great for inspiration but you should never fully trust it. Look – we asked GPT to find “keywords with high search volume and low keyword difficulty.” One of the options it offered was the “benefits of organic farming.” But when we went to Semrush to check this keyword, we could see the volume of 170 and KD of 50. And it is far from what we were requesting.
#3 Generate Content Instantly Using ChatGPT to Build Backlinks
“No content, no backlink” is not just a slogan. Backlinks are anchored to something, usually a solid piece of a guest blog post or any form of suitable content. You have probably tried using ChatGPT or any similar tool to generate content at least once so you are no stranger to the concept as well as its limitations yourself.
And we all know that anyone looking to build quality backlinks is also a person who is on the lookout for new ways and approaches to improve their guest blogging strategies. So, while you wouldn’t rely on the tool 100% for your guest post or blog post, you can use it to come up with some fabulous content potential that only needs a bit of work to make it shine.
Even though some say the best scenario is using ChatGPT to create paragraphs and tweak old content to sound fresh in a different style and that sort of thing, it is also possible to stretch it a bit with the right prompt.
While shorter than most blog posts, that looks good except for the part where we couldn’t find any source for the stat mentioned there. Sure, there were other numbers floating around the internet, just not that specific figure. So, again, what you should remember here is not to trust every claim you see. Follow two rules: do fact-checking and please have a human rewrite the text. Make sure what you want to say is what your audience needs to hear.
And one more thing, anyone can generate something way too similar. Try to recreate our query. What do you get? Looks awfully similar to something, doesn’t it? So, we should never forget that while AI is useful for some tasks, we can’t let it steal our personalities. People love brands that are special, not mediocre.
Still, you can also use ChatGPT to generate meta tags, descriptions, titles, and so on. Don’t forget to run it through your trusty plagiarism checker as well, especially if you are planning to use this content mostly as it is.
#4 Create Almost Perfect Email Pitches
Source: Reddit
Crafting and sending pitches may actually be the least liked aspects of the link building process. There’s the pressure to say so much and say it perfectly without using too many words. The anxious wait until you hear back from the webmaster and all the other little stressors are just gnawing at your mind and fueling your anxiety, especially if you are still a newbie who is yet to develop a thick skin.
Mercifully, you can use ChatGPT to generate a passable pitch or two, and you can just add your own flair to personalize it. Remember, if you are not sure how this works at all, it’s better to find a template online, copy-paste it into ChatGPT, and then ask it to write one for you in the same style.
Well, probably, “tantalize taste buds and ignite senses” sounds too much like a cheesy commercial. But overall, not too bad, GPT!
#5 New Ideas: Brainstorming With AI
The good thing about using ChatGPT for your link building process is that it can turn into a reliable virtual consultant for almost any scenario you can come up with. Utilize it to brainstorm new ideas and strategies for getting more links. Chances are that it will come up with something you just didn’t think of.
You can even narrow your query down by location so you can get more relevant suggestions. Don’t limit yourself to just asking for link-building ideas; you can ask for a how-to guide for each idea, brainstorm new content ideas, and more.
#6 Refine Your Target Audience Search
Source: HubSpot
Would it shock you to know that more than half of marketers do not even know basic info about their target audience? According to a survey by Hubspot, only 42% of marketers know the names, ages, and locations of the audience, and even fewer can accurately tell the preferences and online hangouts of their target audience. Something is clearly amiss here.
The first rule you should know when creating a content marketing strategy that not only sounds good but works starts with knowing who your audience is (likes, struggles, or even the online spaces where they love to hang out, and other details like that). That is why an emphasis on search intent is what you should aim for. More information about the target group means it’s easier to adjust your messages to their interests and boost engagement.
While ChatGPT can’t paint you a comprehensive picture of who your audience is, it can be useful for exploring the many personas of your target audience and coming up with ideas of their interests and pain points. Thus, you’ll know how to create content they like and might be willing to link to.
#7 Who Are Your Competitors?
Competitor analysis is a proven link building tactic, and you can use ChatGPT to improve this process for you. Of course, you won’t be able to do a proper competitor analysis using this tool – it’s not exactly a substitute for SEO software. But you can chat with it about the top players in your industry, identify their best content, and learn a thing or two about their techniques.
This way, you can identify exactly where your competitors do not fill the gap and how you can come in. After that, you may feel confident, approaching the resources linking to them as now you realize how they were able to get to where they are in terms of ranking, etc. This way, you will be able to score more relevant mentions using as many link-building techniques as possible.
Conclusion
There are creative ways to leverage ChatGPT for building backlinks. Think of it as the perfect sidekick tool for brainstorming podcast ideas or content topics, nailing that influencer outreach email, and more. Use it to save time, but remember that it still has some big flaws. You want to see this as a tool and not a crutch – something to simplify your workflow and make your life as a link builder a bit easier. With consistency and effort, you’ll see great results.
