Spring 2010

Welcome to my purposely low-tech web site.  I don't feel the need to impress you with fancy graphics, charts, flash, or other things that distract from why you came here.  Through EricWard.com I offer several highly specialized and effective link building and link marketing services, including content publicity services and training, all of which are designed to help attract and earn trustworthy merit-based inbound links to your high quality web content. 

My expertise is and always has been links. I started the Web's first link building service almost 15 years ago, and have spent my days learning as much as I can about the many ways web content gets discovered, publicized, and linked to. I can say with confidence that I understand the nuances of online publicity and link development as well as anyone in the world. I've created my own set of linking analytics tools which I do not sell or share.  All my services are 100% white hat, and always have been.  That's why Matt Cutt's of Google was willing to give me the quote you see at the top of this page.  I don't chase rank.  Rank is earned, via quality content and quality links. 

Below is a summary of the content publicity and link building services I offer

- Link building strategy session and proprietary Competitive Linking Analytics ($2500)
- Complete link building and publicity campaign for new site (varies)
- Link Bait Consulting / Link Bait Strategy ($2500)
- Creation of custom link marketing and content publicity plan ($5000)
- Existing site link building (varies)
- Coaching and training by the hour
- Link Building Boot Camp ($7500)
- URLwire Site Announcement Network ($495)

The services I choose to offer are not designed to fool search engines. My services are designed to help your site achieve an inbound link profile (IBLP) that is logical, natural, and genuine.  Using the approach I've been practicing and perfecting for years does have the residual effect of improved search rank, but that's not the sole purpose of link building. It's simply that the search engines reward a site for having trustworthy inbound links with higher rankings. 

Each project I work on is unique, and requires a custom approach. Some are brand new launches with zero inbound links, others are sites that have been around for years that have many links already...others are launching new sections, or simply relaunching existing content.  Some clients want me to handle all aspects of their link building activities, while others want to do it themselves with my guidance along the way.  So, I evaluate each site/project individually, and based on this evaluation, I send you a custom proposal designed for you, and your site. 

Private Linking Strategy Session and Competitive Linking Audit (includes two hours by phone)
Fee is $2500. We begin with a phone call where I ask a series of pertinent questions about your site and your competitors.  I'll then use proprietary tools to conduct an in-depth site analysis and competitive link audit.  I'll use the results to create two reports. I'll send the above reports to you via email, and once you've had a chance to look them over, we then have another longer phone call (90 minutes) where we discuss the findings and recommendations.  I purposely design this service so that you can take my reports and strategies and implement them in house without having to hire me to do it.  The session isn't a hook to get you to buy more services from me. 
Learn more about and/or request the $2500 Linking Strategy Session here

Complete link building & publicity campaign for new site
You have a brand new site that's never been launched, at a brand new URL. NetPOST is the brand name for my content announcement and white hat linking campaigns for new sites, launching for the first time.  I've offered this service since 1993. In a nutshell, I'll announce your web content to the most targeted, logical and appropriate online venues that will result in new inbound links to your content, based on your content's subject matter, without requiring a reciprocal link in return. Fees are project specific, meaning I'll send you a custom proposal with exact cost. Fees typically range from $15,000 for a three month linking and announcement campaign up to $50,000 for year round services. An in-depth description of the NetPOST service can be read here.

Link Bait Strategies, Consulting, and Linkbait Feasibility Analysis 
I was involved with concepting and promoting several of the most successful examples of content (aka link bait) ever.  Like Windows Media Player. Like The Weather Channel's Weather on your Site, like AMCTV's Monsterfest, like Schering-Plough's Hepatitis C Infocenter. That's high quality content and if you want to call it linkbait, fine.  More recently I helped publicize the new Children's Hospital Boston Virtual Stem Cell Laboratory.  So let me use my experience to perform a link bait audit to determine what role link baiting ought to play in your online marketing strategy.  I'll concept with you what your linkbait could/should be, and once you create it, I'll announce it as only I can. 
Fee $2500 Learn more here.

Create Custom Link Marketing and Content Publicity Strategic Plan
You have a site and are comfortable doing the work, you just need some direction. The Content Publicity Strategic Plan is the most complete online awareness building plan for your web content that can be done. I know this to be true because I've been doing them and perfecting them for eleven years, for content from sites including Discovery.com, PBS.org, AMCtv.com, Weather.com, Travel Channel, Law.com, WarnerBros, Paramount, Yahoo (yes, Yahoo) and hundreds of others over the years.  Part linking and part public relations, the Content Publicity Strategic Plan picks up where link building ultimately fails. I research, identify, evaluate, and create for you a private and 100% custom list of subject specific and topically relevant online venues that can be contacted to generate awareness, links to, and publicity for your content/site.  From vertical engines and portals to the niche-iest blogs and discussion lists, I'll create a linking roadmap with hundreds of target sites you can pursue for publicity and links. 
Fee $5000 Learn more here.

Existing site link building
You have a site already, but have never really conducted a focused in-depth linking campaign for it.  You have several competitors with web sites, and feel you could be better linked than you are, and you want to maximize links the right way without antagonizing the engines. 
Fees vary

Coaching and training
Happy to.  Training is my favorite activity. 
Learn more about my coaching and training services here.

Link Building Boot Camp (30 days)
My month long combined link building and training service, where I teach you one on one the process I use. We have meetings by phone each week. Learn more about my Link Building Boot Camp here.

Site announcements / editorial publicity
URLwire is a web site announcement network I started back in the early nineties as a way to help Jeff Bezos announce the debut of Amazon.com. I created URLwire because mass wire services like PR Newswire or PRWeb do not and cannot reach the key online contacts who specifically write about, review, and link to new web content. I know this is so because I also happen write about and review web sites for several publications and the DMOZ directory. I created URLwire for people like Yahoo Picks of the Day/Week, Forbes Best of The Web, USA Today Web Guide/Hot Sites, The Scout Report, Netsurfer Digest, and the thousands of other publications that need to know about new web sites. 
Fee $495 Learn more about the URLwire News Network at URLwire.com.

RSS feed awareness and link building
You have feeds and/or podcasts, but nobody knows about them. I offer services to make sure your feeds are seeded into the most potent feed engines and directories, as well as announced to the key people that follow such things. 
Fees vary. Learn more about FeedSeed

The Ward Report : Link Building and Content Publicity Tactics
A monthly strategic "how-to" report on the art of link building and publicity for web content. Called "The Ward Report", it includes commentary on the latest trends and news, practices to avoid and a "what works" section that includes proven steps to successful link building and online publicity, all based on what I've learned during the nearly 15 years I've been doing it. Learn more about the Ward Report

Eric is one of the 25 people profiled in the new book Online Marketing Heroes, from Wiley & Sons, Inc. Written by Michael Miller, the book focuses on today's most successful online marketers, with up-to-date information and advice on current online marketing trends.
ISBN: 978-0-470-24204-9
Hardcover | learn more

Those who want the job done right by the best in the business flock to Eric Ward and count themselves lucky that the maestro isn't booked into the next millennium
— Jim Sterne, Inc. magazine

Eric is a promotion and link  building guru with contacts that would make the New York Times envious
— Rand Fishkin, seomoz.org
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I can personally testify that working with Eric is exceptional. He sets a very high standard and you can tell he truly enjoys his work 
— Lee Odden, Online Marketing Blog
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Eric Ward is THE authority on links
— Danny Sullivan, SearchEngineLand.com
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Those who value time and want the job done right by the best in the business flock to Eric Ward and count themselves lucky that the maestro isn't booked into the next millennium
—Jim Sterne, Inc. magazine
 

hi eric  - i will create a category for web promotion and place you in it.
— jerry yang, yahoo, Dec, 1994 - read the full email
 

Eric offered incredibly effective link building services and that was instrumental in making ArtNexus.com the leading Latin American art magazine. He is the most effective
link-builder on the planet. I'd recommend him strongly to anyone who has an important story  to tell online” 
— Mike Freedman, ArtNexus.com 
 

That's not intended to be harsh, it's just the reality of becoming one of the most respected link builders on the web.  I'm swamped.  Once you are a client you'll get a private IM and email address to use to reach me any time you need me.

Why I'm different... 
I believe in my expertise, methodology and approach strongly enough that if after we are through you don't think it was worth it, I'll send the fees back. 

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