Using Unsplash to build backlinks!
Last week I got an email from one of my newsletter subscribers, Max.
He told me about a new marketing tactic he's been trying. I was so impressed I thought I'd share it here.
Max works for a paddle board startup.
They had some nice images from photoshoots. So he made an account on Unsplash (the photo discovery platform) and uploaded them.
Five months later the images have 6M views. And 24k downloads.
Pretty neat brand awareness!
Here's where it gets interesting.
Max realised if people were downloading the images they’d also be being used on websites.
So he uploads each one to Google Images. And finds 50 websites using Tower Paddle Board photos.
Now, Unsplash images are free to use. There’s no obligation to link. But ask politely and people are happy to help.
So, Max sends the following email to each website.
So far eight have replied. And four added backlinks.
Four links isn’t exactly monumental, but as a company built through SEO, it's so critical — Max
The best part is it's sustainable.
Next month Max's images will be used on a new bunch of sites. He can send another bunch of emails. And pick up another bunch of links.
SEO is an art, not a science. Get creative!
Thanks for reading. If you found this useful maybe I can tempt you with my marketing newsletter. I share a new case study, like this one, every week.
I like this.
The more I read your stuff is the more I realize that marketers overcomplicate marketing. I mean everything is just right there in front of us.
That's so true. Trying to complicate a simple process is definitely part of the human condition!
Cheers Simbar. 100% agree :)
Harry, you always have amazing articles.
thank you. appreciate it
This is really helpful.
what a great idea for b2c
glad you like it Valerie :)
@harrydry - very cool idea. Definitely one I'd be open to testing for our brand.
Question for your friend Max.
Has he figured out a way to automate?
Meaning, if they've uploaded 50-100 photos, it seems like a lot of effort to:
Maybe that's a project/challenge for an IH dev :)
Max told me he hasn't manage to automate.
Apparently Unsplash might be building something that allows you to see where your photos are on the web.
If the tactic gets more mainstream agree there's possibility for some automation MRR
Got it, thanks! Sounds like a good challenge for an IH dev.
It would be cool if you could upload all your photos to a service, and that service would do once-a-day queries on all of them to see if they're being used anywhere.
Or, if you could grab the URL of photos you have posted somewhere, and upload other photos you don't.
From there, the service would check, and let you know where the photos exist outside of a specific exclusion list (like your own site/blog).
Then, you could just upload to Unsplash or other places, and not have to be concerned about what services you uploaded your photos to.
After that, a second stage of the service could be to auto-populate the photos to services like Unsplash, if an API existed.
Neat idea.
Another great post, thanks for sharing Harry.
'Amazing' is the word I write in the comment section to tag 'amazing posts' to read it letter. :)
hahhaha!
This feels like a thing which was always in front of us but never cared enough about.
What a tactic. Surely, would give it a try.
Wow, that's just so "common sense" but very cool!
I must admit it's just about coming up with it!
That's really smart.
Awesome idea!
Thanks for this one Harry. It reminds me @tylertringas' StoreMapper story on how a single line "built using StoreMapper" or something like that, led him to exponential growth
Cheers Leo.
ahh nice. Embeddable Content Growth Loop is the technical term. Google's clamped down now tho I believe