Amazing technique to get FREE .edu backlinks that is 100% ethical

One of the most interesting link development techniques unveiled itself to me today. Some link developers and SEOs might be a little upset at me for not keeping the technique for my own personal gain, but in my mind, I felt I should share it with the SEO community.

If you didn’t know, .edu backlinks are coveted due to the high trust rank they hold with Google. Most .edu sites have quality inbound links and have been online for years and years, not to mention they are a credible source of information for search engines and communities. At SEOmoz, Rand Fishkin discusses his page strength tool that measures .edu links and assigns a particular value to how many you have coming into your site. It is safe to say that a .edu link is a powerful asset for your business’ standing in search engines.

This is why text link brokers sell text link ads on .edu links; you may have heard about .edu link campaigns, in which link developers acquire links on .edu links by way of a presale page or purchasing a student page and placing a link on it. These methods are old, out-dated, time consuming and unreliable, not to mention a site can be reported for selling links and students can remove your link at any time.

The following image is of a Google search of a drug called Cialis. These Internet marketers have used a .edu link to rank on the top page of Google against many competitors. Although this technique is not one that we suggest (it’s a bit spammy), this example shows the power behind a .edu link.

We recently wrote a post on Gregory Ward asking for bloggers for a new project. After some thought, the idea of job postings presented itself; the type used by large corporations on Monster.com and SimplyHired.com. Well, what if we posted a job application for college students on an .edu? What would happen? Is it possible and would it be SEO friendly?

Below is an image of a .edu link that allowed a job position currently available in their system.

As you can see, our URL is currently listed on the site and is relevant to job searchers. In this page’s source code, you’ll notice a friendly SEO link. Don’t get crazy with this and please do not spam these engines. We do not condone or promote spam, however we advise this technique for sites just starting out and looking for additional help in the office. Simply put out an ad next time on a local university’s hiring board.

This technique can be incorporated into your link development campaigns naturally and ethically and most importantly, can have a huge impact on your SERP results.