Brafton recently reported on the value of blogs in influencing consumers , and now, multiple reports indicate that Matt Cutts' recent talk at PubCon Las Vegas emphasized the need for marketers to put valuable links toward the top of blog posts.

Brafton recently reported on the value of blogs in influencing consumers, and now, multiple reports indicate that Matt Cutts' recent talk at PubCon Las Vegas emphasized the need for marketers to put valuable links toward the top of blog posts. (See what we did there? Click that first link to our previous article… we'll wait.)

According to Cutts, users tend to click on the first link embedded in content, and then click rates drop off the further down a link is placed within a piece. With this in mind, he advised marketers to pay attention to the first link included that is included in blogs and to make sure they place other links accordingly throughout their pieces.

For businesses, this means that linking keywords to conversion pages early on in articles could pay off. While Cutts spoke specifically to blogs, any type of content offered on a site should presumably follow this link rule.

This tip could come in handy for a number of small business owners, as website development currently dominates SMB marketing spend, according to a Zoomerang and Growbiz Media survey covered by eMarketer. The survey shows that 27 percent of SMBs spend at least 30 percent of their budgets on websites.

While 13 percent of respondents say they post a blog, 80 percent of marketers indicate that they look to provide other informational content on their sites. Well-placed links are essential to converting visitors – no matter what they're reading.
 

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.