Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.
Pedro Dias: They guide their clients to create something exceptional and valuable
Jey Pandian: Outreach, depends. There are many ways to build white hat links both manually and at scale in a way that doesn`t violate Google`s TOS.
The exceptional content as Pedro said is the 2nd step. The 1st step is to identify the pain point that the content absolutely shatters.
If you can do that then outreach becomes easy as hell. If you are clever and possess mastery of advanced linking concepts and human behavior then outreach scales rapidly.
To master linking, it is worthwhile learning to understand the fundamentals and advanced theoretical constructs from the teachings of the Masters in this space.
I learned my linking craft from: RIP Eric Ward, Andy Hagans, Todd Malicoat, Michael Martinez, Eli, Quadzilla, Glen Alsopp, Rishil Lakshani and many others including non-related masters like Brian Solis, Brian Clark, Seth Godin & Eugene Schwartz.
David Harry: We don`t ... we "attract" links. We don`t `build` them.Sure we used to back in the day, but that`s pre-2010. but hey, you already know the rough framework of how I go about that.
Craig Campbell: Why are you labeling it " white hat " isnt link building just link building?
Gerry White: We are getting links not to manipulate google, but for the ‘PR’ value, we aren’t paying them for the link we are paying them for their time and we are suggesting the keyword they link to us as it helps with accessibility...
Honestly, it’s very much about pr led and not controlling...
Stuart Mackenzie: At higher levels you call it brand growth and associations, to be honest it`s all one in the same thing, it`s how you sell it, Dam sure my vocabulary for an SME owner under $500, 000 turnover a year would be a dam sight different to my dialogue with a $50 million+ turnover business director, it`s all leveraging power of other platforms for your use but the key point it "use", I could say to the sme owner "link building for local search results" is a good benefit to drive new business, whereas the Director with $50 million a year wants to be everywhere anyway meaning it`s "brand growth and awareness", exactly the same fucking thing make no mistake, but it`s about your context and for the most part your skill in adaptation to secure the deal you want while meeting client needs, just my two cents ðŸ‘
Roger Montti: Cultivating Citations
If you REALLY want to stay within Google`s guidelines, then a citation is the gold standard. A citation is a link. A citation is when a publisher independently links to your site.
Ted Rinshed: I wonder about that myself. Is going to take a lot of additional content?
Here`s what I mean.
Say you have a bunch of great skyscraper type content on your Blog page that is very good but not very well known by the public. Do you go to a HIGH DA, HIGH PA niche site that could use your content and allow them to link back to YOUR content? OR...Do you spin your article and try to make it look different than your own and allow them to use the entire article on their site? OR...Do you allow them to use the original content? Wouldn`t this duplication HURT your site?
I`ve read that Google will not penalize for duplicate content but it will choose (for you) what pages of the duplicate content it will rank, and ignore the rest.
My guess is that you need to offer original content they can directly post on their site. Thoughts?
Good subject Chase as Link building is something I`ve been putting off, and it certainly is one of the top ranking factors. I`m on Page 2-3 for a bunch of keywords and I know that my site would get a boost with more quality backlinks.
I`ve read many Brian Dean articles and he never mentions this key point.
Neil Cheesman: I wonder how much weight is given to a mention of a url/brand without a link...
Kevin Carney: Bradley Shaw You identify PR and outreach as different. How do you define their differences?
Lalit Raghav: Outreach is the best method i found in my experience.
Ammon Johns: David Harry started a discussion somewhere else recently that asked what are the biggest myths in SEO today. Among my replies were the following:
"SEO experts"
"White-hat link building"
There`s simply no such thing as either unless you take a very specific viewpoint, rather than a general and holistic one.
Given that, the only honest answer I can give is "They don`t" :)
George G.: there you go Chase https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLFlaWxgJA
Michael Martinez: Create consistently useful and interesting content without worrying about "excellence" or "quality". Peoole will naturally link to total crap if they like it. Many poorly written marketing blogs earn links from ignorant but enthusiastic readers with no outreach whatsoever. If the so-called "experts" will link to fluff then other people will too.
Mark Preston: Is there even such a thing as `white hat link building`?
Roger Montti: Come on Mark, take your thought to the logical conclusion:
Is there even such a thing as "white hat?"
;)
Michael Icon King: Paid social ads targeting bloggers and journalists for scale + targeted outreach for accuracy.
Neil Cheesman: I don`t consider myself an `seo expert` but for what it is worth, on my own niche website the only links I have paid for are in relevant directories (maybe a handful). The rest of the 1000+ referring domains have come due to onsite content (unique and not 100% unique). A strong presence on social media to help spread the word and also listed in search engine news. If relevant and of interest, it gets (diverse and organic) backlinks. I `sometimes` think, maybe I need to get some more `money links`, but then think, the site could then be `crashed` by the big G.. so I have let it be with organic links self-building.
Arthur Maldonado: link earning.
Do some piece of content that is so unique that everyone needs it.
(everyone i mean niched blogs and midia)
How do the “SEO experts†do white hat link building? 
