If you’re engaged in a content marketing campaign just as a method of building links, you’re doing it wrong. Content marketing shouldn’t go out of its way to build links that point back to your site.

Content makes link building easier because content is something that a link builder can actually leverage. Let me rephrase: GOOD content is something a link builder can leverage. If you’re willingly spreading poor and irrelevant content just to get link equity, you’re part of the problem Matt Cutts railed about earlier this year. Webmasters thirst for good content, and webmasters want it because users want it.

Of course, you don’t need to give away all of your best content. A sound content marketing strategy will reserve a portion of the best content for your own domain. Like I said, users like good content: you don’t want your site to be absent of it because you gave away your best work to somebody else. This kind of content makes link building easier because quality content on your site makes it far more linkable.

A site without content does not mean it’s a bad or unlinkable site. But content is a valuable linkable asset. Your content can be a source that another authority blog could cite, and that citation may very well be in the form of a link.

The more valuable content you provide, the easier it is for links to be built. You can’t just throw something together in 30 minutes and expect a bevy of links to point your way. Bear in mind, quality content takes times and effort.

What defines quality content exactly? It varies, and technically quality is always subject to the eye of the beholder. In my mind, quality content is content that:

• Is thoroughly researched
• Clearly presents a message in crisp, commanding prose
• Targets a specific audience
• Adds value to a conversation
• Fills a content gap

Even though content often requires a hefty investment of personnel and resources, it’s worth it. The better your content is, the more likely a webmaster is to publish it. The more quality content you publish, the more links you can attract, and the easier they are to build and acquire.