Interview With an Online Marketer and Link Builder

Ready for a peek around the other side of the desk?  as a blogger you are likely approached by link builders. But what do they really do on a regular basis?  This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story told anonymously, to get you closer to the truth about this line of work.

What is your job title? How many years of experience do you have in that field?

My official job title is link builder, i.e. I optimize search engine results for different websites. I have been working as a link builder for almost one year.

Would you describe what you do on a typical day?

I work from home, so after having breakfast I log in to the main dash board where I am able to view the work plan for each site I optimize. I assign, proofread and publish articles on different online magazines. Then I search for possible link partners, and send them emails asking them to place links to my sites.

What is your ethnicity? How has it hurt or helped you?

My father was a white American and my mother is a Peruvian Hispanic, therefore I consider myself a mix. As I grew up I believed this to be a negative thing, but as I have matured I’ve learned to appreciate my ability to understand both races and cultures; once I learned to embrace my background, I realized I had double the opportunities.

If you’ve experienced discrimination, in what ways have you responded and what response worked best?

Initially I felt upset whenever I felt discriminated as a Latino and tried to fight back by speaking my mind. After many years I realized the best response was to be tolerant and humble, as I was able to concentrate more on my own happiness rather than trying to change someone else’s mind.

What languages do you speak? How has speaking another language helped you?

I speak English and Spanish. After graduating college, I was asked to translate marketing material on my first internship. I realized it was something I could do easily and enjoyed; therefore, I continued writing and translating. Having done this has opened many doors in my career.

What did you learn the hard way in this job and how did that happen?

It took me a while to understand the importance of each URL. As I searched for new links throughout the web, I would place incorrect URLs on letters and/or articles, making me lose time and money.

What don’t they teach in school that would’ve been helpful to you?

Humility. It changes the entire perspective on life and work. Being humble helps me appreciate things more, as well as work harder to get things I want, as I don’t take things for granted.

How did you get started in this line of work? If you could go back and do it differently, what would you change?

I began writing and translating for different websites, which taught me the importance of the internet as an advertising channel. If I could go back in time, I would listen more to the advice of my elders and people who love me.

On a good day, when things are going well, can you give an example of something that really makes you feel good?

Seeing how my sites’ rankings are improving is rewarding.

When nothing seems to go right, what kind of snafus do you handle and what do you dislike the most?

Sometimes websites go down, either the ones I promote or the ones I partner with, and I have to look for alternatives that will help me move forward. Other than this, I dislike having to tell my boss the mistakes I made.

How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance?

I don’t find my job stressful. Working from home allows me to maximize my day depending on the different things I have to do, like pay bills, buy groceries, do exercise, take care of family, etc.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What would it take to increase that rating?

I would rate my job satisfaction to a 9 only because I enjoy writing, which I’m not able to do as much. If I were to do more research and write about what I find, I would rate my job satisfaction a 10.

What’s the most rewarding moment you’ve experienced in this position? Of all the things you’ve done at work, what are you most proud of?

Some of the websites I manage have reached the first result in Google for the keywords I have optimized. This is rewarding. The thing I am most proud of is writing an article that people like and learn from, as well as motivates them to visit the site I am promoting.

What’s the most challenging moment you’ve experienced? What would you prefer to forget?

When I initially began working I was a little confused by the new terminology related to HTML. I want to forget the times I mixed the links to the different sites I managed and how I felt when I had to tell my boss the mistakes I had done.

What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?

An understanding of HTML and how the internet works, as well as good communication skills are important as you’re always writing emails to people you don’t get to meet get face to face.

What would you tell a friend considering your line of work?

Ask them if they like to work independently and if they enjoy working with computers. I would also let them know the benefits of working from home (or any place they want).

How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?

The good thing about the job I have is that I can work from anywhere I want. Therefore I can go on vacation to where I want, take some days off and then continue to work wherever I’m at. After a couple of months, I can take some more vacation days.

Are there any common myths you want to correct about what you do?

Some people have called me a spammer for trying to find links to my sites. I don’t surf the internet looking for places where I can get free links. What I try to do is promote sites that benefit people ethically, without deceiving other people.

Does this job move your heart? If not, what does?

I find this job motivational because I promote sites that help other people find jobs. Helping others succeed and achieve their goals satisfies me.

If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?

Writing allows me to investigate and learn new things, and teaching allows me to pass on the knowledge I acquire. Therefore I would like to write about things I like and teach at the same time.

Is there anything unique about your situation that readers should know when considering your experiences or accomplishments?

I’ve worked at different places and learned a lot from each one of them. However, I always wanted a job that would allow me to travel; therefore writing worked out for me. Not being able to find a travel writer job, doing SEO work allows me to work from different places, and I am able to write about the things I want in my spare time. I consider this very important, as I don’t have to write about things I’m not passionate about.

 

Guest Bio: As told to ‘LatPro.com  Learn’ – a collection of true career stories told by Hispanic and bilingual professionals including this high school department chair.