How to Explode Your Backlinks and Clients Using Social Proof (Even If Starting From Zero)

E726: How to consistently earn backlinks and attract new clients by building visible credibility - even if you're just getting started and have no existing reputation.

The episode breaks down a real example from James Reynolds, the founder of SEO Sherpa, an SEO agency that grew from zero to eight figures in revenue. He used a structured, repeatable process to build perceived authority from the ground up. That credibility made it easier to get speaking opportunities, podcast invites, mentions in articles, and referrals - all of which led to more backlinks and client inquiries.

You’ll learn: - Why social proof makes people more likely to link to you or hire you - How to start getting invited to speak at events, even if you're unknown - What to include in your speaker pitch to increase acceptance rates - How to use each small success (like a quote or event) to unlock the next one - A simple method to get included in articles and expert roundups - How podcast appearances can build trust and help with SEO - How to create assets (like research reports) that influencers want to share - How to position yourself as an expert, even if you feel like an imposter - Why “looking credible” matters more than being known in your industry - How to increase your success rate on HARO and similar platforms - What makes people more likely to include your link in their content - How to share your progress and where to do it

This isn’t about shortcuts or hype - it’s about using simple steps to gradually build real trust, which leads to long-term growth in backlinks, visibility, and clients.

This approach works whether you're a business owner, freelancer, agency owner, or in-house marketer - and whether you’re new to the field or looking to break into a more competitive space.

If you enjoy practical, story-driven examples of marketing and SEO strategy, you’ll find a lot of value here.

⭐️ How to Grow an SEO Agency from $0 to 8 Figures (with Lessons from 21 SEO Experiments) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC5i2M6TYC0

⭐️ Manufacturing Social Proof to Build an 8-Figure Business - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/manufacturing-social-proof-build-an-8-figure-business/

⭐️ 21 SEO Experiments - https://seosherpa.com/seo-experiments/

⭐️ How to Get On Podcasts as a Guest in 2025: The Easy Way - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/get-on-podcasts-as-guest-2025/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Why Social Proof Matters 02:04 Case Study 03:03 Step-by-Step Guide to Building Social Proof 05:40 Leveraging Speaking Engagements for Growth 08:02 The Power of Influencer Collaboration 11:52 Getting Started: Practical Tips and Tools 14:41 Conclusion and Additional Resources

The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#linkbuilding #backlinks #socialengineering #searchengineoptimization