Category: Technology Author : Duncan Riley Posted: June 11, 2008
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How Did Zillow Get To The Top Besides $87m In VC? They Ask For Links

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Perhaps I should have linked, and usually I would, but certainly with large sites with heaps of funding that don’t need a leg up and where they aren’t the focus of the story, sometimes I forget to link. But something is strange when a company with the standing of Zillow sends requests like this.

From my inbox (and via the contact form here on the Inquisitr):

Hello The Inquisitr,

You are being contacted via The Inquisitr by whitney tyner. whitney tyner has provided the following information so you may contact them:

Email: xxxxxx
Phone: 206-757-XXXX
Website: www.zillow.com
Subject: Report an issue

Message:
Hello,

Zillow was very pleased to be mentioned in “Stealth Startup Glassdoor.com Launches: Employment Conditions ” on June 11. If possible, we would greatly appreciate a hypertext link to our website, www.zillow.com.

The article can be found at:

http://www.inquisitr.com/stealth-startup-glassdoor-launches-employment-conditions

If you have any questions or are not the best person to direct this inquiry towards, please let me know. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Whitney

If this had come from a small startup or website operator, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. A broadscale SEO strategy perhaps?



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  • June 11, 2008 at 6:17 pm AJ Kohn
    Quick search shows she's likely an employee and doing the linkbuilding legwork to produce SEO results. Good practice, though I'd prefer a bit more of a personal touch in the email myself.
  • June 11, 2008 at 6:40 pm Charlie Anzman
    Might have something to do with the fact that after leaving Google, Vanessa Fox worked there for a while. Not implying pulled strings. If anyone knows how to get to the top, she does. BTW - Those letters are automated. Lots of programs to do it.
  • June 11, 2008 at 6:42 pm Duncan Riley
    I didn't know Vanessa was there at one stage...would explain a lot.
  • June 11, 2008 at 6:45 pm Charlie Anzman
    For quite a while, then went onto speaking, search engine land, and resident at Ignition Partners. One of the few .... I read almost everything she writes (See Charlie's blogroll :)
  • June 11, 2008 at 6:53 pm AJ Kohn
    @Charlie: are you talking an end-to-end program? (e.g. - ID link prospects, get contact info, send dynamic generated email.) I've never seen one do it that well. Portions of it yes, but the total package, not so much. If you know one, give me a holler.
  • June 11, 2008 at 7:05 pm Charlie Anzman
    AJ - I don't use the technique anymore because I always felt it was borderline. There are plenty of ways to get real, relevant links. So, I'm a little out of touch ... but did test a few several years back (I don't remember the names) that had almost everything built in. Kinda spoils the fun :)
  • June 11, 2008 at 7:10 pm AJ Kohn
    @Charlie: Interesting. I always recommend doing it far more manually. It's relationship building really, not drive-by linking. And I'd rather have quality links (being in the right neighborhood is how I put it) over quantity. (Though both are even better!)

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