Dixon Jones Talks About Link Building Strategies & Link Analysis

“SEO is only ten percent doing things that are great and ninety percent waiting.” 🔗

At SMXL Milan, I spoke with Dixon Jones, brand ambassador for Majestic, about link intelligence, page-level authority and how to prioritize SEO work. 🎙️

📊 In this episode, we unpacked:

• 🧭 More than a link-building tool
• 🎯 Find links with Clique Hunter
• 📄 Authority is page-level
• 🧑‍🔬 E-A-T and the user journey
• 💡 The USP is the top factor
• 🧮 Stop chasing updates; prioritize

🎥 Watch the full episode:

🧭 More Than a Link-Building Tool

Dixon had been involved with Majestic for nearly 10 years, watching it grow from a bedroom business into what he called probably the biggest link index in the world. Its data even feeds into SEMrush’s link audit tool, so it doesn’t just compete with all-in-one suites. 🧭

The biggest mistake is thinking Majestic is only for link building. Every page on the web has Trust Flow and Citation Flow, built from link equity rather than traffic estimates. Citation Flow is a good proxy for original PageRank, Trust Flow is better, and Topical Trust Flow better still, for up to 10,000 pages at a time. For my own link tips, read my expired domains and backlinks tips. 🔗

🎯 Find Links With Clique Hunter

For a new site with few links, take the top 10 pages ranking for your keyword and put them into the Clique Hunter tool. It shows sites linking to several competitors but not to you. 🎯

Those are the links influencing that search result, which turns “where do I get a link?” into a short list. A friend from the early days of search put it simply: get the 10 sites ranking for “cheap hotels” to link to you, and you win. If competitors link to you, you’re the best in your game. For more, read Wil Reynolds’s interview. 🔗

📄 Authority Is Page-Level

Experts who say a Forbes link automatically lifts you are wrong. Link equity comes at the page level, not the domain level. A Forbes homepage link differs from an inner-page link, and it depends whether Forbes links internally to that article. You can help by building links to the article yourself. 📄

Asked why some sites with low DA rank anyway, he said domain authority doesn’t exist; page authority does. Some hide links behind private blog networks that block tool bots. More often, strong internal linking passes power to pages tools show without links. Links are only one factor, though they’re hard to manipulate, so ranking without any is hard but not impossible. For a veteran view, read Bill Slawski’s interview. 🔗

🧑‍🔬 E-A-T and the User Journey

E-A-T (expertise, authority, trust) means it’s not just where an article appears but who wrote it. A non-expert writing on Forbes may not be worth much. 🧑‍🔬

Google said it wants to help users along their journey. The customer may research a screen for an expo and buy it on Amazon without visiting the maker’s site. SEOs must understand that journey and influence it, even without clicks to the site.

💡 The USP Is the Top Factor

Asked for the number one ranking factor for “how to lose weight”, Dixon said it depends on who already ranks. A new brand needs a new angle: a unique selling point no one else can claim. 💡

Find a narrow slice where you can be number one on day one, then widen it. Links, content and influencers matter, but no single factor is enough. For a growth hacker’s view, read Hendrik Lennarz’s interview. 🔗

🧮 Stop Chasing Updates; Prioritize

He enjoys Barry Schwartz’s coverage, but warned against panicking over every update. A CNN report showed Google running constant A/B tests and making several changes a day, many tiny. Early SEO wins delight clients; then you’ve done the easy stuff and mostly wait. 🧮

He tries to avoid PPC himself, but agreed with Wil Reynolds that PPC data can powerfully inform SEO. Most importantly, spend 20 minutes listing your possible tasks in a spreadsheet with time and impact, then do the one with the biggest bang for the buck, not the one you just heard about.

📝 Key Takeaways From the Dixon Jones Interview

• 🧭 Use link data for more than link building
• 🎯 Target links shared by top competitors
• 📄 Authority lives at the page level
• 💡 A clear USP beats any single factor
• 🧮 Prioritize tasks by impact versus time

❓ FAQs About Dixon Jones

What are Trust Flow and Citation Flow?

Majestic metrics built from link equity: Citation Flow approximates PageRank and Trust Flow measures trust.

Is a link from Forbes always powerful?

No. Dixon says link equity is page-level, so it depends on the linking page and Forbes’s internal links.

What is the number one ranking factor?

Dixon says no single factor; for a new brand, a unique selling point matters most.

🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love

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• Matthew Woodward Live Interview At AWA Asia Bangkok About SEO
• Oli Gardner Unbounce Co-Founder Shares Best Landing Page Optimization Tricks
• Brian Michitti Sedo Domain Broker Interview at Domainfest 2015

Which link tactic has worked best for you? Tell me in the comments. 💬

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