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What if one small, free tool could earn you more backlinks, leads, and trust than months of blogging? We dive into engineering as marketing, a strategy that turns lightweight, useful tools into link magnets and lead engines, especially powerful as AI search surfaces cited, authoritative resources.

I walk through the core idea: build a free tool that solves a real problem right next to your product’s value. From HubSpot’s Website Grader to Ahrefs’ free Backlink Checker, we break down why these tools spread so fast, how they capture qualified interest, and what makes them defensible. You’ll learn the principles that matter most: tight product alignment, single-purpose scope, instant output, and honest value that earns shares without heavy gating. We also talk about how this approach fits top-of-funnel intent, attracting people who are problem-aware but not yet shopping, and why that early trust compounds into stronger SEO performance and brand recognition.

Then we get practical. I outline how to choose the right idea, avoid feature bloat, and plan a small but focused launch to trigger the first wave of links and usage. We cover lightweight promotion on LinkedIn and Twitter, tapping your network for early feedback, and using supporting content to answer questions and strengthen search visibility. The point is simple: difficulty becomes your moat—if it’s genuinely useful and hard to copy, it will keep earning attention over time.

If you’re ready to stand out from a sea of lookalike content, this is your playbook for building something people can’t wait to share. Subscribe for more SEO strategies, share this with a teammate who’s stuck on content ideas, and leave a quick review to tell me which tool you’ll build next.

SEO Is Not That Hard is hosted by Edd Dawson and brought to you by KeywordsPeopleUse.com

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"Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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