Growth Hacks to Effectively and Efficiently Grow a Startup

What We Discussed

1. The Three Pillars of SEO: Hamlet explains how content, technical optimization, and backlinks work together to create a balanced and effective SEO strategy.
2. Rethinking Link Building: Why outdated, mass outreach approaches fail and how trust-driven, relationship-based link building creates lasting success.
3. Creating Story-Driven Content: The power of storytelling in gaining PR, engaging audiences, and attracting backlinks through compelling narratives.
4. Case Study: Camino Financial: How focusing on a specific underbanked audience and telling an authentic founder story helped this startup secure significant PR and backlinks.
5. Building Organic Partnerships: Why forming genuine, mutually beneficial relationships with other websites and brands is critical for long-term SEO success.
6. Quality over Quantity in Backlinks: Hamlet highlights the importance of focusing on fewer, high-quality backlinks rather than pursuing sheer numbers.
7. Transparency in Marketing: Why ethical and transparent outreach strategies build trust with partners and deliver better long-term results.

The Three Pillars of SEO

Hamlet emphasizes that a successful SEO strategy is built on three interconnected pillars:

1. Content: High-quality content is the foundation of SEO. It needs to demonstrate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) to rank well and resonate with audiences. This means creating content that solves problems, answers questions, or provides meaningful insights.
2. Technical Optimization: The usability and performance of your website are crucial. Factors like fast load times, mobile optimization, and Google’s Core Web Vitals standards ensure a seamless user experience that search engines reward.
3. Backlinks: Earning backlinks from relevant, trustworthy websites signals to search engines that your content is credible and valuable. These links act as votes of confidence that help improve your domain authority and rankings.

Rethinking Link Building: Focus on Relationships, Not Spam

Hamlet challenges the traditional approach to link building, which often involves spamming websites with mass outreach or purchasing low-quality backlinks. Instead, he advocates for a relationship-driven model:

• Quality over Quantity: Rather than chasing hundreds of backlinks, focus on forming meaningful connections with 30-50 high-quality websites within your industry. These links hold more value and drive better results.
• Collaborative Partnerships: Build relationships by collaborating on content creation, sharing data, or co-authoring articles that bring value to both parties. This fosters trust and long-term benefits for everyone involved.
• PR and SEO Integration: Hamlet highlights how blending public relations and link building can help you gain visibility and credibility. By positioning your brand as a thought leader, you naturally attract backlinks and attention.

Creating Story-Driven Content to Attract PR and Backlinks

Storytelling is a powerful tool for building connections and gaining attention. Hamlet explains that businesses should focus on their unique stories to stand out:

• Define What Makes You Different: Identify your unique value in the marketplace. What problems are you solving, and why should people care about your brand?
• Share Origin Stories: Sharing personal or company origin stories makes your brand relatable and inspires journalists, bloggers, and readers to engage with your content.
• Example – Camino Financial: Hamlet shares how this startup gained PR by focusing on the underbanked Latino community and telling the story of its founders, whose personal experiences inspired them to solve this problem.

Building Organic Partnerships for SEO Success

Hamlet emphasizes that trust is the foundation of successful link-building partnerships. Instead of treating link building as a transactional process, focus on creating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships:

• Seek Relevant Partners: Identify websites and organizations that are active in your industry and align with your goals. This ensures that backlinks are contextually relevant and valuable.
• Collaborate on High-Value Content: Work with partners to create articles, case studies, or reports that benefit both parties and add value to their audiences.
• Build Trust Over Time: Focus on relationship-building rather than short-term wins. Follow potential partners on social media, engage with their content, and nurture the relationship before making direct asks.

Key Takeaways for Founders

1. Balance All Three SEO Pillars: Ensure that your SEO strategy addresses content quality, technical optimization, and backlinks equally to maximize results.
2. Focus on Relationships: Link building isn’t about volume—it’s about forming meaningful, trust-driven partnerships that provide mutual benefits.
3. Tell Compelling Stories: Use authentic and impactful storytelling to attract PR, backlinks, and audience engagement.
4. Prioritize Quality Backlinks: High-quality links from relevant, authoritative websites are far more valuable than large quantities of low-quality links.
5. Be Transparent and Ethical: Building trust with partners through ethical outreach and transparency creates sustainable, long-term success.

Final Thoughts

SEO success is no longer about quick fixes or mass outreach. Instead, it’s about taking a thoughtful and ethical approach to content creation, link building, and partnerships.

By focusing on building relationships, telling authentic stories, and balancing all aspects of SEO, businesses can create a strong foundation for long-term growth and visibility.

Key Takeaways

1:10 – Introduction

3:35 – Organic Partnership Building for Marketing Agencies

6:27 – Tips for Writing Stories that Attract Readers

10:40 – Tools for Startups

22:50 – Pricing Strategies for Startup Growth Hacks