Yes, the rumors are true. I’ve put together the most comprehensive list of link building strategies on the Web. If there’s any post on my blog you should bookmark for future reference, this is the one. Why I created it: The best link building strategies are never found in one place, and the best lists of strategies are completely outdated. If you don’t want to click on each strategy, you can Expand/Contract All. [h=1]Estimate Time to execute 12 weeks[/h][h=3]1# Create a blog[/h][h=3]Time: 8-12 weeks[/h][h=3]Link Value: High[/h]Creating content on a consistent basis not only builds links internally (by linking out from your posts), but also gives you the ability to naturally attract links to your content. A blog is essential to many strategies I list below, such as linking out. You absolutely need a blog in today's online environment to survive. [h=3]2# Create an RSS feed[/h]Time: 1-2 weeks Link Value: High If your blog is run on any of the popular Content Management Systems, you'll already have an RSS feed. If you don't, create one. If you do, burn it at Feedburner.com so you can get statistics on your subscribers. For link building, it's simple. There are sites out there that will scrape your content (stealing it without permission). When they do, make sure you get a link back by 1) including links to other pages on your site in your posts and 2) installing the RSS footer plug-in for Word Press (adds a link to your blog after every post). [h=3]3# Interlink[/h]Time: 4-8 weeks Link Value: High You have pages and posts on your website, so make the most of them. Internal links are HUGE for link building because you can control everything about them, from the location on the page to the anchor text. This is something that most people overlook, and I advise you to please not! Make sure to steer your content in the direction of other posts or pages so you can link to them. Also, if you have multiple sites, interlinking is a must (unless they're completely irrelevant and unrelated). [h=3]4# Resources/Links pages[/h]Time: 2-4 weeks Link Value: Moderate-High Other webmasters have created links or resource pages, and these are legitimate opportunities to get links. If the links on that page are relevant, you've got a chance. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as just asking for a link. I'll go into specific strategies below that help you get webmasters liking you before you ask, because doing that greatly increases your chances of getting a link. [h=3]4# Profile links[/h]Time: 1-2 weeks Link Value: Moderate If you sign up to become a member for a site, you'll get a link in your profile. Well, not every site. Some sites will allow quality links in your profile, while others won't. Some are in the middle, such as Twitter, which gives no follow links (links that don't pass link juice). [h=3]5# Ask people you know for a link[/h]Time: 1-2 weeks, ongoing Link Value: High Whether it's your friends, relatives, employees, colleagues, business partners, clients, or anyone else, ask them for a link. Someone you know has a website or blog, so take advantage. [h=3]6# make it easy to link to you[/h]Time: 12+ weeks, ongoing Link Value: High If you want people to link to you, make it easy for them. Create HTML ready snippets that people can plug right into their content to link to you, because some linkers in your community might not be too web savvy. I suggest either creating a "Link to Us" page or by using a little JavaScript to generate the HTML at the end of each article or post. Note: this might not be the best option based on the community you're located in. Are you in the cement niche? Then this is perfect. Are you talking about Internet related business? Then this might not be your best bet, because the majority of your audience probably already knows how to link. [h=3]6# Research competitors[/h]Time: 3-4 weeks Link Value: High A large chunk of my time finding links is by looking through my competitor's link profiles. Essentially, you're piggy backing off of their success. While some links are unobtainable (i.e. a random mention in a news post), others can be diamonds in the rough (a high quality niche directory). I suggest using SEOmoz’s Open Site Explorer for this. Plug-in your competitors and export their back links to a CSV. Do this for all of your competitors so you can get all of their links in one place of an Excel. Then you can sort them by various link metrics to find the best opportunities. [h=3]7# Link out[/h]Time: 4-8 weeks Link Value: Moderate-High Linking out is huge. Don't be a link hoard; you're going to create content, so use it to gain favor with other people. I’ll go more into depth below with specific strategies on linking out. [Continue]