Just wanted to know how fellow webmasters pursue quality, relevant links to their sites, and what their (legitimate) strategies are.

So far the only good links I have been able to obtain are through Forum Signature links, article writing, and submitting to a few directories.

I like to find web servers with weak security systems, and edit their htm files.

Kidding. Is it the site in your signature, or a different one?

Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

I like to find web servers with weak security systems, and edit their htm files.

Kidding. Is it the site in your signature, or a different one?

For me specifically, yeah, thats the one I am currently trying to build links for.

I was just seeing if anyone had any general effective link building strategies.

Look for synergy and traffic building potential in every link. Once you understand it's all about traffic, not just links, you will make better decisions about which web sites you work with.

A simple analogy would be: if you sell shoe laces, hook up with retail web sites that sell shoes, shoe polish, shoe racks and maybe some shoe repair sites. Silly example I know, but you get the idea. It's about synergy and trading traffic.

The way i see it is if you have to do link building as part of your SEO you are doing it wrong from the ground up. Simply create something that people want to see or create a service they want to use and they will be fighting over each other to link to you.

Think about digg, slashdot or youtube. they have never done "link building". They don't need to. I understand building something on that level is hard, But creating something that is worth linking to is not that hard at lower levels.

Not every site can match that criteria, especially if you are making more then one site a week. Places that I have recieved best back links.

-Here(forum posting all over the net)
-Directories
-Article Submission/Review
-More Directories


=) This is the best way to get links.

If you can't build link worthy sites you probably shouldn't be creating one a week.

James it all starts with content. The first thing you have to do is create content that people want to link to.

Start building relationships with people. I see your site is about top 10 lists and I see a handful of categories for those lists now. Let's take humor.

Look for other people writing about humor. I feel safe saying there are hundreds if not thousands of humor blogs being written. Spend time reading some and leave comments. Build top 10 lists based on some of the things those other bloggers write about and link to them. Bloggers know who links to them. Comment and link and you'll get to know some of those bloggers. If you follow up someone's post with a post of your own linking back to the original source it's possible you'll get a link from the original author. Carry their conversation to your site.

Do you have a target market for your lists? If not figure out who would be most likely to want to read them and find out where they spend their time. Then make sure you spend time there too and let them know about your site.

The main thing though is going to be having linkworthy content. Most content isn't linkworthy even if we all believe ours is. if you want people to link to you then you need to create something they want to link to.

social network, forum signature, article

Originally Posted by stOx

If you can't build link worthy sites you probably shouldn't be creating one a week.

All of my sites are "back link" worthy...I just don't see people referring to my page unless it's in a blog post or something..I don't like to wait for the fates either...and I make every day usually this week slowed it down to do some other things.

Like I said though Blogs, Directories, Blog Directories, Forums, +++ Many other places that can help you get your back links. =)

All of my sites are "back link" worthy.

I disagree.

Originally Posted by vangogh

Most content isn't linkworthy even if we all believe ours is. if you want people to link to you then you need to create something they want to link to.

Then how are we suppose to know what exactly is linkworthy (and that they want to link to it), if we believe ours is but its really not?

Just link to other peoples content?

Try to put your keywords in the links

Originally Posted by jamestl2

Then how are we suppose to know what exactly is linkworthy (and that they want to link to it), if we believe ours is but its really not?

Just link to other peoples content?

If people link to it it's link worthy, If they don't it's not.

Originally Posted by stOx

If people link to it it's link worthy, If they don't it's not.

That sounds almost too simple

What about those sites that have tons of great content, but nobody is linking to them? (Such as newer ones)

Then their content isn't link worthy.

Originally Posted by Affnice

social network, forum signature, article

Probably about the three most useless form of link building imaginable.

James when I said most of us think our content is linkworthy even when it isn't it's because I think most of us are highly biased in favor of ourselves. For an example of someone who's completely out of touch with the quality of their content see post #10 above. My point was to take a real hard look at the content you create an be as honest as you can be. That's not always easy.

Also having link worthy content is just the start. You need it because if your content isn't worth the link you can try to spread it all you want and it won't take hold.

Step 1 is creating the content. Step 2 is getting the attention of people who are more likely to link to it. I think step 2 gets a little easier each time you successfully complete it.

Think about your content and try to identify the people that are more likely to link to it. I'm not entirely sure who that is for top 10 lists specifically. Maybe you need to look at the topics of those lists. You have humor as one of your categories. There are a lot of humor sites out there. Look for ones that typically link to other sites. Once you've found them spend time with those sites and figure out how you can build a relationship with the person or people behind that site.

If it's a blog then leave comments. Not just one or two comments, but consistently comment on the blog. And not just quick one line comments. Make intelligent comments that add something to the post. Ask questions. Do something that makes the person behind the site take notice of you and respect you. They will visit your site and they will look around.

Link to the same blogs that you're commenting on. They'll notice the links, especially if the links drive any traffic their way.

If you keep doing that and have content deserving a link you will get links.

Don't start by going after the most popular blogger or site in the industry. You'll be competing with so many other people. Pick sites that are perhaps at a similar level as you or maybe a little bit above where you are now. They'll be quicker to notice you and quicker to link to you.

As you keep doing that you'll little by little start to build traffic and attention from other similar sites. As you work your way up you can get the attention of the next higher level of site, etc.

Oh, OK
Thanks for your clarification

Glad to help.