Brandon Hopkins posted a noteworthy 66 tips on link building - complete with examples - inspired by Andy and Aaron’s 101 Link Building Tips. Of course Andy and Aaron’s post inspired a couple of my posts (part 1 and part 2) and being cheeky I thought I’d rip off some content again add my two cents to this list based on my own personal experience. I’m leaving the examples out for space consideration but they are definitely worth reviewing.

On-Site Content Creation

1. Write an authority article. (Without a doubt the best way to gain deep links.)

Cost: None

Time: Depends

Authority articles are great long-term investments. When I write for clients it is typically with the long-term view in mind and for my sites I try to balance some smaller blog posts with some authority articles. Search engines love authority articles. They tend to pick up some unique keywords even without much promotion but taking the time to get the word out can really kick things up. Authority articles tend to be long which again is a plus for the search engines. Authority articles also tend to get picked up by social bookmarking sites like Digg, reddit and del.icio.us potentially sending thousands of extra visitors your way.

2. Write great linkbait. (This is the ultimate for 2007.)

Cost: None

Time: Depends

This is great advice but… how do you do it? Pretty much everything you put on your site is (hopefully) linkbait, right? Even the site structure or design can be linkbait so this seems like a bit of a non-statement to me.

3. Use numbers in your titles. (People like numbers.)

Cost: None

Time: None

10 ways to… or whatever. Classic copywriting and very effective.

4. Spend 10 hours and put together a huge list. (The link value will be worth the effort.)

Cost: None

Time: 10 hours

Most of the best lists take more than 10 hours like the Complete Logo Design Guide or Search Ranking Factors. Of course the ranking factors list inspires another great idea - have other people spend hours writing the content so you can spend 10 (or less) hours assembling it.

5. Say nice things about people who link out. (My momma always said, “If you can’t say anything nice, you won’t get links.”)

Cost: None

Time: Almost none

This is a great tip that I have put into practice many times. But you can also take this a step further and say something nice about someone who doesn’t usually link out - they may surprise you and those links are often more valuable. Worst case scenario you make someone smile so it is always worth the “investment”.

6. Start something crazy like “Blogtipping”. (Good job Easton! Blogtipping has been around for about 6 months and has almost 200k results in Google.)

Cost: None

Time: Very little

Um… never tried this (mental note: add to list of “things to do”)

7. Offer awesome resources, free. (Everyone likes, and links to free.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

Awesome resources includes authority articles, tools, etc. If you can find someone’s pain and give them a free solution they will love you for it. Sometime your own pain is a good place to start if you are stuck for ideas.

For example, I hate writing the code to redirect/merge the www and non-www versions of the websites I build. It has to be done to avoid duplicate content penalties and get the most out of the links you pick up but it is one of those tasky things that just bugs me.

So I wrote a tool that generates the code for me. It takes less than 2 seconds to use and I’m done. I decided that because I loath writing the .htaccess canonical fix other people would enjoy a free rewrite rule generator — and they do!

8. Spellcheck everything, twice. (I plead guitly guilty.)

Cost: None

Time: Very little

Copy and paste it into Word if you have to. People want to link to sites that make them look good so spelling counts.

9. Link to others, and they’ll link back. (Most of the time right?)

Cost: None

Time: Very little

This works great. One of my favorite blog posts I’ve ever written was 11 SEO Blogs You Probably Missed. Not only did the site authors show appreciation they backed it up with links.

10. Design an award worthy blog or website. (Not just a site you like, a site everyone likes.)

Cost: Can be expensive

Time: Probably a lot

This will pick up links but I think building a site for your users instead of an awards committee is probably a better investment. Depends on the site I guess. Put another way, website awards are usually a happy side-effect of just creating a great website and not something I usually strive for.

11. Create a contest in your niche. (These don’t have to be SEO related.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

When well-managed and promoted contests can be great sources of links and traffic. Something to keep in mind is administration costs while the contest is running. I often see posts about scandals or emergency rulings that came up during the contest. Also keep in mind how you can use these links to help you with long-term benefits. You want to encourage anchor text to be related to the keywords your site is targeting more than the contest, if possible.

12. Say something stupid. (Jeremy did it best.)

Cost: Ego, possibly credibility

Time: Very little but clean-up may be a lot

Stay away from this unless you know how to spin PR. This can damage your credibility and isn’t worth the links.

13. Write a complete “How To” resource. (They get dugg frequently.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Everyone online is looking for information about how to do something.

14. Release a Firefox extension. (Make sure you support it.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

If you don’t know how to do this yourself you can hire a programmer to create it for you but the important part is support. In the last week I have encountered both a FireFox and a WordPress Plug-In that weren’t supported by the authors. Unfortunately neither one worked correctly so now I have a negative impression of these guys instead of grateful.

15. Interview your industries experts. (Make it easy and quick for them.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

This is a great idea! I have 17 SEO Interviews I conducted. To do a great interview requires a lot of research but the results are fantastic.

Off-Site Content Creation

16. Presell and content pages. (My content page on your site.)

Cost: Can be expensive

Time: Varies… could be a lot

I have not done this but my thoughts are that you need to investigate possibilities and then negotiate the price. Expect a lot of “no” answers as it is a strange request and many webmasters are suspicious of content from third parties they don’t manage themselves.

17. Write and submit articles. (Don’t forget your byline link.)

Cost: Free or varies

Time: Varies

There are free services and paid services that can help you out with this. You don’t necessarily get what you pay for so if you pay for this service make sure you do some homework to make sure you will get what you want.

18. Submit articles to specialized sites. (Big sites in your niche, ESPN, SEJ, Scrapbook.com, etc.) Sometimes these sites will pick up your article and feature your link in the byline.

Cost: None

Time: Varies

This can also give you some credibility in the industry and raise your status.

19. Write and submit a press release. (Don’t forget your byline link.)

Cost: Free to expensive

Time: Varies

Free services don’t usually move your link through but press releases are great sources of publicity. There can also be secondary links if someone covers a story in your release.

20. Offer to be a guest blogger. (Almost anyone is up for free content.)

Cost: Free

Time: Varies

I am always looking for guest bloggers at 14th Colony. If you are interested, shoot me an email. I also enjoy writing for other sites. Often you can pull traffic that converts to subscribers to your blog as well as picking up a couple links.

Spending Money to Build Links

21. Buy under the radar direct links. (You can email website owners asking to buy links.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

Buying direct links means not using a middle-man because it makes discovering those links more difficult for the search engines. Why the search engines care about this is beyond me. But because they do expect the cost to increase as Google goes after more websites that engage in these practices. More risk means more reward for the site owners. The time factor is important here as well because without the middle-man youhave to do the investigation and negotiation yourself.

22. Buy in-content links on old pages. (Ask to buy a certain word on a certain page, make it simple for the owner.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

I’ve never purchased links so I can’t comment on this.

23. Buy old sites and link to your site. (Can be expensive.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

This is something I have done, though not just for the link. Site updates and improvements should be factored into your investment.

24. Pay for a sponsored post. (I usually pay $5-50+ for a small footer link in a post.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

There are a few websites offering this including ReviewMe. Or you can contact a blog owner yourself.

25. Buy direct directory listings. (Some directories are better than others.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

Be sure to check the site out and investigate the small print. Niche directories are usually better than general ones unless you are after some of the big directories like Yahoo or business.com.

26. Pay for bulk directory submission. (You can find people willing to submit your site at forums usually for less than $20 to 400 directories.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Small

Not all directory submission services are equal. Get references to see how effective they really are.

27. Trade something for a link. (Often times you can buy an office staff pizza on Friday in exchange for a link on their website. Or maybe you can sponsor an office contest or promotion in exchange for publicity on their website.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

For web designers just lending a hand can do the trick.

28. Pay a link builder. (This will involve substantial cost and results aren’t guaranteed.)

Cost: Expensive

Time: Small

AKA hire an SEO.

29. Send your product to potential reviewers at no cost to them. (I wrote a review for a flash drive that had military grade encryption because they sent me a 512 kb model.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

I have written about the give-aways sent my way. I really appreciate them if they are quality. Sampling is an old but effective tactic.

Finding Free Links

30. Post your link in forums. (Use footer links on forums that allow links.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Check the rules of the forum out first. Getting banned won’t help your link count. Many forums require a period of time or number of posts before posting live links is allowed. Some forums have very tight restrictions on what you can link to.

31. Post your feed in forums. (Many vBulletin forums show your latest post (on your blog) by your name, in your “User CP>Options scroll down to the bottom and put your feed address in.)

Cost: None

Time: About a minute

Unfortunately the forums I frequent don’t offer this but I often highlight a recent blog post in my sig.

32. Comment on blogs. (Pick a reasonable number, and try to post that many every day.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Most blog comments are “nofollowed” but you can still pick up direct traffic.

33. Submit to generic directories. (Directories without major branding.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Many “free” directories require a reciprocal link so be sure to find out what the policies are. I’ve also noticed quite a few are “nofollowing” the free links.

34. Submit to the big free directories. (Everyone’s invited here.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Same as above.

35. Ask for a link. (You’d better have a good resource, or be the authority in your niche.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

36. Sign guestbooks. (I know this just reminds you of Geocities, but there are thousands of guestbooks on sites with PR that are abandoned. Go get yourself a free link.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

I can’t believe these things are still around!

37. Find out where your articles are shown, and offer exclusive content. (This only works when real sites, not article-only sites, pick up your article. Explain why an exclusive piece would benefit them.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

I assume this is building off of sites that publish articles you submitted. It isn’t too clear.

38. Ask friends to read a new post, and reference it if they like it. (This can go over really well if you are well connected.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Absolutely. A friend of mine referenced a post and it hit the front page of Digg!

39. Leave a testimonial. (Do it for every product you use, be specific when necessary.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Good karma but I’m not sure how effective it is for link building.

40. Support a non-profit website/company. (Make sure they have a website and will link you first.)

Cost: Can be several indirect costs

Time: A lot

This can go really well or very, very badly depending on the organization you work with. Expect bureaucracy.

41. Build a website for a non-profit organization. (I’ve built 3 non-profit websites. You might also get paid for this work.)

Cost: Can be several indirect costs

Time: A lot

See above.

42. Form partnerships with online “friends”. (I have 6 people on my gmail chat list that I chat with regularly, I don’t mind asking for a link to a new site, or a great post. In exchange, I Digg their articles, post links to their good articles, etc.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Making friends online can help a great deal. They can also help you out when times get tough or you are frustrated. My online friends are invaluable to me.

43. Create an awesome tool. (This is just one example of the many free tools out there)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

You can also hire someone to build the tool for you. As mentioned above, the canonical fix tool has picked up several great links (and is used frequently).

44. Send targeted emails. (Make sure the first email asks a question, or helps them. Then ask for a link.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

I rarely do this but it is often the best way in small niche industries.

45. Create a Del.icio.us account and start tagging. (Del.icio.us Popular Pages can send as much traffic as Digg.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Also, tag the pages that link to you…

46. Talk to manufacturers or retailers that you buy from about linking to you. (This could work with #36, leave them a testimonial.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Also talk to the people that buy from you. This is always the first tactic I suggest to clients. Try to be organized about it. Write a list of all the people you can think of and then follow up. Some of your contacts may have websites you didn’t even know about!

47. Post a listing on Craigslist. (Posts below are pretty spammy but do have links.)

Cost: None

Time: Small

This can be tough to get through and CG listings are temporary. I think there are better things to put your energy into.

48. Post a helpful post with a link at Google Groups. (Gotta love the straight html links.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

Like forums, Google Groups has it’s own culture and rules. Be sure to learn these before you start spamming up the place. Thanks to softplus for plugging this site in Google Groups.

49. Post link spam helpful posts to Yahoo! Answers. (Do they ever moderate this stuff?)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

I’ve heard great things but haven’t tried it myself (yet).

50. Join your local Chamber of Commerce. (Every city has one.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

Chamber of Commerce usually has some fees for membership along with attendence and other requirements.

51. Join the Better Business Bureau. (Join your local chapter, most have a directory of members with links.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

The BBB has been around a long time and membership there may help establish trust with your viewers encouraging conversions. But membership is not free.

52. Talk to similar but non-competing businesses offline, and ask for a link. (Explain how, by linking to you, their customers will see their site as the complete resource and are more likely to return.)

Cost: Varies, often free

Time: Varies

Talk to competing businesses too.

53. Create a free template or theme. (Wordpress or CSS/XHTML are both popular in the free template sector.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

You can also hire a designer to build this for you. This is something on my “to-do” list.

54. Review a product or service. (Bonus points if you have authority in the niche, and are one of the first to review it. Many times you’ll rank right behind the product.)

Cost: Free

Time: Varies

One of my sites gets hits for Taco Bell, Metro PCS and other well-known companies. Don’t limit yourself to reviews. Sometimes a good critique works well too but be careful not to set yourself up for litigation.

Best Practices for Gaining Links

55. Have a privacy policy. (Every reputable company does.)

Cost: Free

Time: A few minutes

You can copy and modify another site’s policy to fit your site.

56. Create a contact page. (Mine is coming…I never said I was perfect!)

Cost: Free

Time: Minutes

I don’t know how this gets links but it definitely picks up spam so be sure to protect yourself.

57. Don’t post spam content. (This includes PLR articles, only RSS feeds, or just “borrowing” content.)

Cost: Free

Time: None

People want to link to reputable sites.

58. Hire writers who are better than you. (Especially important when you have multiple sites and don’t know what to do.)

Cost: Varies, can be expensive

Time: Varies

Finding good talent to fill in the blanks is always a good idea. Sometimes a trade is better for both parties.

59. Get 1 link per domain. (Sitewide links are SOOOO 2006.)

Cost: n/a

Time: n/a

Good advice

60. Stay ahead of the curve. (You’ll get thousands of links if you have the first and oldest site about new technology.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

You can build a whole site around this. Predicting search queries is a great way to pick up links.

61. Link out, especially to blogs. (I always read people who link to me. Technorati keeps great track of who is linking to you.)

Cost: None

Time: Varies

If you use WordPress the inbound links are fed by Technorati.

62. When writing, never lose sight of the “Super Digg”, and write accordingly. (Who doesn’t love a good super digg?)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

I only know about minor Digg effects… so far.

63. Install a page translator. (Anyone have a recommendation?)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

This is not something I have tried but I have been contacted by several webmasters to reprint my articles in their native languages. So far I have had my content translated to 8 different languages and each translation sites the original source with a link.

64. Submit to a sub-category on Reddit. (Submit to the sub-cat and the homepage.)

Cost: Free

Time: A couple minutes

The more specific you are with where you submit your story the more likely it will gain traction. Also, sub-categories tend to be less competitive. This works on all social sites, not just Reddit.

65. Ping appropriate sites with every new post. (Wordpress and Typepad make this easy.)

Cost: Free

Time: A couple minutes to set up then automatic

Absolutely do this. Most of the links you pick up are temporary but they do lead to traffic and exposure.

66. Be creative when link hunting. (You’ll be getting links nobody else is even asking for.)

Cost: Varies

Time: Varies

I agree!

Thanks to Brandon for this great list and inspiring this post. If there is another article you’d like me to review just drop me a line (and why not ask for a free link while you’re at it? A new batch is coming soon!).

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