A well-rounded SEO campaign will always include a link building strategy. What is link building? I think of it as any effort you make to acquire or earn links into your site from external webpages.

Anyone who has ever built links to any site knows this can be a difficult chore. In some cases it requires relationship building, consistent/persistent follow up, creativity and a lot of time. However, you can start small. There are tried and true methods that anyone can implement to get the ball rolling. So, the idea with this post is to equip you with 3 simple ideas to help you start building inbound links today.

1. Ask for Links - This is probably the simplest and most obvious link building tactic that exists, but I wanted include it because I think too many people shy away from what could be a very valuable, juicy link! For instance, if you sell guitars and have existing relationships with vendors, other builders, musicians, etc, kindly ask them for a link! [Side Note: notice that I’m only talking about acquaintances IN the music business. It doesn’t make sense to ask for a link to your guitar site from your chiropractor's website. Spend your time reaching out to those within your niche]. Worst case scenario, they say no. Thank them for their response and move on.
2. Directory Inclusion – Now, many SEOs would say that directories are a waste of time in terms of link building, and to some extent I would agree. However, there are some directories out there worth your time and attention. Bottom line is, they’re free, painless to setup, and then there’s one other little thing…THEY PROVIDE A LINK TO YOUR SITE! So do some research. Find directories like Blogorama (that’s a freebie!) that aren’t littered with ads and spam.
3. Content Marketing – This is my absolute favorite. Content marketing! Produce content that your audience will love. Whether this is through a blog, an email newsletter or infographic, it doesn’t matter. Create something original and share it. Now, there can be some work involved in finding your audience, but keep it simple. Start with your current clients, customers, friends or family. You’ll find that over time your content will spread and your audience will grow.

Alright friends, I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. If you have any comments or questions, please add them in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.

By: Andrew Neal Jenkins - January 23, 2012