build-links

What this skill does

# Build Links

Design a targeted link acquisition campaign using asset mapping, prospect
scoring, and outreach sequence design.

## Before You Start

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. **Domain and niche.** What site needs links? What industry?
2. **Current backlink profile.** Any idea of current referring domains count, domain rating/authority?
3. **Linkable assets.** Does the site have: original research, tools, data, infographics, comprehensive guides?
4. **Budget and resources.** Can the team invest in content creation, outreach tools, or PR?
5. **Constraints.** Industries with strict link building ethics (finance, health) need extra caution.

## Domain Profile Diagnosis

Before choosing a strategy, diagnose which dimension of authority is weakest. This
determines where link building effort will have the most impact:

| Dimension | What it measures | Signs of weakness |
|-----------|-----------------|-------------------|
| **Citation** | Inbound references from quality sources | Few referring domains, low-authority linkers, no editorial links |
| **Identity** | Brand recognition and entity coherence | No branded search volume, no knowledge panel, inconsistent NAP |
| **Trust** | Legitimacy and manipulation absence | Spammy backlink profile, no HTTPS, thin content, manual actions |
| **Eminence** | Visibility and industry standing | Low organic traffic, no SERP features, no media mentions |

### Strategy by Weakness

- **Citation weakness** (few referring domains) → Prioritize volume: guest posts, resource page outreach, broken link building
- **Identity weakness** (brand not recognized) → Prioritize brand mentions: PR, Wikipedia/Wikidata, industry directories, podcast appearances
- **Trust weakness** (spammy profile) → Prioritize cleanup first (disavow toxic links), then earn editorial links from authoritative publishers
- **Eminence weakness** (no industry presence) → Prioritize thought leadership: original research, conference speaking, expert commentary for journalists

Most sites have 1-2 weak dimensions. Diagnose before prescribing.

## Link Building Strategies (Ranked by Effectiveness)

### Tier 1: High Authority, Scalable

**Original Research & Data**
- Publish original data, surveys, studies, or industry reports
- Journalists and bloggers cite original data naturally
- Works because: nobody else has this data
- Example: "We analyzed 10,000 pages and found that..."

**Free Tools & Calculators**
- Build a genuinely useful tool related to your niche
- People link to tools they use and recommend
- Works because: ongoing utility = ongoing links
- Example: ROI calculator, audit tool, template generator

**Comprehensive Guides (10x Content)**
- Create the definitive resource on a topic
- Must be genuinely better than everything else on page 1
- Works because: people link to the best resource
- Update regularly to maintain link-worthiness

### Tier 2: Targeted, Relationship-Based

**Guest Posting (Quality)**
- Write for relevant, authoritative publications in your niche
- Focus on sites your audience actually reads, not just DA
- 1 link on a relevant, authoritative site > 10 links on generic blogs
- Pitch unique angles, not rehashed content

**Resource Page Link Building**
- Find pages that curate links to resources in your niche
- Search: `[topic] + "resources"`, `[topic] + "useful links"`, `[topic] + "tools"`
- Offer your genuinely useful content for inclusion

**Broken Link Building**
- Find broken outbound links on relevant sites
- Create or identify your content that replaces the dead resource
- Contact the site: "I noticed a broken link, here's a working alternative"

### Tier 3: Community & PR

**Journalist Query Platforms (Connectively, Qwoted, Featured)**
- Monitor journalist query platforms for relevant source requests
- Provide expert quotes with credentials
- Fast response time is critical (within hours)

**Community Participation**
- Contribute genuinely to communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups)
- Share expertise, not links — links come naturally when people discover your content
- Build reputation first, then content gets shared organically

**Digital PR**
- Newsjack trending topics with data or expert commentary
- Create content tied to seasonal events or industry milestones
- Pitch to journalists with data-backed angles

## Link Quality Score (LQS)

Score each link prospect (or existing backlink) across 6 factors. Rate each 1-5:

### Factor 1: Domain Authority (25% weight)

| Score | DR/DA Range | Examples |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| 5 | DR 70+ | Major publications, NYTimes, BBC |
| 4 | DR 50-69 | Industry publications, established blogs |
| 3 | DR 30-49 | Mid-tier blogs, growing companies |
| 2 | DR 15-29 | Small blogs, newer companies |
| 1 | DR <15 | New or thin sites |

### Factor 2: Topical Relevance (25% weight)

| Score | Relevance Level |
|-------|----------------|
| 5 | Exact match — same niche, same subtopic |
| 4 | Closely related — same industry, adjacent topic |
| 3 | Broadly related — same general field |
| 2 | Tangentially related |
| 1 | Unrelated |

### Factor 3: Traffic to Linking Page (15% weight)

| Score | Monthly Traffic |
|-------|----------------|
| 5 | 10,000+ |
| 4 | 1,000-9,999 |
| 3 | 100-999 |
| 2 | 10-99 |
| 1 | <10 |

### Factor 4: Link Position (15% weight)

| Score | Position |
|-------|----------|
| 5 | In-content, editorial mention |
| 4 | In-content, contextual resources section |
| 3 | Author bio or about section |
| 2 | Sidebar or dedicated links section |
| 1 | Footer, sitewide, or hidden |

### Factor 5: Anchor Text Quality (10% weight)

| Score | Anchor Type |
|-------|-------------|
| 5 | Descriptive, natural language |
| 4 | Partial keyword match, natural |
| 3 | Brand name |
| 2 | Naked URL |
| 1 | Generic ("click here", "read more") |

### Factor 6: Follow Status (10% weight)

| Score | Status |
|-------|--------|
| 5 | Dofollow, editorial |
| 4 | Dofollow, non-editorial |
| 3 | Sponsored (rel="sponsored") |
| 2 | UGC (rel="ugc") |
| 1 | Nofollow |

### Calculating LQS

```
LQS = (Authority x 0.25) + (Relevance x 0.25) + (Traffic x 0.15)
    + (Position x 0.15) + (Anchor x 0.10) + (Follow x 0.10)
```

| LQS Range | Rating | Action |
|-----------|--------|--------|
| 4.0-5.0 | Premium link | High priority — pursue aggressively |
| 2.5-3.9 | Acceptable link | Worth pursuing if outreach effort is low |
| 1.0-2.4 | Low quality | Skip — or review for risk if it's an existing backlink |

### Link Profile Health Benchmarks

Use these to assess the overall backlink profile:

| Metric | Healthy | Warning | Critical |
|--------|---------|---------|----------|
| Dofollow ratio | 60-80% | >90% | >95% |
| Exact match anchor % | <15% | 15-25% | >25% |
| Brand anchor % | 25-45% | <15% | <5% |
| Toxic link % | <5% | 5-10% | >10% |
| Average linking DR | 25+ | 15-25 | <15 |

## Outreach Template Framework

**Do NOT use generic templates.** Personalize every email. But here's the structure:

### First Touch
1. **Personal hook** — reference something specific about their content (a post you liked, a point you agree with)
2. **Value proposition** — what you're offering (not asking for)
3. **The asset** — link to your content with a one-sentence description
4. **Soft ask** — "thought you might find this useful for your readers" (not "can you link to me?")

### Follow-Up (5-7 days later)
- Brief, adds new value (new data point, related resource)
- One follow-up maximum. Two is acceptable if the first was missed. Three is spam.

### What NOT to Do
- Mass-send identical emails
- Lead with "I'd like a backlink"
- Offer to pay for links (violates Google guidelines)
- Use fake compliments or AI-generated personalization that's obviously generic
- Send more than 2 follow-ups

## Campaign Tracking

Track outreach in a simple table:

| Prospect | URL | Score | Strategy | Status | Date Sent | Response | Link Live? |
|----------|-----|-------|----------|--------|-----------|----------|----