Building backlinks to your blog/site is crucial in achieving, maintaining, and improving your search engine rankings. For those who don’t know already know, a backlink to your site is like a vote. Not all votes are equal, and the same rings true for Backlinks, but we can all agree that attaining more Backlinks (healthy ones) is a key integral part of your website and it’s rankings. Having said that, the question I get the most, and one I see often asked in forums and other SEO blogs is, “How can I get more backlinks?”.

While some of us may take it for granted the fact that getting backlinks is easy as pie – most new webmasters and bloggers are still overwhelmed with the fact that not only do they have continually add fresh content, but they also have to work on getting more backlinks! Below is a list that I put together that is more of a brainstorm session than anything – and keep in mind, some of these methods are ways of getting more exposure for your site that have the possibility of leading to links. I hope you find it useful, and if I forgot anything, feel free to leave it in the comments.

100 Ways To Get Backlinks:

1. Create viral linkbait if you use wordpress.
2. Write and give away a free ebook.
3. Write a pillar (authority) article.
4. Create a numbers list (10 ways to xxx, 20 different xxxx).
5. Hold a contest, and require that they link back to you for an entry.
6. Send off interview templates to big bloggers, and post up completed interviews.
7. Create a WordPress plugin.
8. Design a hot WordPress theme, and distribute it for free, requiring they keep your link in the footer.
9. Create controversy (be careful and don’t get into something you can’t handle)
10. Find a scammer/shady website or blogger, and make the world known about it.
11. Submit a press release about your new product or news.
12. Submit your site to free directories (careful, only SEO friendly ones)
13. Submit your site to paid directories (dmoz(kidding!), yahoo, alive)
14. Submit articles to article directories.
15. Submit posts to blog carnivals.
16. Email a webmaster, and ask for a link.
17. Offer to buy a one way link from another relevant website (keep this on the DL)
18. Send unsolicited, yet awesome articles to other bloggers to reference or post
19. Let your networked friends know that you’ll do reviews and testimonials.
20. Buy reviews on pay-per-post or a similar service.
21. Get on the Digg front page (and watch your server melt).
22. Exchange Stumbles on popular webmaster forums.
23. Submit to Del.icio.us
24. Answer a question on Yahoo Answers and reference your site.
25. Pick a hot ebook or software program and review it for free.
26. If you get paid for a review – make it a great one, and you’ll get a link back.
27. Don’t be afraid to link out – share the link love (just don’t get too spammy)
28. Be the first to report breaking news (hard, but very effective)
29. Review a semi-popular tech gadget.
30. Review stuff on Amazon, and put your link in your profile
31. Create a Linked-In page, and make sure to put your link on it.
32. Speaking of that, do the same for Facebook, Myspace, and others..
33. Hire good writers to pump out quality content.
34. Join all applicable Chamber of Commerce’s’ in your area for free links
35. Join the BBB (Better Business Bureau) for a free link.
36. Post a bulletin in your Myspace account about your new site.
37. Throw a relevant link in a Craigslist ad.
38. Create your own SEO tool.
39. Buy TV air time on a small station flashing your URL.
40. Buy Radio time for a short commercial spamming your URL.
41. Put bumper stickers on your car with your link on it.
42. Look for older, higher PR sites with Guestbooks, and sign them! Easy links.
43. Comment on Do-Follow blogs (meaning the link in your comment will be followed by a spider)
44. Post your link in forums, and your forum signature.
45. Don’t forget to link from some of your older, more established sites.
46. Buy post level links from other bloggers/webmasters. (usually cheap)
47. Don’t be afraid to ask for links, you just never know!
48. Do pro-bono work for a non-profit, and they may link to you.
49. Offer to be a guest blogger or regular contributor on a bigger blog.
50. Apply to about.com for a topic that you can write about.
51. Sell items on ebay and agree to donate proceeds to charity – they will link to you.
52. Hire someone from a webmaster forum to submit links for you.
53. Trade articles with industry related webmasters
54. Rewrite old content they may have been buried to fast…breath new life.
55. Find out about getting a link on your local libraries website.
56. Launch an affiliate program for your site, ebook, or product.
57. Technorati tag all of your posts for good Technorati exposure.
58. Take advantage of “old world media” (newspapers, magazines)
59. Rent links from Text-Link-Ads or similar service (careful with this one!)
60. If you have the ability, create a Firefox extension and release it.
61. Answer questions on Google Groups and link if necessary.
62. Call in to a radio show and shamelessly plug your site!
63. A good PPC campaign can draw exposure which could = links.
64. Head over to the slums (chat rooms) and mention your site if appropriate.
65. Create a controversial political cartoon and get it some attention.
66. Most local Fox sites have a blogging community you can tap into.
67. Hire someone to do everything in this list. Outsourcing is cheap and fun.
68. Get business cards, and distribute the hell out of them for exposure.
69. Drop your link on Xbox live.
70. Mention your link when you’re playing online PC games.
71. Donate a larger sum of money to a small charity in exchange for a link.
72. If you’re in school, put your link on your college website (even sneak it in for a free .edu backlink – lol)
73. If you have family friendly content, get a link from your Church’s website.
74. Set up a Squidoo lens with good content, and link to your site from it.
75. Sponsor an event or a big contest – trust me, lots of link love there.
76. Enter all the group writing projects you can find – good links.
77. Start a community helpful website, and get on the local news – they love it.
78. Submit to RSS feed sites – hopefully they’ll link back.
79. Make sure to take advantage of trackbacks when linking out to other blogs.
80. Set up an award system on your site, and have readers vote on best site.
81. Speaking of that, enter all the award sites you can.
82. Make a super crazy viral type video, and get it on Youtube.
83. Start a podcasting series, and build an audience, they’ll link to you.
84. Write a heavily opinionated piece to get people talking.
85. Retain a real linkbaiting service. (There are a few out there, but $$$)
86. Hire an actual real life publicist for your site (if you can justify it)
87. Help with an up and coming web 2.0 project for more exposure.
88. Start a content writing service website, and have clients link to you for a discount.
89. Crack the top 100 in Technorati, or create the largest MyBlogLog community.
90. Go old school and trade links with other relevant sites.
91. Check who links to your competitors, and get links from them!
92. Provide a ***y “link to me” button or banner, and people will use it, for real.
93. Create a good Facebook app, and if it’s really good, the links will pour in.
94. Review bands, local restaurants, and small shops and get links on their sites in return for the exposure.
95. Speaking of that, sponsor a hot local band’s show one night with big flashy banners with your link on it (in the background)
96. When Hannah Montana comes to town, buy up some tickets, offer them on your site as prizes. Local news stations and papers will eat it up alive.
97. Sue Yahoo, Google, or whoever, and you’ll get plenty of publicity – lol
98. Answer all of your emails promptly and professionally. People love that, and will link to you and let everyone know how swell you are.
99. Create a thorough walk through on a game or even an electronic device. People love that stuff!
100. Network with like-minded individuals offline. Talk to them about tossing your link up on their site.
101. Write about the hottest celebrities, and make it unique. People love Hollywood.
102. Create your own Wiki page (it’s nofollow, but could lead to natural links)
103. Create your own training program for your field of interest.
104. Offer an on-page language translator to reach out to other countries, which can lead to new links

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