Link building is an extremely important part of any online marketing campaign.  Since page rankings with the major search engines are influenced by the number, as well as the quality of links that direct traffic to your website, knowing how to formulate and execute a link building campaign is imperative. 

The first step in any link building campaign should be to make sure that links exist on sites that you already do business with.  It is usually simple to get links in such places, and they will more than likely remain there for quite an extensive amount of time.  When starting out, make sure to have links in the following places:

•   Vendors and suppliers websites.
•   Trade associations.
•   The Chamber of Commerce.
•   Friends' websites.
•   Customers' websites.
•   Trade groups and associations websites.

Once your links have been placed with the aforementioned sites, there are numerous other steps that can be taken to efficiently build links.

Directories and Verticals

If you are serious about your website, you will definitely want to have it listed in all of the major directories, and if your website is industry specific, being listed with an appropriate vertical that services your industry will be extremely valuable.  Major directories to be listed in include:

•   Yahoo
•   GoGuides
•   Joeant
•   DMOZ
•   Business

Some of these major directories charge a fee, while some are free of charge, but do take longer to list your link.  If you need to find out if your industry is serviced by a vertical, a quick search on the Internet will provide you with the answer.

How to Obtain Links

There are a variety of places, as well as ways in which to obtain links.  There always seems to be a difference of opinion among webmasters as to what works and what doesn't work when it comes to link building.  You will need to examine your specific needs, as well as what kind success you hope to have with your website in order to determine what will work for you.  Some of the ways to obtain links are as follows:

•   Unique Content-Having unique content on your site may draw webmasters who place a link to your site on theirs.  This is often referred to as a "natural link."
•   Reciprocal Links-This is simple, you trade links with another website.  This is usually only beneficial if both websites are targeting the same market, but are not in competition with one another.  This is commonly referred to as "link trading."
•   Writing Articles-Getting articles published online that you write is a great way to build links, as it affords you the opportunity to place a link to your site within the text of the article.  Hence, the more articles you write and get published, the more links you will be gaining.
•   Message Boards and Blogs- Adding a link within the signature line of posts that you make to message boards and blogs is a good way to get free advertising and build links.  However, be sure to only post on high quality sites, and only on those sites that pertain to the essence of your own websites' content.

Another way to find places for your links is to simply search for them!  There are virtually thousands of sites that will allow you to place a link for free, or for a very nominal charge.  To find these sites, use any major search engine and type in any of the following search phrases:

•   "submit a site"
•   "submit your site"
•   "submit a URL"
•   "submit your URL"
•   "list a site"
•   "add a site"
•   "add your site"
•   "add a link"
•   "add your link"

You will discover many different sites where you can add your link.  Do a bit of research, and make sure that you are placing links on quality websites that are offer relevant, authoritative information.

Since there are so many different ways to build links, you are sure to find a way that works great for you, and that will raise the ranking of your website.  Remember that it is the quality of links, and not necessarily the quantity of links that is important.