| name | link-building-plan |
| description | Designs link building strategies with outreach templates, target site lists, and content-based link earning tactics. Use when you need to improve domain authority. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Link Building Plan
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Build a link building strategy to improve domain authority and rankings
- Create outreach email templates for link acquisition
- Identify link building tactics appropriate for your niche and resources
- Plan content assets designed specifically to attract backlinks
DO NOT use this skill for internal linking strategy (use site-architecture-plan), social media link sharing, or paid link schemes. This is for earning legitimate, editorial backlinks.
Core Principle
LINK BUILDING IS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING — THE BEST LINKS COME FROM CREATING CONTENT WORTH LINKING TO AND REACHING OUT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE WITH GENUINE VALUE.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Website | "What is your domain?" | No default — must be provided |
| Niche/industry | "What industry are you in?" | No default — must be provided |
| Current backlink profile | "Do you know your current number of referring domains or DA?" | Low / unknown |
| Content assets | "What notable content do you have? (guides, tools, research, data)" | Limited content |
| Budget | "Do you have budget for content creation or tools?" | Minimal — bootstrapping |
| Time commitment | "How many hours per week can you dedicate to link building?" | 2-3 hours/week |
GATE: Confirm before building the strategy.
Phase 2: Strategy Design
Link Building Tactics (Prioritized)
Tier 1: Highest ROI for Solopreneurs
- Guest Posting — write articles for relevant blogs with a link back
- Resource Page Link Building — find pages that list resources and get yours added
- Broken Link Building — find broken links on relevant sites, offer your content as replacement
- HARO/Connectively — respond to journalist queries with expert quotes
Tier 2: Content-Based Link Earning
- Original Research/Data — surveys, analysis, or unique data that others cite
- Comprehensive Guides — definitive resources that become the go-to reference
- Free Tools/Calculators — interactive resources that earn links naturally
- Infographics — visual content that others embed with attribution
Tier 3: Relationship-Based
- Podcast Guesting — appear on podcasts for show notes links
- Expert Roundups — participate in or create expert roundup posts
- Strategic Partnerships — co-create content with complementary businesses
Target Site Identification
## Link Target Criteria
- Domain Authority/Rating: 20+ (realistic targets)
- Relevance: Same niche or closely related
- Traffic: Active site with real readership
- Link patterns: Already links to similar content
- Contact: Editor or author email findable
## Target Categories
| Category | Example Sites | Tactic |
|----------|--------------|--------|
| Industry blogs | [sites] | Guest post |
| Resource pages | [sites] | Resource outreach |
| News/media | [sites] | HARO, data stories |
| Complementary businesses | [sites] | Co-marketing |
GATE: Approve the strategy and target criteria before writing outreach.
Phase 3: Write Outreach Templates
Guest Post Pitch
Subject: Content idea for [Site Name]
Hi [Name],
I've been reading [Site Name] for a while — really enjoyed your recent piece on [specific article].
I'd love to contribute a guest post on [proposed topic]. It would cover:
- [Key point 1]
- [Key point 2]
- [Key point 3]
I recently wrote [link to published work] on a related topic, so you can see my writing style.
Would this be a good fit for your readers?
[Your name]
Broken Link Outreach
Subject: Quick heads-up — broken link on [page title]
Hi [Name],
I was reading your [page title] and noticed the link to [broken resource] appears to be down.
I actually have a similar resource that covers [topic]: [your URL]
Might be a good replacement if you're updating that page.
Either way, great resource — thanks for putting it together.
[Your name]
Resource Page Outreach
Subject: Resource suggestion for your [topic] page
Hi [Name],
I found your [resource page title] while researching [topic] — great collection.
I recently published [your content title] which covers [specific angle not on their list]. Thought it might be a good addition: [your URL]
Let me know if you think it fits.
[Your name]
Phase 4: Polish
1. Monthly Link Building Schedule
Week 1: Prospect research — find 20 target sites
Week 2: Send outreach — 10-15 personalized emails
Week 3: Follow up on non-responses, pitch guest posts
Week 4: Create/publish link-worthy content, track results
2. Tracking System
- Outreach sent, responses received, links acquired
- New referring domains per month (track in Google Search Console or Ahrefs)
- Domain authority/rating trend over time
- Traffic from referral links
3. Link-Worthy Content Ideas
Generate 3-5 content concepts specifically designed to attract links in the user's niche.
Anti-Patterns
- Buying links — paid links violate Google's guidelines and risk penalties. The short-term gain is not worth the long-term risk.
- Mass generic outreach — "Dear Webmaster" emails sent to 500 sites have near-zero success rates. Personalize every email.
- Irrelevant guest posts — writing about finance on a cooking blog for a link makes no sense and provides no value.
- Ignoring anchor text diversity — all links with the same exact-match anchor text looks manipulative. Use natural, varied anchor text.
- Expecting instant results — link building compounds over months and years. Expect to see ranking improvements in 3-6 months.
Recovery
- No content to promote: Build one comprehensive guide or resource first, then use it as the foundation for all outreach.
- No responses to outreach: Review email personalization, subject lines, and whether targets are relevant. Follow up once, then move on.
- Very competitive niche: Focus on long-tail content that targets less competitive terms. Build authority gradually.
- Limited time: Focus exclusively on HARO/Connectively and podcast guesting. Both require minimal content creation.
