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The web today is comprised of trillions of links. Who links to your site and how they link to it is the fundamental factor driving your search engine rank and your website traffic. If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to building links with other sites, here are eight easy ways to get started:

1. Find Directories. Search for your niche and local directories and add your site to them. Just head over to Goggle and search for (“your niche” directory), (“your city” directory) and (“your state” directory). While you’re there, see if your competitors are building links as well.

2. Get Reviews. Reviews from websites in your niche (not just Yelp or Google Places) serve two functions – the link will help your rankings AND you may just get some sales out of it. How do you find potential reviewers? Start with looking in Google for reviews of your competitors: (“your competitor” review). Then try this one: (“your niche” review). It may cost you some product or services, but the results can be tremendous.

3. Competitive Poaching. There are a number of tools that allow you to inspect the links that your competitors have earned. Head over to www.ahrefs.com or www.majesticseo.com and plug in their website. If they’ve gotten links by partnering with local lawyers or realtors for example then come up with a pitch for other similar tradespeople in your area.

4. “Preciprocate.” That’s right, Preciprocate – do favors before you need them from others. Add a blog to your site and start writing about the great job that folks are doing in the industry. Retweet great information. Share great information (even if it isn’t yours) in your newsletter. Before you know it, the links will come rolling in especially when you ask politely from all these folks you’ve been doing favors for!

5. Build on What5. Build on What’s already Working. If you’ve added analytics to your site, you can see who’s already sending you traffic now. Visit those pages sending you traffic to understand WHY they linked to you in the first place. Then you’re ready to find and contact as many similar sites as you can find!

6. Ask…strategically. Make a list of your vendors, trade associations, happy customers, organizations you donate to, etc. If you work with them and they have a website, they’re a potential linker. Visit their websites one by one. If they have a page where it seems like your site should be mentioned, send them an email and make a kind request.

7.7. Help a Reporter Out. Have you heard of www.helpareporter.com? They send you inquiries from reporters and if you can answer the questions they’ll write about you and your business and LINK to you. This is free publicity at its finest.

8. Get Credit Where Credit is Due. Have you or your business been mentioned on the web WITHOUT a link? Go do a quick search in Google for your business name and make sure that the sites that mention you LINK to you too!