---
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**

1. **Guest Posting** — write articles for relevant blogs with a link back
2. **Resource Page Link Building** — find pages that list resources and get yours added
3. **Broken Link Building** — find broken links on relevant sites, offer your content as replacement
4. **HARO/Connectively** — respond to journalist queries with expert quotes

**Tier 2: Content-Based Link Earning**

5. **Original Research/Data** — surveys, analysis, or unique data that others cite
6. **Comprehensive Guides** — definitive resources that become the go-to reference
7. **Free Tools/Calculators** — interactive resources that earn links naturally
8. **Infographics** — visual content that others embed with attribution

**Tier 3: Relationship-Based**

9. **Podcast Guesting** — appear on podcasts for show notes links
10. **Expert Roundups** — participate in or create expert roundup posts
11. **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.
