Guide Link Building Timeline For A New Site (First 6 months)

You can follow this link building timeline for a new website. I get good results following this.​

Month 1: Foundation Phase (Trust & Legitimacy)​

• Social Profiles:
  • Create profiles on at least 6-10 major platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Medium, Tumblr, Reddit, Quora, etc.).
  • Aim for 1-2 posts per week on each platform to keep them active.
• Directory Citations:
  • Submit to 20-30 high-authority directories (Yelp, Foursquare, BBB, Trustpilot, etc.).
  • Use consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) details.
• Google My Business (if applicable):
  • Set up and optimize GMB with full details, photos, and the first few posts.
• Social Signals:
  • Get 50-100 social shares from different platforms (Facebook shares, X retweets, etc.).
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 2: Early Authority & Indexation​

• Guest Posting:
  • Publish 1-2 guest posts on niche-relevant sites with DA 20-40.
• Web 2.0 Links:
  • Create 5-10 high-quality Web 2.0 mini-blogs (Medium, Tumblr, WordPress, Blogger) with unique content and internal links.
• Forum & Community Engagement:
  • Participate in 3-5 niche-related forums and answer relevant questions, dropping natural links where appropriate.
  • Quora & Reddit: Answer 5-10 questions weekly with valuable insights.
• Social Bookmarking:
  • Submit content to 10-15 bookmarking sites (Mix, Digg, Flipboard, StumbleUpon, etc.).
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 3: Strengthening Authority & Increasing Link Velocity​

• Guest Posting:
  • Increase to 3-5 guest posts on DA 30+ sites.
• Press Releases:
  • Publish 1-2 press releases through PR distribution services (PR Newswire, EIN Presswire, etc.).
• HARO (Help a Reporter Out):
  • Submit 2-3 responses per week to get potential editorial backlinks.
• Niche Edits (Link Insertions):
  • Secure 2-3 link insertions on existing articles with relevant traffic.
• More Social Signals:
  • Generate 100-200 social shares across platforms.
• YouTube or Podcast Links:
  • If applicable, start 1-2 YouTube videos or guest appearances on podcasts to earn links.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 4: Burst Linking & Scaling Outreach​

• Burst Linking Strategy:
  • Week 1-2: Heavy social activity (200+ shares, engagement spikes).
  • Week 3-4: Guest posting surge (5+ guest posts, DA 40+).
• Infographic Outreach:
  • Create 1-2 niche infographics and distribute to relevant sites.
• Tier 2 Link Building:
  • Build 10-20 secondary links (Web 2.0s, social bookmarks, niche forums) pointing to guest posts to strengthen their authority.
• Broken Link Building:
  • Find and replace 5-10 broken links with your content.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 5: High Authority Link Acquisition​

• Guest Posting:
  • Aim for 5-6 guest posts on DA 50+ sites.
• HARO & Editorial Links:
  • Secure 1-2 HARO mentions per month.
• Linkable Assets & Outreach:
  • Publish 2-3 data-driven guides or case studies to attract natural backlinks.
• Niche Forum & Blog Comments:
  • Continue participating in 5-7 forums, adding links where valuable.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 6: Refinement & Ongoing Authority Growth​

• Review Link Profile:
  • Audit backlinks using Ahrefs or SEMrush.
  • Disavow any toxic links if necessary.
• Increase Guest Posting Efficiency:
  • Reach 6-10 guest posts, focusing on DA 50+ websites.
• Advanced Link Building Strategies:
  • Sponsor 1-2 scholarships or giveaways for EDU links.
  • Explore co-marketing collaborations for link swaps.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.
• Continue Monitoring & Adjusting:
  • Double down on what’s working (e.g., HARO, niche edits, guest posting).

RoiBox said:

Looks like a plan, good share.

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SEO Duke said:

Thank you for sharing your successful strategy, it's a valuable resource!

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grckshelly said:

Impressive Man- Good luck and Keep it up

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90210SEO said:

Great topic and lots of detail here.

One important detail - HARO was closed in 12/23 after the BIG PR firm that bought it (after my friend Peter sold it years before that) thus that isn't an option.

Peter has a new service that embraces what HARO does but it is HARD and TIME CONSUMING to keep up with this challenge and you could go MONTHS of everyday posting and not get one single link from there.

I am not saying mainstream media links are not worth it but set your expectations correctly. This is very hard.

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jauntyj said:

Really helpful stuff here. Thanks for making it so concise.

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90210SEO said:

Great topic and lots of detail here.

One important detail - HARO was closed in 12/23 after the BIG PR firm that bought it (after my friend Peter sold it years before that) thus that isn't an option.

Peter has a new service that embraces what HARO does but it is HARD and TIME CONSUMING to keep up with this challenge and you could go MONTHS of everyday posting and not get one single link from there.

I am not saying mainstream media links are not worth it but set your expectations correctly. This is very hard.

----

Also, the idea that you just can micro manage the types of links that you get is not realistic.

If you can get a link on a site that is a 98/100 in Month Two - you would wait? HELL NO. Never wait. Get what you can when you can get it.

I would suggest that making sure that your links are RELEVANT to your topic with relevant sites, relevant keywords is more important.

-----

I like your point about INTERNAL LINKING as I have spent a ton of time on this on my main project in 2024.

I would suggest SEM RUSH over AHREFS.com for this (I use both but have a clear favorite obviously) and find the keywords from your competition and then seek keyword that have the best traffic.

I once ranked No. 1 for "Home Theater" when I owned HomeTheaterReview.com (i founded it and sold it 100 days before COVID) and that was impressive to ad agency people but YOU should NOT BE IMPRESSED in that the term is TOO GENERIC thus has little traffic. You wouldn't work to NOT have it but you've not reached the mountain top with this SERP or ones like it such as "real estate" or "computer"...

I SO BADLY wanted to buy the domain HomeTheater.com when I started HomeTheaterReview.com. I budgeted $100,000 for it but I couldn't buy it. I tried AND unlike most, I had the ability to use it in terms of copyright. With that said, "Home Theater Review" was a better, more descriptive domain.

Getting at LOC.gov link (Library of Congress) was what made HTR unstoppable. It was insane. I have yet to find THAT LEVEL of link for my new audiophile publication but TRUST ME - I am looking.

I hope these add-on thoughts help.

Jerry

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InfinityPeace said:

More info on HARO alternatives:

https://backlinko.com/haro-alternatives

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InfinityPeace said:

More info on HARO alternatives:

https://backlinko.com/haro-alternatives

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n311bh said:

Thank you for your effort

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conexur said:

Thanks for your sharing! Also Digg & StumbleUpon are dead.

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speculatethis said:

Excellent write up - thank you!

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Velyur_SEM said:

Nice article! Actually, the Featured is a fair replacement for the HARO

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jezzkun89 said:

Very useful guide brother thank you for sharing

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Md Sahid Mia said:

You can follow this link building timeline for a new website. I get good results following this.​

Month 1: Foundation Phase (Trust & Legitimacy)​

Goal: Establish a strong foundation with social signals and business citations.

• Social Profiles:
  • Create profiles on at least 6-10 major platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Medium, Tumblr, Reddit, Quora, etc.).
  • Aim for 1-2 posts per week on each platform to keep them active.
• Directory Citations:
  • Submit to 20-30 high-authority directories (Yelp, Foursquare, BBB, Trustpilot, etc.).
  • Use consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) details.
• Google My Business (if applicable):
  • Set up and optimize GMB with full details, photos, and the first few posts.
• Social Signals:
  • Get 50-100 social shares from different platforms (Facebook shares, X retweets, etc.).
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 2: Early Authority & Indexation​

Goal: Get initial backlinks from easy-to-acquire sources.

• Guest Posting:
  • Publish 1-2 guest posts on niche-relevant sites with DA 20-40.
• Web 2.0 Links:
  • Create 5-10 high-quality Web 2.0 mini-blogs (Medium, Tumblr, WordPress, Blogger) with unique content and internal links.
• Forum & Community Engagement:
  • Participate in 3-5 niche-related forums and answer relevant questions, dropping natural links where appropriate.
  • Quora & Reddit: Answer 5-10 questions weekly with valuable insights.
• Social Bookmarking:
  • Submit content to 10-15 bookmarking sites (Mix, Digg, Flipboard, StumbleUpon, etc.).
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 3: Strengthening Authority & Increasing Link Velocity​

Goal: Increase authority and improve link diversity.

• Guest Posting:
  • Increase to 3-5 guest posts on DA 30+ sites.
• Press Releases:
  • Publish 1-2 press releases through PR distribution services (PR Newswire, EIN Presswire, etc.).
• HARO (Help a Reporter Out):
  • Submit 2-3 responses per week to get potential editorial backlinks.
• Niche Edits (Link Insertions):
  • Secure 2-3 link insertions on existing articles with relevant traffic.
• More Social Signals:
  • Generate 100-200 social shares across platforms.
• YouTube or Podcast Links:
  • If applicable, start 1-2 YouTube videos or guest appearances on podcasts to earn links.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 4: Burst Linking & Scaling Outreach​

Goal: Implement burst linking and scale content outreach.

• Burst Linking Strategy:
  • Week 1-2: Heavy social activity (200+ shares, engagement spikes).
  • Week 3-4: Guest posting surge (5+ guest posts, DA 40+).
• Infographic Outreach:
  • Create 1-2 niche infographics and distribute to relevant sites.
• Tier 2 Link Building:
  • Build 10-20 secondary links (Web 2.0s, social bookmarks, niche forums) pointing to guest posts to strengthen their authority.
• Broken Link Building:
  • Find and replace 5-10 broken links with your content.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 5: High Authority Link Acquisition​

Goal: Focus on earning backlinks from high-quality sources.

• Guest Posting:
  • Aim for 5-6 guest posts on DA 50+ sites.
• HARO & Editorial Links:
  • Secure 1-2 HARO mentions per month.
• Linkable Assets & Outreach:
  • Publish 2-3 data-driven guides or case studies to attract natural backlinks.
• Niche Forum & Blog Comments:
  • Continue participating in 5-7 forums, adding links where valuable.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.

Month 6: Refinement & Ongoing Authority Growth​

Goal: Optimize link velocity and monitor growth.

• Review Link Profile:
  • Audit backlinks using Ahrefs or SEMrush.
  • Disavow any toxic links if necessary.
• Increase Guest Posting Efficiency:
  • Reach 6-10 guest posts, focusing on DA 50+ websites.
• Advanced Link Building Strategies:
  • Sponsor 1-2 scholarships or giveaways for EDU links.
  • Explore co-marketing collaborations for link swaps.
• Internal Linking:
  • Create a proper internal linking structure on your website to distribute link equity efficiently.
• Continue Monitoring & Adjusting:
  • Double down on what’s working (e.g., HARO, niche edits, guest posting).

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