Link Building Strategy Skill

Generate a complete link acquisition tactics playbook and a 12-week action plan. This skill is a tactics generator + outreach system, not a backlink analyzer. If the user wants numerical backlink profile data, direct them to a Path B MCP integration.

Cross-model note

Works identically on current Opus / Sonnet / Haiku models. Most of this skill is reasoning + planning; WebSearch calls in Phase 2 parallelize cleanly across competitors.

Execution: parallel-first

• Phase 2 link gap discovery: WebSearch calls per competitor independent — batch
• Phase 3 linkable asset audit: content file Reads in parallel
• Phase 4 tactic selection: reasoning step
• Phase 5-7: planning/template generation

Capability Honesty

Read references/CAPABILITIES.md. Key constraints:

• Numerical backlink counts / referring domains / DA/DR require Ahrefs / Majestic / Semrush / Moz — Path B
• "Expected DA from tactic X" estimates cannot be verified without those tools — treated as directional, NOT measured
• What this skill DOES: identify linkable asset opportunities, generate outreach tactics + templates, structure a 12-week outreach cadence, observe link opportunities via WebSearch mentions

If the user pastes exported data from Ahrefs / Moz / Semrush, parse and use it. Without that data, the skill runs in qualitative mode.

Phase 1: Current Link Profile Assessment (qualitative OR data-driven)

If User Has Exported Backlink Data

If the user provides Ahrefs / Moz / Semrush / Ubersuggest exports or paste, parse and summarize:

• Total referring domains
• Total backlinks
• DA / DR score
• Top 10 linking domains by authority
• Toxic link patterns (spam farms, PBNs, irrelevant foreign domains)

Classify domains into qualitative tiers:

If User Does NOT Have Exported Data

Run in qualitative mode. Ask the user:

• "Do you know of any recent backlinks to your site?"
• "Have you had any press mentions, guest post placements, or podcast appearances?"
• "Do you maintain any free tools, calculators, or original research that others might link to?"
• "Are you in any niche directories or industry lists?"

Recommend the user integrate a link-data MCP (Ahrefs / Majestic / Moz / Semrush) to unlock numerical assessment. In the meantime, proceed with qualitative planning.

Toxic Link Check (only with data)

Flag patterns visible in the export:

• Domains with DA < 5 and no real content
• Sites in unrelated foreign languages with no topical connection
• Known link farms or PBN patterns
• Exact-match anchor text appearing suspiciously often

Recommend submitting a Google Disavow file if Tier D links exceed ~15% of total.

Phase 2: Link Gap Analysis (observable via WebSearch)

Step 1 — Identify Competitors

Use the 3 competitor URLs the user provides, or suggest top 3 ranking sites for the user's primary keyword (via WebSearch).

Step 2 — Discover Observable Mentions (parallel WebSearch per competitor)

For each competitor:

WebSearch('"competitor.com" -site:competitor.com')
WebSearch('"competitor brand name" recommendation OR review OR resource')

Collect domains that appear in results and cross-reference across competitors to find sites linking to multiple competitors but not the user.

Note: This finds observable mentions, not a complete link graph. Comprehensive backlink audit requires Path B. Observable mentions are still the highest-leverage outreach targets — these are sites that already demonstrated willingness to link to similar content.

Step 3 — Prioritize Opportunities

Rate each opportunity on a 1-5 scale:

• Relevance — How closely does the linking site match the target niche?
• Authority signal — Is the site clearly a well-known publication vs. a small blog? (qualitative without Path B)
• Accessibility — Does the site accept contributions, have a contact form, list an editor?
• Link type potential — Could a contextual, in-content link be earned?

Priority = (Relevance + Authority Signal + Accessibility + Link Type) / 4. Pursue 4.0+ first.

Phase 3: Linkable Asset Audit

Links cannot be earned without something worth linking to.

Existing Content Review

Evaluate the user's current content for link-worthiness. Strong linkable assets include:

• Original research or data — Surveys, studies, industry benchmarks
• Comprehensive guides — "Ultimate guide to X" that genuinely earns the title
• Free tools or calculators — Interactive resources people reference
• Templates and frameworks — Downloadable resources others cite
• Infographics or visual data — Shareable visual content
• Controversial or unique opinions — Strong takes that spark discussion

Content Gap: What to Create

Recommend 3-5 new "citation magnet" ideas based on the user's industry:

1. Original Data Play — Survey customers or analyze internal data; publish findings with charts. Journalists and bloggers cite original data.
2. The Definitive Resource — Single best page on a subtopic, 3x better than what currently ranks.
3. Free Tool or Calculator — Even a simple spreadsheet hosted as a Google Sheet earns links.
4. Named Framework — Branded methodology (e.g., "The 3R Content Framework"). Named concepts get cited.
5. Annual Report or Index — Yearly state-of-the-industry report. Becomes a recurring link magnet.

Branded Strategy Opportunities

Help the user coin a term or framework unique to their brand. Requirements:

• Simple and memorable (3-5 words max)
• Genuinely useful as a mental model
• Easy to reference in other people's content
• Searchable (someone who hears it can Google it and find you)

Phase 4: Tactic Selection

Reference: references/link-building-tactics.md for expanded playbooks.

Based on the user's available time, budget, and business type, recommend 3-5 tactics.

Tactic Menu

Honest framing on success rates: The rates above are qualitative ("low / moderate / high hit rate") because actual rates vary wildly by niche, pitch quality, and relationship building. Any percentage numbers in industry guides (e.g., "5-15% success") should be treated as ballpark, not measured.

For detailed descriptions and execution steps, consult references/outreach-templates.md.

Phase 5: LLM Co-Citation Strategy (AEO-Specific)

Modern link building accounts for AI-generated answers. Links train the data AI models use to recommend brands.

Goal: Get Mentioned Alongside Industry Leaders

1. Publish comparison content — "X vs Y vs [Brand]" articles. AI models learn brand-peer associations.
2. Reddit and Quora presence — Answer questions in niche threads; mention the product naturally where relevant. These platforms are heavily used as AI training data.
3. Earn roundup mentions — Get included in "Top 10 tools for X" and "Best resources for Y" articles.
4. Third-party reviews — G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, niche review sites. AI models reference these aggregators.
5. Build cross-platform consensus — If multiple independent sources mention the brand in similar context, AI models are more likely to recommend. Aim for consistent messaging across earned mentions.

Phase 6: The 50/50 Plan

Link building fails when only creating content or only doing outreach. Split effort evenly.

50% — Creating Link-Worthy Content

• Publish 1 linkable asset every 2-4 weeks
• Each piece targets a specific tactic (data study for Digital PR, guide for Skyscraper)
• Quality over quantity

50% — Active Promotion and Outreach

• Outreach emails every week
• Track every email in a simple spreadsheet (date, recipient, tactic, status, result)
• Follow up exactly once, 5-7 days after first email

Weekly Targets by Available Hours

Note: Numerical link-count forecasts are unreliable without real measurement. The qualitative labels reflect observed cadence differences, not predictions.

Phase 7: Outreach Templates

Six ready-to-use templates: broken link notification, skyscraper outreach, resource page pitch, guest post pitch, link reclamation request, roundup submission.

For all email templates with full text, consult references/outreach-templates.md.

Always customize with specific details. Never send a generic email.

Output: 12-Week Link Building Plan

Generate a week-by-week plan tailored to available hours and selected tactics.

Weeks 1-2: Foundation

• Phase 1 link profile assessment (qualitative if no data)
• Phase 2 link gap analysis via WebSearch
• Phase 3 linkable asset audit
• Set up outreach tracking spreadsheet
• Create target list of 50 prospects
• Outreach: 0 emails (prep)
• Content: Outline 1 linkable asset

Weeks 3-4: First Outreach

• Start with highest-hit-rate tactics: link reclamation + testimonials
• Send first outreach batch
• Publish first linkable asset
• Submit to 3-5 link roundups
• Sign up for HARO / Connectively
• Outreach: 15-25 emails/week

Weeks 5-6: Scale Up

• Launch first skyscraper or broken link campaign
• Follow up on unanswered emails from weeks 3-4
• Respond to 5+ HARO queries per week
• Engage in Reddit / Quora threads (Phase 5)
• Outreach: 20-30 emails/week
• Content: Publish second linkable asset

Weeks 7-8: Diversify

• Resource page outreach
• First guest post pitches (3-5)
• Write 2-3 testimonials for tools the business uses
• Analyze what's working — double down on best-converting tactic
• Outreach: 25-35 emails/week

Weeks 9-10: Optimize

• Review response rates — refine subject lines + templates
• Publish third linkable asset (original data or free tool)
• Pitch 2-3 podcasts
• Create comparison content for LLM co-citation (Phase 5)
• Outreach: 25-35 emails/week

Weeks 11-12: Systematize

• Document repeatable process per tactic
• Build recurring monthly calendar
• Set up Google Alerts for brand mentions (link reclamation pipeline)
• Plan next quarter's linkable assets based on what earned most links
• Outreach: 30-40 emails/week

12-Week Outputs (Qualitative)

What you can track: outreach emails sent, replies received, mentions earned, confirmed new links, content published.

What requires Path B to track: total referring domain count, DA/DR change, numerical "DA improvement +2-5".

Key Reminders

1. Personalize every email. Generic mass emails get ignored.
2. Track everything. Log every outreach email + outcome.
3. Follow up once. 5-7 days later. More than that is spam.
4. Focus on relevance over authority. A perfectly relevant DA 30 link often outperforms an irrelevant DA 60 link.
5. Be patient. Link building compounds over months.
6. Never buy links. Purchased links violate Google's guidelines.
7. Honest about measurement. Track what you can observe. Recommend Path B MCPs for numerical backlink data.