Now that your foundation is set, it’s time to start building links. The following strategies require more time and creativity than money, making them perfect for startups on a shoestring budget.

Strategy 1: The Power of Guest Posting

Guest posting is the classic, time-tested method of link building. It involves writing and publishing an article on someone else’s website or blog. In return, you get an author bio with a link back to your website.

How to Succeed with Guest Posting:

• Find Opportunities: Use Google search strings like “your keyword” + “write for us” or “your keyword” + “guest post guidelines”. You can also analyze where your competitors are guest posting.
  
  
• Personalize Your Pitch: Do not send generic, templated emails. Address the editor by name. Mention a recent article you enjoyed on their blog. Show that you’ve done your homework.
  
  
• Offer Genuine Value: Your pitch shouldn’t be about getting a link. It should be about providing their audience with a fantastic piece of content. Propose 2-3 unique, well-researched topic ideas that fit their blog’s style and fill a content gap.
  
  
• Write Your Best Content: When you get a “yes,” don’t treat it as a second-class task. Write an amazing article that you’d be proud to publish on your own site. This builds your reputation and makes editors eager to work with you again.

This is a core component of many affordable link building services because it consistently delivers results when done right.

Strategy 2: Broken Link Building

This is a brilliant and highly effective tactic. The process is simple:

1. Find a broken link on a website you want a link from. A broken link is a link that leads to a 404 error page.
   
   
2. Create content that can replace the dead link. Often, you might already have a resource that is a perfect fit.
   
   
3. Reach out to the site owner or editor, politely point out the broken link, and suggest your resource as a replacement.

You can use tools like the Check My Links Chrome extension to quickly find broken links on a page. Focus on resource pages or “best of” lists, as these are often full of external links and are less frequently updated.

Here’s a sample outreach email:

Subject: Broken link on your [Page Title] page Hi [Name],I was looking for some information on [Topic] today and came across your excellent article: [Link to their article].I noticed that the link to [Name of dead resource] seems to be broken, it just leads to a 404 page. We actually just published an updated and comprehensive guide on this very topic here: [Link to your resource].It might make a great replacement for the dead link. Either way, hope this helps, and keep up the great work! Cheers, [Your Name]

You are providing value by helping them clean up their site. This makes them much more receptive to adding your link.

Strategy 3: Unlinked Brand Mentions

An unlinked brand mention is when a website mentions your startup’s name but doesn’t link to your website. These are low-hanging fruit for link building. The author already knows and values your brand enough to mention it; they just need a gentle nudge to add the link.

How to Find Unlinked Mentions:

• Google Alerts: Set up a free Google Alert for your brand name, founder names, and product names.
  
  
• Social Listening Tools: Use tools like Brand24 or Mention to track mentions across the web.
  
  
• Manual Searches: Regularly search Google for “[Your Brand Name]” -site:yourdomain.com to find mentions that exclude your own site.

Once you find one, send a simple and polite email thanking them for the mention and asking if they would consider adding a link to your homepage so their readers can easily learn more.

Strategy 4: HARO and Journalist Outreach

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a free service that connects journalists with sources for their stories. Three times a day, HARO sends out an email with queries from reporters at publications ranging from The New York Times to niche industry blogs.

How to Use HARO Effectively:

1. Scan Quickly: The emails are long. Scan for keywords relevant to your expertise.
   
   
2. Respond Fast: Journalists are on tight deadlines. Aim to be one of the first high-quality responses.
   
   
3. Be Helpful, Not Promotional: Answer their question directly and provide genuine expertise. Don’t pitch your product. Include your name, title, a brief bio, and a link to your website in your signature. If they use your quote, they will almost always include the link.

This is a fantastic way to earn links from high-authority news sites—links that would be nearly impossible to get otherwise. This is a key part of many organic link building services.