Relationship Led Link Building

Use this skill to create link-building systems that start with useful participation, promotion, and collaboration before direct link requests.

This skill is derived from Garrett French and Eric Ward's Ultimate Guide to Link Building and uses transformed guidance with durable book-topic references. Do not copy book prose into user outputs.

Quick Start

1. Use the Contents table below to choose the smallest useful reference set.
2. Use workflows/build-relationship-link-campaign.md for a full relationship-led plan.
3. Map people and publishers before writing asks.
4. Create useful pre-ask actions: cite, share, feature, introduce, invite, or collaborate.
5. Track relationship state separately from link outcomes.

Default Output

When asked for relationship-led link building, return:

1. Relationship map - people, organizations, audience, trust status, and history.
2. Value-first actions - credible ways to help or involve each prospect before the ask.
3. Collaboration design - expert survey, group interview, writing assignment, co-promotion, or partner asset.
4. Ask timing - when to ask, what to ask for, and what not to ask yet.
5. Tool choices - CRM, social/listening tools, feed reader, content calendar, outreach platform, and notes system.
6. Measurement - relationship progress, contributions, shares, mentions, links, and future opportunities.

Contents

| Need | Start Here | |------|------------| | Understand relationship-led concepts | references/core/knowledge.md | | Apply relationship rules | references/core/rules.md | | See campaign examples | references/core/examples.md | | Build campaign | workflows/build-relationship-link-campaign.md |

Core Posture

• Earn attention before asking for attention.
• Relationships are assets even when they do not immediately produce links.
• Expert and publisher participation creates natural promotion paths.
• Keep asks proportionate to the relationship and audience value.
• Do not fake intimacy, favors, or prior engagement.