iamlost - 10:20 pm on Nov 6, 2005 (gmt 0)

<start RANT>
There appear to be two types of people mucking for gold on the web: those (few) who plan and those (many/most) who do not.

Three cheers for stever and others who not only know what business they are building but why. How do you define quality links without first defining your site? Where and how do you locate those links? When and how to approach the site owner? Where, when, and how to market your site?

Where else would (could) a business be opened without preparation in high expectation of free-flowing riches. The same anguished litany of blame analysis, directed everywhere but at their own incompetence and ignorance, appears every day in every forum. A running site gag.
<end RANT>

I have never been an advocate of links for the sake of links nor quantity equals quality and agree with stever's cautionary comments about "encouraging" links.

I do not seek viral linkage volume nor viral visitor volume. What I do seek is viral qualified visitor volume (or is that an oxymoron?), which requires planning, effort, and a modicom of luck.

Further to current suggestions:
* provide content of sufficient quality and quantity to be a defacto authority site.

* provide content syndication with byline, about, and link.

* participate in site related newsgroups/forums/organisations - especially those that allow signature files.

Nice listing of useful ideas.