Mention without a Link - This one is amazingly effective. Your goal is to identify sites/pages that already mention your brand/product/service/website but have failed to offer the direct HTML link. Just shoot them a pleasant, personal email and request the link - success rates can be very high. To find these willing linkers, you can use Yahoo's advanced search parameters.

Profile Sites - All those "Web 2.0" sites that permit for the creation of profiles with links, from Frappr and Newsvine to MySpace and Yahoo! 360 to Digg, Del.icio.us and StumbleUpon are goldmines for links. Even those that don't have direct links enabled often allow you to submit sites or explain what you've "tagged" or visited.

If there's a mainly strong site in your sector that you desperately want a link from, this tactic can be of occassional use. The idea is to write a news article with some authority and request a quote from the company/individual you want a link from.

Sites from City search & Yellow Pages to Google provide global, local links if you sign up with them, but in nearly every mid-large metropolitan area, there are literally hundreds of directories and lists of local companies in every possible category. Oftentimes they're free and even when they arent; the prices to be listed are fairly inexpensive.

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