Day Zero. No Links. Let's Fix That.
Everyone starts at zero. Even the biggest sites on the internet once had zero backlinks.
The first 90 days are critical. Here's your exact game plan.
Days 1-30: Foundation
Week 1: Set up your profiles. Google Business, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, industry directories. These provide initial signals that your site is legitimate. If you're a local business, optimize your Google Business Profile right away.
Week 2: Content foundation. Publish 3-5 genuinely useful articles. These become the pages you'll earn links TO. Start with your content strategy.
Week 3: Tap your network. Email everyone you know with a website. Colleagues, friends, business partners. Ask for a mention or link where relevant.
Week 4: Submit to relevant directories. Not spammy ones — legitimate industry directories, professional associations, local business listings.
Days 31-60: First Outreach
Guest posting. Start with smaller niche blogs. You need a portfolio before approaching bigger publications. Aim for 2-3 guest posts this month. Follow our guest post strategy guide.
Unlinked mentions. If your brand has been mentioned anywhere without a link, reach out.
Community engagement. Be genuinely helpful in industry forums, subreddits, and communities.
Days 61-90: Acceleration
Broken link building. You now have enough content to offer as replacements.
HARO responses. Start responding to journalist queries on Connectively relevant to your expertise.
Create a linkable asset. One piece of truly outstanding content — a tool, research report, or comprehensive guide.
Realistic Expectations
After 90 days, you should have 15-30 quality backlinks. That's enough to establish initial domain authority and start ranking for lower-competition keywords.
It's not a lot. But it's the foundation everything else builds on.
Track your progress at SEO Checkup. 113 tasks. Free. 30 seconds.
Everyone starts at zero. Where you are in 90 days depends on what you do today.