Best five links to get first for a new website

[highwayfive]

I wondered if people had a list of the top five or ten links you should build for a new website in order to add some sense of authority.

For example should a new website start with key social media websites such as Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin ?

Or top level directories such as BOTW and DMOZ?

Should they local for niche website directories in their location or vertical?

If you had to choose five links - free or paid which would they be?

[DougRoberts]

My recommendation is to think about where your target audience / customers gather. You want to be where they are. This is going to vary greatly depending on your market/niche. Look for authoritative link opportunities from sites relevant to the website you're trying to promote.

An entry in a local directory is great for local tradesmen, but not so good for enterprise level business consultants.

Do your customers care that you're in DMOZ? Would they be interested in a review in a trade journal about the benefits your service/product can bring to their business?

Remember it's not just about links to improve rankings, it's about attracting relevant traffic to the site. So links that also get you direct traffic are also a win!

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[highwayfive]

Thanks Doug I think its important to remember that links can send traffic as well as improve rankings.  I was just wondered if DMOZ is that important for rankings anymore?.

Do we think that Google has a check list that it uses to judge the "legitimacy" of a website by the fact that it would pay for a link on something like BOTW and that it has accounts on the main social media channels.

[highwayfive]

Thanks Doug I think its important to remember that links can send traffic as well as improve rankings.  I was just wondered if DMOZ is that important for rankings anymore?.

Do we think that Google has a check list that it uses to judge the "legitimacy" of a website by the fact that it would pay for a link on something like BOTW and that it has accounts on the main social media channels.

[Alex-Harford]

I'd say a DMOZ link is worth applying for but not worth a bead of sweat if you don't get accepted/moderated.

It's the overall variety of a link profile that counts. If you get links naturally you'll have a mix of follow and nofollow, URL-match, branded, non-branded anchor text and some keyword match thrown in, homepage links and deep links, social and non-social...

I like the phrase "If Google did not exist but the Internet did, where would you get links?"

In answer to your original question, I agree with Doug. if you're offering a product it's a good idea to offer it to influential bloggers that your target audience visits for free, in return for an unbiased review and link. But if you're just starting out don't go for the biggest bloggers as they probably get inundated. If your product is great the most influential will pick up on it through some of the 'smaller' blogs.

[CMC-SD]

Yes, a new website should claim its brand name on social media immediately, whether or not that improves its rankings. If you don't get your @companyname, someone else will.