Who should I reach out to for external links?

[IntentioDesigns]

As a web designer, who should I reach out to for external links, other than former clients?

[Sergiu.Poenaru]

This is my first post on the community here but as a web designer, there are definitely way more resources than just the portfolio of clients. Try other networks/community, such as Behance, Dribbble and showcase your work. Try blogs that talk about web design (there are plenty out there).

It's okay to start with your client base but if the content is great and it's posted on communities, you'll definitely get picked off by larger sites with more authority.

I'd also suggest forums, there is a lot of critique requests over there, dofollow links, if you're genuine, you'll get the feedback you need + a backlink.

Hope this helps,

Sergiu

[Matt-Williamson]

I would look at what sites are out there which are placed as industry authorities. I would also look to identify who the influencers are in relation to your niche and I would look at starting to interact with all of these on social media. I would comment on what they are doing and get involved (followerwonk is a good tool for identifying these on Twitter as you can search for key terms such as web design). That way you will build a relationship up, then I would look at creating some decent content that people want to share. Some how to guides in relation to what you design in for instance. You could look for common problems or mistakes and then create a simple post on the solution. Then you need to make sure you spend time pushing it - push it to the influencers you have built a relationship with, push it to relevant groups. One tip I would give is look at getting involved with and sharing your content on large Google Plus communities, this will help with your exposure. Following through with this process will take time but you will benefit from earning links, social shares and more traffic.

One other tip that I would like to give you which will help is this - if you struggle for what to write about but you have competitors doing a good job at it then run them through socialcrawlytics.com and have a look at the content they have which has the largest number of shares. This will give you a good base for creating your own unique content based around a specific area that you know has been well received.

Essentially there is a lot to go at in order to earn links and earn is the key word. Spend time building your own profile and relationships up and then place you content in front of these connections. You will find this will lead to links and more.

I would also look at building my profile up by trying to get content placed on other sites such as well known web design resources as this will lead to you being recognised as an expert in your niche. Then you can further leverage this to help earn links,

Hope this helps - if there are any specifics don't hesitate to ask...

[Ophelie]

Have you considered contributing your expertise to existing sites? We've all heard that "guest posting is dead", but my site, for one, still commissions and publishes (and pays for!) articles by knowledgeable people in our niche. Find a few high-authority sites, send them a good pitch for a post you could write for them, and generally become active in your community.