Whenever I start a new website or blog, I follow the system I'm about to describe below to get a good influx of backlinks from Day 1.

If you have a WordPress-based blog, I suggest that you modify your ping list to something more robust than the measly default list WP gives you. I'll share my ping list with you in another post. Keep your eyes peeled for that.

I also encourage you to install the Ping Optimizer plugin. It will keep you from pinging too much, which can get you banned from various sites.

If you're familiar with weight training, you've probably heard of the "5×5" system. It's a weight training system where you do 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise. There are various ways to implement it, but the goal is the same – improved strength and size.

I do something very similar with building backlinks. I try to get 5 links from 5 different methods, every single day until I feel comfortable with the results. It all kind of depends on the niche, my competition, and how willing I am to keep at it day after day (I'm being honest here – I didn't get into this business to work harder than I did in the "real world").

1. I go to 5 blogs and make 5 on-topic comments. I only make comments on blogs where my name serves as a hyperlink. If the commenting system allows you to input your website address ( URL), then your name will serve as a hyperlink to your site. I try to get a mix of on-topic and off-topic backlinks.
2. I submit my site to 5 directories. Here's a good list – Directory Maximizer
3. I use Angela's Backlinks and get 5 links. I've found this service to be invaluable. Angela finds about 30 high PageRank website and shows you how to get a backlink from each (hint: to make things way less cumbersome, use RoboForm).
4. I submit my site (could be the root-level domain or a particular page/post) to 5 social media sites (examples include twitter, Facebook, digg, Reddit, and Dropjack).
5. I create 5 articles and post them to a popular article directory. There is conflicting advice on this one on the 'net. Some say to use original content; others say it's okay to use your existing content (content already published on your site). I have seen no evidence of the latter being detrimental. However, what I do is I submit the original article to an article directory (Searchwarp.com is my favorite because they approve quickly and your article gets indexed very fast) and then repost that article on my site. After all, that is one of the dual purposes of article directories – the idea is that others are free to use your content on their sites with attribution to you, giving you a backlink in the process.

That's it. There is one super strategy that I'll partially share with you in a subsequent post. I say partially because it's not originally my idea and I paid to get full access to it – I suggest you do the same. Hint: It's called Backlink Flood if you want to get a jumpstart – it's the easiest free method for getting a ton of backlinks.