Link building is needed for any site to be successful on the Internet. Most online searchers never make it past the first page of Google, so being ranked anywhere but page one can result in little to no business coming via this outlet. While there are plenty of link building strategies to consider, some are just a bit more important than others are.

Link to trusted sites - links will have different weight depending upon where they come from. For instance, having a link on a secondary article directory will not be as impressive to Google as a link on a directory such as Ezine Articles. Because of the very strict guidelines that this site uses for approval, it is recognized as one of the strongest links in article marketing.

Build your links slowly - some businesses will tell site owners that they need to pummel Google with links. While this will often make a site fly up the rankings, it can also get them sandboxed. Eventually, Google will catch up with any site that is using "black hat" techniques to create links back to a site. The best method is to gradually build up the links to ensure that everything is being done properly. It may take a bit longer to be ranked this way, but the ranking will generally hold and when the site gets to page one, it will usually stay there with just a small bit of maintenance linking.

Social bookmarking - today, sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace hold a lot of weight with search engines. The more links that are created via these outlets, the more likely a site is to increase its rank. Develop a fan page for the business and use a personal page to create links. Ask friends to bookmark the pages on the site and share them with their friends.

Use meaningful links - reciprocal links can do more harm than good these days if they are not done properly. If a site is linked up with a site that it has nothing in common with, Google may register the link as spam. To play it safe, create links that are contained in relevant content. Create blogs about different aspects of the business and create posts that link back to the main site. If reciprocal links are used, make sure that they come from a site that offers similar services or products.

Link building strategies will differ from person to person, but smart site owners all have these basics implemented into their campaigns. Links that break search engine rules or that are not coming from top tier sites are useless and can actually do more harm than good. Make sure only "white hat" SEO techniques are used and watch the site gradually climb the Google ladder.