The rules I build authority by.

What I never do

1. No PBNsNo private blog networks, no 'powerful network of sites' — owned or rented. If a link exists only to pass authority, it's a liability with a delay on it.
2. No hacked or injected linksObviously. Also no 'gray' marketplaces reselling access to compromised or abandoned sites.
3. No automated spamNo bots blasting comment sections, forums, or contact forms. No AI-generated outreach carpet-bombing either — every pitch is written for the person receiving it.
4. No comment spamBlog comments and forum posts are for participating, not for link drops.
5. No fake directoriesNo submissions to directories that exist only to sell listings. Real, moderated, relevant directories (chambers of commerce, industry associations) are a different thing — those are fine.
6. No irrelevant bulk linksA hundred links from sites that have nothing to do with your topic don't build authority. Volume is not the metric; relevance is.

What I always do

1. Sponsored links are disclosedIf money or product changes hands for a placement, it carries rel="sponsored". No exceptions, no 'everyone does it'.
2. Relevance comes firstEvery prospect is scored on topical fit before anything else. A modest, relevant site beats a big irrelevant one.
3. Editorial and contextual focusThe links worth earning live inside real content, placed by a real editor, because the content deserved the mention.
4. Quality over volumeReporting counts links that matter, not links that exist. Five editorial placements beat fifty directory listings, and the reports say so.
5. Assets earn the linksThe engine behind outreach is publishing things worth citing — statistics pages, tools, guides, original data. Outreach introduces the asset; the asset earns the link.
6. Client links are protectedConfidential engagements stay confidential. Case studies publish with approval, anonymized or not at all.

Why be this strict?