New websites face a trust deficit with Google, so your first 90 days should focus on building foundational credibility before chasing high-authority links. Start with the boring but essential work: claim your Google Business Profile, submit to industry directories (Yelp, YellowPages for local, niche directories for specialized fields), and ensure your NAP (name, address, phone) is consistent across 15–20 citations if you're location-based. Once that baseline exists, shift to creating one truly useful resource every 2–3 weeks. This could be original research with data no one else has published, a detailed comparison guide, or a tool that solves a specific problem in your industry. These assets give you a reason to contact bloggers, journalists, and industry sites beyond "please link to my homepage." Outreach works when you offer value first. Find 30–50 sites that have linked to similar content using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, then send personalized emails explaining why your resource improves on what they already linked to. Expect a 5–15% response rate if your content is genuinely better and your pitch is specific. For Ottawa SEO's new sites in the portfolio, we typically see the first editorial links land around month 3–4, with momentum building once you have 8–12 linkable assets published. We avoid guest post factories, PBNs, or anything that smells like a link scheme because Google's spam filters have become ruthless since the 2022 helpful content updates. Also consider: - Partnerships with complementary businesses for co-marketing and natural links - HARO or similar journalist query services to earn media mentions - Local sponsorships or community involvement if you're serving a geographic area The biggest mistake new sites make is trying to scale outreach before they have anything worth linking to. Build the asset first, prove it gets organic engagement, then amplify it through outreach. Link velocity matters less than link relevance and editorial intent for a domain under six months old.