So you finally got a web site up and running. Whether it's a personal site or a business site, you need others to link to your web site. Search engines look favorably at web sites that other sites are linking to. In addition, having other webmasters linking to your site is one good way to generate traffic to your site. But how exactly can you get others to link to your site? Below are 10 strategies that work.

1. Offer Free Content

Contact webmasters or owners of web sites that are similar to yours. Let them know that you have content (e.g., articles) that they can use for free on their site. Make sure the free articles you offer have your short bio and link to your site. Most webmasters won't mind linking to your site this way if it means keeping their own sites regularly updated.

2. Review Web Sites

Visit your favorite sites or find those that are similar to yours. Find the positives in these sites and write them out in the form of short web site reviews. Post these reviews on your site. Once posted, contact the owners of the sites you reviewed. Let them know that they can display the review you wrote about their site on their own site. Be a step ahead by providing them a ready-to-publish review piece, complete with a link to your site. For this strategy to work, though, review sites that you truly like and find useful.

3. Syndicate Your Newsletter

If you publish an e-zine or newsletter, give other web sites the ability to publish or display issues of your e-zine on their site. You can accomplish this by using a syndication script or by sending issues of your e-zine directly to webmasters who express their interest in publishing your e-zine on their sites. This strategy not only will drive traffic to your site, but will also get visitors to subscribe directly to your e-zine.

4. Turn Your Site into a Free Web Book

Create an e-book version of your site and offer it as a free download. This strategy is particularly effective if you compile informative articles in an e-book. You can take this a step further by offering a customized versions of your e-book that other webmasters can offer as a free download from their site. Make sure that your e-book has links going back to your web site.

5. Create an Article Directory

If you have plenty of articles that you (or a ghostwriter) have written, feature them on a section of your web site. This could be an instant article directory that your visitors can link to from their own sites.

6. Open a Public Discussion Board

Host a discussion board or forum on your web site and invite owners of sites similar to yours to link to the online discussion board or forum. Make sure that the discussion board has visible links to your main site so that visitors can check out the other stuff you offer.

7. Create a "Members Only" Site

Make an offer to visitors and potential members that they will find hard to resist -- free access to your members only section of your site if they put a link to your site on theirs. Make sure, though, that what you offer in the members only area is something that members will find unique and useful.

8. Run an Affiliate Program

If you sell your own products and services, consider running an affiliate program and letting other people promote your products and services from their own web sites and e-zines. Offer a generous commission and a way for affiliates to track sales. There are many affiliate management scripts available that you can try out.

9. Give Out Awards

Here's a good reason for webmasters and owners to link to your site -- give out awards periodically. If you are targeting a specific niche, tailor your awards to this niche and seek out notable sites. Create an award graphic that your awardees can proudly display on their sites while linking to yours.

10. Offer Free Consultations

If you have expertise in a specific subject or area, offer visitors free e-mail consultations in return for linking to your site. In this strategy, your visitors will find that linking to your site is a small price to pay for getting valuable information from you for free.

There you have it. You don't have to use all ten strategies, even a few will stand your website in good stead. You should see an improvement in your ranking in no time.