Ignore all link-building advice from any SEO who speaks at a conference, has a popular blog or forum, or is back-slapped by any other SEO who speaks at a conference, has a popular blog or forum, or gets back-slapped. Why? Detlev Johnson put it well: “some methods work better than others. You should find one that fits you best”.
Ignore all link-building advice from anyone who runs a linking business: link builders, link brokers, link reciprocators, link managers, etc. They have a vested interest in acquiring you as a customer. They may do what they do very well. But if you’re looking for link building advice, you’re looking in the wrong direction. They don’t build links the way most people can or do.
Ignore anyone whose link-building advice includes words like “directories”, “profiles”, “articles”, “press releases”, etc. You can easily go back and find a gazilion forum and blog posts where I, myself, gave out such advice. The problem is that the advice is now so frequently handed out you’re running behind the train as it leaves the station.
Do these guys give out good advice at all? Sure. You can find a few gems of wisdom even on Aaron Wall’s blog occasionally. Anyone on the “A” list can give out good advice once in a while. So can anyone on the “B” list. So can anyone on the “C” list.