How I Built a Link Building System That Runs on AI (Real Numbers Inside)

By Tim Cakir, Chief AI Officer & Founder of AI Operator

I built a backlink acquisition system that runs on AI. Here are the actual numbers: 122 submissions, 22 published articles, Authority Score climbing from 17 toward my 90-day goal of 30+.

I didn't hire an SEO agency. I didn't bring on a dedicated link builder. I built AI-powered workflows that do the work.

Here's the playbook.

The Problem: You Can't Afford an Agency (Neither Could I)

Let me be direct. SEO agencies charge $3,000 to $10,000 per month for link building. As a solo founder running AI Operator, that budget doesn't exist.

But I still need backlinks. Every business does.

So I built something different. Instead of hiring humans to find opportunities, write pitches, and track results, I built AI skills that handle each part of the process.

Not AI tools. AI skills. There's a difference.

The System: Three Strategies, One Workflow

My link building system runs on three strategies. Each one targets different domain authorities and requires different levels of effort.

Strategy 1: Expert Q&A (Featured.com)

Featured.com connects journalists with expert sources. When you answer their questions and get quoted, you earn a backlink from publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider.

I built a skill called /featured that handles the entire workflow:

1. Parse daily Featured.com emails

2. Match questions to my expertise (AI consulting, training, implementation)

3. Draft 150-200 word responses

4. Track submissions and publications

The numbers: 122 submissions, 22 published articles. That's an 18% success rate.

Time investment: 30 minutes per session, 2-3 times per week. The AI does the heavy lifting. I review, refine, and submit.

Strategy 2: Bylined Articles

When Featured.com isn't enough, I pitch bylined articles directly to publications. The AI handles research, outlines, and first drafts. I add the personal experience and refine the voice.

This article you're reading right now? Started with an AI-generated outline. I wrote the personal stories, added the real numbers, and made sure every sentence sounds like me.

The AI saves me 2-3 hours per article. I focus on the parts that need a human: strategy, voice, and real-world examples.

Strategy 3: Directory Submissions

High-authority directories (DesignRush, Clutch, Sortlist) offer DA 65-75 backlinks. They're time-consuming but valuable.

I built a skill that completes directory submissions in 90 minutes instead of 3 hours. It pulls company data, formats responses, and ensures consistency across platforms.

Three directory submissions equals three DA 70+ backlinks. That's $3,000 to $7,000 in equivalent SEO value.

How It Works: The AI Skill Architecture

Here's what makes this different from using ChatGPT or Claude directly.

I built specialized skills. Each one handles a specific workflow:

- /featured: Monitor opportunities, draft responses, track results

- /featured-articles: Research publications, generate outlines, draft articles

- /seo-directory-expert: Complete directory submissions with consistent data

These aren't prompts. They're reusable workflows with memory, context, and execution logic.

When I invoke /featured, it knows:

- My expertise areas

- My company's services

- Past successful responses

- Current submission tracking

It doesn't start from zero every time. It builds on what works.

The Numbers: What This System Produces

Let's talk real results.

Baseline (January 2026):

- Authority Score: 17

- Organic traffic: 34 visits/month

- Backlinks: Minimal

After 30 days of working with this system:

- 122 Featured.com submissions

- 22 published articles (DA 80+ sites)

- 3 directory submissions (DA 65-75)

- Authority Score trending toward 30+ target

Time investment: 6-8 hours per month. That's less than 2 hours per week.

Compare that to an SEO agency: $3,000/month minimum, 3-month contracts, and you're still not guaranteed these results.

The Part That Surprised Me

I expected the AI to save time. That wasn't the surprise.

The surprise was consistency.

Before this system, I'd go weeks without submitting anything. I'd see a Featured.com email, think "I should respond to that," and then forget.

Now it's automatic. The AI monitors opportunities, drafts responses, and hands me ready-to-submit answers. My job is to review and hit send.

Consistency beats intensity. Always has.

How to Build Your Own Version

You don't need to be technical. You need to think in workflows.

Here's how to start:

Step 1: Pick one strategy. Don't try to do everything at once. Start with expert Q&A (Featured.com, HARO) or directory submissions.

Step 2: Document the workflow. Write down every step you take manually. This becomes your AI skill blueprint.

Step 3: Build the skill. Use Claude, ChatGPT, or your AI tool of choice. Give it context, show it examples, and turn it into a reusable workflow.

Step 4: Track everything. Create a simple spreadsheet: Date, opportunity, submission, result. The AI can help with this too.

Step 5: Iterate. Look at what gets accepted. Feed that back into your AI skill. Make it smarter over time.

I didn't build this system in a day. I built it over three months, one workflow at a time.

What This Means for Small Businesses

Most SEO advice assumes you have a team. Or a budget. Or both.

This system assumes you have neither.

You have time (a few hours per week) and you're willing to work with AI as a collaborator, not just a tool.

That's enough.

The link building playbook isn't reserved for companies with six-figure marketing budgets anymore. You can build a system that acquires backlinks, grows your Authority Score, and drives organic traffic.

You just need to build the right workflows.

The Bottom Line

I'm not saying AI replaces SEO experts. I'm saying it makes expert-level execution accessible to founders who can't hire a full team.

My Authority Score is climbing. My backlinks are growing. My organic traffic is increasing.

And I'm spending 6-8 hours per month on it.

That's the power of building systems instead of doing tasks.