There are many thinks you can do yourself to find quality sites for links: For entry client I set them up on Lotus Jump for 3-6 months to get in the habit and practice of commenting 1 hour a day on blogs, posting articles, and finding web sites with their keyword terms.
Lotus Jump
We use Lotusjump to train clients and employees how to social media backlinking. This is a good system to get through the first 21 days of creating a new habit (actually takes 60-90 days). After 90 days we train you how to setup Google readers to find websites, blogs, and articles to leave comments and request backlinks. The cost to signup through us is $120 for a 90-day subscription. You can continue or cancel at anytime.
Automate Your Search
Commenting on current word streams allows you to be active in your space and community, with the goal of becoming an authority. Use Google reader to set up alerts for blog and website for your keyword terms. There are many different readers so you can use what you like.
If the readers don't meet your needs to find your niche, use Y!Pipes to create a very custom filter to ID blogs, websites, and articles in your niche. Here is an Y!Pipes example to find "teacher supplies" You can create your own account and clone pipes from others, of if you have the skills write your own.
COM Links
To find GOV sites is rare. Use google search, since if it is in the Google Index you have a better chance of finding an authority GOV site that permits comments. Using Google Search:
site:.com inurl:wiki “your keyword or keyword phrase”
site:.com inurl.blog “your keyword or keyword phrase”
site:.com inurl:wiki "post a comment" -"comments closed" -"you must be logged in" "add your keyword phrase HERE"
site:.com inurl:blog "post a comment" -"comments closed" -"you must be logged in" "add your keyword phrase HERE"
GOV Links
To find GOV sites is rare. Use google search, since if it is in the Google Index you have a better chance of finding an authority GOV site that permits comments. Using Google Search:
site:.gov inurl:wiki “your keyword or keyword phrase”
site:.gov inurl.blog “your keyword or keyword phrase”
site:.gov inurl:wiki "post a comment" -"comments closed" -"you must be logged in" "add your keyword phrase HERE"
site:.gov inurl:blog "post a comment" -"comments closed" -"you must be logged in" "add your keyword phrase HERE"
EDU Links
Supposedly eveyr EDU link is worth 20 COM or other TLD links. They are hard to get, but there are ways to do it fairly.
Since Yahoo does not filter DOFOLLOW or NOFOLLOW links use it find out how many EDU links you have to your site use this on Yahoo Search:.
linkdomain:yoursite.com +site:.edu
To find EDU sites where you can get links takes form creattivity. Use google search, since if it is in the Google Index you have a better chance of finding an authority EDU site. Using Google Search:
site:.edu inurl:wiki “your keyword or keyword phrase”
site: edu inurl.blog “your keyword or keyword phrase”
site:.edu inurl:blog "post a comment" -"comments closed" -"you must be logged in" "add your keyword phrase HERE"
site:.edu inurl:blog "post a comment" -"comments closed" -"you must be logged in" "add your keyword phrase HERE"
DOFOLLOW vs. NOFOLLOW
You can be selective to id only sites that do not use NOFOLLOW, but the reality is that different serch engines use the protocol or do not. I find if I have something where I can contribute and get a anchor text displayed it will help in one or more of the SEs.