[1] One keyword only per page (not site);
[2] Same anchor text for all backlinks to a specific page (yes, it doesn't look 'natural' but neither does flying in a metal tube at 30,000 feet and that works pretty well too!);
[3] Make sure that your backlinks sites are not all hosted on the same IP Address (e.g. Ning, Kickapps, Movable Type);
[4] Sustain your backlinking and don't drop off for 3 months and expect rankings to keep going up;
[5] Make sure that your SEO fights are winnable with research BEFORE committing to a new site;
[6] Keep your 'timetable of expectations' realistic - 3 months is about right (this is also what SEO Godfather Aaron Wall states about backlinking timeframes);
[7] Ignore relevancy in choosing sites for your backlinks (it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference in real world testing);
[8] Remember that article directory backlinks have the LEAST value and forums have the MOST (at least in my experience);
[9] Boost the backlinks that you do create with Backlink Booster AND my rss>autoblogposting method; and,
[10] Use Forum Clusters, Site Bracketing, Signature Surges, Double Pass Backlinking and Backlink Booster (with autoblogposting!) to really supercharge your backlink power (all discussed on my backlinks site in detail).

Getting Backlinks the Natural Way, Ways to Build Backlinks, Getting Listed in Directories, Forums and Article Directories, News Announcements and Press Releases

If you are serious about your Web presence, getting listed in directories like D M O Z and Yahoo is a must – not only because this is a way to get some quality backlinks for free, but also because this way you are easily noticed by both search engines and potential visitors. Generally inclusion in search directories is free but the drawback is that sometimes you have to wait a couple of months before you get listed in the categories of your choice.