When I first started, I was EVERYWHERE in relation to my niche.
Guess what?
I didn't even have my own website at the time.
I was genuinely interested in my niche, wanted to learn more about it, AND I wanted to help others learn what I was learning.
I was in niche-related forums, in niche-related blog comments, discussion groups...the whole she-bang.
When I finally did start my own site, people would say, "Wow! I see you EVERYWHERE!"
That's when it hit me - Since I was out in my niche community participating, PEOPLE were noticing.
No, not spamming the forums and comments, but truly participating in the community.
If you really want to succeed in your niche, ya gotta get off YOUR site and get out into the community of PEOPLE that are in your niche.
This has next to nothing to do with Google - this IS about people because at the heart of every niche is PEOPLE.
Now I know what many reading this are going to say next...
"I don't have TIME for all that!!!!"
Oh really?