Link Building Methods

Links are the secret weapon most SEO professionals are getting WRONG. Link building in 2025 is not about chasing meaningless numbers and metrics (DA/DR) - it's about value and strategy. After building 1000+ links last year, here's what I think truly matters when it comes to link building: ↳ Do NOT just focus on DA/DR metrics. These can easily be manipulated. Instead, aim for sites/pages that are highly topically relevant, even if they have low DA/DR. ↳ Build links from sites with traffic - not just from search but also from other sources. This is a clear signal that these websites are not built to link out (and make money from it) but are legit, credible websites. ↳ Don't use guest posts JUST for links. Use them as an asset to rank for keywords, generate traffic, and drive leads to you. This can work beautifully, especially for high-ticket clients.  ↳ Aim for credible links - even if they are nofollow. Heck, even if they just mention your brand name, that's fine. Link building and brand building should go hand in hand. In fact, moving forward, I would say link building IS brand building. ↳ Build tools, calculators, templates, etc., and host them on your website. These can be amazing link magnets, and you can also use them in your link-building campaign. It's super easy to create these today, so what's your excuse? ↳ Create data stories around insights from data (public or proprietary). People love to link to these. Figure out what statistics/insights people are linking to in your industry, create one, and host it on your website. ↳ Excuse the cliche, but quality over quantity any day. You rather have 10 solid links than 100 shitty links from shitty websites that link out to any website under the sun. These links do more harm than good. Avoid. ↳ Target for mentions on social media sites/UGC like Reddit. Super helpful in influencing LLMs. It's okay if you don't get a link from these sites, just mentions are enough. Look, links will probably be far more crucial going into 2025 than ever before. But you can't build links like you did in 2015 and expect it to work. Think beyond just made-up metrics. Think like a marketer and not just an SEO specialist. Focus on building genuine relationships and value. The future of link-building is about quality, relevance, and strategic thinking. Is there anything else you would like to add to this list?

I've tested over 50+ different link building methods since 2009. Most are a waste of time in 2025, yet some SEOs are still using them. These 5 methods are the ones consistently delivering ROI right now: 1. Digital PR campaigns The holy grail of link building in 2025: • Create newsworthy content based on original research or data. • Target journalists that are already covering your topic. • Use tools like Muck Rack or Prowly to pitch them. • One campaign can generate 40+ high-authority links in a single month. 2. Strategic guest posting Not the spray-and-pray approach most use: • Reverse engineer your competitors in Ahrefs. • Pitch sites that already accept guest posts and rank for your keywords. • Offer value in the pitch: optimize a post for a keyword they’re missing. • Focus on quality over quantity - one DR70+ link beats twenty DR30 links. 3. Link insertions in existing content A quick way to get high-quality links: • Reach out to site owners and offer to update an old article for free. • Google: site:example. com intitle:2024 to find outdated pages. • Rewrite the piece to bring it up to date, with your link naturally added. • Link insertions alone can look unnatural. Mix in other types of links in your profile. 4. Reactive PR opportunities The HARO(RIP) replacement strategy: • Monitor journalist requests on Twitter, Linkedin, Qwoted, and Featured. • Set up alerts for topics in your expertise. • Respond quickly with concise, quotable insights. • Include relevant credentials that make you citation-worthy. 5. PBNs (grey hat, not for newbies) Still one of the best ways to get quick rankings if done right: • Build or buy clean expired domains with relevant backlinks. • Avoid spammy link farms. Look for sites with real history and traffic. • Or join a reputable PBN network. (like RankClub. io)

Chasing high rankings with a massive number of links? Hold on! Here's why building fewer, but stronger links could be your secret weapon. Most people think more is always better. But in the SEO game, it's the opposite. Here's how to rethink your linkbuilding strategy: Identify Quality Sources: ↳ Focus on reputable sites within your niche. ↳ These act like endorsements from industry leaders. Craft Unique Content: ↳ Write content that others want to reference. ↳ This naturally attracts highquality links. Leverage Relationships: ↳ Build genuine connections with other brands. ↳ Collaborations can lead to fruitful, organic links. Monitor and Adjust: ↳ Regularly audit your backlinks. ↳ Remove or disavow links from spammy sites. The emphasis should be on earning links, not just building them. Think of backlinks as trust signals to search engines. Google rewards authenticity and relevance, not sheer volume. By focusing on fewer, but strategic, links, you’re telling Google your content is reliable. So, take a step back, reevaluate your linkbuilding approach, and aim for quality. Ready to transform your strategy? Try implementing one of these steps today and watch the magic unfold. What’s your next move?

11 Proven Ways to Build High Quality Backlinks (to rank on Google & ChatGPT): 1. Guest Post on Authority Sites → Not just blogs...go for newsletters and industry publications → Think: niche newsletters, Substack guest editions, local biz sites 2. HARO + Featured Mentions → Still works, but now also try: Terkel, Qwoted, Help a B2B Writer → Faster and often more responsive than HARO 3. Partner Collaboration Pages → Add a “Partners” page and ask vendors, clients, and tools to do the same → You link to them, they link to you 4. Resource Pages & “Best Tools” Lists → Search: intitle:resources + [your industry] → Pitch your brand/tool/blog as an addition 5. Launch a Public SOP Library → Create step-by-step SOPs in your niche → People love linking to process docs + free templates → Bonus: Update monthly, turn it into a backlink magnet 6. Create an Industry Data Report → Run a survey, publish the data, design a PDF → Add original charts + insights → Outreach to bloggers who cover your space 7. Build a Free Tool (Even a Simple One) → ROI calculator, audit checklist, SEO grader, etc. → Tools get 10x more backlinks than blogs...if they’re useful 8. Interview Your Customers or Influencers → Turn interviews into long-form blog posts → The person you feature will often link back to it → Works great for consultants, coaches, service businesses 9. Turn Your Blog into a Book (Then Launch It) → Turn 5-10 pillar posts into an ebook → Publish on Gumroad or Amazon → Promote with a “Free Resources” campaign...backlinks follow 10. Sponsor a Niche Newsletter or Creator → Pick ones with solid SEO sites (Substack, Ghost, Medium) → Your brand gets a mention + backlink in the archive 11. Create an “Ultimate Linkable Asset” → Think: “100+ stats for [industry]”, “Complete guide to [X]”, “Tool comparisons” → Make it better than anything on Page 1 → Promote it once a month on social + through outreach --- Link building should start before outreach. If it’s not worth linking to, no one will. Most SEOs avoid doing hard work → that’s your edge. Give people value + reasons to reference you. Create once, promote monthly, stack links over time. --- Whatcha think? Agree or disagree? Repost ♻️ and let's start a discussion around backlinks. P.S. I'm Connor Gillivan. Follow me and hit my 🔔 for daily Marketing insights.

🚨 73% of Websites Get ZERO Traffic from Google. Here's Why (And How to Fix It) I analyzed 500+ websites over the last 6 years. The pattern? Crystal clear. Most businesses are invisible online—not because their content is bad, but because they're missing ONE critical element: High-quality backlinks. Here's what the data shows: → Websites with 40-50 high-authority backlinks rank 3X higher than those with 10-20 → 91% of content gets zero traffic because it lacks domain authority → ONE quality guest post on a DR70+ site can boost your rankings within 30 days But here's the problem: Most companies either: • Buy cheap, spammy backlinks that hurt their SEO • Waste months trying to build relationships manually • Create content that nobody wants to link to The solution? Strategic Guest Post Backlinks. Not the "spray and pray" method. Not automated outreach that gets ignored. I'm talking about: ✅ Handpicked, niche-relevant sites with real traffic ✅ Editorial-quality content that actually gets published ✅ White-hat strategies that Google rewards, not penalizes Real results from my clients: → A SaaS startup went from page 4 to page 1 in 45 days → An e-commerce brand increased organic traffic by 210% → A B2B agency closed $50K in deals from ONE ranking keyword Here's my proven framework: 1️⃣ Audit Phase: Identify your link gap vs. competitors 2️⃣ Strategy Phase: Target DR50+ sites in your niche 3️⃣ Content Phase: Create link-worthy, value-driven articles 4️⃣ Outreach Phase: Build real relationships with editors 5️⃣ Execution Phase: Secure placements that move the needle The truth? You can't rank without authority. You can't build authority without quality backlinks. And you can't get quality backlinks without the right strategy. After 6+ years and 500+ successful campaigns, I've learned that SEO isn't about gaming the system—it's about building genuine authority that Google can't ignore. Want to know if your backlink profile is strong enough to compete? Drop a "AUDIT" in the comments, and I'll send you a free 3-point checklist to evaluate your current strategy. Or share your biggest SEO challenge below—I read and respond to every comment. P.S. Repost ♻️ if you found this valuable. Your network might need this, too. --- #SEO #Backlinks #GuestPosting #DigitalMarketing #ContentMarketing #B2BMarketing #SearchEngineOptimization #LinkBuilding #MarketingStrategy #BusinessGrowth #SEOTips #ContentStrategy #OnlineMarketing #DigitalStrategy #MarketingTips

After watching thousands of SEO campaigns, the winning pattern is boringly consistent. It's never the new framework or hack. It's always content + links executed with discipline. Here's what top agencies actually do: - Build a real content plan (not a keyword spreadsheet). Map the niche, the gaps, what competitors ignore. - Publish 20-50 articles upfront to start the ranking clock early. - Build steady backlinks at natural pace. 5-10 solid links monthly from real blogs, clean anchors, relevant sites. - Create assets that attract links naturally: tools, glossaries, calculators. This compounds growth instead of linear progress. - Month 6: optimise low-hanging fruit in Search Console. Keywords you already surface for often beat initial content. - Then repeat. More topics, more authority, more optimisation. Simple. Predictable. Scalable. The difference is rarely strategy. It's discipline to stick to basics longer than everyone else.

Most link building programs underperform for one reason: they’re built on arbitrary volume goals instead of impact goals. Decision makers set monthly link counts, pulling a number out of a hat. Agencies optimize for whatever fulfills those numbers fastest to avoid clients breathing down their neck. And the result is predictable: High activity, 100 links placed. Yet low impact, zero movement where it matters: BOFU revenue pages. After working with ~600 brands across SaaS, fintech, cybersecurity, and enterprise software, here’s the real pattern behind underperforming link programs: 1️⃣ Links are treated as a commodity, not a strategic asset Teams optimize for placement speed and link volume, neither of which correlate with ranking velocity. Links are treated as commodities, worth merely $100. Winners model link strategy around authority delta vs. SERP leader and cluster-level authority gaps. Then acquire strategic link placements that serve as assets spanning SEO, PR, LLM visibility, and more. 2️⃣ Anchor text is an afterthought Most enterprise anchor profiles don’t match what top competitors garner to win their SERPs. Winners reverse-engineer anchor spread page-by-page and shape anchors based on: • intent class • competitive density • authority gaps 3️⃣ Your link gap analysis is wrong You can’t close a 300–500 link gap with a 10-link-per-month program. Good news is that you don't actually have a 300-500 link gap. Stop dumping competitors in an SEO tool, seeing that they have "500 more links than us" and then panic buying links. Filter. Refine. Look at what actually matters. It's likely your link gap is 10% of what tools tell you. Bad data = bad decision making. 4️⃣ Links hit the wrong assets Most brands distribute links across dozens of pages equally. This dilutes impact and extends payback periods. Winners concentrate authority into key pages and push equity downstream via internal links. 5️⃣ No system protects link equity after publication Links decay, anchors change, pages deindex, and millions in link value evaporate. Almost no enterprise has a monitoring or reclamation system, and they've been told by SEOs to "only get unique root domains" (good grief). Repeat domains = link insurance. One page gets tweaked, removed? No worries, you've got 5 other link mentions from that brand to boot. Stop focusing on arbitrary link volume → shift to impact goals → rankings move → SQLs follow → revenue increases

I've been building links at Hunter since 2021. The biggest lesson? Link building is a relationship game disguised as a numbers game. 80% of our links come from partnerships. People we talk to regularly. People we share opportunities with, make introductions for, and collaborate on guest posts with. The remaining 20% comes from tactics like link insertions, listicle placements, and guest posting. But even those convert better when you know the person on the other side. Together with Ziemek Bućko, we created the most comprehensive guide we could on link building outreach. What's inside: → The 4 strategies worth your time (ranked by impact) → Real funnel numbers from our program (1.3% prospect-to-link rate) → Our 3-email sequence that drives 66% of replies → Email templates for every scenario → Who to contact and how to adjust your message by role → What to offer (and how to keep it fresh) No broken link building. No skyscraper technique. Those don't work anymore. Just the stuff that actually moves the needle. Full guide in the comments 👇

I just spent $850 on a single backlink (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻). Most SEO agencies would have built 2-3 links with that budget, charging around $340 per link, paying only $150 in total for their investment. This is why standardized link-packages & SEO agencies are THE most expensive SEO investment (mistake) you'll ever make. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻. Last week, I analyzed a new e-commerce client who spent $10K on "budget-friendly" links over 6 months. Their rankings barely moved. Meanwhile, we spent $850 on ONE strategic backlink for this client - from a site that: - Ranks for the exact keywords we're targeting - Attracts the specific audience our client needs - Drives substantial relevant traffic - Has genuine topical authority (not just a high DR number) Two weeks later, their brand category page jumped from page 3 to page 1. 🚀 This single page now generates an additional $27K in monthly revenue. That's a 3,600% ROI from ONE link... PER MONTH! The truth nobody wants to admit: 10 weak links aren't equal to 1 powerful, contextually relevant link. The industry has brainwashed brands to accept this - to ask "𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁?" But this approach is totally flawed and it leads to sub-optimal results for the eCommerce clients. Those "cheap" links? They're often built on sites with: - Zero real traffic (faked and bloated) - No editorial standards - No relevance to your industry - Questionable link neighborhoods - Even worse - they risk penalties that can tank your entire SEO investment. Great SEO isn't about rigid link quotas. It's about strategic placement in the exact places your customers already trust. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆: - We allocate a monthly budget for each client - Some months we might build 3 premium links, others we might build 10 - Every decision is based on manual outreach results, quoted prices, and our rigorous quality assessment We focus on the right links for YOUR specific situation, not hitting arbitrary numbers When your business earns real revenue from search, stop gambling with low-quality links. A single premium placement can outperform hundreds of garbage links. The ROI speaks for itself.

So many brands I see on LinkedIn are leaving at least $50,000/month on the table without even realizing it. Let's fix that right now in this post. A lot of people have a very outdated idea of what is and isn't important in SEO in 2025. It wrecks their strategy before they can even get off the ground. They focus on: Chasing impossible keywords Obsessing over technical SEO Creating content with no clear ROI And they ignore the intentional pointing of backlinks, the single biggest driver of rankings. SEO doesn’t need to take 6+ months. Here’s how to get results faster. 1. Quick Wins: Rank Fast with Existing Pages Don’t create content from scratch. Start with low-hanging fruit. Find "almost-there" pages: Rankings 11–20 or bottom of Page 1 in Google Search Console. High impressions but low clicks. Example: A blog post ranking #12 for “Best CRM for Startups.” Buy or manually do outreach to secure 1-3 high-quality backlinks for this page. Add 3–5 internal links from high-traffic pages using anchor text like "CRM for startups." Include an FAQ section with schema markup to target more long-tail terms. 2. Backlinks: Point Them Where It Counts Backlinks only work if they go to the right pages. Distribute strategically: 50–70% to high-value pages (BOFU product, comparison, or use case pages). 30–50% to the homepage to build domain authority. Examples: Build 5 backlinks to “Best CRM for Startups” Build 3 to your “Pricing” page Use a mix of branded, partial-match, and exact-match anchors to keep it natural. 3. Steal Competitors’ Keywords Find competitors with similar DR (Domain Rating). Identify purchase-intent keywords they rank for but you can improve on. Example: Competitor: Blog with DR 35. Keyword: “Email automation tools for small teams.” Your Move: Create a better article that includes a video demo and free template. Build 1–3 backlinks to outrank them. 4. Funnel Content That Converts Not all content is equal. Focus on: Top of Funnel (Awareness): “How to Automate Marketing Emails Without Coding.” Middle of Funnel (Consideration): “Best Email Automation Tools for Startups.” Bottom of Funnel (Decision): “[Your Tool] vs [Competitor]: Which is Right for You?” Use backlinks to build authority for MOFU and BOFU pages, they’re closest to revenue. 5. Backlink Tactics That Scale Competitor Link Gaps: Export competitor backlinks and target links they have but you don’t. Resource Link Building: Update old stats and pitch your version. Guest Posting: Target blogs with similar DR and link to BOFU pages. Broken Link Building: Find dead links and replace them with your content. Digital PR: Publish bold opinions backed by data to attract coverage. 6. Healthy Backlink Distribution Google penalizes unnatural patterns. Keep it balanced: 50–70% to the homepage (domain authority). 30–50% to high-value inner pages (BOFU, MOFU). 7. Review and Adjust Every 30 Days SEO isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Adjust accordingly.