Quick answer
- Link building means earning links from other websites to yours. Relevant links from respected sites help Google find and trust your content.
- The safest strategies create something worth linking to: original data, tools, in-depth guides and helpful resources.
- Outreach, digital PR, guest posting on relevant sites and fixing broken links all work when done genuinely.
- Avoid buying links, link exchanges at scale and automated submissions. Google treats them as link spam.
Links remain one of the ways Google discovers and evaluates pages, but the wrong kind of links can hurt you. Here are link building strategies that earn links the right way.
1. Create linkable assets
People link to things that are useful to cite: original research, statistics, free tools, templates, detailed guides and great visuals.
2. Digital PR
Share newsworthy data or expert commentary with journalists and bloggers. One good story can earn links from many sites.
3. Guest posting on relevant sites
Write genuinely useful posts for respected sites in your niche. Focus on audience fit, not just the link. See our guest posting guide.
4. Broken link building
Find broken links on relevant pages, then suggest your related resource as a replacement. It helps the site owner fix their page.
5. Unlinked mentions
When a site mentions your brand without linking, politely ask if they’ll add a link.
6. Build relationships
Comment thoughtfully, share others’ work and collaborate on content. Links often follow genuine relationships.
7. Internal linking
Not backlinks, but important: link your own related posts so authority flows through your site.
What to avoid
Google lists these as link schemes in its spam policies. If you’re paid for a link, mark it rel=”sponsored”. See how to check dofollow and nofollow links.
- Buying or selling links that pass ranking signals.
- Large-scale link exchanges.
- Automated link programs and mass directory or bookmark submissions.
- Keyword-stuffed anchor text in guest posts.
FAQs
Earning links from other websites to yours.
Yes, though relevant, quality links matter far more than quantity.
No. Buying links that pass ranking signals breaks Google’s spam policies.
Creating genuinely useful resources and guest posting on relevant sites.
There’s no fixed number. Quality and relevance matter most.
They’re not backlinks, but they help Google understand and navigate your site.
