Link Building for SEO: The Definitive Guide (2024)

Do you want to do link building but don’t know where to start?

This guide will tell you how to create backlinks for your website, with actionable tips.

Link-Building Concepts

In this section, I will write about the fundamentals of link building, what it means, and why it is important for your website’s rankings in search engines.

Are you ready? Let’s dive in.

What Is Link Building?

Link building consists of creating backlinks from other websites to yours to boost visibility on search engines.

However, not all links have the same value.

With the Penguin’s algorithm update, Google is now focusing on link quality (not link quantity).

Link building includes several techniques, including content marketing, guest posts, email outreach, and others.

Why Is Link Building Important for SEO?

There are several reasons why you should care about it.

Google states that links can help you rank better on search engines:

Also, dofollow links (either external or internal) can help Google crawlers discover new pages on your site.

But wait – there’s more.

Andrey Lipattsev (now Partner Development Manager for Google, but Search Quality Strategist before that) stated that links, content, and RankBrain are the top three ranking signals in Google’s popular search algorithm.

But it was not always like that.

In the past, the search engines that dominated the market were Yahoo! and AltaVista. And they always ranked results only by considering the content of web pages.

Then came Google with the PageRank Algorithm and changed the rules.

Instead of only analyzing pages based on content, the system also considered how many websites were pointing to that page.

💡 In a nutshell, the number of links is important, but you should also focus on quality, not quantity.

So, how can you determine the quality of a link?

Let’s talk about it.

Link Quality Analysis

There are different link metrics you should know. They can help you verify the value of a link and judge whether you should work on it.

Being aware of these SEO metrics is also useful for analyzing the link profile of a website. In addition, several attributes change the value of the link itself in terms of rankings.

Considering that there are no exact statements from Google about the measurement of each link, here are some indications that prominent members of the SEO community use:

• Authority
• Relevance
• Positioning
• Destination
• Anchor text
• Nofollow vs. follow

Authority

Verifying domain authority (DA) is one of the most popular ways to understand, at a glance, how strong a website is.

This metric was introduced by Moz and ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 is the lowest value.

To calculate the domain authority, Moz uses several factors, such as the unique links pointing to the main domains and the total number of links.

Let’s make an example to better understand this concept.

Sometimes, you will be able to acquire a link from an existing page on a website instead of being mentioned on a new page.

Think of a list of the best New York bakeries where you can include your business.

In this case, you will want to evaluate how strong the page in question is, to check whether you should take your time to acquire that link.

To do so, use the free Moz domain authority checker to get the data you need.

If you see metrics such as a good DA, lots of quality linking domains, and tons of ranking keywords, then the link may be worth pursuing.

But wait, there’s more.

Page Authority is another metric created by Moz (very similar to Domain Authority). It differs because it applies to a single page and not to the entire domain.

Similar to Moz, Ahrefs, and SemRush are also using their metrics to evaluate a domain authority. While they can differ in the specific factors they use, the concept is the same.

The authority of a website or page is calculated based on the number of referring domains (quantity and quality) linking to it, together with other sub-metrics such as follow vs. no-follow links, referring IPs, and referring subnets.

💡 To sum up, if you could get a link from a new blog recently opened by your friend or one from Forbes, which one would you choose? I think the answer is clear.

Relevance

You want to get links from authority sites, but you also need to consider the topic’s relevance.

Consider this example.

You have a blog about fitness, and you publish a review about the best exercise equipment. Thanks to this, two sites mention your new article in their content. One from their blog post “The Best Fitness Tools” and another from an article titled “10 Ways to Save Money in Your Business“.

Which of the two pages seems most relevant to your website, according to Google?

That’s right. That page will benefit your site more in terms of rankings.

Relevance is also considered at the website level. In fact, Google states:

If other prominent websites on the subjects link to the page, that’s a good sign that the information is of high quality.

💡 Put simply, try to earn links from websites connected to your site instead of seizing every linking opportunity, whatever topic it is.

Positioning

The position of a backlink you earned inside a specific web page matters.

• Is it at the beginning of the content?
• Or deep down, at the end of the page?

✅ The higher it is, the better.

Of course, with white-hat link-building strategies, you don’t have control over the positioning of the backlink.

But if you do, for example, with guest posting.

So, try to place your link within the first part of the content.

This strategy also serves to increase the SEO value of that link because you will have a better chance of receiving referral traffic.

Destination

When you can decide where your link goes, there are three possibilities. You can usually link to the:

• Homepage of your site
• Pillar posts of great value
• Pages that are monetized

It often happens that the latter are the most difficult to earn links.

The reason is simple. Webmasters want to link to pages useful to their users, not content that is focused on monetization.

So, the question is: “How to create links for those pages that make you money?”

Aside from when webmasters will allow you to use them, the other solution is to leverage the power of internal linking (which will also help you improve the bounce rate of your pages and the website architecture).

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable part of a link that takes you to another web page.

Google’s original license uses several strategies to improve search quality, including anchor text:

If, for example, you earned a link with this anchor: “fitness diet,” Google will think after seeing these words that your site should have “fitness” content.

So, how could you benefit from anchor text when building links?

✅ You just don’t.

The more you do, the higher the chance of getting penalized by Google.

If you think about it, you should in no way be able to control the text used by webmasters who decide to link to your content because they consider it valuable.

Nofollow vs. Follow

Using the “nofollow” attribute, you want to tell Google not to consider this link as an endorsement.

It looks like this:

Until September 2019, Google used to not count no-follow links. 

Then, they announced the introduction of new tags:

• rel = “sponsored”: to be used for sponsored content.
• rel = “ugc”: UGC stands for user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts.

But wait, let me tell you something.

Did you know that, based on research by Authority Hacker, 89.1% of link builders think that nofollow links have an impact on search rankings?

A natural link profile should have both dofollow and nofollow links.

👉 You may want to check more backlink statistics here.

How to Create Links

When you are building links, you can:

• Manually add links
• Ask for links
• Earn links

Manually Add Links

This category includes all those sites where you can add your link alone and independently.

Take, for example:

• Business Directories
• Social Media Profiles
• Blog Comments
• Forum Posting
• Q&A Sites
• Job Listing

These types of links tend to have a low value for Google.

So, be careful not to overdo it, as they can often be marked as SPAM.

However, some of them can still be worth it.

Business Directories

Don’t rush to add your website to every business directory you find, just to earn another link.

Think about the most recognized ones, which could bring you traffic and visitors interested in your business.

Local business directories are a good example to consider, and they can help you connect with business owners in your area.

💡 Have you ever tried GoogleMyBusiness?

Social Media Profiles

In general, you should always reserve the name of your business or brand on all major social media, such as:

• X (the former Twitter)
• Facebook
• YouTube
• SlideShare
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest

Registering on each one is quick and easy.

And even if you don’t want to spend time on social media marketing, you should claim your name on these networks.

This way, you can avoid unpleasant surprises in the future (think of people who will want to steal your brand name once your business begins to take off).

Blog Comments

Consider leaving comments on blogs as a way to build relationships with other webmasters and their audiences.

Don’t think of it as a way to build links. You would just automate it and end up leaving useless comments.

Ryan Biddulph is a master of blog comments. He always adds fresh, positive, informative thoughts when he comments on other blogs:

👉 Try this practice. Enter the following query in Google:

“Your Keyword” + “Leave a Comment”

And you will find blog posts related to your keyword that allow commenting.

Aim to leave helpful comments after actually reading the article. Try proposing to add a specific topic to the writer, or constructively correct any errors you think you have found.

This way, not only can you drive traffic to your site, but you can also build a relationship with new bloggers.

Forum Posting

You can use relevant forums to share your knowledge, build an audience, and share informative content from your site from time to time.

Plus, most of the forums allow a link in the bio or user section.

Add value to the discussion, report examples, and suggestions.

✅ Don’t spam links here and there. You just risk being penalized.

Q&A sites

The same concept of forums also applies on Q&A sites, where you find users willing to ask questions about any topic.

Use these places to showcase your expertise and mention useful resources (like yours) from time to time.

The content you create can generate thousands of views over time.

Job Listing

Posting a job on a related site listing can be a way to get an easy link.

You can do this only if you are looking to hire someone.

When your online business is starting to grow, you may need an accountant, a writer, a graphic designer, or an assistant who can help with tedious tasks such as social media marketing or email outreach.

Ask for Links

This strategy includes all the practices needed to contact the webmaster and convince him to add your link to their page.

The compelling reason is essential to succeed in your intent.

So, you should make sure your content is interesting enough to convince them to consider adding your link.

To help you out, here are some of the strategies you can use:

• Guest blogging. You are invited, or you ask to contribute informative content on related websites.
• Email Outreach. Research for content that is in line with yours and asks to be included as a helpful resource.
• Ego Bait. You mention someone in your content, and hopefully, you can get a link back.
• Broken Link Building. You find a broken link in a related web page, and you ask to replace it with your content.
• HARO. Subscribe to the journalist platform and receive daily emails indicating topics, ways, and how you can contribute and get a mention in upcoming articles, news, and posts.
• Image Link Attribution. Research the web about your images and ask to place a credit where it is not properly displayed.

Sometimes these practices lead to positive results, but you will often get negative, not very encouraging, or frustrating responses. You can offer something extra like social sharing on your popular accounts or a mention in your upcoming newsletter. Don’t fall into the temptation to give a link in exchange or even money because you risk falling into what is considered “Link Schemes” by Google:

The truth is that to increase your chances of success, you must create content of real quality, which is better than competitors’ and which gives value to readers.

Earn Links

You can earn links when webmasters naturally mention your site and link to your articles (for example, when they refresh content).

This happens when you are an authority in your niche or when you manage to create beneficial, interesting, and informative content.

Here are some ideas you can use to achieve this:

• Visual Content. They can be images, infographics, diagrams, or any other media created with graphic software. Must be packed with data or interesting facts.
• Lists Posts. People like this type of article. They are digestible, quick to read, and with practical information to use.
• Original Research. You can create this type of content with data or surveys that reveal something new in your industry.
• Pillar Articles. These are the best kinds of content you can create. In-depth, informative, useful guides packed with a huge amount of information on a specific topic, with semantic SEO strategy in mind.

And it is what Google is suggesting too.

✅ Important note: unless you are already known in your industry, the content you just posted needs to be promoted.

Here are some practical tips:

• Use Quora. Share your knowledge and build an audience in your target niche.
• Create a Video. Something related to your article or that adds an extra. Post it on YouTube or Vimeo and your web page.
• Use Social Media. Share your content on Facebook, X (Twitter), Pinterest, or LinkedIn.
• Create an Infographic. This visual content can go viral easily if it brings real value to your industry.
• Use On-page SEO optimization. The correct implementation of these strategies will bring traffic over time.
• Create an eBook. You can use your best content or write something new.
• Use advertising. Think of AdWords, Facebook Ads, or the advertising of a network where your audience is located.

Best Link-Building Strategies

In the previous section, you learned about different ways to create links.

Now, let’s see in detail a few popular, actionable link-building strategies:

• Guest Blogging
• Content Assets
• Unlinked Brand Mentions
• Broken Link Building
• Competitor Link Analysis

💡 Do you want to read more ways to build links? Visit:

Guest Blogging

Here are a few things to keep in mind while creating the perfect guest post:

• Study the editorial calendar of the website to post on.
• Identify the style, the tone of voice, and the topics that work.
• Propose a minimum of 3 titles.
• Read the rules imposed on guest bloggers.
• Deliver a complete, proofread, perfect text. Remember the quality.
• Add internal links. Send images, graphics, and videos.
• Take care of formatting.
• Interact with commenters once the content has been published.

So, do you want to write a guest post? You have to give your best.

Contact the blog owner and agree on the title.

Work on all the aspects, from WordPress SEO  to image optimization.

Treat the post as the best article you will publish on your blog, and don’t skimp on the attention (even more, if you are going to guest post at popular websites in your niche).

Finding blogs that accept guest posts isn’t hard. Just use the proper Google search operators to locate sites that publish articles.

For example, try searching for:

• “guest post” + “your keyword”
• “write for us” + “your keyword”
• “submit guest post” + “your keyword”

After finding some related websites, study each one thoroughly, and assess consistency with the topic and the general quality of the content.

To do so, keep these points in mind:

• Is there a lot of advertising?
• Are you addressing the same topic?
• Are the updates constant?
• Does it have a lot of quality inbound links?
• Are there any noteworthy comments?

Once you think a website could work for your guest blogging campaign, it’s time to reach out.

Here’s a template you can use:

Hi [Website's Owner],
I hope this message finds you well [or Different Greeting].

My name s [Your Name] and my blog is [Your Website].

I have just read [Post Title], after researching for [Keywords or Topic].

You have written a very interesting and informative article!

I also write about [Keywords or Topic] and I think I could contribute to your website with a useful guest post for your readers.

Here’s an example of my writing: [Your Best Post URL]

What about any of these titles:

[Title 1]
[Title 2]
[Title 3]

Thanks for your time and consideration! 

I can’t wait to hear back from you.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]

See? It’s pretty customizable.

Just copy the message and edit any section to fit your needs.

Content Assets

I have already mentioned some of these in the previous chapter.

The principle is to build a noteworthy resource, which people are going to mention and link.

In the form of content, this resource can be:

• A collection of data
• An eBook
• A video
• An infographic
• An image
• A useful and in-depth guide

By creating them, you target a specific audience to communicate something informative, interesting, or entertaining.

Once they become aware of your content asset, people will be inclined to mention it whenever they create content related to the topic covered.

👉 Here’s a practical example.

First, research the topic. Then, you can create a study in the blogging industry.

You can ask a sizeable number of bloggers the same question, then collect the data and publish it.

Think of interesting things, like how much they earn monthly with their websites or the main methods of income creation.

The more specific you are, the more interesting the search will become and worth mentioning by users in your niche market.

Unlinked Brand Mentions

When someone mentions your name or brand, but without linking to your website, it’s called an unlinked brand mention.

You can turn these mentions into links by contacting the webmaster and inviting him to link to your pages.

You should know that Google still values ​​brand mentions, even if without links. And when linked, they provide more value.

The first step of this strategy is research. You can use any of these tools to look for mentions of your brand:

• Buzzsumo
• SemRush
• Moz Explorer
• Ahrefs
• Mention.net
• Google Alerts

You can search for the exact brand name (or any variation of it) and for any service, product, or tools you are offering.

If you have found several mentions, try to list them based on website authority.

After you have searched for the contact information, approach the staff or webmaster, asking to add a link.

Of course, be gentle and kind. Remember to thank them for the mention and then explain the reason a link addition will benefit their audience.

Here you can find a complete guide about blogger outreach with different templates and tools you can use to increase your chance of success.

Broken Link Building

Many websites have broken links (or else 404 errors). Sometimes, you can find them on high-quality pages related to your niche market.

Through the practice of broken link building, you contact webmasters by informing them about the broken link and asking them to replace it with yours.

It’s a win-win situation. You earn a link, and the webmaster can improve the user experience and SEO of his site.

Instead of setting up a redirect, they can replace the broken link with your resource.

✅ Here are the practical steps.

First, download the Check My Links Chrome extension:

Then, search for articles or resource pages based on your keywords.

Once you are on the page, you can check for broken links by clicking on the extension button.

Here’s an example of how it will look the result on the “search engine optimization” page on Wikipedia:

Once you have found a broken link on a specific page, you can contact the webmaster and ask to replace it with your awesome resource.

Hi [Website's Owner],
just checking if you are still updating your website!

I have just read [Post Title], after researching for [Keywords or Topic]:
[Post URL]

You have written a very interesting and informative article!

However, I noticed that this link is not working:
[URL with Broken Link]

I recently published:
[Your Awesome Post URL]

It may be a perfect replacement for the broken link.

What do you think? :)

Thanks for your time and consideration! 

And keep up the good work.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]

But, how can you do this?

Simply follow these steps.

First, grab your keywords and enter them in Google.

The first results you see in the SERP are the URLs you can use.

Submit the URL to your favorite SEO tool and import the data in Excel, as a . CSV file:

Now, you have a list of the best links from your competitors that you can target.

The best news is that SEO tools have already:

• Filtered bad, spammy links
• Ignored weak links
• Listed the good links you can focus on