How To Build High-Quality Backlinks in 2025

Building high-quality backlinks remains one of the most important parts of SEO.

For search professionals, the goal isn’t just to build links, but to secure relevant, authoritative, and editorial backlinks that stand the turbulence of core updates.In this guide, we’ll look at link building methods that you can use to grow your site’s authority and rankings.

We’ll cover tactics like link exchanges, guest posting, digital PR, content marketing, resource page outreach, broken link building, and HARO.

We’ll look at what the research says, weigh pros and cons based on what we've learned in client projects, give real-world examples that we have seen work for our customers, and provide step-by-step instructions for each method.

We’ll conclude with industry-specific strategies for SaaS, local businesses, and e-commerce, because effective link building can vary by niche.

Why high-quality backlinks still matter in 2025

Backlinks have been important for Google’s ranking algorithm since the early days of PageRank.

Despite countless algorithm updates, quality backlinks are still a top-ranking signal. Recent industry data confirms a strong correlation between backlinks and organic traffic.

It’s not just about quantity of links; quality is everything in link building. Today, a handful of high-quality backlinks can easily beat hundreds of low-value ones. Moreover, an ex-Googler revealed that “relevance is the new PageRank” meaning a link’s topical relevance to your site cannot be ignored.

In short, the best backlinks are from authoritative sites in your niche, placed within the main body of content (not buried in footers or sidebars), and given/earned editorially.

A recent Ahrefs study of 20 million webpages found that, 99.985% of pages with no links never reach more than 1,000 visitor traffic level. If you’re targeting competitive keywords, you’ll almost certainly need quality backlinks to rank.

What is a high-quality link?

White/black/gray hat link

When we talk about “high-quality backlinks,” we’re firmly in white/gray-hat territory.

Usually, white-hat link building refers to ethical, Google-approved strategies for earning links ─ focusing on relevancy, quality content, and genuine outreach.

Black-hat link building, by contrast, involves manipulative tactics that violate Google’s guidelines (buying links, using link farms or private blog networks, excessive link exchanges, etc.).

However, the whole concept of SEO (search engine optimization) is an attempt to manipulate search behavior so we'll call it "gray hat" instead.

While black-hat methods might bring short-term gains, they carry a higher risk of penalties and can destroy a site’s reputation. Our focus will be on techniques that don't carry the highest risk.

Links that impact ranking the most

High-quality links also have the highest impact on your search rankings. A high-impact link is:

• Highly relevant (from a page and domain that relates to yours)
• From a website that has high authority. You can measure this with Domain Rating (Ahrefs) or Domain Authority (Semrush). DR50 is already high authority. However, relevancy is more important than DR.
• From a website that has traffic. Low quality websites have no traffic. We have set a minimum of 1000 monthly visitors in our guidelines, measured from Ahrefs.
• From a website that doesn't link out too much compared to how many inbound links they receive.
• Comes from a network of other healthy websites (good backlink network): This can be seen from Semrush.
• Has a low Spam Score (<10%), checked from Moz.

And a few other metrics but these are the quick metrics you should use.

1. Link exchanges (reciprocal linking done right)

Link exchanges (also called reciprocal links) have a varying reputation in SEO. Mutual exchanges are riskier so most SEOs focus on ABC exchanges from my experience.

When are reciprocal links “natural”?

Think of real-world partnerships or references.

For example, a local tourism board might link to a popular hotel on their site, and that hotel links back to the tourism board. A software integration partner might list and link to complementary tools (and vice versa).

These scenarios create mutual value for users and make contextual sense. Search Engine Journal notes that

“when reciprocal links occur naturally between authority sites, both sites may benefit”

. The key is that the link is there because it genuinely makes sense, not because of an explicit quid pro quo.

How to do link exchanges

Firstly, there's two types of link exchanges that take place in link building: AB and ABC exchanges. Simply put, AB exchange is a direct mutual exchange while ABC exchange means you're going to receive a link from another site that you just linked to.

ABC exchanges are the safest by far but they're only about 50% of your exchanges, especially if you have a new website and no other value to offer.

Let's get into how to do the exchange.

1. Only exchange links with relevant, high-quality sites

The other site should be topically related to yours (serving a similar audience) but not a direct competitor. In my experience you're not going to get a link from a competitor unless you provide a lot of added value.

Ask yourself if the partner’s content truly complements your own. The best way to control this, is to only reach out to websites that do complement yours.

If yes, a cross-link could enhance user experience. If not, skip it.

Always check the site’s authority and content quality before even considering a link exchange.

If you have a new website, you probably won't get exchanges with sites that are higher than DR30. Once you reach 30 as well, you might be able to go to DR40 (max) exchanges, and so forth. This is because the other link builders want to receive a link from as high DR site as possible.

Once you reach DR50, you might be able to receive two DR30 links in exchange.

If possible, avoid AB exchanges and do only ABC exchanges. Many of the link builders work with multiple site owners.

2. Focus also on user value, not SEO value

To build the most natural links, your reciprocal link should be a byproduct of a collaboration or reference that helps visitors.

And if it's not, like most link building exchanges, then the placement should otherwise feel authentic like they thought about your content when writing theirs.

In our link building guidelines, we emphasize thinking: "Where would a user expect to navigate if they clicked here?"

If the answer is your resource page, then congratulations, you've made a great link placement.

Unnatural and out-of-place placements is the most common mistake we see link builders make in exchanges and they affect the value of the link.

Keep it minimal and organic

A handful of strategic reciprocal links won’t trigger Google’s penalty. It’s excessive or manipulative exchanges that do. What is excessive? I believe a 100 AB type exchanges is excessive.

Don’t turn your site into a link directory for dozens of “friends” just to swap links. Google specifically calls out “partner pages exclusively for cross-linking” as a no-no.

Organic reciprocal links often happen without formal agreements. They’re just two sites naturally referencing each other.

In summary, link exchanges can be one tool in your arsenal, especially for local businesses or partnerships, but use them as your only tactic.

There are other great ways to get backlinks which we’ll explore next.

2. Guest posting and blogger outreach

Guest posting is about writing content for other websites in exchange for a backlink. It's one of the oldest and most popular link building strategies in SEO.

In 2024, a survey found that guest blogging was the #1 most-used link building tactic, with about 86% of SEO professionals reporting they use it.

There’s a reason for its popularity: when done right, guest posts can secure authoritative, in-context links and build your reputation in the industry.

However, guest blogging has also become controversial because of abuse so approach it strategically.

The right way to guest blog

1. Find high-quality, relevant sites

Target publications in your niche or vertical that have real readership and authority. Use tools like Instantly to send out emails and Hunter to find and verify email addresses. LinkedIn is the perfect place to find B2B contacts.

Ideally, the site should be one that you would be proud to be featured on even if SEO wasn’t a factor.

Metrics like Domain Authority or Domain Rating (DA/DR) can be a rough guide (e.g. aiming for sites with DR 50+), but topical relevance and traffic are also very important.

A link from a relevant industry blog with some authority often beats a link from an off-topic high-DR site.

Look for sites that rank well in Google for topics in your industry. Chances are those have solid authority.

2. Pitch value-add content:

When reaching out to offer a guest article, personalize your pitch and emphasize the value for their readers.

Editors get bombarded with generic “we write high-quality well-researched guest post” emails, so stand out by referencing specific posts of theirs you liked and proposing a unique topic or perspective that hasn’t been covered. Look for content gaps using Ahrefs's Content Gap tool.

Make it clear you’re familiar with their audience. And make your social accounts match that claim.

For instance: “I noticed you haven’t yet covered [emerging trend] – I have some new research on this that your readers might like.”

Quality sites care about content relevance and quality, not just giving out links.

3. Write an outstanding article

This is where many go wrong by treating guest posts as mere link vessels.

To build truly high-quality backlinks, your guest content itself must be high-quality. Aim to write the best piece on that topic on the internet.

Use data, examples, and practical insights. Not only will this increase the chance of acceptance, but it also means your link is surrounded by great content (which is good for SEO and click-through traffic).

Follow any editorial guidelines the site provides, and avoid over-promotional language.

Typically you’ll get to include an author bio link and up to three contextual links within the article if relevant.

Make sure any in-content link fits naturally. Linking a key term to a related resource on your site, in a non-salesy way. Remember, the editor will most likely reject links to landing pages and service pages.

4. Best practices

Ensure the link back to your site is a “dofollow” link (not explicitly marked rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored").

Most reputable blogs that accept guest posts will give a followed link in the author bio or content, but it’s worth confirming.

Also, diversify your anchor text. Do not always use exact-match keywords as anchors. Google will see that as unnatural.

It’s safer to use your brand name, your article title, or a natural phrase.

For example, instead of forcing a “best CRM software” anchor, you might write “…tools like HubSpot or [your product] can help,” where [your product] is hyperlinked to your site. This keeps it looking organic.

5. Engage and promote

After your guest post goes live, be sure to engage with any comments and promote it on your own social channels.

This fosters a good relationship with the host site (which could lead to more opportunities) and helps the post perform well which is important for social signals.

If the site sees that you’re driving traffic their way, they’ll appreciate the partnership, and it increases the chances your link carries weight (traffic + engagement can be positive signals). Plus, referral traffic from a popular guest article can be valuable on its own.

The pros and cons of guest posting

Guest blogging can result in powerful backlinks and brand exposure, but it’s not without downsides. Let’s consider both:

Pros:

When done on reputable sites, a guest post gives you a contextual, editorial link, exactly the kind Google rewards. It can also boost your credibility.

For example, if you contribute to Moz or Search Engine Journal, you’re not only getting a link, you’re also establishing thought leadership.

Having your name out there helps you become a known authority in the field and eventually you'll find yourself in the Google Knowledge Graph as an entity. That'll boost everything you do in SEO later on.

Additionally, guest posts can drive direct referral traffic and lead to networking opportunities. Many SEO experts view guest posting as a form of “content-based link building” that, if you provide real value, is firmly white-hat.

It’s a scalable tactic too: with effort, you can contribute to numerous sites over time.

Cons:

The tactic has been overused and abused by spammers. Google has warned against large-scale, low-quality guest posting purely for links.

Back in 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts infamously declared “guest blogging is dead” for SEO, referring to the surge of spammy articles on thin sites.

And recent data suggests a lot of “easy” guest post sites have lost traffic. In fact, after Google’s 2023 Helpful Content Updates, only about 6% of sites that openly invite guest posts remained “high-quality” (with solid traffic and authority). This means many guest-post farms got hit.

There’s also often a cost now: while paying for links is against Google’s rules, in reality many sites charge a “editorial fee” for guest posts.

A BuzzStream analysis of guest post sites found the average price was $220 for a guest post placement. Essentially, guest posting has become a commodity in some circles.

Effectiveness

While guest posting is still the most used tactic, some surveys found it’s not seen as the most effective. In a 2024 study, SEO professionals rated digital PR as the #1 most effective link building tactic, with guest posting coming in second.

This suggests that simply publishing lots of guest posts may not move the needle as much as a few big PR hits. It also reflects that quality matters more than quantity.

However, at The Backlink Company, we've seen that digital PR is more useful for B2C companies, while B2B companies often deal in niche publications.

Guest posting works best when you partner with top-tier publications and deliver excellent content. A single link from a highly respected site can outweigh tens of links from mediocre blogs. So aim high and don’t rely solely on guest blogging.

3. Digital PR: earning links through press and viral content

Digital PR is often described as “the art of earning links at scale by creating newsworthy stories.”

It’s a modern take on traditional public relations, blending PR, content marketing, and SEO.

The idea is simple: if you or your company do something interesting or provide valuable information (like a study, a cool interactive tool, an expert insight, or a noteworthy event), journalists and authoritative websites will write about it and link to you.

These links tend to be high-quality: think national news sites, industry publications, or popular blogs citing your content.

Not surprisingly, digital PR has surged as one of the most effective white-hat link building strategies.

Google itself essentially endorses this approach. John Mueller from Google has said:

“I love some of the things I see from digital PR… It’s just as critical as tech SEO, probably more so in many cases.”

In other words, earning real press mentions and backlinks is exactly the kind of link building Google wants you to do. It falls under E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) when credible sources talk about you, it boosts your site’s authority.

Digital PR tactics that build links

So how do you actually do digital PR for link building?

Here are some proven tactics:

1. Data-driven research and infographics

One of the most reliable ways to get press links is to publish original research, surveys, or studies that journalists will reference.

For example, an SEO agency might release an annual “State of Industry” report with intriguing statistics. If the data is newsworthy, publications will write articles citing the findings (linking to the report as the source).

Visual assets like infographics or charts can amplify this effect, as they make the information easily shareable.

2. Press releases and newsjacking

Traditional press releases can still result in links if you truly have news and distribute it well (e.g., via a wire service and direct outreach).

However, be cautious: manually building links by spamming press releases is ineffective and Google discounts links in syndicated releases if identical content.

A smarter angle is newsjacking: piggybacking on a trending news story with your own angle or expert commentary.

For instance, if there’s breaking news about a policy change in your field, you can quickly publish a blog post or statement about “What this means for [Your Industry].”

If you reach out to journalists covering the story offering your take, they might quote you and link back.

Tools like HARO or Twitter (following journalist requests via hashtags like #journorequest) can clue you into opportunities to contribute to stories in exchange for mentions.

3. Creative campaigns and stunts

Sometimes, thinking outside the box nets huge links.

This could be an interactive tool or microsite, a viral video, a contest or challenge, or a clever piece of content marketing known as “link bait.” The concept of link bait is to create something so interesting or fun that sites want to link to it.

Classic example: a few years ago, an SEO agency made a tongue-in-cheek site called “Is [celebrity] bald?” with morphing images. It naturally attracted tons of links for its humor.

For a more business-oriented example, a fintech company might create a free budget calculator or a “live debt clock”. Useful tools that get cited by bloggers or resources pages.

Creative PR stunts (like a quirky Guinness World Record attempt related to your brand) can also draw media coverage.

While not every brand can pull off a viral stunt, the principle is to generate buzz that translates into links.

4. Thought leadership and interviews

Positioning your executives or experts as thought leaders can indirectly build links.

By contributing guest columns to high-end publications which is a blend of guest posting and PR. Or by getting quoted in articles (through platforms like HARO or direct journalist outreach), you earn mentions.

Often these are credited with a link to your site or your LinkedIn, which might be nofollow, but the brand mention and occasional link still help.

Hosting or participating in webinars, podcasts, or industry events can also lead to media coverage and links. For example, an event recap in a major blog that links to the speaker’s company.

Real-world example

Backlinko (Brian Dean’s site) famously published a study on Google search result click-through rates, which got widely referenced across SEO communities and publications (earning backlinks from the likes of Inc, The Verge, etc.).

The key is that the content had unique data that others wanted to reference. Even if you’re not a big brand, you can produce uniquely valuable content to attract links.

Tip: When planning a digital PR campaign, research what journalists are interested in within your niche. Tools like BuzzSumo or just Google News can show what kind of studies or stories get coverage. Also, consider leveraging seasonal trend.. Align your content with a timely hook to maximize pickup.

Outreach: getting your content in front of publishers

Creating a newsworthy asset is half the battle; next is outreach.

This means contacting journalists, bloggers, and webmasters to put your content on their radar. It’s similar to outreach for guest posts or broken link building, but your angle is news/information.

Build a media list

Identify publications and specific journalists who cover your topic.

For example, if you did a study on sustainable fashion, find writers who have recently written about sustainability or fashion tech.

Use tools or just search Twitter/LinkedIn to find contacts. Then use Hunter to find and validate their email addresses.

Craft a pitch email

Keep it concise and compelling. Lead with why the story is relevant to their audience.

Provide a quick stat or insight to pique interest. For instance: “Hi [Name], new data from [Your company] shows a 50% surge in [topic]—I thought you might find this interesting given your coverage on [related article]. We analyzed 1,000 [items]… Key finding: [interesting stat]. I can share the full report or any additional insights if you’re interested.”

Essentially, you’re handing them a potential story on a platter. Include a link to your content and maybe attach a one-page summary or infographic.

Offer additional value

If appropriate, offer an interview with a subject matter expert or access to underlying data. Journalists love exclusive info or quotes.

Make yourself available for follow-up questions. Being helpful and not overly promotional increases your chances of getting that coveted link.

Leverage existing relationships

If you’ve guest posted or networked with bloggers before, let them know about your new content and it might turn into a mention or link if they find it useful.

Also, use social media. Sharing your findings on Twitter/LinkedIn and tagging relevant writers can sometimes lead to pickups. Just don’t spam-tag people excessively.

Digital PR can sometimes result in dozens or hundreds of links from a single campaign if it goes really well. Even a modest campaign that yields a handful of links from sites with DA 80+ is a huge win.

The downside is it can be labor-intensive. Brainstorming content ideas, creating the asset (report, graphic, etc.), and doing outreach all take time and oftentimes budget.

Not every campaign will be a hit either. But because the link quality is so high, even a few wins a year can move the needle significantly.

Another consideration: measure results beyond just link count. Digital PR often brings brand awareness, social shares, and sometimes direct traffic or leads. Those are valuable side benefits.

4. Content marketing and linkable assets

Content marketing and link building are two sides of the same coin.

The core idea is to create “linkable assets” on your own website that are so valuable, interesting, or unique that other sites want to link to them.

Instead of placing content off-site (like guest posts), here you’re focusing on on-site content and then promoting it via outreach.

Many white-hat strategies (resource link building, broken link building, skyscraper technique) actually revolve around having link-worthy content assets on your site. 

What is a linkable asset?

 It could be a comprehensive guide, an insightful blog post, a whitepaper, a video, an infographic, a free tool, a template, or even a compelling story. Anything that people find worth referencing.

Moz calls these “10x content”, meaning content that is 10 times better than what’s out there on that topic.

When you publish such content, you then perform outreach (like in digital PR or resource link building) to let relevant sites know about it. If it truly adds value, you’ll naturally accumulate backlinks over time as well.

One classic example is Backlinko’s SEO guides. Brian Dean created ultimate guides that were extremely thorough and well-designed. As a result, thousands of websites link to them as a reference for beginners

Another example: a SaaS company might create an “Email Marketing Benchmark Report” aggregating data across their users. Other blogs and news sites might cite stats from it with backlinks.

The skyscraper technique (step-by-step)

The Skyscraper Technique, popularized by Brian Dean, is a systematic approach to content-driven link building.

It’s essentially about outperforming existing popular content and then reaching out to the right people to get links.

Here’s how it works in three steps:

Step 1: find link-worthy content

Research content in your niche that has a lot of backlinks.

You can use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to find which articles have attracted many links. For example, search for a keyword and see the top results’ backlink counts.

Alternatively, think of broadly useful topics and search for things like “top 10 [topic]” or “[keyword] statistics” which tend to get links. If lots of sites are linking to a particular resource, that’s your target.

Step 2: create something even better

This is where the “skyscraper” metaphor comes in. If the top content is a 15-story building, you’re going to build a 20-story skyscraper next to it.

That means your content should be more comprehensive, more up-to-date, better designed, and/or more insightful.

For instance, if the popular article is “50 Tips for New Photographers,” you might create “100 Expert Tips for New Photographers (with Examples)”. A longer, updated list with expert contributions and nice visuals.

You need to genuinely one-up the existing content.

As Brian Dean noted, when he did this for a “Google’s Ranking Factors” post, it resulted in an explosion of backlinks and traffic (110% traffic increase in 14 days) because people found his version far more useful.

Step 3: reach out to the right people

Now, compile a list of sites that linked to the original content (the one you outdid) as well as other relevant websites that would care about your topic.

In the case of the photography example, you’d find all sites linking to the “50 Tips” article (using a backlink checker like Ahrefs). And also reach out to related sites that might not have linked yet.

Then send a friendly outreach email letting them know about your new, improved content.

For example: “Hi, I saw you referenced the ‘50 Tips for New Photographers’ article in your recent post. Just wanted to share that we published a significantly expanded guide with 100 tips from pro photographers – it might be a great updated resource for your readers if you’re ever refreshing that section.”

Essentially, you’re not demanding a link, just presenting your superior resource and implying it could replace or supplement the older one they linked to.

The Skyscraper Technique has proven to be effective.

In one case study, Backlinko reported getting 17% of outreach emails converted into backlinks when they had a strong asset.

Another case by Ahrefs described creating a “statistics page” as a skyscraper asset: they sent 515 outreach emails and got 36 backlinks from 32 referring domain. A roughly 7% success rate, which is actually solid in cold outreach terms.

The beauty of this method is you’re leveraging existing link demand. If people linked to something once, they might link to a better version, and you’re providing clear value.

Other content marketing tactics

Comprehensive guides and how-tos

Beyond skyscraper-specific, just focusing on creating the best guides in your niche will organically attract links over time.

For instance, a plumbing company might publish “The Ultimate DIY Guide to Fixing Common Plumbing Issues”. Local bloggers or DIY resources might link to it as a reference. The key is depth and clarity.

Evergreen resource hubs

Create resource pages or hubs on your site that curate information.

Examples: a glossary of industry terms as many people might link to a well-done glossary. A library of case studies, or a frequently updated statistics page like “Internet Usage Statistics 2025”.

These become go-to references for others, earning consistent backlinks.

Maintaining an up-to-date “statistics” page (like this one) in your field can be a goldmine. Writers love citing stats.

Just ensure you update it regularly, as outdated data loses value.

Ahrefs chose a statistics page for their skyscraper campaign for this reason: stats pages often have lots of links but can become outdated.

Multimedia content

Sometimes a unique video, podcast episode, or interactive graphic on your site can attract links, especially if you’re the original source.

For example, an original infographic might get published on your blog and then others may embed it (linking back to you as credit).

Even better if you accompany it with an in-depth post so there’s context with the visual.

Community or user-generated content

If applicable, content generated by your users or community, like a forum, Q&A, or customer stories, can attract links.

A popular Q&A thread on your site that ranks in Google could end up being referenced in other discussions.

This is less controllable but worth noting as an organic link driver if you have a community element.

Promotion strategies

“Build it and they will come” often doesn’t apply on the crowded internet.

After creating content, promote it:

• Share on social media, tag influencers who might find it useful.

• Email it to your newsletter subscribers.

• Repurpose it (e.g., turn key points into a short video) to reach different audiences.

• Engage in communities (Reddit, niche forums, LinkedIn groups) by answering questions and linking to your content where appropriate.

• And of course, good old-fashioned outreach to bloggers.

The more eyeballs on your content, the greater the chance some will link.

One big advantage of great content is that it can continue earning “passive” backlinks for months or years as people discover it.

For example, if your guide starts ranking in Google, many of the backlinks it gets might be from people simply finding it via search and deciding to reference it in their own content.

Statistic: Content longevity matters. Studies show that about 66.5% of backlinks from the past 9 years are now dead (link rot via removed pages and broken links). But high-quality content can keep attracting fresh links, offsetting that decay. The takeaway: continuously produce and update link-worthy content to “cultivate” new backlinks as old ones naturally decay. Think of it like farming: you plant seeds (content) and reap links over time, but you need to keep planting new seeds each season.

5. Resource page link building

Resource pages are pages on websites that list helpful links on a particular topic.

For example, a university might have a “Recommended Resources for Learning Coding” page with links out to various coding tutorials and communities.

If you have a high-quality resource that fits, getting listed on such a page is a prime backlink opportunity.

Resource page link building is an established white-hat tactic: it’s essentially saying “Your page curates the best stuff on X; I have something that deserves to be on that list.”

One benefit of resource pages is that many of them welcome suggestions.

They exist to provide value, so curators are often happy to add genuinely good resources.

24% of SEOs use resource page link building as part of their strategy. It’s popular because it works, it’s scalable, and it’s relatively straightforward.

How to build links from resource pages

1. Find relevant resource pages

Use Google search operators to locate resource pages in your niche. For example:

• Search for keywords like: intitle:"resources" "your topic" or intitle:"recommended sites" your topic or “useful resources” [topic].

• Also try variations like inurl:resources.html [topic] or simply best [topic] resources.

For instance, if you have a site about renewable energy, you might search: renewable energy resources list, “renewable energy” intitle:resources.

There are also tools that can help, but Google works fine. Compile a list of potential pages.

2. Vet the pages

Not every resource page is worth pursuing. Evaluate each:

• Is the site authoritative? A link from a .edu or .gov resource page or a respected NGO is gold. A link from a random person’s “my favorite links” page might not be very impactful (and could even be a link farm). Check that the page has some organic traffic or decent domain authority.

• Is the page updated? Some resource pages haven’t been maintained and have broken links or very old content. While you can still pitch yours and even mention the broken links as a help, active pages are ideal.

• Does your content truly fit? Only target pages where your resource is highly relevant to one of the listed categories/topics. Irrelevant suggestions will be ignored and could annoy the webmaster.

3. Create or identify your linkable resource

You need a page on your site that you’ll be pitching.

This could be your homepage if it’s a company directory and the resource page is “Companies in X space”. But more often it will be a specific content piece: a guide, a tutorial, a tool.

Make sure that page is as polished as can be since someone will review it before linking.

If you realize you don’t have a good resource, you might need to create one before outreach.

For example, if you find many “Healthy Recipes resources” pages and you’re a nutrition site, you might compile a “Top 50 Healthy Recipes” page on your site first, to have something worth adding.

4. Outreach – suggest your resource

Find the contact info or submission method for each resource page.

Sometimes the page itself says something like “Know a resource that should be here? Email us at [contact].”

Other times you might find a webmaster email or use a contact form.

Always respect their preferred method (if they say use a form, use it).

 Craft a polite, concise message:

• Greet them by name if possible.

• Mention the specific page: “I came across your [Title] resources page here: [URL].”

• Compliment it briefly/truthfully if you found it useful.

• Introduce your resource: “We just created [describe your content in a few words, e.g. ‘a free tool that calculates solar panel savings’].”

• Suggest it might be a good addition: “It might make a worthwhile addition to your list of [whatever] resources.”

• Soft-sell approach works better than a hard pitch. Webmasters appreciate brevity and relevance. By clearly pointing to where it would fit, you make their job easier. For instance: “I think it could fit under your ‘Tools’ section on the page.” 

5. (optional) Add extra value

One pro tip to increase success: point out any broken links on their resource page in your email. This does them a favor.

For example: “Noticed a couple links on the page that weren’t working (the one to XYZ.com seems dead). Thought I’d mention it in case you’re updating – and while you’re at it, our new resource… [pitch].”

By showing you care about improving their page, not just self-promotion, you build goodwill.

You can use a free link checker (or browser plugins, or Screaming Frog) to quickly scan the resource page for broken links.

This combo of offering a replacement for a broken link or simply helping clean their page can dramatically boost your outreach conversion.

6. Follow up gently if needed

If you don’t hear back in a week or two, a single polite follow-up is fine. Something like “Just checking if you saw my suggestion below” is enough. Don’t pester beyond that as webmasters get a ton of outreach so you'll more likely end up on a block list.

Why resource page links are valuable

Resource pages, especially on .edu or .gov domains or long-established sites, can carry significant authority.

They also tend to link out to relevant sites, meaning your link is in a context alongside other trusted resources.

For example, getting your ecology article linked on an .edu resource page for “Environmental Science Resources” not only is an authority signal but can bring targeted referral traffic from students/researchers.

Another advantage is that resource pages are less likely to purge links frequently, as long as the resource stays relevant and live. It’s a stable link source and you essentially become part of their curated list.

Success rate

The nice thing is many webmasters are receptive to helpful suggestions.

While conversion rates vary, even if say 5-10% of your outreach yields a link, that’s great given the quality of links. Based on our experience the success rate varies from 4-9% depending on industry.

Sometimes you’ll succeed more with individual bloggers’ resource lists or smaller organizations as they read email more frequently.

6. Broken link building

Broken link building is a clever strategy that intersects content marketing and outreach.

The premise: find broken links on other sites, especially those pointing to content similar to yours, and suggest your working content as a replacement.

You’re helping webmasters fix dead links and in return you gain a backlink.

This tactic has been around for a while. It was once considered highly scalable: people would scrape the web for dead pages, recreate content to match them, and reach out to everyone linking to the dead page.

Over time, some have questioned its efficiency compared to things like guest posting. But in reality, broken link building still works – it’s all about targeting the right opportunities and having relevant content.

How to execute broken link building

1. Find dead (broken) links in your niche

There are several ways:

• Use SEO tools: Ahrefs’ Content Explorer or Site Explorer can find pages with 404 errors that have backlinks. For instance, search for a keyword in Content Explorer and filter for “Only broken” pages – this shows you popular content that is now dead.

• Target specific authority sites: Find a high-authority site or resource page in your niche and use a tool like Ahrefs to scan for broken outbound links on that page. For example, if there’s a Wikipedia reference list or a .edu resource page, scan it for broken links.

• Google hacking: search Google for phrases that often accompany dead links, like “404” or “Page not found” along with a keyword. There’s also the “link:” operator – e.g., link:domain.com “Page not found” might reveal who linked to a defunct domain.

2. Identify or create replacement content

When you find a broken link, you need to have something on your site that would serve as a good substitute for what was there.

If you’re lucky, you already have an article covering the topic. If not, you might quickly create a piece.

For instance, if you discover a dead link that used to go to “Top 10 Email Marketing Tips”, and you have a blog about marketing, you could write a new “Top 20 Email Marketing Tips for 2025” post.

Sometimes SEOs even recreate content using archive.org to see the old page but better to make a fresher version.

Make sure the content is truly relevant. You don’t want to suggest a link that only tangentially fits because that will just confuse or annoy the webmaster.

3. Gather link information

Using your SEO tool, find all the sites that are currently linking to the dead resource. These are your outreach targets.

If one high-value site had it, likely multiple sites did. For example, if a popular guide went offline, dozens of blogs might still link to it unaware it’s broken. Ahrefs shows you which other pages mention the broken page (see Referring Domains tab).

4. Outreach to webmasters

This is similar in spirit to resource page outreach but with a twist: you are alerting them to a problem (their broken link) and offering a solution: your working link.

• Email format might be: “Hi [Name], I was reading your article on [Topic] and noticed one of the links is broken – the one to [Old Resource]. Just thought you’d want to know so you can update it. By the way, we actually have a [New Resource] that covers a similar topic. Here’s the link in case it’s helpful as a replacement.”

• Keep it short and be helpful. Don’t demand a link; just nudge them that their user experience is affected by a dead link and you have something that can fill the gap.

• Many will thank you and update the link (whether to yours or to something else). If your content is good and clearly matches, chances are you’ll get that link.

One pro of broken link outreach: you’re leading with value by pointing out a flaw. This tends to have a higher response rate than cold link requests. People’s initial reaction is appreciation that you alerted them, which softens them to your suggestion.

5. Track and follow up

Keep a list of who you reached out to. Give it a week or two then check if they updated the link. You can use Ahrefs to check if their page now links to you.

If not and if it’s an important link, a polite follow-up can be worth it, but often webmasters will update without replying.

Pros and cons of broken link building

Pros

• White-hat and value-driven: You’re not begging for a favor; you’re helping improve their site. It’s a positive exchange.

• Good for beginners: It doesn’t necessarily require you to have a fancy PR pitch or a big brand. Just good content and some detective work.

• Scalable when it works: If you find a defunct page that had hundreds of backlinks, and you create the replacement, you can potentially reclaim many of those links (even getting, say, 10% of 100 targets is 10 new links).

• Quality of links: Often broken link opportunities come from older high-authority pages. If you land a link on those, it’s great. Also, since those sites linked to the old resource in the past, the topical match is strong.

Cons

• Research intensive: Finding worthwhile broken link opportunities can be time-consuming. You might check many pages to find few good dead links with enough backlinks.

• Content demands: Sometimes you’ll need to produce content specifically for an opportunity, which might not align exactly with your content plan except for getting the link.

• Success rates vary: Not all webmasters respond or bother to update links. Some might ignore your email, or already know it’s broken and removed it without replacing. So it can be hit-or-miss.

• Not always repeatable: Once you fix a broken link instance, that specific opportunity is done. You have to keep finding new ones; unlike content marketing, it’s more opportunistic.

There is a middle ground tactic called “link reclamation” worth mentioning: that’s when your own site’s links break (someone linked to a page on your site that moved or was deleted).

By monitoring 404s in your inbound links, you can reach out to sites linking to your broken pages and give them an updated URL (or reinstate the content).

This isn’t building new links per se, but preventing the loss of existing ones, which is equally important given link rot. Always redirect or fix broken pages on your site if they had backlinks, to preserve link equity.

Case example

A marketing agency discovered that a popular infographic about social media usage on another site was no longer live.

They created a similar infographic with updated stats on their own site.

Then they found 20 blogs that had been linking to the now-dead infographic.

They reached out to each, informing them of the dead link and offering the updated one. 8 of those sites replaced the link with the new one.

That’s an 8-link gain from one piece of content – likely from relevant, quality sites that care about social media stats.

SEO veteran Aaron Wall once summarized broken link building well:

“It’s not that broken link building ever stopped working; it’s that people stopped putting in the effort when sexier tactics came along.” 

7. Using HARO and PR opportunities for backlinks

HARO (Help A Reporter Out) has long been a popular platform to earn authoritative backlinks.

The concept:

1. Journalists from publications big and small post queries when they need quotes or expertise for a story.
2. Sources respond with helpful input.
3. If the journalist uses your contribution, you typically get mentioned and often a backlink to your site.

It’s essentially PR on-demand, and it can land you links from places like Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, niche industry magazines, and so on.

These are links you could never “buy”, you earn them by being a valuable source.

Important update (2025): HARO itself was rebranded to “Connectively” and, in December 2024, was officially shut down by its parent company. HOWEVER, HARO was brought back in April 2025.

How to succeed with HARO-style link building

1. Find opportunities

Sign up at Help A Reporter Out to receive the journalist emails.

You get an email a day with journalist queries. You'll have to find one that is suited for your niche. Opportunities come and go fast and new ones come every day.

2. Respond strategically

When you see a query relevant to your expertise, act fast as journalists often operate on tight deadlines.

Craft a quality response.

Best practices for pitches:

• Be on-topic and follow instructions: If the query asks a specific question, answer that exactly. Don’t go off on tangents. If they ask for 100 words, don’t send 500.

• Start with a brief credentials line: For example, “I’m the CEO of X with 15 years in [field], and I’d love to provide some insight on this.” This establishes why you’re a credible source.

• Provide real value or unique insight: Journalists get dozens of bland responses, especially with AI nowadays. Make yours stand out by maybe including a compelling stat, a concise example, or a strong opinion (if appropriate). For example, if the question is “What’s a key SEO trend for 2025?”, instead of generic “AI is growing,” you could say “One trend is the rise of AI-written content – but the real challenge in 2025 will be finding ways to verify E-E-A-T for content authenticity. As an SEO consultant, I’m already seeing Google reward sites that showcase real expert profiles to combat AI spam.” (Something specific and quote-worthy.)
• Keep it concise and quotable: Bullet points or a short paragraph is fine. If it’s too long, they’ll skip. Journalists often copy-paste quotes that are succinct.

• No overt self-promotion: Don’t talk about your product or link to your site in the pitch unless explicitly relevant. The journalist will decide if/how to mention you. Usually they will include your name and company and ideally a link to your site’s homepage.

3. Include your info

Provide your name, title, company, and website URL in your signature.

Even mention how you’d like to be referenced. This is where the backlink often comes – e.g., “John Doe, Founder of Doe Marketing (doemarketing.com).”

They might hyperlink the site or just mention it. Even an unlinked mention can have value, but usually, big outlets will not link or they’ll nofollow it. Smaller blogs might give a followed link.

4. Be persistent and patient

The success rate on these platforms varies. Many sources report a ~5-10% success rate (one link per 10-20 pitches), though some experienced folks get higher (20%+ if they’re selective). We have seen 10-15% response rates for our clients depending on industry.

Don’t be discouraged by rejections or no replies. It’s a numbers game. Set aside time each day to scan and respond to relevant queries. Over a few months, you may land a handful of great links.

5. Leverage wins further

When you do get featured, promote that media mention on your site and socials.

“As seen in…” increases credibility.

Also, those mentions might lead to other reporters trusting you as a source in the future.

Tips to improve hit rate

• Only pitch where you truly add value: It’s tempting to reply to everything somewhat relevant, but focusing on queries where your expertise is strong will yield higher quality answers.

• Speed matters: Many stories fill up within a day. Try to respond within a few hours if possible, especially for big publications.

• Monitor and follow up (lightly): You usually don’t get notified if your response was used. Set up Google Alerts for your name or use a backlink checker to see new links. When you find a live mention, a nice thank-you note to the writer can build a relationship.

• Accept nofollow links as okay: Many top news sites will nofollow external links by policy. That’s fine, the link can still send referral traffic and add to your brand trust. And Google likely pays some attention to nofollowed big-brand citations for trust signals. So, don’t disqualify opportunities just because you suspect the link might be nofollow or just a mention. It’s still worth it for E-E-A-T.

Beyond HARO: Other PR link opportunities

• Podcast guesting: Being a guest on podcasts can lead to a link on the podcast’s site.

• Awards and “best of” lists: Apply for business awards or “top 10” lists in your industry. If you get listed, they often link to your site.

• Testimonials: Provide testimonials to partner companies or vendors; they might feature it on their site with a link to you.

• Industry forums: If there are Q&A sites (like StackExchange or Quora for your domain), being an active, helpful participant can sometimes allow a link in your answer or profile. These are usually nofollow but can drive traffic and some authority.

Pros and cons of HARO-style link building

Pros

• High authority links: You can get mentions on sites that are extremely authoritative. These are top-tier for your backlink profile quality.

• Building personal credibility: Over time, you become known as an expert which has broad benefits.

• No need to create new content on your site: You’re leveraging journalists’ platforms. Good if you’re short on content resources.

• Cost-effective: It typically costs only your time unless you hire a service or a PR agency.

Cons

• Competitive: Popular queries get hundreds of responses. It can be hard to stand out.

• Time-consuming: Filtering through queries and writing quality responses daily can be tedious. Some hire virtual assistants to triage HARO emails.

• Uncertain output: You might go days or weeks with no success and then suddenly one hits. It’s not a steady, guaranteed flow of links.

• Often nofollow: As mentioned, many big outlets nofollow links or only give a text attribution. If pure “link juice” is the goal, this might yield less directly than, say, a dofollow guest post. But the trade-off is those mentions carry other value.

Industry-specific link-building strategies

While the core white-hat strategies above apply to virtually any website, different industries can benefit from specialized tactics.

What’s considered a “high-quality backlink” can vary by niche. Let’s look at a few sectors—SaaS, local businesses, and eCommerce. And highlight tailored link-building approaches for each.

SaaS link building

For SaaS companies, building backlinks is often about combining content expertise with industry relationships.

Here are strategies particularly suited for SaaS:

Data-driven content and case studies

SaaS businesses usually have access to interesting data (usage stats and market trends) within their product’s domain.

Publishing original research or insightful case studies: (for example, “[Company] increased conversion by 50% using [Your Software]”) can attract B2B tech blogs to link to you as a reference.

SaaS companies like HubSpot and Ahrefs excel at creating linkable assets like industry benchmark reports, which naturally earn links from marketers citing those stats. They're able to do this because as part of their product, they are able to gather lots of industry-relevant data.

Integration partnerships and link exchanges

It’s common in SaaS for products to integrate with each other. E.g., a project management tool integrates with a communication tool.

Leverage those partnerships for links: create an “integration” subpage for each partner and have them do the same, effectively a reciprocal link that’s highly relevant and user-friendly.

For example, Slack’s website might link to a list of “Apps that integrate with Slack” and each app’s site links back to Slack.

These are official partnerships, thus a great form of link exchanging.

Guest posting on niche tech blogs

Many SaaS companies engage in guest blogging on sites like Hackernoon, Dev.to, or industry-specific online magazines.

The key is to share useful knowledge, not a sales pitch for your software.

For instance, an analytics SaaS might guest post about “How to properly track SaaS KPIs” on a startup blog, linking back to a resource on their site. This builds both links and thought leadership.

Product roundups and review sites

Aim to get featured in “Top 10 [Category] Tools” articles on relevant blogs or even on YouTube channels.

Often, these listicles link to each product’s site. You might have to network or offer trial access to the blog author so they include you.

Additionally, specialized review platforms like G2 and Capterra are usually nofollow, but there are many smaller bloggers whose reviews carry followed links.

Encourage satisfied customers to write reviews or case studies that mention your SaaS, possibly on their own blog or company site, which can link to you.

Unlinked brand mentions

SaaS brands often get mentioned in passing on forums, news, or blogs without a link.

Use tools (Ahrefs, Google Alerts, or Mention) to find where your SaaS is named.

Then kindly reach out to ask if they wouldn’t mind linking the mention to your homepage for the readers’ convenience. If your brand is moderately known, this can reclaim a bunch of easy links.

Community engagement

If your SaaS has a community (like a Slack group), sometimes content from that community can be promoted externally.

Also, being active on sites like Stack Overflow (for dev tools) or answering Quora questions can indirectly build awareness that leads to at least nofollow links. The idea is to seed expertise across the web, making people more likely to reference your official docs or blog.

The SaaS space is competitive, and authority links can set you apart.

Digital PR plays a role here too: for instance, a security SaaS might get a link from a news article if they comment on a big cybersecurity incident.

Also, SaaS companies often have budget, so they can invest in link-building services or sponsorships. E.g., sponsoring a webinar or conference and getting a link on the event’s site.

Local business link building

Local businesses (like restaurants, law firms, clinics, local services) have a very unique position in link building. 

Local link building is often about connections and community. Many techniques boil down to real-world relationships translating into web references.

The good part: these links are usually very legit and honestly earned.

The challenging part: it’s a slower, networking-driven process compared to, say, sending 100 emails for guest posts.

But even a handful of solid local links can significantly boost your local search rankings because your competitors might only have a few as well. And Google’s local algorithm values local citations and links a lot.

Here's 7 strategies:

1. Local directories and citations

Submitting to local directories: Chamber of Commerce pages, Yelp, Google Business Profile, is Local SEO 101.

Many directory links are nofollow, but being listed is still crucial for local relevance.

However, look for quality directories or local sites that are followed. E.g., your town’s official website might have a business directory, local tourism sites, or niche directories (a state bar association for lawyers linking to member websites).

Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency as well.

2. Sponsorships and community involvement

One of the best ways for local businesses to get backlinks is by sponsoring local events, charities, or teams.

For example, sponsor a 5K run, a little league team, or a community fundraiser. The event page or organization’s site will often list sponsors with a link.

Similarly, participating in community projects like a beach cleanup or local workshop might get you a mention on city or NGO websites.

3. Local press and news sites

Local news outlets often cover businesses, especially if there’s a human interest story or a new opening.

Writing a press release about something newsworthy (grand opening, charitable initiative, new service) and sending it to your local newspaper or TV station can result in an article or a brief that links to your site.

Many local news sites do provide a link, especially if they publish an online piece about you.

Even if not, the mention helps.

Also, local blogs (food bloggers for restaurants, city guides, etc.) are great targets: invite them for a review or collaborate so they write about you with a backlink.

4. Localized content marketing

Create content on your site that is locally relevant to attract local backlinks.

For instance, a real estate agency could publish a “Moving to [City] Guide” or “[City] Neighborhoods Ranked by Walkability”. Content that local blogs or forums might link to.

A local outdoor gear shop might create hiking trail guides for the area, getting links from local hiking clubs.

By being a resource for the community, you earn local links.

5. Testimonials and local partnerships

Partner with complementary local businesses (like a wedding photographer exchanging links with a local wedding venue, each referring clients to the other – a relevant local exchange).

Provide testimonials to local vendors you use (they might put it on their site with your name/link). Collaborate on local blog posts, e.g., a “experts round-up” with various local business owners quoting each other, with links included.

6. Event listings

If you host events (workshops, open houses, charity drives), submit them to local event calendars (many cities have a “what’s on” site, or local radio/TV have event pages). These often allow a link to the event or your site.

7. Reviews

Lastly, reviews on third-party sites (Google, Yelp, etc.) don’t directly give you links to your website, but they do improve your local SEO presence. So while building backlinks, also encourage customer reviews as it’s part of a holistic local SEO strategy.

E-commerce link building

E-commerce sites face the task of building links to product or category pages that aren’t inherently “linkable” content. But it’s doable with creative strategies:

1. Product guides and content marketing

It’s hard to get links to a product page (“buy this toaster!” isn’t something a blogger links in an article, unless it’s an affiliate link).

The trick for e-commerce is to create content around your products.

For example, publish buying guides, how-to articles, or videos.

A company selling camping gear could have a blog post “10 Tips for First-Time Campers” that naturally includes some product mentions.

External sites are more likely to link to that helpful article than a product listing. But that article can internally link or draw users into buying your gear.

2. Influencer and blogger outreach

Identify bloggers or influencers who do product reviews or gift guides in your niche.

Offer them a free product to review with the understanding they’ll link to your site if they write about it. 10% of link builders already do product giveaways to receive links.

Make sure to follow FTC guidelines: they should disclose if it’s a gifted product. Many will still include a dofollow link in the review to your product or homepage.

Similarly, around holidays, pitch your product for inclusion in “Best Gifts for [Target Audience]” list posts that many sites do. For instance, a tech gadget might get included in a tech blog’s holiday gift guide with a link to the product page.

3. User-generated content and social proof

Encourage customers to create content (like blog about how they use your product, or share photos/videos).

Sometimes they will link to you when they do. E.g., a DIY craft store might run a contest for best project made with their supplies. Participants post on their own blogs linking back for contest entry. This generates grassroots buzz and links.

4. Resource or accessory pages

If your products tie into a hobby or need instructions, create resource pages that others might link to.

For example, an online plant nursery could have a comprehensive plant care library. Garden bloggers might link to your plant care guide as a reference, and from there people may shop your plant catalog.

So, content-first, sales second.

5 . Broken link building for product alternatives

Sometimes products get discontinued and other sites still link to those product pages.

For example, a popular brand of shoes goes out of stock and that page is 404.

If you sell a similar shoe, you could do broken link outreach to suggest your product page as an alternative link.

6. Supplier/manufacturer links

If you’re a retailer, leverage relationships with the brands you carry.

Often, manufacturers list authorized retailers on their website. Make sure you’re listed with a link.

Conversely, if you’re a manufacturer, ensure retailers link back to you as the source/brand. Many will list brand info pages. These are relevant links within the commerce ecosystem.

7. Scholarship link building

Historically, some e-commerce sites created scholarships for students in their niche (e.g., a pet supply store doing a “veterinary science scholarship”) to get .edu links from university financial aid pages.

This can get you some .edu backlinks, but it’s become overdone and many .edu pages no longer list random scholarships.

If you go this route, make it genuinely beneficial and targeted to your industry. Keep in mind Google may not value scholarship links highly if they suspect SEO intent.

8. PR for products

If you have a unique or newsworthy product, do PR outreach.

For example, a sustainable fashion e-tailer might pitch a story about “Clothes made from recycled ocean plastic” to lifestyle journalists, earning links from news articles.

Or a gadget store might run a quirky experiment or campaign (like a video series testing product durability) that gets picked up by news sites.

E-commerce link building requires blending SEO with marketing. It’s about getting your store talked about in the right places.

Focus on building your brand’s reputation online: if people see you as a top source for X products, the links will come via reviews, references, and recommendations.