How Can I Get More Backlinks? Complete Guide to Link Building Strategies

Understanding Backlinks and Their Importance

Backlinks, also known as inbound links or external links, are hyperlinks from one website pointing to another. When another website links to your site, you gain a backlink from them. These links serve as digital votes of confidence in your content’s quality and relevance. Search engines like Google interpret backlinks as endorsements, using them as a significant ranking factor to determine your website’s authority and trustworthiness. The more high-quality backlinks your site accumulates from reputable sources, the stronger your SEO performance becomes, leading to improved search rankings and increased organic visibility.

The relationship between backlinks and SEO success is well-established in the digital marketing industry. Websites with the highest number of quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is because search engines view backlinks as indicators that your content provides genuine value to users. However, not all backlinks are created equal—the quality, relevance, and authority of the linking domain matter significantly more than the sheer quantity of links. A single backlink from a highly authoritative industry publication can be worth more than dozens of links from low-quality directories or spammy websites.

Types of Backlinks: Dofollow vs. Nofollow

Understanding the distinction between dofollow and nofollow backlinks is crucial for developing an effective link-building strategy. Dofollow backlinks are the gold standard in backlinking, as they pass link equity (also called “link juice”) from the source site to your destination site. These links directly contribute to improving your site’s domain authority and search engine rankings. When a website uses a dofollow link to your content, search engines follow that link and credit your site with the authority of the linking domain.

Nofollow backlinks, introduced by search engines to combat spam, do not pass link equity to your site. They include a rel=“nofollow” attribute that tells search engines not to follow the link or pass authority. While nofollow links don’t directly boost your rankings, they still provide value by driving referral traffic to your website and contributing to a natural, diverse backlink profile. A healthy backlink profile should include a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links, as an entirely dofollow profile can appear unnatural to search engines and may trigger algorithmic penalties.

Top Strategies to Get More Backlinks

1. Create High-Quality, Link-Worthy Content

The foundation of any successful backlink strategy is creating exceptional content that naturally attracts links from other websites. High-quality content serves as a magnet for backlinks because other content creators, journalists, and industry experts want to reference and link to valuable resources. Your content should address real problems your audience faces, provide unique insights, or present original research that isn’t readily available elsewhere. This could take the form of comprehensive guides, detailed tutorials, original research reports, case studies, or data-driven articles that provide actionable insights.

When creating link-worthy content, focus on depth and comprehensiveness. Aim to create content that covers topics more thoroughly than existing resources, offering new perspectives or updated information. Incorporate visual elements like charts, infographics, and screenshots to break up text and make information more digestible. Promote your content across multiple channels—social media, email newsletters, industry forums, and direct outreach to relevant websites—to maximize its visibility and increase the likelihood of earning backlinks organically.

2. Guest Posting on Relevant Websites

Guest posting remains one of the most effective and widely-used backlink strategies in 2025. This approach involves writing articles for other reputable websites in your industry, with each published piece including a link back to your site. Guest posting provides multiple benefits: you reach a new audience, build relationships with other industry professionals, establish authority in your niche, and earn high-quality backlinks from relevant sources.

To implement guest posting successfully, start by identifying target blogs that have high domain authority and an audience aligned with your niche. Use tools like Moz Authority Checker or DA/PA checkers to evaluate potential sites. Develop content ideas that offer genuine value to their readers and align with your expertise. When pitching, personalize your outreach and explain specifically how your article will benefit their audience. Once published, ensure your backlinks are natural and contextual within the content, not forced or placed in author bios alone. Follow up with the site owner to build a relationship for future opportunities.

3. Broken Link Building

Broken link building is a strategic approach that turns dead links into backlink opportunities. This method involves identifying broken links on other websites—particularly those in your niche or from competitors—and offering your content as a replacement. Broken links occur when websites remove content, change URLs, or when external links point to pages that no longer exist, resulting in 404 errors.

To execute this strategy, use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to scan relevant websites for broken links. In SEMrush, filter the Backlinks report to show only “Lost” backlinks. Once you’ve identified broken links, create or identify existing content on your site that would serve as a relevant replacement. Contact the webmaster politely, inform them about the broken link, and suggest your content as a solution. This approach has a higher success rate than cold outreach because you’re helping the website owner solve a problem while gaining a backlink. Be courteous and helpful in your communication to build positive relationships that may lead to additional linking opportunities.

4. Leverage Unlinked Brand Mentions

Many websites mention your brand, products, or content without including a link back to your site. These unlinked mentions represent low-hanging fruit for backlink acquisition. By identifying and reclaiming these mentions, you can convert brand awareness into actual backlinks that boost your SEO.

Use monitoring tools like Google Alerts, Ahrefs, or Mention to track where your brand is mentioned across the web. Review these mentions to identify which ones lack a link to your website. Reach out to the website owner or author politely, thanking them for the mention and requesting that they add a link to enhance the reader’s experience. Provide the exact URL you’d like them to link to, making it as easy as possible for them to add the link. This strategy is particularly effective because the site is already aware of your brand, making them more receptive to adding a link.

5. Resource Page Link Building

Resource pages are curated collections of links and information that website owners compile for their audience. These pages often have high domain authority and attract significant traffic. Getting your website listed on relevant resource pages can provide valuable backlinks and targeted referral traffic.

To find resource pages, search for keywords in your niche combined with terms like “resources,” “helpful resources,” “useful links,” or “resource list.” Once you’ve identified relevant resource pages, evaluate whether your content or tool genuinely adds value to their collection. Craft a personalized outreach email explaining why your resource deserves inclusion and how it benefits their audience. Rather than making one-off requests, focus on building long-term relationships with resource page owners. You might even offer to reciprocate by featuring their resources on your own site, creating a mutually beneficial partnership.

6. Influencer and Expert Outreach

Collaborating with influencers and industry experts can significantly amplify your content’s reach and generate high-quality backlinks. Influencers have established audiences that trust their recommendations, and their endorsement can introduce your brand to a broader audience while earning valuable links.

Start by identifying key influencers in your industry using tools like BuzzSumo or through direct research on social media platforms. Rather than immediately asking for backlinks, focus on building genuine relationships first. Engage with their content, share their work, and provide value before making any requests. Once a relationship is established, propose collaboration ideas that benefit both parties, such as co-authored articles, joint webinars, expert roundups, or cross-promotional content. Ensure any content you provide is high-quality and aligns with their standards and audience expectations. When influencers feature your content or collaborate with you, they typically link back to your site in their posts or show notes.

7. Create Ultimate Guides and Comprehensive Resources

Ultimate guides are extensive, in-depth resources that comprehensively cover a topic from every angle. These guides naturally attract backlinks because they serve as authoritative references that other content creators want to cite and link to. An ultimate guide should be significantly longer and more detailed than typical blog posts, often exceeding 5,000 words and covering all aspects of a topic.

To create an effective ultimate guide, choose a topic that’s relevant to your audience and where you can provide unique value or a fresh perspective. Research extensively to gather all available information, statistics, and insights. Structure your guide logically with clear headings, sections, and subsections that make it easy to navigate. Include visual elements like infographics, charts, and screenshots to break up text and improve engagement. Optimize the guide for SEO using relevant keywords throughout. Once published, promote it aggressively through social media, email newsletters, and direct outreach to influencers and experts mentioned in the guide. Update the guide regularly to maintain its relevance and authority, which can prompt new backlinks as people discover the updated version.

8. Publish Original Research and Statistical Content

Original research and data-driven content are powerful backlink magnets because other content creators frequently cite and link to unique statistics and findings. When you publish original research, you position your website as an authoritative source in your industry, and other websites naturally want to reference your data.

Conduct surveys, analyze industry trends, or compile original data relevant to your niche. Present your findings in a detailed report or comprehensive blog post with clear visualizations. Announce your research through press releases, social media, and direct outreach to journalists and bloggers who cover your industry. The more newsworthy and unique your research, the more likely it is to be picked up by media outlets and industry publications. Keep your statistical content updated with the latest data, as this encourages websites to link to your content as a current, reliable source. Tools like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) can help you get your research featured in news articles and industry publications.

9. Build Free Tools and Resources

Free tools that solve real problems for your target audience are excellent backlink generators. When you provide something genuinely useful at no cost, other websites naturally encourage their audiences to use your tool and link to it as a valuable resource. Examples include calculators, checkers, generators, templates, or interactive tools relevant to your industry.

Identify a gap or frequent challenge your audience faces that a simple tool could address. Develop the tool with a user-friendly interface and genuine functionality. Create a dedicated landing page for your tool with clear instructions and compelling copy explaining its benefits. Promote the tool through social media, email newsletters, and direct outreach to influencers and relevant websites. Monitor how the tool is used and actively seek feedback to make improvements. Regular updates and new features keep the tool relevant and encourage ongoing backlinks and user engagement. Free tools can drive significant traffic to your website and establish your brand as a helpful resource in your industry.

10. Participate in Interviews and Podcasts

Appearing as a guest on podcasts and in interviews provides excellent opportunities to earn backlinks while building your personal brand and authority. Podcast hosts typically include links to guest websites in show notes, and interview features often link back to the interviewee’s site.

Search for podcasts and interview opportunities relevant to your industry using platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Look for shows whose audience aligns with your target market. Prepare a compelling pitch highlighting your expertise and how you can add value to their audience. If invited, prepare thoroughly by knowing your key points and having anecdotes ready. Promote the episode through your own marketing channels once it’s published, which helps the podcast grow and directs your audience to the episode where they’ll find the backlink. Follow up with the host after the episode airs to build a relationship that may lead to future opportunities.

Advanced Link-Building Techniques

Competitor Backlink Analysis

Analyzing your competitors’ backlink profiles reveals where they’re getting their links and uncovers opportunities you might have missed. Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to examine your competitors’ backlinks. Identify the types of websites linking to them and the content that attracted those links. Target similar sources with your own content or outreach. Since these sources are already linking to competitors in your industry, they’re more likely to consider linking to your content as well. Regularly check your competitors’ backlink profiles to stay updated on new links they acquire and seize timely opportunities.

Testimonials and Case Studies

Writing testimonials for products or services you genuinely use can result in backlinks from the provider’s website. Many companies feature customer testimonials on their sites, often with links back to the customer’s website. Similarly, creating detailed case studies showcasing how you’ve used a product or service can lead to backlinks when the company features your case study on their site. Choose vendors relevant to your industry and ensure your testimonials and case studies are authentic and specific rather than generic.

Directory Submissions

While directory submissions have become less valuable over time, high-quality, niche-specific directories still provide worthwhile backlinks. Focus on reputable directories relevant to your industry rather than submitting to low-quality or spammy directories, which can harm your SEO. Ensure your business information is complete and accurate, and include a compelling description that encourages clicks. Local business directories are particularly valuable for local SEO, improving your visibility in local search results.

Common Backlink Mistakes to Avoid

When pursuing backlinks, avoid these common pitfalls that can harm your SEO efforts. Never purchase backlinks or participate in link schemes, as search engines penalize these practices with ranking drops or deindexing. Don’t focus solely on quantity over quality—a few high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites are far more valuable than numerous low-quality links. Avoid linking from irrelevant sources, as contextual relevance matters significantly to search engines. Don’t neglect to monitor your backlink profile for toxic or spammy links that could harm your site’s reputation. Finally, avoid over-optimizing anchor text with exact-match keywords, as this can appear manipulative to search engines; instead, use natural, varied anchor text.

Measuring Your Backlink Success

Track your backlink-building efforts using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. Monitor the number of referring domains, the quality of backlinks, and changes in your search rankings over time. Check your backlink profile at least quarterly to identify new links, assess their quality, and spot any potentially harmful links. Use Google Analytics to track referral traffic from backlinks and measure how these links contribute to your overall business goals. By regularly analyzing your backlink data, you can refine your strategy and focus on the most effective tactics for your specific industry and audience.