How to Get Backlinks: 15 Link Building Strategies That Still Work

Backlinks still work in SEO (Search Engine Optimization – improving organic visibility) when they come from pages where your content truly belongs and helps the reader. In 2026, the safest approach is to treat links as a byproduct of real distribution, not as something you manufacture at scale. The strategies below focus on earning editorially defensible mentions, avoiding patterns that look transactional, and building a profile that survives updates. If you can explain why a link exists without mentioning rankings, you’re usually on the right track.

• Start with a baseline: what already earns links, and why.
• Pick 3–5 linkable assets and improve them before you do outreach.
• Use multiple acquisition lanes: editorial, partnerships, communities, and product-led links.
• Track outcomes that matter: relevance, referral traffic, and assisted conversions.

Audit your current backlink situation

Before you build anything new, get clarity on what you already have and where the gaps are. A practical way to map low-risk opportunities is to review free places to drop a link while you categorize your existing citations and mentions. You’re not copying “places” blindly. You’re building a shortlist of environments where a mention would look normal.

Export your backlinks, then label each referring page by intent. Add simple tags like editorial mention, resource list, partner page, directory, and community profile. This quickly shows whether your profile is balanced or overly dependent on one pattern.

Next, identify the pages on your site that deserve links. Look for assets that solve a specific problem, include original insight, or save time. If your “best” pages are product pages only, create at least one supporting asset that explains, compares, or teaches.

Finally, set boundaries for what you will not do. Examples: no irrelevant guest posts, no mass directory submissions, no template outreach at scale, and no paying for links without proper disclosure. These constraints protect you when you feel pressure to “just get more links”.

15 link building strategies that still work

1. Update a linkable asset. Pick one guide or tool that already ranks and expand it with fresher examples, clearer structure, and better internal linking. People link to the “best available” resource, not the newest domain.
2. Create original data. Run a small benchmark, survey, or scrape public information, then publish the methodology and limitations. Even modest datasets attract citations if they are unique and repeatable.
3. Write a strong comparison. Comparisons earn links because they help decision-makers. Make it balanced, include trade-offs, and keep the page useful even if the reader never buys.
4. Build a free template. Templates earn links from blogs, newsletters, and community resource pages. Make it instantly usable and add a short “how to use it” section to increase practical value.
5. Publish a glossary. In technical niches, definitions attract long-tail queries and references. Add examples, common mistakes, and internal links to deeper guides so it becomes a true hub.
6. Reclaim unlinked mentions. Find places where you’re cited without a link, then ask for a link politely. This is one of the lowest-friction tactics because the author already chose to mention you.
7. Fix broken backlinks. If other sites link to a page you removed, restore it, redirect it thoughtfully, or recreate a better version. Broken-link recovery is often clean and defensible because you’re improving user experience.
8. Pitch a resource page. Curated lists still exist in most industries, but they only update when they find a genuinely useful asset. Your pitch should explain where your resource fits and why it improves the list.
9. Offer expert input. Journalists, bloggers, and newsletter writers often need quick expert quotes. Keep answers concise, add one unique insight, and include a linkable reference on your site when it truly supports the claim.
10. Turn customers into case studies. If you can show real outcomes, others will cite you as proof. Make the page skimmable, include constraints, and avoid inflated numbers so it reads as credible evidence.
11. Earn product-led links. Integrations, partner directories, and “works with” pages can be strong if your integration is real. Treat these as relationship assets, not as a quick link source.
12. Build partner pages. If you collaborate with suppliers, agencies, or creators, co-author a partner page that explains the joint value. Links are natural when the page exists for users, support, and onboarding.
13. Guest post with strict fit. Guest posts still work when the topic matches the host’s audience and the content passes a real editorial bar. If you can’t make it useful without the link, it’s not the right placement.
14. Participate in communities. Forums, Q&A sites, and niche groups can create many nofollow links, and that’s fine. Treat them as distribution channels and focus on helpful participation, not link volume.
15. Do digital PR. PR (Public Relations – earning attention through newsworthy angles) produces the strongest links when you bring a real story: data, expert commentary, or a unique perspective. Aim for relevance and credibility, not sheer coverage.

These strategies work best when you run them as a portfolio, not a single “magic tactic”. Pick a mix of editorial, relationship-based, and product-led sources so your profile doesn’t scream one pattern. If you only chase one lane, you’ll eventually hit diminishing returns or quality constraints.

Quality checklist for every placement

In 2026, “safe” link building is mostly about avoiding reputation abuse patterns and making every placement easy to justify. If you rely on guest content, read guest posts and reputation abuse and apply the principles to your own outreach. The goal is editorial legitimacy, not volume.

• Topical match. The host page and your linked page should solve adjacent problems for the same audience.
• Editorial standard. The content should read like something the site would publish even without external contribution.
• Clear intent. If the primary purpose is to push a link, rewrite the angle until it’s user-first.
• Natural anchor. Use descriptive phrasing that matches how humans talk, not keyword-stuffed strings.
• Clean placement. A link surrounded by relevant context is safer than a random author bio dump.
• Disclosure and rel. If money or compensation is involved, label it and use appropriate rel attributes where needed.
• Indexing reality. If a page is noindex or rarely crawled, treat it as branding and referral, not rankings.
• Durability. Ask whether the link is likely to survive edits, redesigns, and policy changes.

Mistakes that make link building look manipulative

• Repeating exact anchors. If every link says the same keyword phrase, the pattern looks manufactured.
• Irrelevant guest posts. If the host site’s audience wouldn’t care, you’re creating a footprint risk for both sides.
• Thin supporting content. Outreach to a weak page wastes goodwill and reduces conversion from referrals.
• Over-optimizing velocity. If links spike unnaturally fast, it invites scrutiny even if each individual link is “okay”.
• Paying without disclosure. Undisclosed sponsored placements are a common reason programs become fragile.
• Chasing metrics only. DR (Domain Rating – a third-party strength estimate) and DA (Domain Authority – a similar proxy metric) help with triage, but relevance wins.
• Ignoring internal linking. If you earn links to one page but never route value through your site, you limit impact.
• Building on rented land. If your “linkable assets” live on platforms you don’t control, you risk losing them later.

Scenario playbooks

Blog or media site

If your niche is education-heavy, then prioritize original data and highly linkable explainers. If you can’t produce data, then create one “definitive guide” that is updated quarterly and becomes the cited reference. If you publish frequently, then add internal hubs so new links reinforce older evergreen pages.

E-commerce store

If you sell products, then links rarely come from product pages alone. If you can create buying guides, then pitch resource pages and comparisons that help shoppers choose. If you have suppliers, then ask for a link from partner or “where to buy” pages, because it’s structurally natural.

B2B SaaS

If your product integrates with other tools, then build real integrations and list them in partner directories. If your funnel is content-led, then focus on templates, calculators, and benchmark reports that your audience will share. If you publish case studies, then make them readable and honest so they become cite-worthy proof.

Agency or consultant

If you can speak publicly, then podcasts, webinars, and guest expert columns can earn high-trust links. If you can’t, then publish teardown-style analyses (without shaming brands) that demonstrate your thinking. If your clients allow it, then co-author case studies that show process, not just outcomes.

How to measure progress without chasing vanity metrics

Rankings matter, but they lag behind real signals. Track referral traffic from linking pages, growth in branded search, and assisted conversions in analytics. When you evaluate link quality, ask whether the placement can send real clicks, not just “authority”.

Also watch SERP (Search Engine Results Page – the list of results shown after a query) behavior, not just position. If a page climbs but engagement drops, your snippet or intent match may be off. The healthiest link programs improve both discovery and conversion over time.

Official guidelines and trusted sources

• Qualify outbound links to Google

Your first step should be simple. Choose one existing page to upgrade, one new linkable asset to create, and one outreach lane to test for four weeks. If you can repeat that cycle with consistent quality, links become a compounding effect instead of a stressful sprint.