Links are still one of the strongest signals search engines use to judge authority. What has changed over the years is which links count, and how quickly low-quality shortcuts get caught.
I’ve been building links since around 2010, through Panda, Penguin and every update since. Here’s what still works today, and what I’d avoid.
What Makes a Link Valuable
Not all links are equal. The ones that move rankings tend to share a few traits:
- Relevance: the linking site covers a topic related to yours
- Authority: the site is trusted and has real traffic and links of its own
- Editorial placement: the link was earned or placed because it adds value, not just inserted
- Context: the link sits naturally within relevant content
- Traffic potential: real people might actually click it
A handful of links like that usually outperforms hundreds of weak ones.
Tactics That Still Work
1. Linkable Assets
Create content that other sites want to reference: original data, detailed guides, free tools, templates, calculators or checklists. Assets like these attract links over time rather than needing outreach for every single one.
2. Digital PR
Pitch genuinely newsworthy stories, data or expert commentary to journalists and publications in your industry. Coverage on respected sites brings strong links and brand visibility at the same time.
3. Expert Commentary
Many journalists and bloggers look for expert quotes. Responding quickly with useful, specific insight can earn mentions and links on authoritative sites.
4. Local and Industry Links
For service businesses, some of the most valuable links are local and industry-specific:
- Chambers of commerce and business associations
- Suppliers, manufacturers and partners
- Local sponsorships, events and charities
- Trade organizations and professional directories
5. Broken Link Building
Find broken links on relevant sites, create or point to a good replacement on your site, and let the site owner know. It’s helpful to them and earns you a link.
6. Unlinked Brand Mentions
Search for mentions of your business name that don’t include a link, and politely ask the site owner to add one. People who already mention you are usually happy to help.
7. Guest Contributions on Relevant Sites
Writing genuinely useful articles for respected sites in your industry still works when the focus is on quality and relevance, not volume.
What to Avoid
Google’s spam policies specifically target link schemes. These shortcuts carry real risk:
- Buying links that pass ranking credit, without the proper nofollow or sponsored attributes
- Large-scale link exchanges and “you link to me, I’ll link to you” schemes
- Automated link building tools and spammy directory blasts
- Cheap bulk link packages with no details about where links come from
- Keyword-stuffed anchor text used over and over
Some of these may produce short-term gains, but they can lead to rankings drops or manual actions, and cleaning up afterwards takes time.
Don’t Forget Internal Links
External links bring authority into your site. Internal links decide where that authority goes. Make sure your most important service and product pages get strong internal links from related content.
How to Measure Link Building
- Growth in referring domains from relevant, quality sites
- Rankings for the pages you’re building links to
- Referral traffic from the links themselves
- Organic traffic and conversions over time
If you want help building authority, my link building service covers audits, outreach, content-led links and local link acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many backlinks do I need to rank?
There’s no set number. It depends on how competitive your keywords are. Compare your referring domains with the pages currently ranking for your target terms.
Are nofollow links worthless?
No. They can still bring traffic, visibility and a natural-looking link profile, and Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule.
How long does link building take to work?
Links usually take several weeks to a few months to show their full effect on rankings.
