Mansoor Ali, FounderFirst, know the risk
Google's spam policies define link spam as creating links to or from a site mainly to manipulate rankings. The policy lists these as examples:
- exchanging money for links, or for posts that contain links
- exchanging goods or services for links
- excessive link exchanges
- using automated programs or services to create links
- low-quality directory or bookmark site links
- forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature
You can read the full list in Google's spam policies. Google also says paid or advertising links should be marked with rel="sponsored". See how to qualify outbound links.
This matters for every technique that follows. Paid placements carry the most risk. Techniques where you earn the link by giving a site owner or writer something useful carry the least.
1. Publish something worth citing
People link to pages that give them something to reference. That can be original data, a free tool, a clear explanation of a hard topic, or a template.
What it needs: A real reason for the page to exist. Original numbers, a survey you ran, a calculator, or a guide that is clearer than anything else on the topic.
Where it fails: Most pages earn no links on their own. Publishing is the start. You still need to tell the people who write about the topic that the page exists.
Test: Ask who would cite this page and why. If you cannot name a type of writer or site, the page will probably not earn links.
2. Write editorial guest articles for relevant sites
A guest article works when the host site's readers gain something from it. The topic fits the site. The article is written for those readers, not for the link.
What it needs: A clear idea for the host site. A pitch that refers to articles they already published. Writing good enough to publish under their name.
Where it fails: Sending the same template to hundreds of sites. Writing the article only to place a keyword-rich link. Picking sites by metrics alone, with no look at the content.
About paying: Some sites charge a fee for guest posts. Google's examples list exchanging money for posts that contain links. Weigh that risk before you pay. If you pay for a placement, mark the link as sponsored.
Our guest post service covers how we choose sites.
3. Replace broken links
Many pages link to resources that no longer exist. If you have a page that fits, you can offer it as a replacement.
What it needs: A real page that matches what the dead link used to cover. A way to find dead links on relevant sites, such as a site crawler or a browser extension.
Where it fails: Offering a weak or unrelated page. Writing a page only to fit one broken link. Skipping the check that the dead link is really dead.
A short message is enough:
Hi [name]. I was reading your page on [topic]. The link to [resource] now goes to an error page. I wrote a guide on the same topic at [your URL]. It may be a good replacement. Either way, I hope the note helps.
4. Digital PR
Digital PR means giving journalists and editors something they can use. That can be data, an expert comment, or a clear answer to a question they are covering.
What it needs: Real expertise or real data. A fast reply. A short, specific answer that a writer can quote.
Where it fails: Generic pitches, slow replies and claims you cannot back up. Many journalists receive large numbers of pitches. Few get a reply.
A correction to older advice: Many guides, including the earlier version of this one, point to HARO (Help A Reporter Out). Cision rebranded HARO as Connectively in 2024 and shut it down that December. Cision then sold HARO to Featured.com, which relaunched it on April 22, 2025, according to Press Gazette. Check that any service you use is running before you plan around it.
Our digital PR service covers this work.
5. Partner with real businesses in your field
Joint content, shared studies and co-hosted events can lead to links from both sides. A supplier, a tool vendor or a trade group may also link to you if you work together.
What it needs: A real working relationship and something useful to publish together.
Where it fails: Link swaps in bulk. Google lists excessive link exchanges as link spam. One partner linking to another because they worked together is normal. A network of sites trading links is not.
6. Earn local links
A local business can earn links from places that know it. Examples are local news, community groups, chambers of commerce, suppliers, schools, and events you sponsor.
What it needs: A real local presence and a reason for the other side to mention you.
Where it fails: Sponsoring an event only for the link. Adding the business to many low-quality directories. Google lists low-quality directory and bookmark links among its examples of link spam.
7. Turn mentions into links
Sometimes a site mentions your brand, your name or your product without a link. A short, polite message can fix that.
What it needs: A way to find mentions. Alerts, a search for your brand name, or a mentions feature in an SEO tool.
Where it fails: Asking for a link on a page that mentions you only in passing. Or on a page you would not want to be linked from.
This is one of the easier techniques to start with, because the site already knows you.
8. Study competitor links, then choose carefully
Compare the sites that link to the pages ranking above you. You will see what kinds of sites link to your field, and where you have no links at all.
What it needs: A backlink tool such as Ahrefs, Semrush or Moz, and judgement.
Where it fails: Copying a competitor's whole link profile. That copies their paid and low-quality links too, along with the risk. Use the list to find ideas, then ask which of those links you could earn in a legitimate way.
How to judge a link before you chase it
| Question | A good sign | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Is the site about your topic? | Its pages and readers match your field | It covers every topic |
| Do real people visit it? | Pages have readers and comments, and the site is active | No readers and no activity |
| Is the link inside real content? | It sits in an article that helps the reader | It sits in a footer, a sidebar or a list of links |
| Would the page exist without you? | Yes | It was made only to hold links |
| Is the link paid? | It is marked as sponsored | It is paid and presented as editorial |
What we do not recommend
We do not use forum links, blog comments, classified ads or automatically made links. Google treats them as spam. A site with only that kind of link has a weak base, whatever the number. For the other side of this topic, read our guide to 21 common SEO mistakes, which covers buying links the wrong way.
Where to start
Pick the one or two techniques that fit your resources. If you have data or expertise, start with 1 and 4. If you have a local business, start with 6 and 7. If you have a good page and a list of relevant sites, try 2 and 3.
Then check your results in Search Console. Compare the same pages month to month. Link building takes time, and nobody can promise a date or a position.
If you want help, our link building service explains what we do and how we choose sites.