How to Get Backlinks

Backlinks remain one of the most powerful signals in search engine optimisation, but getting them is rarely simple. While the concept of backlinks is straightforwardearning a link from one website to another, the process of acquiring them requires strategic thinking, creativity and persistence. In today’s SEO landscape, the focus has shifted from quantity to quality. Earning links from reputable, relevant websites can significantly improve your rankings and build long-term authority, while low-quality or manipulative links can lead to penalties or drops in visibility. This article explains how to get backlinks in a way that supports genuine growth and avoids common pitfalls.

Why Backlinks Still Matter in 2025

Search engines use backlinks to understand the trustworthiness, relevance and authority of a website. When a credible site links to yours, it’s viewed as a vote of confidence in your content. The more authoritative the referring site, the more valuable the link becomes. But search algorithms have matured. They now evaluate the context, placement, and intent of links, not just their existence. That’s why modern link-building requires more than spamming directories or trading links with other websites.

Backlinks are especially important for competitive keywords and industries. When two websites have equally relevant content, backlinks often determine which ranks higher. For businesses, this means a well-executed backlink strategy can be the edge that pushes your content onto the first page.

Start with Link-Worthy Content

Before asking anyone to link to your site, you need something worth linking to. Content is the foundation of all effective link-building. The most successful linkable assets are useful, original and trustworthy. This includes in-depth blog articles, research reports, how-to guides, data studies, opinion pieces and visual resources such as infographics or videos.

To maximise your chances of earning backlinks, create content that answers common questions, solves problems, or offers unique insight that cannot be found elsewhere. If you work in a niche industry, producing expert commentary or thought leadership can be especially effective. Content that is genuinely valuable to your audience has a much better chance of attracting links naturally over time.

Outreach: Building Relationships That Lead to Links

Outreach involves contacting other website owners, editors, journalists or bloggers and encouraging them to link to your content. For outreach to succeed, it must be personalised, respectful and relevant. Generic emails asking for a backlink rarely work. Instead, show that you understand the recipient’s site, explain how your content adds value to theirs and suggest where your link might fit.

Outreach is most effective when you target websites that already link to similar topics or competitors. Tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs allow you to analyse the backlink profiles of rival websites and identify opportunities to replicate or improve upon their strategy.

Guest posting remains a viable outreach method, provided it is done for exposure rather than just links. If you write a high-quality guest article for a respected publication, you may be able to include a relevant link back to your website within the author bio or content body.

Earn Links Through Digital PR and Storytelling

Digital PR is one of the most powerful ways to generate high-authority backlinks. This approach involves creating newsworthy content or data and pitching it to journalists, media outlets or content creators. For example, you might conduct a study on consumer behaviour, publish a local business ranking, or comment on an emerging trend in your industry.

When well executed, digital PR can result in links from major news websites, industry blogs and even government or educational domains. These types of links not only boost SEO performance but also raise brand visibility.

To succeed with digital PR, timing and relevance are everything. Tying your story to a current event, trend or seasonal theme can significantly improve your success rate.

Use Directories, Citations and Business Profiles Strategically

Not all backlinks have to come from editorial features or content partnerships. Local directories, trade associations, and citation platforms still play an important role, especially for businesses targeting location-based search results.

However, you must be selective. Submit your site only to reputable directories that are relevant to your business. Examples include Chambers of Commerce, trade registries or industry-specific platforms. Creating a Google Business Profile and ensuring your business appears consistently across the web also contributes to your backlink profile.

These links may not carry as much weight as editorial links, but they provide trust signals and help confirm the legitimacy of your brand in the eyes of search engines.

Leverage Partnerships, Testimonials and Mentions

If your business has suppliers, partners or customers, you may already have link opportunities waiting. Offering testimonials for tools or services you use often results in a link back to your website from the supplier’s site. Likewise, asking partners to list your business on their ‘clients’ or ‘case studies’ page can yield easy, relevant backlinks.

Brand mentions, where your business is named but not linkedalso present opportunities. Tools are available that monitor the web for these mentions. Once found, you can contact the site owner and politely ask them to add a link.

This approach works particularly well if your content or brand has already gained some visibility and you are simply converting unlinked mentions into backlinks.

Avoid Link Schemes and Risky Shortcuts

Google penalises websites that engage in manipulative link-building tactics. These include buying links, participating in link exchanges, using automated software or submitting to spammy directories. Even if these tactics appear to work in the short term, they often lead to reduced rankings or manual action in the long term.

Your backlink profile should look natural. That means earning links from a diverse range of domains, with varying anchor text, and across multiple pages of your site. Over-optimised anchor text or a sudden spike in low-quality links can raise red flags.

In short, focus on building trust, not just links. Sustainable link-building is about developing real relationships and creating value, not gaming the system.

Tracking Performance and Maintaining Momentum

Getting backlinks is not a one-off task. You need to monitor your backlink profile regularly, track how links affect your rankings and look for new opportunities as your content evolves. Tools like Google Search Console, Moz and Semrush can help you analyse link growth, check domain authority and identify any toxic links that may need disavowing.

When a piece of content gains traction and attracts links, consider updating and republishing it to keep it fresh. You can also repurpose it into other formats, such as videos or slideshows, to increase reach and link potential.

Consistency is key. A steady stream of backlinks over time will outperform a short burst of low-quality links. Building links should be part of a wider content and SEO strategy, not a separate or occasional activity.

Conclusion

Backlinks remain one of the most influential ranking factors in search engine optimisation, but earning them takes time, effort and a clear strategy. By focusing on high-quality content, meaningful outreach, genuine partnerships and digital PR, you can build a backlink profile that supports long-term visibility and authority. Avoid shortcuts, prioritise value and think of link-building as a relationship-building exercise. Done right, backlinks will not only boost your rankings, they will amplify your credibility across the web.