How to Get Backlinks: 12 Methods That Still Work

What it isData that doesn't exist elsewhere: a small survey, an analysis of your own customer or campaign data, or a study of publicly available information. Journalists and bloggers link to sources of numbers.

How to do it

1. Pick a question your audience genuinely wants answered.
2. Collect the data honestly, and explain how you did it, including the sample size and any limits.
3. Publish findings on a clean page with charts people can quote, and a summary at the top.
4. Send it to writers and sites that have covered the topic before.

Watch outWeak or invented numbers will damage your reputation. If the sample is small, say so.

What it isReporters and editors are always looking for expert comment. If you reply quickly with something useful and quotable, you'll often get a mention and a link to your site.

How to do it

1. Sign up for journalist-request services, newsletters or social feeds in your field. The platforms change often, so check which ones are active.
2. Reply fast, with a direct answer, one or two specific points and your credentials.
3. Keep a short bio and headshot ready.

Watch outDon't pitch on things you aren't qualified to speak about, and don't send generic replies to every request.

What it isA useful free resource that people refer to and link to again and again: a calculator, a spreadsheet template, a checklist or a generator.

How to do itLook at what your customers ask for repeatedly and build a simple version. Put it on its own page with a clear explanation. My GEO toolkit and Shopify SEO toolkit follow the same idea of packaging a solution to a problem customers have, though a free version usually attracts the most links.

Watch outA tool that is broken, thin or hidden behind a form earns few links. Keep it genuinely useful.

What it isWriting a genuinely useful article for another publication in your industry, with a link to your site in the author bio or wherever it fits naturally.

How to do it

1. Choose sites your customers read, not sites that simply accept anything.
2. Read their recent posts and pitch a specific idea they haven't covered.
3. Write the best article you can. Treat it as content, not a link placement.
4. Link naturally, with descriptive text, and only where it helps the reader.

Watch outGoogle lists large-scale guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text as link spam. Don't pay for placements, don't mass-produce posts, and don't stuff anchors with exact-match keywords.

What it isFinding pages that link to a dead resource and offering your own relevant page as a replacement. You're helping the site owner fix a problem.

How to do it

1. Find resource lists and articles in your niche, and check them for broken outbound links with a crawler or browser extension.
2. Make sure you have a page that really replaces the dead one. If you don't, create it.
3. Email the owner, name the exact broken link, and suggest your page as a fix.

Watch outOnly suggest a replacement that's a genuinely good match. A forced fit gets deleted.

What it isMany sites keep curated lists of helpful tools, guides or suppliers. If your page genuinely belongs on one, ask to be included.

How to do itSearch for phrases like "useful resources", "recommended tools" or "helpful links" together with your topic. Pitch only pages where your content really adds something the list doesn't already have.

Watch outMany resource pages are neglected or full of paid links. Check that the page is recent and edited by a real person.

What it isSometimes people mention your brand, product or founder without linking. A polite request often turns the mention into a link.

How to do itSearch for your brand name and key people in quotes, and use Google Alerts or a monitoring tool to catch new mentions. Email the author, thank them and ask if they'd link to the right page so readers can find it. Mentions are also worth watching as your brand starts to appear in AI-generated answers. See my guide on AI Overviews on brand searches.

Watch outKeep it friendly. If they decline, move on.

What it isA refined version of the "skyscraper" idea. Find a topic that already earns links, make something clearly more useful or current, and let the people who linked to the older version know.

How to do it

1. Find a page with many links that is outdated, shallow or hard to use.
2. Build a better one with fresher facts, original examples and better design.
3. Contact a small number of sites that link to the old page, and explain what's new.

Watch outThis approach is overused, and longer isn't the same as better. It only works if yours is genuinely more useful.

What it isPodcast and webinar hosts almost always link to their guests in the show notes, and listeners often visit.

How to do itList the shows your audience listens to, then pitch a specific topic and say why their listeners would care. Prepare a short bio, a link to the exact page you want mentioned and two or three talking points.

Watch outPitch for the audience, not for the link. Hosts spot link-hunters quickly.

What it isPeople who already work with you have reasons to mention you: partner directories, supplier pages, customer case studies, association member lists, event sponsor pages and testimonials you give to a vendor.

How to do itList every organization you work with or belong to, then check whether their site has a place for partners or members. Ask for a listing, or write a genuine testimonial for a product you actually use.

Watch outSponsoring something purely to get a link is a grey area. If money changes hands for a link, the link should be marked rel="sponsored".

What it isTrusted industry directories, chambers of commerce, local business listings and your Google Business Profile. These matter most for local businesses.

How to do itPick a small set of well-regarded directories in your industry and area, and use the same business name, address and phone everywhere. For local businesses, see my local SEO service.

Watch outAvoid low-quality directories and bookmark sites that exist only to sell links. They add risk and very little value.

What it isFinding sites that link to several of your competitors but not to you. It shows what kind of content and outreach works in your niche.

How to do it

1. Pick three to five real competitors for the same keywords.
2. Use a backlink tool to export their linking sites, and find the ones that link to more than one of them.
3. Look at why they linked (a guide, a tool, a list, a mention), and decide which of those you can create or earn.

Watch outThis is research, not a shopping list. Don't chase every link a competitor has, especially the paid or spammy ones.