Introduction
A brand publishes content regularly and does solid on-page SEO (search engine optimisation). Then it waits for rankings to climb, and not much moves.
Meanwhile a competitor with half the content sits on page one.
Very often the gap comes down to backlinks, which are links from other websites to yours.
"Build more backlinks" sounds like advice from 2012, but it is still the biggest lever most websites do not use well. What has changed is how you build them. Google has become smarter. Shortcuts stop working, and they can push you backwards.
This guide cuts the filler. We looked at what already ranks for "backlink building" and found the gaps: tactics that top articles skip, 2026 updates that change the rules, and strategies that are underused.
Whether you do SEO for your own business or manage it for clients, this is the roadmap to follow.
What is backlink building?
Backlink building is the process of getting other websites to link to yours.
Think of each link as a recommendation. When a credible, relevant website links to your content, Google reads it as a sign that your page has real value. The more such signs you have from the right sources, the more Google trusts you.
Backlinks have been a core ranking factor since Google's early days. Even with AI Overviews, algorithm updates and semantic search in 2026, backlinks still carry weight. The gap between a good link and a bad one matters more than ever.
Why does backlink building still matter in 2026?
Every year someone says "backlinks are dead", and every year the data says otherwise.
Here is what is happening right now:
- Very few web pages rank in Google's top 10 without a single backlink.
- The page at position one on Google typically has 3.8x more backlinks than the pages in spots 2 through 10. (Source: Digital Search Group)
- Google's March 2025 core update went hard on low-quality, purchased and irrelevant links. Sites that leaned on link schemes dropped sharply in rankings, sometimes overnight.
- Your backlink profile shapes your domain authority, which influences how Google ranks your site.
The game has not ended. It has become less forgiving for anyone playing it wrong.
The brands winning at SEO today do not have the highest backlink count. Their links come from the most trusted and most relevant sources, and they earned them naturally.
What makes a backlink high quality?
Not all links are equal. Before you start building, understand what you are aiming for.
Links also carry labels in their code. Google asks site owners to mark ads and paid placements with rel=sponsored, links in comments and forum posts with rel=ugc, and to use rel=nofollow when neither fits. Google says marked links are generally not followed, though it may still find the page by other routes. So an unmarked link placed by an editor is the one you want, and a paid placement should carry the sponsored label.
1. Domain authority (DA) of the linking site
A link from a high-authority site is worth far more than one from a random blog with no traffic. As a rough guide, DA 60 to 100 is excellent, DA 40 to 59 is decent, and below 40 is not worth much effort.
2. Topical relevance
People underestimate this a lot. A backlink from a website in the same industry or subject carries far more weight than one from an unrelated domain. Google understands context, so links that make sense are the ones that move rankings.
3. Where the link sits on the page
A link placed by an editor inside the main body of an article is gold. A link buried in the footer or pushed into a sidebar widget is nearly worthless. Placement tells Google how natural the link is.
Google's spam policies list hidden or low quality links in widgets, and widely spread footer or template links, as examples of link spam. So a link that sits in the footer or a widget on every page of a site is the kind to avoid. A link inside the text of a relevant article is the kind to aim for.
4. How many other links the page has
If a page links out to 300 different sites, your link is diluted badly. A page with a handful of outbound links passes much more authority to each one. Look for good referral sources, not link dumping grounds.
5. Anchor text
Anchor text is the clickable text that holds your link. Generic anchor text like "click here" does not help. Descriptive, keyword-relevant anchor text used naturally helps Google understand what the linked page is about. Do not stuff it with keywords. Keep it natural.
10 backlink building tactics that work in 2026
1. Fix broken links on high-DA sites
This tactic is underused, and it is one of our favourites.
High-authority websites sometimes have dead outbound links, which are pages that no longer exist and show a 404 error. That is a problem for them and a chance for you.
How to do it:
- Install the Check My Links Chrome extension (it is free).
- Browse high-DA blogs and resource pages in your niche.
- Spot dead links that point to content similar to yours.
- Send a short, friendly email. Point out the broken link and suggest your page as a replacement.
You are doing them a favour, and most site owners are glad to hear about broken links. When you offer a relevant replacement, these pitches often work well.
2. Guest posting, done properly
Guest posting is still the most widely used backlink building tactic in the industry, per Authority Hacker's 2024 link building study. One version of it works, and one wastes everyone's time.
The version that works: write useful, in-depth content for a high-authority blog in your niche, with a natural link back to your site.
The version that does not: send generic 600-word posts to any site that accepts guest submissions, whatever its quality or relevance.
Keep these in mind:
One caution. Google's spam policies list guest posts and articles with optimised anchor text, and paid articles that pass ranking credit, as link spam. Keep the anchor text natural, and if you pay for a placement, ask for the sponsored label.
- Target sites with a higher DA than yours, or you will not gain authority.
- Make the content so good that the editor wants more from you. Build the relationship.
- Link to something relevant to the article's topic rather than your homepage.
At PromotEdge we help clients plan guest posting that earns lasting editorial links.
3. The skyscraper technique
Brian Dean introduced this in 2015. He reported a 110% jump in organic traffic on his own site within 14 days of trying it. The logic is sound, so it still works.
It has three steps:
- First, use Ahrefs or SEMrush to find the most-linked piece of content in your niche, meaning the one that pulls the most quality backlinks.
- Second, create something much better. Make it more current and better structured, and add context, data or real examples the original is missing.
- Third, reach out to every site linking to the original. Show them your version and explain why it serves their readers better.
Some will not reply and some will ignore you. A fair share will update their links, and those are high-DA, already relevant backlinks.
4. Build content that people want to link to
Here is an uncomfortable fact: 95% of web pages have zero backlinks. Most of them have none because nobody has a reason to cite them.
Generic blog posts and rehashed listicles do not earn links on their own. Some content formats do attract them again and again.
What earns natural backlinks:
- Original research or surveys with real data
- Long, detailed guides
- Infographics that simplify complex data
- Tools, calculators and interactive content
- Case studies with specific, verifiable results
- "Why" posts that challenge common thinking
If you want links, give people a solid reason to refer to you. At PromotEdge we build SEO content meant to attract organic backlinks over time, so the content does more than rank on day one.
5. Jump on industry news early
Journalists always need expert sources, and industry bloggers always need original angles. When something big happens in your space, the first credible voice to publish a sharp take gets the links.
This is called newsjacking, and it works when the timing is right.
A well-timed, expert-led piece on a breaking development can earn backlinks from news outlets and publications at DA 70 to 80 and above. These are links you would rarely get through direct outreach.
How to stay ahead:
- Google Alerts for your main industry keywords
- BuzzSumo to track trending content
- Twitter/X, where trends often show up first
- Google Trends for rising search interest in your space
Speed matters. A 48-hour window can decide whether you are the source everyone cites or the tenth article nobody reads.
6. Reclaim your unlinked brand mentions
Most businesses ignore this tactic, even though it is one of the easiest wins.
There are probably websites mentioning your brand name, your products or your team without linking to you. They have already done the work of referring to you, and the hyperlink was forgotten.
Finding these mentions:
- Google search: "YourBrandName" -site:yourwebsite.com
- Set up a Google Alert for your brand name
- Ahrefs Content Explorer: search your brand as a keyword
Once you find them, send a short, warm email. Thank the author for the mention and ask if they would add a link. Most are happy to, because it takes them ten seconds.
7. Study what already works for your competitors
Why work it all out from scratch? Your competitors have already done the outreach, built the relationships and earned the placements. Find out who links to them, then pitch those same sites with something better.
The process:
- Drop a competitor’s URL into Ahrefs or SEMrush.
- Pull their full backlink profile.
- Filter for their highest-DA links.
- Identify which content attracted those links.
- Build a better, more current version.
- Reach out to those linking domains.
The outreach is warmer because those sites already cover your topic. You are a relevant alternative with a stronger resource, and not a cold pitch.
Our SEO team at PromotEdge uses this method to build link profiles for clients in crowded niches.
8. Get into link roundups
Many bloggers, especially in B2B, marketing, tech and finance, publish regular roundups: weekly "best of" posts, monthly resource lists and curated reading guides. Each one is a link opportunity.
How to find them:
Search Google with these strings:
- "digital marketing" + "link roundup"
- "SEO" + "weekly roundup"
- "your niche" + "resources this month"
Once you find active roundup publishers, pitch your strongest content. Keep the pitch short and specific, and explain why your content is useful to their readers, not why you want the link.
These are editorial, contextual, voluntary links. Google rewards exactly these.
9. Resource page placements and journalist queries
Many websites keep resource pages, which are lists of tools, guides and references for an industry. A placement on one of these earns a permanent, editorially placed link from a relevant and often high-DA domain.
Platforms like Qwoted and SourceBottle (the active alternatives now that HARO has closed) connect journalists with expert sources. When you answer a relevant query with a useful reply, you can earn backlinks from major publications, on sites with DR 80+ that you would never reach cold.
One good response can bring one strong earned link, so it is worth the time every week.
10. Internal linking
Internal links are not backlinks in the usual sense, but they make your backlinks work harder.
Every external link to your site brings authority into your domain. Internal links share that authority with the pages that need it, such as your service pages, pillar content and conversion pages.
Keep it intentional:
- Link from your highest-traffic blog posts to your key service or product pages.
- Use anchor text that describes where the link goes, and avoid "click here" or "read more".
- Keep important pages within 2 to 3 clicks of any entry point on your site.
To see how backlinks fit your wider approach, read our overview of white hat and grey hat SEO strategies.
Backlink building tactics to avoid
Here is a word on what not to do, because the temptations are real and the cost in 2026 is higher than ever.
Google's algorithms are sharper than they were three years ago. Google's spam policies list link spam as a breach. That covers buying or selling links for ranking, trading links in excess, and using automated programs to create links. Google also ran spam updates in March, June, August and September 2026, as its Search Status Dashboard shows. Sites that rely on link schemes put their rankings at risk.
Stay away from:
- Buying links from PBNs (Private Blog Networks) or link farms
- Mass submissions to low-quality article directories
- Reciprocal link exchanges at any real scale
- Keyword-stuffed anchor text, which reads as spam to Google's systems
- Sudden spikes in link velocity: getting hundreds of links in a few days raises red flags
A short-term bump is not worth months of penalty recovery. Build slowly and build clean.
What about bad links that already point to you? Google says most sites do not need its disavow tool. It is an advanced tool for sites with many spammy or artificial links that have caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action. Google suggests removing such links at the source where you can. Used wrongly, the tool can harm your site's performance in Google Search.
How long does backlink building take?
It is not fast.
Most SEO professionals see meaningful ranking movement 3 to 6 months into a steady link building campaign. The time depends on how authoritative the linking sites are, how competitive your target keywords are, how strong your on-page SEO is, and how quickly Google crawls and indexes new links.
The waiting is the frustrating part. The good part is that quality links add up over time, and a link earned today keeps passing value for years.
Do not obsess over the number. Focus on quality, keep the outreach going and be patient.
To see whether links pay, count three things each month. Count the new sites that link to you. Count the visits that arrive from those links, which your analytics shows as referral traffic. Then count the enquiries from those visits. Judge the work over six months, not one, because links take time to show.
Backlinks and Google AI Overviews in 2026
Most backlink guides do not cover this yet.
Google's AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, have changed what "ranking" means for many queries. To be cited in an AI Overview, your content needs to be seen as authoritative. Among other things, the strength and relevance of your backlink profile signals authority to Google's AI systems.
So backlinks now do two jobs. They help you rank in normal organic results, and they raise your chances of being cited inside AI-generated answers.
We wrote a full guide on how to appear in Google AI Overviews if you want to see what this means for your SEO strategy.
Final thoughts
Backlink building is slow, sometimes tedious, and the results take months to show. Anyone who promises otherwise is selling shortcuts you do not want.
When it works, though, it adds up in a way little else in SEO can match. A strong backlink profile raises your domain authority, which lifts your whole site. Every new page you publish starts from a position of credibility.
So skip the shortcuts. Do not buy links, and do not send copy-paste pitches that any editor can spot from a mile away.
Create things worth linking to. Build real relationships with people in your industry. Be useful to journalists and show up regularly.
The results take time, but they last long after the work is done.
FAQs
Sources
- Google Search Central, December 2025: developers.google.com
- Google Search Central, August 2026: developers.google.com
- Google Search Console Help, October 2026: support.google.com
- Google Search Status Dashboard, October 2026: status.search.google.com
