9 Best Link Building Strategies to Dominate SEO in 2025

Quality backlinks are non-negotiable, acting as powerful votes of confidence from other websites. In fact, pages ranking #1 in Google have, on average, 3.8 times more backlinks than those in positions two through ten.

This guide moves beyond theory to detail nine of the best link building strategies that build the authority you need to dominate the search results and outperform the competition.

1. Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a time-tested strategy that involves writing and publishing content on other websites in your industry. By providing valuable, relevant articles to another site's audience, you earn an authoritative backlink and referral traffic. This makes it one of the most effective link building strategies available.

This approach is fundamentally about a value exchange. You provide high-quality, free content that resonates with the host blog's readers, and in return, you get to place a contextual link back to your own website.

How to Implement Guest Blogging Effectively

Successfully executing a guest blogging campaign requires a strategic, not a spammy, approach. It's about building relationships and delivering exceptional value, not just acquiring a link.

Start by identifying relevant, high-authority blogs in your niche that accept guest contributions. Tools like Ahrefs or Semrush can help you find sites with strong domain authority and organic traffic. Analyze their content to understand their audience, tone, and formatting requirements before you ever send a pitch.

Pro Tip: Personalize your outreach email. Address the editor by name, mention a recent article you enjoyed, and explain why your proposed topic would be a perfect fit for their specific audience.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to maximize your guest blogging ROI and ensure your efforts contribute positively to your SEO goals.

• Pitch Unique, High-Value Ideas: Don't propose generic topics. Pitch a compelling, data-driven, or unique angle that fills a content gap on their site.
• Follow Guidelines Precisely: Adhere strictly to the blog's editorial guidelines, including word count, formatting, and linking policies. This shows professionalism and respect.
• Write Exceptional Content: Your guest post should be among your best work. Make it comprehensive, well-researched, and genuinely helpful to the reader.
• Link Naturally: Place your backlink contextually where it adds value, pointing to a relevant resource on your site. Avoid keyword-stuffing your anchor text or forcing irrelevant links.
• Promote the Published Post: Once your article is live, share it with your own audience on social media and email, driving traffic to the host blog and strengthening your new relationship.

2. Broken Link Building

Broken link building is a highly effective strategy that involves finding dead links on other websites and offering your own relevant content as a replacement.

This tactic provides immediate value to webmasters by helping them fix 404 errors that harm user experience. This makes it one of the best link building strategies for earning quality backlinks.

The core principle is simple. You identify a resource that a site is linking to that no longer exists, and you provide them with a superior, working alternative from your own site.

How to Implement Broken Link Building Effectively

A successful broken link building campaign is built on providing a genuine solution, not just asking for a link. It requires methodical research and personalized outreach to show that you are helping them improve their website.

First, identify target websites, particularly those with resource pages or older content likely to contain dead links. Use tools like Ahrefs' Site Explorer to scan these pages for broken outbound links.

Pro Tip: Focus your search on resource pages (e.g., search queries like "inurl:resources" + "your keyword"). These pages are curated lists of links, making them a goldmine for finding broken ones.

Actionable Steps for Success

To turn broken links into high-quality backlinks, follow these systematic steps for a professional and results-driven approach.

• Find Relevant Broken Links: Use SEO tools to find pages on authoritative sites that link to 404 pages related to your content topics.
• Create or Offer Superior Content: Ensure your replacement content is a significant upgrade over the original dead resource.
• Craft Personalized Outreach: Send a friendly, concise email to the site owner. Clearly point out the exact location of the broken link and politely suggest your content as a helpful replacement.
• Be Specific and Helpful: In your email, provide the anchor text and the URL of the broken link to make it incredibly easy for the webmaster to find and fix it.
• Follow Up Politely: If you don't get a response after a week, send a brief and courteous follow-up email. Sometimes, the initial message simply gets missed.

3. Skyscraper Technique

Popularized by Brian Dean of Backlinko, the Skyscraper Technique is a content-centric link building method. It involves finding existing popular content with numerous backlinks, creating something significantly better, and then reaching out to those linking to the original piece.

You then request they link to your superior asset instead.

This strategy capitalizes on the human desire for the best resources. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you identify a proven "linkable asset" and build a taller "skyscraper" on that foundation.

How to Implement the Skyscraper Technique Effectively

Success with this technique hinges on creating content that is genuinely and demonstrably better, not just slightly longer. It's a key component of many white-hat SEO campaigns that focus on earning links through value.

Start by using tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to discover content in your niche that has a high number of referring domains. Analyze these top-performing articles to identify weaknesses or gaps, such as outdated information or poor design.

Pro Tip: Your outreach is just as important as your content. When you email site owners, clearly and concisely explain why your resource is a better fit for their audience than the one they currently link to.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to build content that attracts high-quality backlinks and establishes your authority on a topic.

• Find Link-Worthy Content: Identify a piece of content with lots of backlinks but clear room for improvement.
• Create Something 10x Better: Improve upon the original by adding more detail, fresh data, custom graphics, or interactive elements.
• Conduct Strategic Outreach: Contact every website owner linking to the original article. Introduce your superior resource and politely suggest it as a more valuable link for their readers.
• Focus on Gaps: Don't just add more words. Fill in missing information, answer unaddressed questions, or present the topic from a new and more helpful angle.

4. Resource Page Link Building

Resource page link building involves getting your website included on pages that curate and link out to helpful industry resources.

These pages are created specifically to provide value to an audience by compiling the best tools or guides on a particular topic. This makes them a natural fit for link requests.

This method is based on a straightforward value proposition. You find a curated list and suggest your high-quality, relevant resource for inclusion.

How to Implement Resource Page Link Building Effectively

A successful resource page campaign focuses on finding the right opportunities and providing undeniable value. It’s less about persuasion and more about making a page curator’s job easier.

Start by using advanced Google search operators to find these pages. Queries like "keyword" + inurl:resources or "keyword" + "useful links" are excellent starting points.

Pro Tip: When you reach out, don't just ask for a link. Compliment their existing list and clearly explain why your resource is a valuable addition and how it specifically benefits their readers.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to turn resource pages into a consistent source of high-quality backlinks and boost your SEO performance.

• Find Relevant Pages: Use search operators and SEO tools to compile a list of resource pages, "best of" lists, and link roundups in your niche.
• Create a Link-Worthy Asset: Ensure the content or tool you're pitching is comprehensive and genuinely better than or different from what's already listed.
• Craft a Compelling Pitch: Your email should be concise. Introduce yourself, praise their curated list, and present your resource with a clear explanation of its value.
• Make Inclusion Easy: Provide the curator with the exact URL and a suggested description for your link. This reduces their workload and increases your chances of success.
• Build a Relationship: Thank the curator once your link is added. Stay in touch and offer to share their content, turning a one-time link into a long-term connection.

5. Digital PR and HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

Digital PR and HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a powerful strategy that involves positioning yourself as an expert source for journalists and bloggers.

By providing valuable insights and quotes through platforms like HARO, you can earn high-authority backlinks from major news sites.

This approach transforms link building from an outreach-heavy task into an opportunity-driven one. Instead of asking for links, you are providing genuine value to reporters on a deadline.

How to Implement Digital PR and HARO Effectively

Success with this strategy hinges on speed, value, and relevance. Journalists receive dozens of responses to their queries, so your pitch must stand out immediately.

Begin by subscribing to services like HARO, which sends daily emails with queries from journalists. Monitor these emails for topics directly related to your expertise to become a reliable source.

Pro Tip: Create a media kit that includes a high-resolution headshot, a concise professional bio, and links to your company website and social profiles. Having this ready allows you to respond faster.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to maximize your chances of getting featured and earning high-quality backlinks:

• Respond Quickly and Thoroughly: Journalists work on tight deadlines. Aim to be one of the first high-quality responses they receive.
• Provide Quotable, Expert Insights: Write your response as if it could be copied and pasted directly into their article.
• Keep it Concise and Relevant: Directly answer the reporter's question without unnecessary background information.
• Include Your Credentials: Clearly state your name, title, and company to establish your credibility as an expert on the topic.
• Follow Up Professionally: If a reporter uses your quote, a simple thank-you note can help build a long-term relationship for future opportunities.

6. Unlinked Brand Mentions

Claiming unlinked brand mentions is the process of finding where your brand is mentioned online without a backlink and requesting that a link be added.

This strategy capitalizes on existing brand recognition, turning positive press into valuable SEO equity. This is one of the best link building strategies for established brands.

This approach is essentially about claiming credit where it's due. A website has already taken the step of talking about you; your job is simply to ask them to make that mention a clickable link.

How to Implement Unlinked Brand Mention Reclamation

A successful campaign is built on systematic monitoring and polite, direct outreach. It's more about making a simple, reasonable request to an author who already appreciates your brand.

First, you need to find these mentions. Set up automated alerts using tools like Google Alerts or platforms like Ahrefs’ Content Explorer. Prioritize opportunities on high-authority websites for the biggest SEO impact.

Pro Tip: Make the webmaster's job as easy as possible. In your outreach email, provide the exact sentence with the mention and suggest the specific URL and anchor text you'd like them to use.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to efficiently turn existing brand awareness into a steady stream of high-quality backlinks.

• Systematize Your Monitoring: Use a combination of free and paid tools to continuously monitor the web for new brand mentions.
• Prioritize Your Outreach: Focus on mentions from high-authority (DR 50+) and topically relevant domains first.
• Craft a Simple, Polite Request: Your email should be brief and friendly. Thank them for mentioning your brand and politely ask if they would consider making it a link.
• Follow Up Politely: If you don't hear back, a single, gentle follow-up email after a week is appropriate.
• Express Gratitude: Whether they add the link or not, thank them for their time. This helps build a positive relationship.

7. Content Partnerships and Collaborations

Content partnerships focus on building strategic relationships to create co-branded assets. This strategy involves teaming up with complementary businesses to produce joint resources like webinars or research reports. These assets naturally generate backlinks for all parties involved.

This approach is rooted in mutual benefit and audience sharing. By pooling resources and expertise, partners can create a more valuable piece of content than they could alone, amplifying its reach.

How to Implement Content Partnerships Effectively

A successful collaboration hinges on finding the right partner and proposing a true win-win scenario. The goal is to leverage each other's strengths to create something genuinely exceptional for both audiences.

Begin by identifying non-competing businesses that share a similar target audience. Your outreach should focus on a specific, high-impact project idea, clearly outlining the benefits for them.

Pro Tip: Frame your pitch around a shared goal. Instead of asking for a backlink, propose creating "the most comprehensive industry survey of the year" together.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to build fruitful partnerships that drive significant SEO and business results.

• Identify Synergistic Partners: Look for companies whose products or services complement your own.
• Propose a Clear Win-Win: Outline a specific project and define the roles, responsibilities, and expected outcomes for each partner.
• Establish Attribution Guidelines: Agree upfront on how each party will be credited and linked to in the final content.
• Co-Promote Aggressively: Both partners should commit to a joint promotional plan, leveraging their email lists and social media channels.
• Build a Long-Term Relationship: View the first collaboration as a starting point to foster future projects and ongoing backlink opportunities.

8. Industry Research and Data Studies

Creating original, data-driven research is a powerful method for earning high-authority backlinks. By conducting surveys or analyzing proprietary data, you produce a unique asset that other publications will cite. This positions your brand as a primary source of information.

This strategy is about becoming the origin of a story or statistic. Instead of commenting on existing trends, you create the data that defines them.

How to Implement Data-Driven Link Building

A successful data study campaign hinges on unearthing compelling insights and presenting them in an accessible, shareable format. The goal is to create a resource so valuable that linking to it becomes a necessity.

First, identify a knowledge gap or a pressing question within your industry. What data are people constantly looking for but can't find? The key is to focus on a topic that is both relevant and not yet saturated with data.

Pro Tip: Your headline is crucial. Frame your most surprising or impactful finding as the title of your study to immediately capture attention and encourage clicks.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to turn original research into a backlink-generating machine and solidify your authority.

• Choose a Compelling Topic: Focus on topics with broad appeal that answer important questions for your industry.
• Create Visually Appealing Assets: Design professional-looking charts, graphs, and infographics to make your data easy to digest and share.
• Craft a Dedicated Landing Page: Publish your findings on a comprehensive, well-designed landing page that serves as the central hub for all citations.
• Conduct Targeted Outreach: Promote your study directly to journalists, bloggers, and industry influencers who have written about similar topics.
• Make Citing Easy: Include a "How to Cite This" section with pre-formatted text to remove any friction for writers looking to reference your work.

9. Link Reclamation

Link reclamation is the process of finding and fixing backlinks that once pointed to your site but are now broken. Over time, links can break due to page deletions or URL changes, causing you to lose valuable link equity. This strategy focuses on recovering that lost authority.

This approach is about maintaining your hard-won SEO value. By identifying these "lost" links, you can either restore the page or redirect the old URL to a new relevant one. This reclaims the SEO benefit.

How to Implement Link Reclamation Effectively

A successful link reclamation campaign is a technical but highly rewarding process. It's less about outreach and more about internal auditing and maintenance.

Start by using a backlink analysis tool like Ahrefs or Semrush to run a "Lost Links" report for your domain. This will generate a list of backlinks that have disappeared or now lead to a broken page.

Pro Tip: Prioritize reclaiming links from high Domain Rating (DR) websites. Recovering just one or two powerful links can have a more significant impact on your SEO.

Actionable Steps for Success

Follow these steps to systematically reclaim lost link equity and strengthen your website's authority.

• Audit for Lost Backlinks: Regularly run reports to identify links that have been lost recently, especially after a site migration or redesign.
• Identify the Cause: Determine why the link was lost. Is it pointing to a 404 page, or did the linking site remove the link entirely?
• Implement 301 Redirects: If the link is broken because you changed a URL, the easiest fix is to implement a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new, relevant page.
• Conduct Strategic Outreach: If a webmaster removed your link, reach out politely, thank them for the previous link, and ask if they would consider re-adding or updating it.
• Monitor and Maintain: Set up alerts to be notified of newly lost backlinks. Proactive monitoring helps you fix broken links before they negatively impact your rankings.

Top 9 Link Building Strategies Comparison

Choosing Your Path to Link Building Success

You now have a comprehensive playbook of the best link building strategies available. We've journeyed through the time-tested effectiveness of guest blogging, the opportunistic precision of broken link building, and the ambitious reach of the Skyscraper Technique. Each strategy represents a different tool in your SEO toolkit.

The power isn't in mastering just one method; it's in understanding which to deploy and when. The tactical reclamation of unlinked brand mentions can yield quick wins, while developing original industry research is a long-term investment in authority.

Weaving Strategies into a Cohesive Plan

A successful link building campaign is never one-dimensional. The most effective SEOs create a blended approach, integrating multiple tactics into their broader content marketing efforts. Your goal is to build a diverse and natural-looking backlink profile.

Consider how these strategies can complement each other:

• Content as the Core: An industry data study (Strategy #8) becomes the perfect asset to promote using the Skyscraper Technique (Strategy #3).
• Partnerships Power Plays: A content collaboration (Strategy #7) can naturally lead to opportunities for guest blogging (Strategy #1) on your partner's site.
• Proactive and Reactive: While you proactively seek out resource page placements (Strategy #4), you can reactively claim unlinked brand mentions (Strategy #6).

This integrated mindset transforms link building from a series of isolated tasks into a sustainable, authority-building engine.

From Knowledge to Action: Your Next Steps

Reading about the best link building strategies is the first step; implementation is what drives results. The key takeaway is that link building is fundamentally about creating value and building relationships.

Focus on quality over quantity. A single, powerful link from a highly relevant, authoritative website is exponentially more valuable than dozens of low-quality links. Prioritize relevance and editorial standards above all else.

Remember, persistence is crucial. By consistently applying these proven strategies and focusing on quality, you will construct a powerful backlink profile. This will serve as a durable foundation for long-term organic growth.

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