Link building can be a controversial area of SEO.
Some may tell you that link building is dead, along with pretty much every SEO tactic. Whilst I would definitely agree that it has evolved significantly over the years, I simply do not accept the argument that links don’t really matter, as I have seen far too much evidence of the power that a strong back link profile has.
It is true that link building tactics of old may actually do more harm than good these days. In 2025, link building is all about authenticity, relevance and creating value.
It has been a while since I blogged about link building strategies, so here are some do’s and dont’s for attracting high quality links to your website.
Good link building
Focus on quality over quantity
Not all links are created equal. A single high-quality backlink from an authoritative, relevant website is far more valuable than dozens of links from low-quality or irrelevant sites. When assessing possible link opportunities, you should always prioritise sites that are relevant to your niche or industry, above all else.
Yes, a high domain authority and pages with high levels of traffic are always preferred, but relevancy should be your primary goal. Ask yourself if there is a natural link between the linking site and yours.
Build relationships
Networking is a powerful tool in link building. It takes time and is not for the lazy, but it will yield the best results over time.
Forge genuine relationships with influencers, bloggers and industry leaders. Engage with their content, leave thoughtful comments and offer value before asking for a backlink.
Create link-worthy content
Content is king for pretty much everything SEO-related, but it is especially true for link building as great content will naturally attract links.
Focus on producing high-quality, shareable content such as:
- In-depth guides and tutorials
- Original research or case studies
- Interactive tools
If your content provides value, you will not have to ask for links. Think about earning links rather than building them.
Consider guest blogging
Guest blogging remains an effective strategy when done correctly.
Pitch well-researched, high-quality articles to reputable websites in your industry. Any approach should be targeted and carefully researched to ensure that the proposed content aligns with their audience and will be of interest to their audience.
If you are providing genuine value to the target site, there is no reason why they would not link back to your site, even it if it is just an author bio.
Optimise anchor text
Wherever possible, you should use descriptive, relevant anchor text for your backlinks as it helps to ‘describe’ the target page and it can help the search engines understand the nature of your content more quickly.
Avoid generic phrases like “click here” or other meaningless links as they will not help your SEO, although you should also over-optimised keywords (see below…).
Monitor your backlink profile
Whilst the threat of negative SEO is largely scaremongering, it is good practice to keep an eye on links to your domain as you do not want low quality links from suspect domains undoing all your hard work.
There are plenty of tools to help monitor your link profile, from free solutions such as Google Search Console to a host of paid link databases that will help analyse links.
If you do find evidence of bad quality links, approach the website on which you find them to try to negotiate their removal. It is better to remove them at source than to rely on a disavow project.
Explore local link building opportunities
If you have a business that targets local audiences, you should ensure that you make the most of local link building opportunities.
Engage with local directories, community websites and local influencers to build relevant links as this will help reinforce your geographical focus.
Bad Link Building
Avoid buying links
Staring with the obvious, you really should not be buying links.
While it may seem lik