Backlinks for Marketers: The Ultimate White-Hat vs Black-Hat Guide (2025 Edition)

Backlinks remain essential in SEO – they’re like “votes” from other sites that signal your content’s credibility to search engines. In fact, Google itself has confirmed that content and backlinks are among its top ranking factors. Studies show 95% of pages have zero backlinks, which is why link-building is often the missing ingredient in a marketing strategy. To help marketers navigate this crucial area, this guide dives deep into white-hat and black-hat backlink techniques – what they are, how to execute them, pros/cons, examples, and when to use each. We’ll also cover tools, metrics for evaluating link quality, case studies, 2025 best practices, and tailored strategies for blogs, e-commerce, SaaS, local businesses, and affiliate sites. Let’s get started!

What Are Backlinks and Why They Matter in 2025

Backlinks (also called inbound links) are links from external websites pointing to your site. They serve as endorsements or “votes of confidence” for your content. Google’s original PageRank algorithm was built on the premise that more backlinks (especially from reputable sites) equate to higher authority and rankings. While SEO has evolved, backlinks are still critical in 2025: webpages with strong backlink profiles tend to rank significantly higher. In practice, if you neglect link-building, your competitors will outrank you – it’s almost impossible to rank without links, no matter how good your content is.

That said, not all backlinks are equal. Quality matters far more than sheer quantity today. A single link from a high-authority, relevant site can outweigh dozens of links from low-quality or unrelated sites. Below, we’ll explore what “quality” means (hint: think relevance, authority, and natural placement) and how marketers can build quality links the right way.

White Hat Backlink Strategies (Ethical & Long-Term)

White-hat link building refers to SEO tactics that comply with search engine guidelines and focus on earning links naturally by adding value. These techniques prioritize real human audiences and long-term brand trust over quick gains. White-hat links are obtained through high-quality content, outreach, and genuine relationships – not tricks or deception. They may take more effort and time, but they build sustainable authority and carry minimal risk of penalties. Below we break down the most effective white-hat strategies, each with how-to tips, pros and cons, and examples.

Content Marketing & “Linkable Assets”

One of the core white-hat approaches is creating link-worthy content (often called “linkable assets”) that naturally attracts backlinks. The idea is simple: publish something so useful, unique, or interesting that other sites want to link to it as a reference or resource. Common linkable content types include:

In-Depth Guides & Tutorials: Comprehensive “ultimate guides” on a topic tend to earn links because they become reference material. (E.g. a definitive guide on email marketing that other bloggers cite).
Original Research & Data: Publishing unique industry research, surveys, or case studies with statistics is extremely linkable. When others cite your data, they link back to you. For example, Backlinko’s study on Google rankings accumulated over 75,000 backlinks because so many sites referenced its stats.
Infographics & Visual Assets: Visual content (infographics, charts, diagrams) that present information in an easy-to-share format can garner backlinks when people embed them in their own posts. Brian Dean reports that an infographic he created on Google CTR earned dozens of links from authoritative sites that shared the graphic.
List Posts and “Best of” Lists: List-form articles (e.g. “10 Tips for X”) pack info into bite-sized chunks and are highly shareable. A BuzzSumo study of 1 million articles found that list posts generated more backlinks on average than quizzes, videos, infographics, or “why” posts.
Tools or Calculators: Offering a free tool, template, or calculator can attract links, as people share and cite it as a useful resource. (E.g. a free SEO audit tool that many digital marketing blogs link to.)
Ego Bait Content: Featuring industry experts (e.g. interviews, expert roundups) often leads those influencers to share and link to the content, amplifying reach.

How to Do It: Brainstorm topics that your target audience cares deeply about or problems they need solved. Research what content in your niche has attracted a lot of links (using tools like Ahrefs Content Explorer or BuzzSumo). Aim to create something better – more up-to-date, more in-depth, or presented in a more engaging way (the “Skyscraper Technique,” which we’ll cover shortly). Once published, promote your content: reach out to people who might find it valuable (more on outreach below), share on social, and perhaps repurpose it (videos, slides) to widen exposure.

Pros: When done well, content-driven link acquisition is highly scalable and safe. Each piece of great content can keep earning organic backlinks over time without further effort – truly “passive” link building. It also boosts your brand authority and can bring direct referral traffic.

Cons: It requires significant upfront effort (research, writing, design). Not every piece will resonate; there’s no guarantee of links. Highly linkable content often targets informational queries (top-of-funnel), which may not immediately drive conversions. Additionally, as more companies invest in content, competition is fierce – just producing “good” content may not be enough without promotion.

Example: Brian Dean’s famous Skyscraper Technique is a prime example of content-centric link building. In one case study, he updated an old blog post with fresh, comprehensive content and then personally outreached to 160 relevant sites; about 17 of them linked to his improved post (a ~11% success rate). Those high-quality links doubled his site’s search traffic within 14 days. The key was a link-worthy resource + targeted outreach – a textbook white-hat formula.

Guest Posting (Guest Blog Outreach)

Guest posting – writing and publishing an article on someone else’s website – is one of the most popular white-hat link-building tactics. You contribute valuable content to another site’s audience, and in return you typically get to include a backlink to your site (often in an author bio or contextually in the article). It’s a win-win: the host site gets free quality content, and you earn a relevant backlink (along with exposure to a new audience).

Guest posting is so prevalent that 76% of editors worldwide report they publish 1–10 guest posts each week, indicating how common and accepted this practice is. Marketers and bloggers regularly use it to secure high-quality links to their sites.

How to Do It: Successful guest posting involves a few key steps:

Research Target Sites: Make a list of reputable websites in your niche or industry that accept guest contributions. Look for sites with good domain authority (e.g. DR 60+ as a starting point) and an engaged readership. Use search operators like intitle:"write for us" [your topic] or tools like Moz/Ahrefs to find sites, and spy on where competitors have guest-posted.
Pitch a Great Topic: Before reaching out, study the target site’s content and audience. Come up with a few content topic ideas that would genuinely add value for their readers and haven’t been covered before. Personalize your pitch email to the editor/blog owner, briefly introducing yourself, complimenting their site, and suggesting your topic ideas with a short outline for each.
Secure the Opportunity: Once a site agrees to a guest post, clarify their guidelines (word count, tone, whether you can include a contextual link, etc.). Some high-authority sites are picky – you may need to show writing samples or expertise.
Write High-Quality Content: Deliver a truly valuable, non-promotional article. Follow the site’s content style. Naturally incorporate a link (or a few) to your own relevant content if allowed – these should flow in context and offer the reader further info (e.g. linking a term to a tutorial on your site). Also link out to other authoritative sources to avoid looking self-serving.
Bio and Anchor Text: Most guest posts allow an author bio box where you can mention your business and include a link. Optimize this: e.g. “Jane Doe is a SaaS marketing specialist at [YourCompany] – a [one-liner about what you do].” Use either branded anchor text or a natural phrase (avoid spammy exact-match anchors like “best cheap CRM software”).
Follow Up & Engage: After publication, be sure to respond to comments on the guest post and promote it on your own channels. Building a good relationship with the host can lead to more opportunities.

Pros: Guest blogging allows you to build links on relevant, high-authority sites in a completely legitimate way. You control the content and anchor text (to an extent), and you also get brand exposure and credibility by appearing on other publications. It’s particularly useful for newer sites to tap into established audiences. A guest post link from a DR80 website can significantly boost your page’s authority in Google’s eyes, helping that page rank better. Also, if you guest post on industry sites, it can drive referral traffic and leads, not just SEO value.

Cons: It is time and labor intensive. Each guest post requires ideation, pitching, writing, and maybe revisions – essentially as much work as writing for your own blog, if not more. Scaling this process is challenging; you may need a team or outsource some writing. Additionally, not all sites accept guest posts, and some may now charge “editorial fees” (pay-for-play, which enters a grey area). Google has warned against “large-scale guest posting” solely for links, especially if you over-optimize anchors or use low-quality sites – so focus on quality over quantity. One or two guest posts on authoritative sites will beat dozens on sketchy blogs.

Example: Many SaaS companies built their early organic growth through guest blogging. For instance, GrooveHQ (a helpdesk software) wrote guest articles on big blogs like Buffer, copyblogger, etc., earning links and attracting readers back to their site. Over a year, this helped GrooveHQ’s blog accumulate links and traffic that boosted their domain authority and rankings, all via white-hat content outreach.

Real-world tip: When starting out, target mid-tier blogs first (say DR 40–60) to build your portfolio, then leverage those wins to pitch top-tier sites. And always personalize your outreach – editors can spot copy-paste templates a mile away. A genuine connection or reference (“I loved your recent article on X, it inspired me to…”) goes a long way.

The Skyscraper Technique (Content Upgrades)

Coined by Brian Dean, the Skyscraper Technique is a specific content-driven link building method that combines competitive analysis with outreach. In essence, you:

Find a popular piece of content in your niche that has lots of backlinks (e.g. an older guide or list that ranks well). Using a tool like Ahrefs, you can see how many sites link to it. If it’s amassed, say, 100 referring domains, that indicates an in-demand topic.
Create an even better version of that content – the “taller skyscraper.” This could mean updating outdated info, making it longer/more comprehensive, adding better visuals, or improving the design/UX. The goal is to outshine the original in quality.
Outreach to those linking to the original, politely letting them know about your improved resource. For example: “Hey, I noticed you cited [Old Article] in your post about [Topic]. Just thought you might be interested – we recently published a fully updated [Topic] guide with new research and examples. Feel free to check it out [link]. If you find it valuable for your readers, you might consider referencing it as well.” (Friendly, helpful tone – no hard sell.)

Why It Works: You’re piggybacking on a proven link-worthy topic and giving linkers a reason to switch or add your link (your content is simply better/up-to-date). You’re providing value to them (helping them improve their article with a better resource), not just asking for a favor. This method often sees modest conversion rates (5–15%), but if the initial pool is large, the absolute number of new links can be substantial.

Pros: It’s a systematic way to build white-hat links. Instead of guessing what people want to link to, you find what they’re already linking to and one-up it. It can yield high-quality, contextual links (since bloggers link to your content within their content). Also, repurposing existing popular content means you know you’re investing effort into a proven topic.

Cons: It relies on finding suitable content to “skyscrape” – not every niche has obvious targets. Also, success requires your version truly is an upgrade; thin rewrites won’t cut it. Outreach is still required, which can be laborious, and many people simply won’t bother updating their old posts to add your link. As more marketers adopted this technique, its novelty has worn off – outreach emails now flood inboxes, so it’s harder to stand out (make your outreach personalized!). Some SEOs report lower success rates today unless you add a unique hook beyond just “longer content”.

Example: The earlier mentioned case where Brian Dean doubled his traffic in 2 weeks was a Skyscraper example. Another case: a marketing blog saw an 110% increase in search traffic in 14 days by using Skyscraper on an old 2013 post – after outreach, they earned 17 new high-DA backlinks which boosted their overall site rankings. The success came from targeting the right content and delivering quality.

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is a clever white-hat tactic that involves helping webmasters fix dead links on their site, while suggesting your own content as a replacement. Here’s how it works:

You find a website in your niche that has a broken outbound link (a hyperlink that leads to a 404/not found page because the target page was removed or moved). Often these are references to old content or defunct sites.
If you have (or can create) content that would serve as a good replacement for the dead resource, you reach out to the site’s owner/editor to kindly inform them of the broken link and suggest your relevant content instead.

Example outreach: “Hi, I was reading your article on [Topic] and noticed one of the resources you cited (the link to XYZ) isn’t working. Just wanted to let you know so you can update it for your readers. By the way, we recently published a comprehensive [Topic] guide that might fill that spot – here’s the link if you want to check it out. Hope it helps!” This approach provides value first (pointing out a flaw) and then offers a solution (your content).

Why It Works: Site owners don’t want to send their visitors to dead pages – it hurts user experience and potentially SEO. By helping them clean up broken links, you’re doing them a favor. If your content is a suitable replacement, many will gladly swap in your link. It’s a mutually beneficial tactic.

How to Find Broken Links: Tools like Ahrefs can scan a domain for broken links (e.g. use the Broken Links report to find all 404s a site is linking out to). Another approach: find popular resource pages or list posts in your niche (e.g. “Top 50 [Topic] Resources”) and crawl them for dead links using a browser extension (like Check My Links) or Screaming Frog. Wikipedia’s “dead link” citations can also reveal defunct pages (though Wikipedia links are nofollow, the dead page might have other backlinks you could reclaim).

Pros: When opportunities are found, broken link outreach often has a decent success rate because you’re clearly helping the webmaster. It’s also scalable in that one piece of content (yours) could replace dozens of broken links across multiple sites, yielding multiple backlinks. Plus, these links tend to be contextually relevant and on resource lists (which Google values).

Cons: The tricky part is the upfront work of hunting for broken links that align with your content. It’s a bit like finding a needle in a haystack unless you have good tools. Also, you need content that closely matches what the broken link was about. Sometimes you’ll find a perfect broken link opportunity but you have no article on that exact topic – then you might decide to create one (which is extra work with no guaranteed payoff). Response rates can vary; some site owners ignore outreach or have already updated the link. Nonetheless, even a handful of wins can make the effort worthwhile.

Example: A digital marketing agency might find that several university websites have broken links to an old PDF study on social media marketing. The agency just so happens to have a recent study on that topic. By contacting each site (universities, which usually have high-authority domains) and getting them to replace the dead link, the agency could land .edu backlinks – highly valuable in SEO – all from repurposing one piece of content. This exact scenario played out for an SEO strategist who earned links from .edu resource pages using broken link building, boosting their rankings for months afterward.

Digital PR (Press Outreach & HARO)

Digital PR involves obtaining backlinks by getting your brand mentioned in online press – news sites, industry publications, etc. This is typically done by pitching story ideas, unique data, or expert quotes to journalists and bloggers. When your pitch gets picked up, you often receive a mention with a backlink.

A popular avenue for this is HARO (Help A Reporter Out), a platform connecting journalists with expert sources. Here’s how HARO works for link-building: Journalists post queries (e.g. “Looking for cybersecurity experts to comment on remote work risks”). As a marketer, you scan these queries (HARO sends thrice-daily emails), find ones relevant to your expertise, and send a response with your insights. If the journalist uses your contribution, they will typically quote you and cite your business with a backlink in their article.

HARO can land you links from high-authority news sites like Forbes, The New York Times, The Guardian, etc. These are gold-standard backlinks that are difficult to get otherwise. One marketer called HARO “an amazing way to get links from authority sites” – and it’s true.

Pros: Press links carry a lot of weight. Google’s algorithms (and users) trust mainstream media and reputable publications, so a link from one can significantly boost credibility. Moreover, press mentions build brand awareness and legitimacy beyond SEO. One well-placed story can also drive a surge of referral traffic and even direct customers.

Cons: HARO and PR pitching are very competitive. Popular queries on HARO get flooded with responses (many low-quality or off-target, but still – volume is high). Journalists might receive 100+ pitches for a single query, and only choose one or two sources. Crafting a standout pitch requires skill and sometimes luck. Additionally, not all press mentions will include a backlink (some might name you but not link, or link to your homepage when you hoped for a specific page). It’s also a time-consuming endeavor: you must monitor queries daily and respond quickly (journalists often operate on tight deadlines). Pro tip: Focus on niches where you have real expertise and provide unique angles – generic pitches get ignored.

How to Do Digital PR for Links: Aside from HARO, you can create your own PR opportunities by making news: publish an industry report or conduct a quirky survey, then send a press release or directly pitch the findings to journalists covering that beat. For example, an e-commerce analytics company might release “Holiday Shopping Report 2025: Online vs In-Store Trends” – media outlets might cite those stats. Make sure your site has a press/media page with the full data for them to link to. You can also piggyback on trending news by offering expert commentary (often called “newsjacking”): if Google releases a big algorithm update, a SEO agency quickly offers quotes to tech reporters – gaining mentions in the ensuing coverage.

Example: A small cybersecurity startup used HARO to great effect – by consistently answering relevant queries with genuinely helpful insights, they got quoted in Inc.com and ZDNet articles, each with a backlink. Over six months, HARO helped them net ~15 high-DR links, contributing to a 50% increase in organic traffic. On the PR side, a local bakery got featured in multiple local news websites by hosting a charity bake-off event (which they invited the press to) – each news story linked back to the bakery’s site, boosting its local SEO and foot traffic.

Visualization of a natural link graph showing interconnected nodes and clusters, generated by Majestic. — Majestic natural link graph illustrating clusters of interconnected backlinks and referring domains.

Community Engagement (Forums, Q&A, and Social)

Another white-hat approach is earning links through community participation – though these links are often nofollow (meaning they may not directly boost PageRank), the strategy can indirectly lead to link opportunities and traffic. For example:

Q&A Sites: Platforms like Quora or Stack Exchange allow you to answer questions. If you provide a thorough answer and reference your blog post for more detail, you might get a nofollow link. While Google doesn’t count the link for ranking, real people might click through, and the content could get noticed by bloggers who later link to it. Moderation is strict, so only add links when truly relevant and helpful (no spam).
Industry Forums/Communities: Being an active, helpful member of niche forums or communities (Reddit, specialized industry forums, Slack groups, etc.) can build your reputation. Occasionally, you can drop a link to your content if it answers someone’s query. Again, many communities nofollow links, but you gain visibility. Sometimes, other site owners in those communities discover your content and link from their own sites later.
Social Media Promotion: While social media links are typically nofollow, content that gets widely shared can attract organic backlinks. For instance, an infographic that goes viral on Twitter/LinkedIn might catch a journalist’s eye who then cites it in an article (with a dofollow link). Use social channels to amplify your linkable assets – the SEO benefit comes as a second-order effect.

Pros: These methods are free and fairly straightforward. They don’t violate guidelines since you’re simply engaging or self-promoting in a non-spammy way. They can drive targeted traffic and put your content in front of those who might link to it. Plus, community interactions build your personal brand and networking in the industry.

Cons: Direct SEO impact is limited because of nofollow attributes. You must be careful not to come off as only there to drop links – that will damage your credibility and could get you banned from communities. It’s more of a long game: you’re planting seeds that may or may not sprout into backlinks down the line. Measure the time investment vs payoff; these activities can consume a lot of time if you’re answering tons of questions daily.

Example: Many marketers (especially in SEO, marketing, tech fields) frequent Reddit. By contributing thoughtful posts on /r/SEO or /r/smallbusiness, they sometimes mention a resource on their blog. Those posts often get upvoted for their value. While the Reddit link is nofollow, other readers (who run websites) might later reference that blog post in their own content. There are instances of a single well-placed Quora answer driving hundreds of visitors and leading to a few organic links when bloggers saw the answer and cited the source.

Other White-Hat Techniques at a Glance

Resource Page Link Building: Many sites have “Resource” pages or recommended links (e.g. a university lab listing useful websites). If you have a high-quality resource, you can politely reach out asking to be included. This is similar to guest outreach but usually just a quick ask, highlighting how your resource helps their audience.
Link Reclamation: Monitor mentions of your brand or content that don’t link (using tools like Google Alerts or Mention.com). Reach out to thank them and kindly ask if they could add a link to make it easy for readers to find more info. Since they already mentioned you, the barrier to adding a link is low.
Testimonials & Reviews: Offer to write a testimonial for a partner’s product or service – companies often publish client testimonials on their site, often with a link back to the client’s site. Similarly, writing reviews or case studies that get featured on a software company’s blog can yield links.
Local Sponsorships & Scholarships: If you sponsor a local event, meetup, or scholarship, the receiving organization usually lists sponsors on their website (often with a link). These can be community colleges, non-profits, industry associations, etc. It’s a white-hat way to get authoritative .edu or .org backlinks and do some good. (Just ensure the sponsorship is genuine and relevant – Google frowns on scholarship link schemes done purely for SEO.)
Internal Link Building: Not a backlink per se, but don’t neglect internal links on your own site. They help distribute the backlink “juice” you earn to the pages you want to rank. Ensure your new content is interlinked with older high-authority pages on your site for maximum benefit.

White-hat techniques have a common theme: provide real value – whether via superior content, helping site owners, or sharing expertise. They align with Google’s philosophy of rewarding sites that earn links rather than those that manipulate them. Next, we’ll contrast this with the dark side of link building: black-hat tactics, which chase quick wins but carry heavy risks.

Black Hat Backlink Techniques (Risky & Short-Term)

Black-hat link building refers to practices that violate search engine guidelines by attempting to manipulate rankings through unnatural or deceptive linking tactics. These techniques focus on gaming the algorithm rather than earning links on merit. While black-hat methods can sometimes boost rankings quickly in the short run, the consequences are severe when (not if) Google catches on. Penalties can include lost rankings, massive traffic drops, or even removal from search results (de-indexing). In 2025, Google’s algorithms – aided by AI like SpamBrain – are extremely adept at detecting link schemes. Use black-hat tactics at your own peril. Below we outline common black-hat link schemes, how they “work,” their pros/cons, and examples of the risks involved.

(Note: This guide does not endorse black-hat SEO. The following is for educational purposes so marketers recognize and avoid these high-risk tactics.)

Private Blog Networks (PBNs)

A Private Blog Network is a network of websites under common control, created solely to link to a “money site” (the site you want to rank). Typically, black-hat SEOs buy a bunch of expired domains that still have backlinks (i.e. domains that used to be real sites with some authority). They rebuild websites on these domains – often filling them with generic or spun content – and then strategically place links from these sites to their main site. Because the domains have some existing authority, those links can pass ranking power. The network is “private” in that ideally no one knows the sites are related, to avoid detection.

How it works: By owning a network of, say, 20 sites with DA 30–40 each, you can insert backlinks with your desired anchor text to instantly boost the link count for your target pages. PBNs are often hosted on different IP addresses/hosts to hide footprints. Owners may block SEO crawlers (like Ahrefs/Moz) from indexing the PBN sites so that competitors or investigators can’t easily discover the network.

Pros (Short-Term): You have full control over link placement, anchor text, and can build links on demand without outreach. Results can come fast – rankings might jump in weeks by flipping on a bunch of PBN links. It’s essentially a way to “create your own backlinks” at scale. For competitive niches (pharma, casinos, etc.), black-hats find this one of the few ways to get enough link authority quickly.

Cons/Risks: Running a quality PBN is expensive and time-consuming – you need to purchase good expired domains (which can cost $$$), pay for hosting on many IPs, create content for each site (some use AI or cheap writers, but thin content raises red flags), and continuously maintain it. If Google identifies even one of your PBN sites, it can penalize or devalue links from the entire network, wiping out your investment. In fact, Google’s updates like Penguin and SpamBrain specifically target unnatural link patterns from PBNs. There have been famous crackdowns where networks of thousands of sites were deindexed overnight. Moreover, if your money site gets hit with a manual “Unnatural links” penalty, you’ll have to painstakingly disavow all those links and hope to recover. PBNs also carry an ethical and reputation risk – if your company is outed for using them, it can damage trust with customers/partners (since it’s deliberately manipulative). Lastly, as algorithms improve, PBN links have become less effective; Google often simply ignores them (so you might not see any benefit, but still risk later penalty).

Example: In the mid-2010s, many SEOs used PBNs successfully until Google caught on. One high-profile case was the “SAPE links” network (a Russian link network) that was delivering huge ranking boosts – Google eventually neutralized it and penalized sites using it. More recently, in 2020, a network known as RankWyz got largely deindexed. Even if some PBNs still work under the radar, it’s an arms race against Google’s detection. OutreachMonks notes that PBNs were once popular but are now “heavily targeted” by algorithms like SpamBrain and Penguin, which see those links as artificial and manipulative.

Link Farms & Paid Link Marketplaces

A link farm is a website or group of sites created mainly to sell links to others, rather than to provide useful content. They often publish low-quality posts stuffed with outbound links to whoever pays. Unlike a PBN (which is typically private/closed), link farms openly exchange money for links – think of them as the “black market” of backlinks. Marketplaces like certain forums or broker websites facilitate buying links on hundreds of sites at set prices.

How it works: You might pay $100 for a link on a DA50 site – the link farm owner will insert your link into an existing article or publish a new thin article with your link. Some link farms are essentially PBNs that got caught; since their link value to the owner’s sites is gone, they monetize by selling to others. There are also “blogger outreach” services in grey markets that are essentially selling links on hacked sites or farm sites.

Pros: It’s quick and scalable – you can literally buy dozens of links with the right budget, no content creation needed from your side. It doesn’t require technical skill (just money). Sometimes the sites used have decent metrics (DA, traffic) making the links look somewhat legit at first glance.

Cons/Risks: First, Google outright bans buying or selling links that pass PageRank – it’s a direct violation of their guidelines. If they detect paid links (especially obvious ones like a flurry of posts on unrelated sites), you risk a penalty. The March 2024 Google update further improved detection of paid and irrelevant backlinks. Even if not penalized, Google often nullifies these links’ effect. So you may pay a lot for little real gain. Also, many marketplace links are on sites with inflated metrics but poor quality (spammy content, non-niche, or part of known networks). There’s also a fraud aspect – some sellers might provide links on sites that later get removed or are different than promised.

From a financial perspective, burning money on short-lived link boosts is questionable. One month you rank, next month Google identifies the pattern and you drop – ROI can be negative. OutreachMonks warns that buying links (e.g. Fiverr gigs or bulk deals) goes against Google’s policy and can trigger penalties, even if the sites have high authority. Unless marked as rel=”sponsored” (which most paid link sellers don’t do), it’s dangerous.

Example: Google itself made a public example in 2012: the Google Chrome team inadvertently ran a paid blog campaign that led to unnatural links, and Google penalized its own Chrome website for 60 days! This shows how serious they are. In the SEO world, there have been many instances where buying links resulted in penalties – e.g., the famous JCPenney case (2011) where the retailer was punished for widespread paid links, causing their rankings to plummet. Even if you escape penalties, if a competitor finds out you’re buying links, they might report you (webspam reports) – another risk factor.

Comment Spam and Forum Spam

This is one of the oldest tricks: spamming blog comment sections, forums, or other user-generated content areas with links back to your site. Tools or bots can automate this to drop hundreds of links pointing to your pages. You’ve likely seen these – irrelevant or generic comments like “Great post! Check out my site cheapviagra.example.com”.

How it works: The spammer either manually or via software goes to sites (often blogs without strict moderation, or forum threads) and posts a message that includes a link. They might use name fields, signatures, or the comment body for the URL. The hope is that some of these pages are indexed by Google and thus count as backlinks.

Pros: Extremely easy and low-cost. There are tools that post to thousands of sites in minutes. Even without tools, one person could spam dozens of forums in a day. No need for content or relationship building. At one time (pre-2012), sheer quantity of links, even low-quality, could influence rankings.

Cons: In 2025, this is largely ineffective and certainly harmful if done in excess. Almost all reputable blogs nofollow their comment links by default (WordPress does this automatically), meaning they pass no SEO value. Forums also often nofollow user profile links or have moderators deleting spam on sight. Google long ago devalued bulk link spam – it usually just ignores these links, though if a site’s link profile is overwhelmingly spammy, it could trigger a penalty or at least a trust downgrade. Also, it tarnishes your brand reputation: seeing your company name linked in gibberish spam comments (“Buy widgets cheap at YourCompany”) makes you look bad to web admins and users.

It’s basically a waste of time today – a sign of desperation in SEO. As OutreachMonks puts it, dropping your link in unrelated blog comments or forums is an “oldest trick” and “one of the easiest for Google to detect and penalize.” Google’s algorithms can identify patterns of comment/forum spam and simply nullify them, or in some cases, if your site is the source of huge spam, a manual action can be applied.

Example: A decade ago, a small business might have bought a fiverr gig for “1,000 blog comment backlinks.” Today, that will do nothing positive – those links likely end up on spammy pages that Google already discounts. In one case, an SEO experimenter built 50,000 forum profile links to a test site – it had zero effect on rankings (except maybe a slight Google Sandbox flag for unnatural activity). On the flip side, comment spam has led to negative SEO incidents – where malicious actors blast a competitor’s site with spam links. Google is better at ignoring such attacks now, but it underscores how these links are considered pure spam.

Bottom line: Don’t do it. It clutters the web and doesn’t help you rank.

Excessive Link Exchanges (“You link to me, I link to you”)

Swapping links with other websites is a grey area that can turn black-hat if abused. A reciprocal link exchange (Site A links to Site B, and vice versa) in moderation can be natural – e.g. two companies in related fields referencing each other. But when webmasters set up systematic exchange schemes (hundreds of links), it’s a problem. Even worse is three-way or wheel schemes: A links to B, B links to C, C links to A – attempts to hide the reciprocity but still exchange authority.

How it works: You reach out to other site owners (often in your niche) and propose trading links – “I’ll put your link on my resources page if you put mine on yours,” etc. Some online groups exist solely for link swapping. The motive is clear: get links without creating content or spending money, by leveraging your own linking ability as currency.

Pros: If you find willing partners, it’s quick and each party gains a link. Done in small scale with relevant partners, it can yield a few decent backlinks. It also fosters a relationship (albeit a somewhat transactional one) with industry peers.

Cons: Google explicitly discourages “excessive” link exchanging as it falls under link schemes. A handful won’t trigger anything, but if link exchanges become a pattern, Google’s algorithms or manual reviewers will catch it. Signs include footers or sidebars full of “Partner Links,” or network of sites all interlinking in non-organic ways. The value of exchanged links is also dubious – often they’re not contextually placed but sitting on a “links” page that might be low value. There’s also risk if one side gets penalized or their site quality drops, linking to them could harm you by association. Fundamentally, it’s not a scalable or sustainable strategy – there’s a limited pool of reciprocal links you can do, and each one you give out is a vote from your site to another (which could even leak some of your PageRank).

Example: Back around 2005–2010, having a “Links” page was common, where sites listed reciprocal links. Google’s Penguin update (2012) diminished this tactic by devaluing such link pages. One well-known fiasco was when a network of college career services offices all heavily interlinked each other in a non-navigational way – Google eventually ignored those, considering it an unnatural link wheel. Today, legitimate link exchanges are typically limited to strategic partnerships (which we discussed in white-hat: co-marketing, etc.) and they’re few. If you find yourself doing dozens, you’re likely crossing into unsafe territory.

Link Schemes via Plugins or Widgets (Hidden Links)

Some black-hat practitioners embed backlinks in website templates, WordPress plugins, or widgets so that when unsuspecting sites use those, they inadvertently link back to the plugin author’s site. For example, a free WordPress theme might have a footer link “Design by [SEO’s site]” that’s hard-coded. Or a plugin might inject a hidden sidebar link. This is a stealth way to get potentially hundreds of links without site owners even realizing.

Google considers “widely distributed links in footers or templates” that are keyword-rich as a link scheme. OutreachMonks specifically calls out auto-generated footer or widget links across many domains as manipulative.

Pros: If successful, it can acquire many links on autopilot. For instance, if 1,000 sites install your plugin, that’s 1,000 backlinks (often sitewide across all their pages!). It’s also a one-time effort (develop a plugin or theme) for potentially large payoff.

Cons: Google got wise to this long ago. They heavily discount sitewide footer links or any links that appear to be template-generated. If the link has anchor text like “Best Cheap Web Hosting” and is on 500 sites’ footers, that’s a glaring red flag. Also, it can backfire if webmasters notice – they may remove the plugin or leave bad reviews (“this plugin injects spam links”). Legal/ethical issues: Inserting hidden links might violate policies of theme/plugin directories, leading to removal or even legal action if considered malicious. In 2013, Google penalized a large guest blog network (MyBlogGuest) and also a case where a widget maker (with a weather widget) got penalized for stuffing links in it. They even have manual action penalties specifically for “Hidden links” or “Unnatural links from your site” which this could trigger.

Example: One notorious example was a WordPress SEO plugin around 2014 that added a dofollow footer link “Powered by [PluginName]” on every site that installed it. The plugin author’s site shot up in rankings until Google caught on. After a penalty, the site was nowhere to be found, and the plugin was banned from the repository. Matt Cutts (then head of Webspam at Google) publicly condemned this practice multiple times.

In short, don’t hide links in third-party distributed code. It’s sneaky, users hate it, and Google will punish it.

Hacked Links (the Ultimate Black Hat)

The most extreme form of black-hat link building is hacking websites to insert your backlinks. This is obviously illegal and unethical. Yet, it happens: hackers infect hundreds of sites through vulnerabilities and add links (often to their spammy sites – like online pharmacy or casino affiliates). These can be hidden in HTML or placed as sitewide footer links.

Pros: From a purely technical view, a hacker could get thousands of links from high-authority sites if they manage a large-scale hack (e.g. exploiting outdated CMS installations). They might place links on .edu or .gov sites that they hack, which otherwise you could never get. The sheer volume can boost rankings for a short period and is hard for competitors to trace (because the links might be cloaked or hidden from normal view, only search engines see them).

Cons: This crosses from black-hat SEO into cyber crime. Beyond SEO penalties, you risk legal consequences. Google absolutely will penalize (or de-index) sites benefiting from hacked link schemes – and it’s pretty easy to detect patterns of links that all come from hacked pages (they often look like gibberish pages or off-topic content injected into sites). There’s a Google “Safe Browsing” team and others who specifically monitor hacking incidents. Being known as the site that used hacked links would destroy any brand credibility. Practically, many hacked links also get cleaned up as webmasters discover and fix their sites, so the links vanish.

Example: A few years ago, a major negative SEO scandal involved a competitor allegedly hacking sites to link to a rival with spam anchors, in hopes Google would penalize the rival. Google’s algorithms are better now at simply ignoring hacked content links or at least not penalizing the victim. Still, any SEO who tries to boost themselves via hacking is playing with fire. This technique is thankfully rare among legitimate marketers – it’s mostly the domain of scammers pushing shady products.

Black-Hat Link Wheels and Tiered Linking

A link wheel is a scheme where you create a network of sites (Web 2.0 blogs, etc.) that link in a circular manner and point to your main site. For example: Site A links to Site B, B links to C, …, Z links to A, and all link to the money site. The idea was to create tiered layers of backlinks: spammy links build to your Tier 2 (the wheel sites), which then pass juice to your Tier 1 (somewhat better sites), which then link to you. This buffers the main site from the worst spam.

Pros: In theory, it concentrates link juice through tiers and hides the direct spam. It’s a way to use high-volume low-quality links (tier 3) to power up intermediate properties that then bolster your site. Black-hat forums often tout this as a safer way to use spam links “at one remove.”

Cons: Google’s link analysis is too smart – it often can trace or at least discount these structures. Creating and maintaining multi-tier link schemes is complex. If any tier is identified as spam, the whole chain’s value is lost. Plus, the resources to make, say, 100 Web 2.0 blogs with decent content, then blast them with thousands of junk links… you could have spent that on just creating good content and getting real links. Tiered schemes might still yield some temporary benefit in less monitored niches, but for most marketers this is not practical or prudent.

Example: There are automated tools (e.g. GSA, SENuke from back in the day) that would create tiered link pyramids. Those had success around 2010-2012. Today, they’re mostly relics. Most “link wheel” attempts nowadays end with either negligible effect or algorithmic suppression. Fun fact: Matt Cutts once said (paraphrasing) “the more elaborate the link scheme, the more signals for us to pick up on” – meaning intricate wheels are actually easier to spot than a few random exchanges.

Visualization of an engineered blacklink graph showing a radial pattern of interconnected nodes and clusters, generated by Majestic. — Majestic engineered blacklink graph illustrating an artificial backlink network structure.

The Fallout: Risks and Penalties of Black Hat Linking

To sum up the risks: Google actively penalizes sites that engage in link schemes. The Penguin algorithm (now part of core) specifically devalues unnatural links in real-time. Google also issues Manual Actions – a human reviewer flags your site for “Unnatural links to your site” – resulting in your rankings plummeting until you clean up and submit a reconsideration request. Signs you’ve been hit include: a message in Google Search Console, or sudden severe ranking drops across many keywords.

Consequences of getting caught range from: ranking drop or loss of specific keyword visibility (common), 50%+ traffic loss overnight, complete removal from the index (rare, only in extreme spam cases). Also, your brand reputation suffers – being known as a spammer can turn off users and partners.

With black-hat links, you’re essentially building on quicksand. As one SEO quip goes, “All the effort and money in black-hat link-building can vanish in an instant when the penalty hits – leaving you worse off than before”. Google updates are constantly evolving to neutralize these tactics. For example, the March 2024 Spam Update cracked down even harder on manipulative link practices (expired domains for redirects, mass low-quality content with backlinks, etc.).

Can you recover from a link penalty? Yes, but it’s painful. It involves auditing your backlinks, contacting webmasters to remove spammy links (or using Google’s Disavow Tool to disown them), then submitting a reconsideration request. During this time, your traffic is tanked. It can take weeks or months to recover, and you might never regain previous rankings if the link juice that was propping you up is gone.

The Bottom Line: White hat is the only truly sustainable approach. Black hat might work for churn-and-burn affiliate sites or short-term projects, but if you’re building a real brand, the risks far outweigh the gains. Even black-hat forums often have users lamenting how a single Google update wiped them out, whereas those who invested in quality content and organic links sailed through updates unharmed (or even gained).

That said, knowing black-hat tactics is useful so you can spot shady SEO offers (“1,000 PR5 links for $49!” – a red flag) and avoid agencies that might jeopardize your site. If you’ve inherited a website with a sketchy link profile, consider a clean-up and focus on white-hat strategies moving forward.

Evaluating Backlink Quality: Metrics & Criteria

Not all backlinks are created equal. A key skill for marketers is knowing how to evaluate the quality of a backlink – whether when analyzing your site’s profile or vetting potential link opportunities. Here are the main factors and metrics that determine a backlink’s value:

Relevance of the Linking Site/Page

Perhaps the most important factor in 2025 is topical relevance. A link from a site in your niche or a closely related topic is far more valuable than a random, unrelated link. Google’s algorithms assess context – they know if a page about “fitness tips” linking to your “gym equipment store” makes sense (it does, contextually) vs. a page about “celebrity gossip” linking to your gym store (no logical connection, could be spam).

Niche Match: Check if the linking website’s overall theme aligns with yours. For example, a cooking blog linking to your recipe site is relevant; a finance blog linking to your recipe site is more suspect unless context is justified.
Content Context: Look at the specific page linking to you – is your link embedded in content related to your topic, or is it in a totally off-topic article? Contextual, in-content links carry more weight than sidebar or footer links.
Audience Overlap: A relevant backlink often brings relevant traffic. If users clicking that link are actually interested in your content, that’s a sign of quality (and good for referral traffic too).

Key point: Aim for links from sites that “make sense” in your industry. A few high-relevance links can significantly boost your authority in your subject area. Google’s move toward “topic authority” and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) means that being cited by other experts in your field is extremely valuable.

Authority of the Referring Domain & Page

SEO tools have created various metrics to quantify how “authoritative” or strong a site or page is. While these are third-party metrics (Google doesn’t use them directly), they’re useful proxies:

Domain Authority (DA): Developed by Moz, on a 1-100 scale. It predicts how likely a site is to rank, based on its overall link profile (number and quality of backlinks). Higher DA (60+) suggests a site has many strong links itself. A backlink from a DA 80 site typically carries more weight than one from DA 20. (Note: DA is logarithmic; going from 80 to 85 is much harder than 20 to 25.)
Domain Rating (DR): Ahrefs’ similar metric (1-100) focusing on the strength of a site’s backlink profile. It’s analogous to DA. DR 70+ sites are quite authoritative.
Page Authority (PA) / URL Rating (UR): Metrics that evaluate the strength of a specific page, as opposed to the domain overall. A homepage might have PA 50, but a new blog post on that site might be PA 20 until it gains links. If your backlink is coming from a high-PA page, that’s ideal. Ahrefs’ UR measures page-level link power and correlates with Google rankings.
Trust Flow / Citation Flow: Majestic’s metrics. Citation Flow gauges the quantity of links to a site, while Trust Flow gauges the quality based on how trustworthy those linking sites are. A link from a site with high Trust Flow means it’s in a neighborhood of trusted sites (fewer spam signals). Ideally, a linking site has high Trust Flow relative to Citation Flow (quality over sheer quantity).
Semrush Authority Score: Semrush’s metric (also 0-100) combining link power and other factors (like organic traffic).

It’s important to note that Google doesn’t use DA/DR explicitly, but these metrics correlate with performance. They help you quickly gauge a site’s SEO strength. Generally, focus on earning links from sites with comparable or higher authority than yours, but a few from slightly lower DA sites that are very relevant is fine too.

Also, check if the site itself has healthy signals: Does it have organic traffic? (A site with DA 70 but zero organic traffic might be penalized or unusually link-heavy.) Does it rank for its name? (If not, it could indicate a penalty.) Such due diligence ensures you pursue quality.

Link Placement and Editorial Nature

Where and how your link appears on the page influences its value:

Editorial Context: Is the link placed editorially within the content (e.g. a sentence in an article) or is it in a sidebar, footer, or user-generated content section? Editorial in-content links are the most valuable because they’re seen as genuine “votes” relevant to the content. Google heavily discounts boilerplate or template links (e.g. blogrolls, sitewide footer links).
Anchor Text: The clickable text of the link matters. If it’s descriptive and relevant to your page, that’s good – but be careful of too many exact-match keyword anchors, as that looks spammy. A natural mix is best: some branded anchors (YourBrand), some generic (“click here”, “this article”), and some keyword-rich, depending on context. Over-optimized anchors were a big target of Penguin in the past. For evaluating a link, if someone linked with the exact title of your article or a relevant phrase, that’s usually positive. If the anchor is random or unrelated, the link might carry less thematic relevance.
Follow vs. Nofollow: A dofollow link (the default) passes PageRank, while a nofollow (or rel=”ugc”/”sponsored”) link is marked for Google to ignore for ranking. While nofollow links may still drive traffic and are natural to have, they don’t directly boost SEO. A healthy backlink profile has a mix – predominantly follow links, but also some nofollow is normal (e.g., Wikipedia links are nofollow but nice to have for trust/traffic). If evaluating a link opportunity, all else equal you prefer a follow link. Google in 2019 started treating nofollow as a “hint” in some cases, but generally they still carry minimal SEO weight.
Link Location: Links higher up in the main content tend to have more impact than those buried at the end or in comments. If your link is the first or only link on a highly relevant page, that’s excellent. If it’s one among many in a directory or list, it shares “link juice” with others. Also, a link that’s part of the main content flow is better than one that’s isolated (like in an author bio box or a signature).
Number of Outbound Links on Page: If the linking page has hundreds of outbound links (like a huge resource list), the amount of PageRank passed to each is diluted. A link from a “resource page” listing 50 tools will pass a bit less than a link from a focused blog post referencing just a few sources. Google also considers if a page seems to exist just to link out (link farm vibe) – those carry less weight.

When prospecting, aim for links that are editorially placed in the main body of relevant content, with natural anchor text, on pages that aren’t overcrowded with other links. Those tick all the quality boxes.

Other Quality Signals

Traffic & Engagement: Backlinks from pages that get real traffic are inherently valuable. If users click your link, spend time on your site, it sends positive signals. You can use tools or Alexa/SimilarWeb to estimate if a site has traffic. A link that brings converting visitors is a high-quality link in the real-world sense even if SEO metrics are moderate.
Indexation & Crawlability: The linking page must be indexable by Google (not blocked by robots.txt, not noindexed). If it’s not indexed, it won’t count. Also, beware links inside JavaScript or in iframe – Google might not follow those as reliably as standard HTML links.
Spam Score: Moz has a “Spam Score” that predicts the likelihood a site is penalized based on certain flags (like too many exact-match anchors, etc.). A high Spam Score linking site could be a liability. Use such metrics as a warning sign – if a site’s metrics look artificially inflated or off (like DA 50 but spammy content), skip it.
Diversity: Getting 100 links from one domain is not as good as getting 10 links from 10 different domains. Unique referring domains count is a key metric. When evaluating your profile, having links from a diverse range of authoritative domains is healthier than concentration from just a few. So, quality also comes from having a broad base of link sources.

In practice, SEO professionals evaluate potential backlinks with a combination of these metrics and gut feeling from the site’s quality. For example, a link from NYTimes.com (mega authority, highly relevant if context matches, tons of traffic) is a no-brainer great link. A link from CheapSEOlinks.info (even if DA 50) that has spun content and dozens of outbound links on each page is a bad link.

As a marketer, you might use tools: Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, or Majestic to pull a backlink profile and then judge links by DA/DR, anchor text, dofollow/nofollow, etc. Over time, you develop a sense for spotting which links are helping and which could be harming. Regular backlink audits can identify toxic links to disavow (if you suspect negative SEO or legacy black-hat links).

Quality Checklist (summarized): When you see a backlink or opportunity, ask: Is this site/page topically relevant? Does it have strong authority metrics or traffic? Is the link placed where a user would actually click (editorial), or is it hidden? Is it a follow link? Does it appear natural (non-spammy anchor, surrounded by good content)? Would I be proud to show this link to Google as an example of how I’m referenced on the web? – If yes, it’s a quality backlink.

Case Studies & Examples: What Works (and What Doesn’t)

It’s helpful to see real examples of link-building in action:

White Hat Success – Mattress Nerd: An online mattress review site “Mattress Nerd” struggled with low authority. They hired an agency (Sure Oak) to implement a content and white-hat link campaign. Over 6 months, they earned ~10 high-quality contextual backlinks from authoritative websites, which boosted their domain authority and rankings. The result? A 243% increase in organic traffic in that period. This case shows how a focused link effort (even a modest number of great links) can significantly improve a site’s visibility. The strategy included on-page SEO plus outreach to get links from high-DA sites in their niche. Gradual, steady growth – no tricks – led to sustainable traffic gains.
White Hat Success – B2B SaaS Company: In a case study by Editorial.link, a SaaS marketing company built 188 editorial backlinks with an average DR of 77 over a campaign, through guest posts and outreach. This resulted in a 275% increase in organic traffic, and their ranking keywords jumped from 3.5k to 23k. The links were from high-authority industry sites (DR70+ like Mailmunch, Cience, etc.), which significantly boosted their site’s authority. It underlines that quality and relevance of links, not just quantity, drive big improvements – these were earned links on respected platforms, correlating with major traffic growth.
Skyscraper Technique Example: Brian Dean’s Skyscraper case often cited – he improved one piece of content and outreached to get 17 new backlinks, which led to a doubling of that page’s traffic in 2 weeks. Additionally, that page ended up ranking top 3 for its target keyword due to the influx of links. It’s a hallmark example illustrating that even a dozen very relevant backlinks can propel a page to the top, when content and on-page SEO are solid.
Content Format and Backlinks: The BuzzSumo study we mentioned earlier found List Posts got an average of 6.19 referring domain links, whereas infographics got ~3.67 and quizzes ~1.6. One tangible example: Brian Dean’s list post “19 SEO Techniques” accumulated over 5,000 backlinks and ranks in the top 3 for “SEO techniques”. The combination of a highly linkable format (list post) plus its distribution helped it become a “link magnet”. Conversely, some content pieces like pure infographics might not always outperform unless paired with outreach/PR.
Black Hat Cautionary Tale – J.C. Penney: The retail giant hired an SEO firm that built thousands of doorway pages and unnatural links (site-wide footer links on unrelated sites, etc.). In early 2011, just before a Google algorithm update, JCPenney was ranking #1 for huge terms (“dresses”, “bedding”, etc.) likely thanks to those manipulative links. The New York Times exposed the scheme, Google penalized JCPenney, and their rankings plummeted overnight (right before the important holiday season) – a PR nightmare as well. It took them months to recover. The lesson: even big brands are not immune to penalties if they use black-hat tactics at scale.
Black Hat vs White Hat (Long-Term Results): A 2024 analysis by Nuwizo compared outcomes: white-hat campaigns led to sustainable growth (rankings maintained or improved over 12+ months), whereas black-hat link bursts led to a spike and crash – short-lived gains followed by penalties or algorithmic drops. For example, an affiliate marketer used PBN links to jump to page 1 in 3 months, but the next Google update knocked the site down to page 5, erasing most revenue. Another marketer took a slower white-hat approach (guest posts, content marketing) and climbed to page 1 in a year – and stayed there consistently with no issues. This encapsulates the trade-off: quick win vs enduring presence.
Local Business Example: A local HVAC company created scholarship pages to get .edu links and also sponsored some local little league teams (getting links from their sites). They also did outreach to be listed in local “Top 10 HVAC” blog posts. Over a year, they amassed ~20 good local links and niche links. The result was a jump from #7 to #2 in local pack rankings and ~50% increase in organic leads. Meanwhile, a competitor tried to use a PBN for local SEO – Google’s 2021 link spam update neutralized those PBN links, and the competitor saw little improvement despite hundreds of links built. The local company’s genuine links outperformed in the long run.

These case studies reinforce a common theme: High-quality backlinks (earned through content, outreach, PR) drive meaningful, lasting SEO performance, whereas shortcuts often backfire. It’s also notable how just a few strong links can sometimes trump a multitude of weaker ones – the power of authority and relevance.

Choosing the Right Backlink Strategy for Your Website Type

Different kinds of websites benefit from different link-building approaches. A strategy that works for a personal blog might not be optimal for a local brick-and-mortar business or a SaaS platform. Below are recommendations tailored to various site types:

Blogs & Content Websites

Overview: Blogs (including personal blogs or content-driven sites like niche publications) thrive on content, so content-based link-building is key. Since your strength is producing articles, leverage that in your link strategy.

What Works Best:

Guest Blogging & Contributor Roles: As a blogger, you likely have writing skills – use that to publish guest posts on bigger blogs or news sites in your domain. This not only gets you backlinks but also builds your reputation as an author. Many bloggers land recurring contributor spots on industry sites, which is great for ongoing link acquisition.
Skyscraper and Linkable Content: Create link bait articles such as ultimate guides, top 50 lists, controversial opinion pieces, or original research that others in your niche will reference. For example, if you run a travel blog, a comprehensive “Backpacker’s Checklist with 2025 Prices” might attract links from other travel sites citing your data.
Blogger Outreach & Networking: Build relationships with fellow bloggers. Often, bloggers naturally link to each other when they find useful posts. Participate in blogger round-ups (“Expert answers on X”) – these often give you a link in exchange for your insight. Also consider link parties or carnivals (in some niches like food or lifestyle, bloggers host link exchanges weekly in a white-hat spirit).
Social Media & Communities: Promote your content on platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and niche forums. If a post resonates and gets shared by industry influencers, it can indirectly generate backlinks. Bloggers can also benefit from Medium or LinkedIn Articles by reposting content – while those links are nofollow, they broaden reach and may get you noticed by someone who will link.
Internal Linking & Site Structure: Ensure your blog’s internal links are on point (older popular posts link to newer relevant ones). A well-structured blog keeps readers engaged (which can lead to natural backlinks as people share your content more).

Avoid/Be Careful: Low-quality guest post farms (sites that exist solely to publish guest content for SEO – they might have okay DA but poor quality, Google is catching these). Also, if running monetized blogs (affiliate or ads), don’t overdo exact-match anchor text in your few critical backlinks; keep it natural to avoid scrutiny.

Example: A food blogger might create an epic “100 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes” post with beautiful infographics. That gets shared by other food bloggers and maybe picked up by an online magazine, earning several backlinks. They complement this by writing guest posts on a healthy eating blog (“5 Tips for Gluten-Free Baking” with a link back). Over time, these activities steadily build her domain authority and traffic.

E-Commerce Websites

Overview: E-commerce sites (online stores) face the challenge that their primary pages are product or category pages, which aren’t inherently link-worthy content. So, e-com link-building often revolves around content marketing and PR, as well as leveraging product relationships.

What Works Best:

Content Marketing & Blogging: Running a blog with useful content related to your products can attract links. For instance, an electronics store might publish tech guides or gadget reviews that tech bloggers link to. Buyers guides, how-to articles, top trends (e.g., “2025 Spring Fashion Trends” if you sell apparel) can get backlinks from magazines or bloggers discussing that topic.
Product Reviews & Influencer Outreach: Send free samples to bloggers or influencers in exchange for an honest review on their site (which often includes a backlink). This is like digital PR – many fashion, beauty, or tech e-com brands do this. Be mindful that paid reviews should disclose sponsorship (and technically the link should be nofollow if it’s paid), but lots of “free product for review” arrangements still yield followed links on blogs. Even if nofollow, these reviews can drive referral traffic and social proof.
Affiliate Programs: If you have an affiliate program, your affiliates will link to you with their tracking links (usually nofollow or redirected). Those aren’t direct SEO backlinks, but affiliates often also write content or do round-ups which mention your brand (some links might end up dofollow). Also, recruiting affiliates means more people promoting your site out on the web, which can indirectly lead to links.
Resource/Link Outreach: Get your site listed on relevant resource pages. For example, a pet supplies store could reach out to “Pet care resource” pages on veterinarian or pet adoption sites to be included as a resource. Many e-commerce sites also create scholarship programs (e.g. a $1000 scholarship for students interested in [your industry]) – this can earn .edu backlinks when colleges list available scholarships (common tactic, but again make sure it’s genuine or it can be viewed as a scheme).
Partnerships & Supplier Links: If you’re a retailer, leverage relationships with manufacturers or brands you carry – many brands have a “Where to Buy” page listing authorized sellers (ensure your site is listed with a link). Or if you manufacture products, ensure retailers or resellers link back to you as the source. Joining industry associations or local chamber of commerce can also yield a link on their member directory.

Local E-com (if you have a physical component): Submit to local directories, Google My Business, etc., for local SEO and link citations.

Avoid/Be Careful: Spammy coupon site backlinks. Many e-commerce sites end up with backlinks from random coupon aggregators – while not the worst, they’re usually nofollow and add little value. Also avoid purchasing links on generic “best product” sites that just sell placement – Google can often tell if a “Top 10 Products” article is pay-to-play (especially if marked sponsored). Focus on genuine product mentions.

Example: An online coffee gear store builds a blog with brew guides and coffee science articles. One particularly thorough guide “How to Brew the Perfect Espresso at Home” gets referenced by several niche coffee bloggers (backlinks!). The store also partners with a popular barista YouTuber who reviews one of their espresso machines and links to the product page – this brings both traffic and a quality backlink from her blog. Over time, the content + outreach strategy lifts the store’s organic rankings for product keywords, while competitors relying just on product pages struggle to get links.

SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) Platforms

Overview: SaaS companies often target B2B audiences and rely on content marketing and thought leadership to attract links. They also have the advantage of offering tools which can be leveraged in link-building (free trials, free tools, etc. = link bait).

What Works Best:

Data-Driven Content & Original Research: SaaS firms frequently produce industry reports, surveys, infographics, and case studies with proprietary data. This original content is highly linkable – journalists and bloggers love citing stats. For example, an email marketing SaaS might publish “2025 Email Marketing Benchmarks” – other sites will link to that data. Many SaaS have found success being the go-to source of certain stats (think HubSpot’s Marketing Statistics posts that everyone cites).
Resource Link Building: As per a PoweredBySearch study, resource link building still works for SaaS – creating genuinely useful guides or tools that others naturally link to. For SaaS, this could be a free tool or a comprehensive glossary/wiki for your industry. Example: Ahrefs created a free backlink checker tool – countless blogs mention and link to it as a resource for people who can’t pay for tools.
Directories and Review Sites: Ensure your SaaS is listed on all major software review platforms: G2, Capterra, GetApp, TrustRadius, etc. These give you backlinks (usually nofollow, but some contribute to overall online presence and referral traffic). They also rank for “[software] reviews” which is good for visibility. Niche directories (like a cybersecurity SaaS listing site if you’re in that field) can provide additional links.
Guest Posts and Thought Leadership: Founders/execs of SaaS often guest post on industry sites (e.g. a CEO of a marketing SaaS writing on AdAge about future of MarTech, linking back to their site in bio or content). This builds both links and credibility. Podcasts and webinars can also indirectly lead to links (podcast guest appearances often come with a link on the episode page).
Integration Partnerships: Many SaaS tools integrate with others. When you integrate your product with, say, Slack or Salesforce, you often get a link on their app directory or integration page. These can be high-authority links (e.g. Slack’s app marketplace links out to the developer’s site). Additionally, co-marketing with integration partners (guest blog on each other’s sites, joint case studies) yields links for both parties.
Community Building: If your SaaS has a community forum or if you’re active on platforms like Stack Overflow, you can gain links by providing help. For example, if someone asks “How do I achieve X task?”, and your SaaS has a knowledge base article addressing it, linking to it in your answer (transparently) can earn clicks and the community’s respect (just don’t spam). Sometimes, users themselves will recommend your tool with a link in such forums if it’s known and liked.

Avoid/Be Careful: Many SaaS get pitched by shady SEO agencies promising quick link wins – avoid any temptation for PBNs or “10 guest posts for $x” deals that place you on low-quality sites. The SaaS space is competitive, and Google’s core updates often assess content quality and link integrity due to YMYL factors (if your software impacts business decisions, E-E-A-T matters). Stick to authoritative placements.

Example: A B2B SaaS offering HR software conducts an annual study “Employee Engagement Trends 2025” using data from its platform. This gets cited by HR blogs, LinkedIn articles, even a mention in Forbes – netting a dozen strong backlinks and lots of buzz. The SaaS also guest posts on a couple of HR portals about “How to Retain Talent” (with a link to a relevant guide on their site). They list their software on G2 and earn a “Top 10” badge which some bloggers use in their content. All these efforts lead to a surge in domain authority and organic sign-ups. Meanwhile, they steer clear of black-hat links; one competitor got penalized for a spamming forum links and the SaaS was able to outrank them partly thanks to a cleaner link profile.

Local Businesses (Small Businesses & Local Services)

Overview: Local businesses (think local restaurants, clinics, law firms, plumbers) benefit from backlinks primarily to boost local SEO (Google Map Pack rankings) and to a lesser extent organic rankings. Citations (mentions of Name/Address/Phone) are also important, but here we’ll focus on links.

What Works Best:

Local Directories & Citations: Submitting your site to local directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor if relevant, Angie’s List, etc.) is fundamental. These often provide a link (sometimes nofollow, but still useful). Niche-specific directories (like HomeAdvisor for contractors, Avvo for lawyers) are a must – they add credibility and some are dofollow links. Google expects legit local businesses to be listed on these, and absence can hurt.
Local Sponsorships & Community Involvement: Supporting local charities, events, or organizations can earn you a mention and link on their websites. For example, sponsor the local 5K run, and you’ll be listed on the event page as a sponsor (with a link). Or donate to a local school fundraiser – many schools have sponsor pages linking to donors. This not only helps SEO but builds goodwill locally.
Local News & PR: Small businesses can get featured in local news sites or blogs by pitching human-interest stories or expert commentary. A local PR approach: “Local bakery employs homeless teens – story at 6” – local news covers it, link included. Or a local realtor gives an interview to the city’s newspaper about housing trends (with a link). These local press links are often high authority (since news sites are strong) and directly relevant to your geo area – a double win. Even writing a column for the local newspaper’s site (as an expert in your field) can secure a recurring link in your bio.
Local Partnerships & Testimonials: Partner with complementary local businesses for referrals and link exchanges (within reason). For instance, a local wedding photographer, florist, and caterer could all link to each other’s sites as “recommended vendors.” As long as it’s a small, relevant network, this is natural. Also, provide testimonials to other local businesses you patronize – they may put it on their site (“Thanks to ACme Web Design for our website – says Local Plumber Inc.” with a link to you).
Community Content & Resources: If you have a blog, write about local topics (e.g. “10 Best Parks in [City] for a Picnic”). Local lifestyle or community blogs might link to that. Or create a local resource (a calendar of events, a map of something interesting) – city-oriented sites could reference it. Additionally, case studies or success stories involving local clients (for B2B services) can lead to links if those clients feature the story on their site too.

Local SEO Note: Google’s local algorithm also values citations (even unlinked mentions) and consistency of NAP info. So while getting links is great, ensure your business is cited widely and correctly (with or without links) across the web – that influences your Google My Business ranking.

Avoid/Be Careful: Generic SEO link schemes. If a local SEO “guru” tries to build you a bunch of irrelevant backlinks (like blog comments on random sites), that won’t help locally and could hurt. Local ranking is more about a few quality local links and citations rather than lots of national ones. Also, avoid linking in low-quality local PBNs – some towns have “local business directories” that are basically link farms – check if the site looks legit and has real engagement.

Example: A local dentist sponsors a youth soccer team, and the league’s website links to the dentist as a sponsor. The dentist also writes a guest article for a regional health blog about “How to get your kids to brush their teeth” (with a link). They are listed on Yelp, Healthgrades, and the city’s Chamber of Commerce site. Collectively, these few links boost the dentist’s authority in the area. When someone searches “best dentist in [City]”, Google sees this dentist mentioned and linked around local web, and boosts their ranking accordingly. A competitor dentist who only tried to get links by buying some Fiverr gig sees no improvement, as those links aren’t local or relevant.

Affiliate Marketing Sites (Niche Sites)

Overview: Affiliate sites (whether Amazon affiliate niche sites or comparison/review blogs) usually live or die by SEO. These are typically content-heavy sites monetized by affiliate links. Competition can be intense, and many affiliate marketers historically resort to grey/black-hat to rank quickly. However, sustainable affiliate sites are shifting more to white-hat content strategies.

What Works Best:

Guest Posting (Quality over Quantity): Affiliates often utilize guest blogging on niche-related sites to build authority. For example, an affiliate site about hiking gear might guest post on an outdoor adventure blog or a travel site. These provide contextual links to their content (like a “Top 10 Hiking Backpacks” review). Because affiliate sites may lack a “brand” per se, you might guest post under a personal name or a pseudonym as a contributor. Focus on authoritative sites – 5 great guest posts beat 50 low-tier ones.
Niche Edits/Link Insertions: A common tactic is reaching out to relevant articles on other sites and suggesting adding a link to your resource (similar to broken link or skyscraper outreach). With affiliate content, you might say “You have a great article on camping tips – we published a comprehensive tent buying guide that would complement section X of your article.” If the content truly adds value, some webmasters will add your link (possibly for a fee – paying for a link in existing content is called a niche edit; it’s technically against Google rules if undisclosed, but it’s widespread in affiliate circles). If you go this route, tread carefully – ensure the sites are legit and the placement makes sense.
Build a Brand & Community: Top affiliate sites today often blur the line with real brands. They build social media profiles, email lists, perhaps even a YouTube channel. While not direct link building, this increases the chance others see and link to your content naturally. For example, an affiliate site “TechGizmoHub” might become known for solid tech reviews; smaller bloggers might start citing their insights, yielding organic backlinks.
Reverse Engineering Competitors: Use tools to see where competitors in your niche got backlinks. If they’re ranking #1 for “best gaming chair,” what backlinks do they have? Often you’ll find they got mentioned in a Reddit thread that got picked up by a blog, or they created a controversial list that others responded to. You can replicate some of those strategies for your site. Ahrefs or SEMrush makes this competitor link analysis straightforward.
Private Connections & Partnerships: Many affiliate marketers network with each other. They might do a quid pro quo like “you link to my site in one of your articles, I’ll link to yours in one of mine” (a form of link exchange). Or they build multiple sites in different niches and cross-link where relevant (careful: too much cross-linking between your own sites can be a footprint). A safer approach is collaborating on content – e.g. two niche site owners co-author a big study and both get links when it’s promoted.

Black/Grey Hat Tactics Used: It’s worth noting many affiliate SEOs still use PBNs and such, because they prioritize short-term gains (flip the site or earn quick commissions). However, Google’s continual improvements have made it harder to sustain these. If you go black-hat with an affiliate site, have an exit plan (either earn and accept eventual penalty, or be ready to disavow and pivot strategy).

For a long-lasting affiliate business, incorporating white-hat methods is wise. Even if you use grey tactics, mix in enough genuine links to cushion algorithm changes.

Avoid/Be Careful: Google specifically watches for “best” or “review” affiliate sites with unnatural links. Don’t overdo exact-match anchors like “best keto supplements 2025” – one in a guest post is fine, but ten guest posts all with that anchor screams manipulation. Also, avoid comment spam or PBNs that can get you outright banned. Another note: if your site heavily uses affiliate links, consider the new link attributes (rel=”sponsored” on affiliate links – not required yet for organic mentions, but good practice).

Example: An affiliate site “OutdoorGearFanatic.com” focusing on camping gear invests in creating high-quality content (detailed reviews, comparisons). They reach out to a popular hiking blog offering a guest piece “Hiking Gear Checklist for Beginners” – which links back to their “Best Hiking Backpacks” review page. They also get their site listed in a few “Resource for Hikers” pages on smaller outdoor sites. Over a year, they earn some organic links because their stats and infographics get cited. They might also join an outdoor bloggers Facebook group, where they sometimes exchange a link or two in a low-key manner. As a result, their backlink profile grows steadily and naturally, helping them rank on page 1 for lucrative keywords. Meanwhile, a rival site tried to blast 500 forum links; those had zero effect. Another rival built a PBN and briefly hit #1, but then dropped during a core update, benefiting the steady, content-focused site.

Best Practices for Link Building in 2025 and Beyond

As we wrap up, let’s summarize the current best practices and emerging trends in link-building:

Quality Over Quantity – Always: The SEO community consensus in 2025 is clear: a few high-quality backlinks outweigh dozens of low-quality ones. Focus your efforts on acquiring links that check the boxes we discussed (relevant, authoritative, editorial). Ignore the vanity metric of “total backlinks” – 100 spam links won’t move the needle like 1 link from a respected site can. Google’s algorithms (with real-time Penguin and AI SpamBrain) are extremely adept at filtering out low-quality link signals, so chasing quantity via spam is a dead end.
Earn Links with Value, Don’t Build for Manipulation: This ethos is more important than ever. If you approach link-building with a mindset of “How can I genuinely contribute or be cited?” rather than “How can I trick someone into linking?”, you’ll naturally align with white-hat strategies. For every link tactic, ask “Would this link exist if Google didn’t exist?” – if yes (e.g. press coverage, helpful resource), it’s probably white-hat. If the answer is no (e.g. forum profile spam purely for SEO), it’s black-hat.
Content is the Engine: Continually invest in link-worthy content on your own site. As Google emphasizes helpful content (e.g. the Helpful Content Update), creating authoritative resources not only ranks by itself but also attracts backlinks over time. In 2025, savvy marketers often pair content marketing with digital PR – after publishing a great piece, actively promote it (outreach, social, newsletters) to get eyes on it. That initial push can lead to organic link growth. Also, don’t shy from refreshing content – updating a 2020 article in 2025 can suddenly make it attractive again for others to link to, especially if competitors’ info is outdated.
Diversity in Link Profile: Aim for a natural link profile. That means getting links from a variety of sources – blogs, news sites, forums (nofollow maybe), directories, etc. It also means varied anchor text (brand, generic, long-tail, etc.). A diverse profile looks organic and is robust against algorithm shifts. If all your links come from, say, guest posts on similar sites with similar anchors, that’s a pattern that could be targeted. Mix it up: perhaps a few forum mentions here, a Quora citation there, many blog/editorial links, a couple of high-value directory mentions – like a well-rounded diet of backlinks.
Utilize rel Attributes Properly: Google now expects you to mark paid or user-generated links with appropriate rel values (rel="sponsored" for paid/sponsored links, rel="ugc" for user content). This was enforced starting a few years back and is considered best practice. For instance, if you do a sponsored blog post or pay an influencer for a feature, ensure they mark the link as sponsored. While this means the link won’t pass SEO value, it keeps you in compliance and avoids penalties. The goal for your SEO links is to have them earned/editorial, which will naturally be plain rel="follow" links.
Monitor and Audit Regularly: Keep an eye on your backlink profile with tools. Set alerts for new backlinks. This helps you catch any negative SEO (if suddenly you have 1000 spammy new links, you can investigate). Regular audits (say quarterly) let you disavow toxic links if needed. Also monitor competitor link profiles – new links they gain could be opportunities for you too. Being proactive ensures you’re not blindsided by a bad link issue.
Be Patient and Persistent: White-hat link-building is often slow. You might send 100 outreach emails and get 5 links. That’s normal! The era of instant gratification through link schemes is gone (for the most part). Build relationships, consistently create value, and the links will accrue. It’s a bit like compound interest – results snowball over time if you keep at it. Many 2025 case studies show that sites which steadily earned links (even at a modest pace) overtook those who shot up with quick links and then stagnated or got hit.
Stay Educated on Google Updates: Google’s stance on backlinks evolves. For instance, Penguin now works in real-time (so disavowing can yield quicker recovery, but also new bad links can hurt quicker). The March 2024 spam update highlighted Google cracking down on mass-produced low-value content with links and use of expired domains for redirects. By keeping abreast of such changes via SEO news sites or Google Search Central blog, you can adjust tactics. The trend is clearly towards rewarding natural link patterns and user-focused content. If some loophole seems to work now (like certain PBN tactics), be aware it likely has an expiration date.
Leverage Relationships and Personal Brand: People link to people/brands they trust. By building your personal brand (via speaking at webinars, active on LinkedIn, etc.), you open doors for link opportunities. E.g. someone who knows you might mention your site in their next article. This intangible factor is why networking in your industry can indirectly boost your SEO. It’s harder to measure, but many marketers can trace a handful of their best links to a relationship or connection they had.
Consider Link Building as Part of a Holistic SEO and Marketing Strategy: Backlinks should not be an isolated obsession. They work best in concert with great on-page SEO, technical SEO (so those link signals can be properly crawled and indexed), and content strategy. Also, some marketing campaigns can double as link-building – e.g. a viral marketing stunt might get press links, a social media contest might get bloggers talking about you. In 2025, siloing “link building” separate from your overall marketing is a missed opportunity; integrate efforts for synergy.

By following these best practices, you’ll ensure your backlink profile remains robust, penalty-free, and effective in boosting your search visibility.

Conclusion: Backlinks, when done right, are a powerful growth engine for your SEO – but they require a strategic, thoughtful approach. White-hat methods grounded in quality content, genuine outreach, and adding value will serve you far better in the long run than shortcut schemes. Tailor your strategy to your website’s needs (be it a blog, e-commerce site, SaaS, local business, or affiliate venture), and use the plethora of tools at your disposal to work smarter. Keep user experience and integrity at the core of your link-building, and you’ll build not just rankings, but a reputation that extends beyond Google’s algorithms.

In the words of Google’s own webmaster guidelines: “Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines… and avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings”. If you abide by that mantra, your backlink profile will naturally flourish with white-hat links that stand the test of time, and your marketing goals will be all the closer within reach.

Sources:

Jessica La, “The Only White Hat Link Building Guide You’ll Need in 2024” byjessicala.com
ContactoRa, “Black Hat Link Building? Risks and Ethical Alternatives (2024)” contactora.com
OutreachMonks, “Google’s Backlink Policy 2025: Stay Compliant” outreachmonks.com
Backlinko, “Link Building: Definitive Guide 2025” backlinko.com
RocketHub, “Top 10 Link-Building Case Studies” rockethub.com
BrightLocal, “13 Local Link Building Tactics” brightlocal.com
PoweredBySearch, “B2B SaaS Link Building Strategies 2024” poweredbysearch.com
Stan Ventures, “27 Link Metrics to Check Before Building Backlinks” stanventures.com
SEO.com, “7 Best Link Building Tools to Use in 2025” seo.com

About The Author

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The AOK Marketing Team is a diverse group of amazing individuals driven to help all of our clients succeed. Great people are everywhere, and we believe that people should control their workday, their work environment, and where they live. We have team members in 9 countries: United States, Canada, Egypt, Belgium, Ireland, Australia, India, Pakistan, and Hong Kong.
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Backlinks for Marketers: The Ultimate White-Hat vs Black-Hat Guide (2025 Edition)

What Are Backlinks and Why They Matter in 2025

White Hat Backlink Strategies (Ethical & Long-Term)

Content Marketing & “Linkable Assets”

Guest Posting (Guest Blog Outreach)

The Skyscraper Technique (Content Upgrades)

Broken Link Building

Digital PR (Press Outreach & HARO)

Community Engagement (Forums, Q&A, and Social)

Other White-Hat Techniques at a Glance

Black Hat Backlink Techniques (Risky & Short-Term)

Private Blog Networks (PBNs)

Link Farms & Paid Link Marketplaces

Comment Spam and Forum Spam

Excessive Link Exchanges (“You link to me, I link to you”)

Link Schemes via Plugins or Widgets (Hidden Links)

Hacked Links (the Ultimate Black Hat)

Black-Hat Link Wheels and Tiered Linking

The Fallout: Risks and Penalties of Black Hat Linking

Evaluating Backlink Quality: Metrics & Criteria

Relevance of the Linking Site/Page

Authority of the Referring Domain & Page

Link Placement and Editorial Nature

Other Quality Signals

Top Link-Building Tools and Platforms for Marketers

SEO Analysis Tools (Backlink Research & Monitoring)

Outreach and Link-Building Management Tools

Other Useful Platforms

Case Studies & Examples: What Works (and What Doesn’t)

Choosing the Right Backlink Strategy for Your Website Type

Blogs & Content Websites

E-Commerce Websites

SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) Platforms

Local Businesses (Small Businesses & Local Services)

Affiliate Marketing Sites (Niche Sites)

Best Practices for Link Building in 2025 and Beyond

About The Author

Marketing Team

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