Link Building (Backlinking): Definition, Best Practice, Tools, and Benefits

By Benson Reed, Posted: October 7, 2024

What Is Link Building in SEO?

Link building, often referred to as backlink building or SEO link building, is a critical strategy for improving website visibility and search engine rankings. It involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own, signaling to search engines that your site is a valuable resource.

 The more high-quality links you have, the more credible your site appears to search engines like Google. This process strengthens your website’s authority and boosts its SEO performance.

In modern SEO practices, keyword backlinks are essential, ensuring that links are naturally integrated with relevant anchor text that aligns with your target keywords. Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush help track and analyze backlinks, making it easier to manage and optimize your link-building efforts. 

Backlink building is not just about quantity; it’s about acquiring high-quality, authoritative links that will positively influence your site’s rankings.

SEO experts stress the importance of balancing quantity with quality, ensuring that every link adds real value. A solid link-building strategy can provide significant benefits to your website’s SEO success.

What Is Link Building in SEO?

Link building in SEO is the practice of acquiring one-way hyperlinks from other websites to your own, aimed at improving search engine visibility. These links act as signals to search engines, indicating that your website is a credible and valuable resource. 

The more high-quality backlinks a site has, the better its chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). This process is a key element of SEO strategies, helping to boost traffic and authority over time. 

According to Moz, link building remains one of the most impactful SEO practices for improving rankings.

How Does Link Building Work?

Link building works by acquiring links from external websites, which point back to your website. These links, known as backlinks, act as votes of confidence in the eyes of search engines like Google. 

When another website links to your content, it signals to search engines that your website offers valuable and credible information, which helps improve your search engine rankings. 

SEO link building is the process of intentionally creating these backlinks to boost the authority of your website.

Backlink building in SEO involves various methods, such as guest blogging, broken link building, or creating high-quality content that naturally attracts links. 

Each backlink functions as a recommendation from one site to another. The higher the quality of the backlink (i.e., from authoritative websites), the more positively it influences your site’s ranking.

Keyword link building adds another layer to the process. Here, anchor text (the clickable text in a hyperlink) is strategically optimized with relevant keywords. This not only makes the link contextually relevant but also helps search engines understand the content of the page being linked to. 

For example, if your page is about “healthy meal plans,” and another site links to you using that exact phrase as anchor text, it signals to Google that your page is a good match for people searching for that keyword.

Example:

Imagine you run a blog about fitness and another reputable website, like a health magazine, links to your blog post about “best exercises for weight loss.” This backlink from a trusted source signals to search engines that your content is credible, helping your site rise in rankings for related search terms.

SEO link building, when done correctly, strengthens your online presence, increases visibility, and drives organic traffic by improving search engine ranking positions.

Does Link Building Still Work?

Yes, link building still works for SEO and remains a vital part of improving search engine rankings. Despite the evolution of search engine algorithms, backlinks continue to be one of the strongest signals for search engines to determine a site’s authority and relevance. 

High-quality backlinks from reputable websites help search engines like Google assess the credibility and trustworthiness of your website, which directly impacts its ranking potential.

However, modern SEO link building focuses on acquiring quality rather than quantity. Search engines now prioritize backlinks from authoritative, relevant sources, while penalizing manipulative practices like spammy links. Therefore, a well-executed backlink building strategy can significantly improve search visibility and drive organic traffic.

According to Moz, “Backlinks remain one of the most important factors in determining search engine rankings” . This highlights that link building is still essential for maintaining competitive SEO performance today.

Why Is Link Building Important?

    1. Improves Search Engine Rankings
      Website link building helps improve your site’s position on search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO links from authoritative sites signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and relevant.
    2. Increases Organic Traffic
      With better rankings, more users will discover your site organically, driving higher volumes of traffic without the need for paid advertising.
    3. Boosts Website Credibility
      Link building enhances your site’s credibility by earning SEO links from high-quality, relevant sources. Search engines view these links as endorsements, increasing your site’s trustworthiness.
    4. Enhances Domain Authority
      SEO link building contributes to increasing your domain authority (DA), a key metric that affects how well your site ranks for targeted keywords.
    5. Supports Content Visibility
      SEO article writers and SEO agencies rely on link building to make sure valuable content gets the attention it deserves, improving visibility across the web.
    6. Strengthens Online Relationships
      Engaging in website link building fosters collaboration with other sites, helping you build meaningful relationships in your industry or niche.
    7. Long-Term SEO Benefits
      Proper SEO link building offers lasting advantages by improving search visibility and keeping your site competitive over time.

How Does Link Building Help SEO?

Link building helps SEO by signaling to Google that your website is credible and valuable. When other reputable sites link to your content, it acts as a vote of confidence, indicating that your site offers high-quality information. These backlinks improve your site’s authority, leading to higher rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). As a result, your website becomes more visible to users, driving increased organic traffic. 

The more relevant and authoritative the backlinks, the more beneficial they are for improving your overall SEO performance and boosting website traffic.

What Is Link Building Best Practice? 13 Strategies

The following are 13 best practices for link building in SEO:

  1. Create High-Quality Content
    To attract natural backlinks, focus on creating informative, unique, and engaging content. High-quality content encourages other sites to link to yours as a valuable resource, which is key for effective link building SEO.
  2. Guest Blogging
    Guest posting on authoritative websites helps you build links by placing your content on established platforms. This link building blog strategy can increase your brand’s exposure and generate keyword backlinks.
  3. Use Broken Link Building
    This method involves finding broken links on other websites and offering your content as a replacement. Tools like Ahrefs help in identifying broken links, providing an effective way to build links and enhance your SEO.
  4. Leverage Internal Linking
    Internal links connect different pages on your own website. This not only improves navigation but also boosts SEO by helping search engines crawl your site better.
  5. Reach Out to Industry Influencers
    Engaging with influencers and offering to collaborate on content can result in valuable backlinks. Influencers can share your content, providing high-authority backlinks that enhance your site’s credibility.
  6. Use Ahrefs Link Building Tools
    Tools like Ahrefs offer a comprehensive link building guide to help you identify potential backlinks, track your competitors’ links, and optimize your overall link building SEO efforts.
  7. Build Relationships with Other Sites
    Building relationships with authoritative websites in your niche can help you gain natural backlinks. Consistently engage with these sites through comments, shares, or collaborations.
  8. Focus on Keyword Link Building
    Optimize your anchor text with relevant keywords. Keyword link building helps Google understand the context of your pages and improves your chances of ranking for targeted keywords.
  9. Submit to Business Directories
    Listing your website on reputable business directories helps build links from trusted sources, increasing your site’s visibility and authority.
  10. Create Infographics
    Infographics are highly shareable, making them excellent for gaining backlinks. When other sites use your infographic, they often provide a link back to your website as a source.
  11. Write Linkable Content
    Publishing “how-to” guides, case studies, and well-researched articles offers valuable information that others are more likely to reference, earning you SEO-friendly links.
  12. Monitor Competitor Backlinks
    By using tools like Ahrefs link building, you can monitor the backlinks of your competitors. This strategy allows you to target similar sites for link building opportunities, helping you stay competitive.
  13. Engage in Outreach Campaigns
    Conduct outreach by contacting website owners or bloggers, offering your content for consideration. This proactive strategy helps you gain valuable links and expand your network within your industry.

By following these strategies, SEO link building becomes more effective, helping improve your search rankings and online visibility.

How Many Types of Link Building in SEO?

There are 9 main types of link-building strategies in SEO that help improve website authority and search engine rankings. These are commonly used by SEO agencies and marketers to build high-quality backlinks:

  1. Editorial Backlinks
    Earned naturally by creating high-quality, valuable content that others link to as a reference or resource.
  2. Guest Blogging Backlinks
    Links earned by writing and contributing articles to other blogs, usually in the author bio or within the article.
  3. Broken Link Building
    Involves finding broken links on other websites and suggesting your content as a replacement.
  4. Resource Page Link Building
    Gaining backlinks by being listed as a valuable resource on curated pages, such as “best tools” or “helpful articles” pages.
  5. Social Media Backlinks
    Links generated when your content is shared across social media platforms, driving traffic and signaling engagement to Google.
  6. Directory Links
    Submitting your website to relevant, high-authority business directories for backlinks.
  7. Nofollow Links
    These links don’t directly affect rankings but can still drive traffic and improve brand visibility.
  8. Badge Backlinks
    Awarding companies or individuals a badge for accomplishments or recognition, with a link back to your website as the issuer.
  9. Comment Backlinks
    Links placed in blog comments or forums, which should be used cautiously to avoid being flagged as spam.

These strategies allow you to build a diverse backlink profile, essential for improving SEO rankings and increasing website traffic. 

What Is Broken Link Building?

Broken link building is an SEO strategy where you find broken or dead links (often resulting in 404 pages) on other websites and offer a replacement link that directs users to your relevant content. This approach helps both parties—site owners fix broken links, and you gain a valuable backlink to your website.

The process typically involves using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify broken links. Once found, you craft an outreach email to the site owner, offering help first by notifying them about the broken link and suggesting your content as a replacement. This method is highly effective because it provides a solution for the website owner while building backlinks for your site.

Example:

If you notice a blog post about “healthy recipes” has a dead link, you can reach out to the owner and suggest your relevant article on healthy meals, offering them a working link that adds value. This results in successful link-building while maintaining a helpful relationship.

What Is Outreach Link Building?

Outreach link building is the process of contacting other websites or blogs to request backlinks to your content. This strategy often involves sending personalized emails to content writers, website owners, or bloggers, highlighting how your content could add value to their site. The goal is to build relationships while gaining high-quality backlinks that improve your SEO performance.

Example:

If you have an article about “best fitness tips,” you can contact blogs in the fitness niche, emailing content writers to suggest adding a link to your article in relevant posts. This mutually benefits both parties by enhancing their content and improving your site’s SEO visibility.

Which Are the Best Link Building Tools?

The following are some of the best link-building tools for SEO:

  1. Ahrefs
    Ahrefs is one of the most popular tools for link building, offering detailed backlink analysis, competitor research, and broken link identification.
    Cost: Starting at $99/month.
  2. SEMrush
    SEMrush provides link-building and outreach capabilities, allowing you to track backlinks and monitor competitors. It also offers keyword research and SEO analysis tools.
    Cost: Starting at $129.95/month.
  3. Moz Link Explorer
    Moz’s Link Explorer provides detailed backlink profiles, helping you find link-building opportunities and track competitor links.
    Cost: Free limited access, with paid plans starting at $99/month.
  4. BuzzStream
    BuzzStream is a powerful outreach tool for link building, helping you manage contacts, track outreach emails, and build relationships.
    Cost: Starting at $24/month.
  5. Hunter.io
    Hunter is excellent for finding email addresses, which is crucial for outreach link building. It streamlines the process of contacting blogs and websites.
    Cost: Free for up to 25 searches/month, with paid plans starting at $49/month.
  6. Majestic SEO
    Majestic offers comprehensive backlink analysis, focusing on link metrics like Trust Flow and Citation Flow to evaluate link quality.
    Cost: Starting at $49.99/month.
  7. NinjaOutreach
    NinjaOutreach is an outreach-focused tool that helps find bloggers and influencers to contact for link-building opportunities.
    Cost: Starting at $119/month.
  8. Ubersuggest
    Ubersuggest provides free backlink data and link-building insights along with other SEO features like keyword research and competitor analysis.
    Cost: Free with limited features, paid plans start at $12/month.
  9. Linkody
    Linkody monitors your backlink profile, offering insights into link building and tracking the performance of existing backlinks.
    Cost: Starting at $14.90/month.

These tools streamline the link-building process, making it easier to find opportunities, perform outreach, and track results.

What Is Link Building Services?

Link building services are SEO agencies that specialize in acquiring backlinks to improve a website’s search engine rankings. These services help businesses by conducting keyword research, creating bulk SEO content, and strategically placing links with optimized anchor text.

 SEO writers and link builders collaborate to ensure that backlinks are from high-quality, relevant websites, boosting both traffic and domain authority.

Hiring an SEO link-building service means outsourcing the technical and manual process of finding opportunities, contacting website owners, and acquiring links. Agencies like Seovines.com are considered among the best, providing comprehensive SEO solutions, including link building, keyword optimization, and content creation. They use skilled SEO writers to craft content that naturally attracts backlinks, ensuring long-term SEO benefits.

These services save businesses time and help maintain a competitive edge by focusing on the quality of backlinks, which are essential for higher rankings on search engines like Google.

What Does Link Builder Do?

A link builder is responsible for increasing the number of high-quality backlinks to a company’s website, helping to improve its search engine ranking and authority. They achieve this by identifying link opportunities, conducting outreach to relevant websites, and securing backlinks through various strategies such as guest blogging, broken link building, and influencer outreach. The goal is to enhance the website’s online visibility and drive more organic traffic by creating valuable links that boost its credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Essentially, a link builder works to build a network of external links that support the company’s SEO strategy.

How Much Does Link Building Cost?

SEO link building will cost you between $100 and $1,500 per link, depending on the quality of the link and the website’s domain authority. For larger campaigns, monthly link-building costs can range from $3,000 to over $15,000, especially when working with specialist agencies. The price varies based on factors like industry, link volume, and the level of outreach required. High-authority links typically come with a higher price tag, as they provide more significant SEO benefits.

Freelancers tend to charge lower rates, typically between $50 and $100 per hour, though additional costs for content creation and outreach may apply. These services can help businesses boost their rankings and drive organic traffic, making them a valuable long-term investment.

How to Report Link Building

To report on link building activities, you should focus on key performance metrics. Start by tracking the number of backlinks acquired, including the referring domains and their domain authority. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to monitor these metrics. Next, evaluate the quality of the links by assessing their relevance to your niche, the authority of the linking sites, and the anchor texts used.

Include the growth in organic traffic as a result of your link-building efforts and the improvement in keyword rankings. Create a clear report with visual data like graphs and tables to show the progress over time.

Do SEO Content Agencies Help in Backlinking? 

Yes, SEO content agencies help in link building by providing professional services that generate high-quality backlinks. These agencies often employ experienced SEO article writers and link builders who create content optimized for search engines while focusing on acquiring backlinks from authoritative sites. When hiring an SEO content agency, businesses can benefit from their expertise in crafting valuable, link-worthy content and conducting outreach to secure relevant backlinks.

Hiring professionals to manage your link-building efforts ensures a strategic approach, which boosts your website’s visibility, authority, and organic rankings. Many agencies specialize in both content creation and link building, making them a comprehensive solution for SEO growth.

Does Backlinking Help Optimize Content for Search Engine Top-Ranking?

Yes, backlinking helps optimize content for search engine top-ranking by increasing a site’s authority and credibility in Google’s eyes. When reputable websites link to your content, Google views these backlinks as signals of trustworthiness, boosting your website’s authority and improving its rankings. According to studies, backlinks are one of the top three ranking factors in Google’s algorithm, alongside content quality and user experience.

A 2023 study by Ahrefs found that pages with more backlinks tend to rank higher in search results. Websites in the top position of Google SERPs typically have 3.8 times more backlinks than those in lower positions.

Acquiring high-quality backlinks is essential for achieving and maintaining top-ranking positions on search engines, driving organic traffic, and enhancing the authority of your content.

Do You Need to Do Keyword Research for Backlinking?

Yes, you need to do keyword research for backlinking because it helps ensure that the anchor texts used in backlinks are relevant to the target keywords you’re aiming to rank for. This is a crucial part of building effective backlinks that align with your overall SEO strategy. By identifying the right keywords, article writers can craft content that naturally attracts backlinks, while link builders can optimize the anchor text in external links.

Tools like Ahrefs can help in analyzing keyword performance and identifying high-value keywords that should be used as backlink keywords. This improves both the relevance and authority of your content, helping it rank higher on search engines

What Is the Difference Between Internal Linking and Backlinking?

Feature Internal Linking Backlinking
Definition Links that connect different pages within the same website. or On-Page Optimization Links from external websites that point back to your site.
Purpose To improve website navigation, help users find related content, and distribute page authority. To increase site authority, boost SEO rankings, and signal credibility to search engines like Google.
Control Website owners have full control over internal links. Website owners cannot directly control who provides backlinks.
SEO Impact Helps search engines crawl and index the website, improving the SEO of linked pages. Backlinks from high-authority sites greatly improve SEO by increasing domain authority.
Tools for Analysis Google Search Console, Yoast SEO. Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz for analyzing external backlinks.
Creation Easily created by the website owner through strategic linking within their own content. Requires outreach and external websites linking to your content.
Example A link from a blog post to another related article on the same site. A link from a high-authority blog or news site to one of your articles.

Sources

Backlink Manager. (2024). How much does link building cost in 2024?

LinkBuilder.io. (2024). Link building pricing: What does it cost in 2024? 

Siege Media. (2024). How much does link building cost in 2024? Siege Media. 

OutreachMonks. (2024). Link building pricing: How much does it cost in 2024? O

WeOutreach. (2024). Link building pricing [2024 average costs for links]. 

Ahrefs. (2024). What is broken link building? Ahrefs. https://ahrefs.com