What is Link Building?
The process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own, to improve search engine rankings.
Full Definition
Link building is the practice of acquiring hyperlinks (backlinks) from external websites to your own site. Search engines use links as votes of confidence—a link from a high-authority site tells Google your content is trustworthy and valuable. The quantity, quality, relevance, and diversity of sites linking to you are among the strongest ranking signals in Google's algorithm. Link building encompasses techniques like digital PR, guest posting, broken link building, skyscraper content, and HARO (Help A Reporter Out).
Why It Matters
Backlinks remain one of the top three ranking factors in Google's algorithm, alongside content quality and RankBrain. A page with 100 high-quality backlinks will consistently outrank an identical page with 10 backlinks for competitive keywords. Building links cannot be faked at scale—it requires genuine authority, real relationships, and content worth referencing.
How to Improve Your Link Building
- 1
Create linkable assets: original research, industry surveys, free tools, and comprehensive guides that other sites naturally want to reference
- 2
Use digital PR to earn coverage in industry publications, news sites, and authoritative blogs
- 3
Guest post on relevant industry sites with author bios linking back to your domain
- 4
Use broken link building: find broken links on authoritative sites and suggest your content as a replacement
- 5
Monitor brand mentions using tools like Ahrefs or Brand24—unlinked mentions are easy link-building opportunities
Need help improving your Link Building?
Our team engineers measurable results across SEO, PPC, and conversion optimization. Get a free audit.
Get a Free Audit