Link Building Strategies: 15 Safe Tactics to Grow on SEO & AEO in 2025

Google processes over 14.3 billion searches daily, but here's what most marketers miss: only around 40% of searches now result in clicks to websites. The rest? They're answered directly by AI snippets, featured boxes, and knowledge panels.

Your link building strategy needs to work for both traditional SEO and the new world of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO). Why? Because the same signals that help you rank in search results also determine whether AI systems cite your content as an authoritative source.

Think about it this way. When ChatGPT or Google's AI Overview answers a question, it pulls from trusted sources with strong backlink profiles. Those 15-20 high-quality links you're building? They're not just for rankings anymore.

The good news is the fundamentals haven't changed. Quality still beats quantity. Relevance still matters more than volume. But the tactics that work in 2025 go beyond traditional guest posting. You need strategies that build both human trust and machine confidence.

Fundamentals of SEO Link Building

SEO link building is crucial because search engines rely on backlinks to assess a website's credibility and importance. The more high-quality backlinks a site has, the higher the chances of ranking on search engines like Google.

Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can provide valuable insights into link-building efforts. They help to watch the backlink profile and identify opportunities to search backlinks.

If you’re new to SEO, check out our on-page vs. off-page SEO guide before scaling links.

What Google and LLMs consider a good link

Before diving into tactics, you need to understand what actually moves the needle. Google's algorithm evaluates every link through multiple lenses.

Relevance comes first: A link from a cooking blog won't help your SaaS startup much. Google checks if the linking page's content relates to yours. The closer the match, the more value that link carries.

Authority and E-E-A-T signals: Who's linking to you matters as much as the link itself. Google evaluates the linking site's Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. A link from a recognised industry publication weighs more.

Placement within content: Links buried in footers or sidebars carry less weight than those within the main content body. Editorial links, ones naturally placed within article text, send the strongest quality signals to search engines.

Anchor text diversity: Using "best CRM software" as anchor text for every link looks suspicious. Natural link profiles include branded terms (your company name), naked URLs, generic phrases ("click here"), and only occasional exact-match keywords. Aim for 30-40% branded, 20% naked URLs, 30% generic, and 10-20% keyword-rich anchors.

What to avoid at all costs: Stay away from link farms, paid link schemes, excessive reciprocal linking, and automated link building tools. Google's SpamBrain AI can spot these patterns instantly. One penalty can undo months of legitimate work.

See current SEO trends and E-E-A-T updates that shape how links are valued.

Quick wins: Focus on these for quick results from link building

Start with these low-hanging fruits that can deliver results within days:

• Claim unlinked brand mentions - Search for your brand name without your domain. When sites mention you without linking, reach out for a quick link addition.
• Convert partner and supplier relationships - Every vendor, partner, or client represents a natural linking opportunity through testimonials or partnership pages.
• Submit to quality local and industry directories - Skip the generic ones. Focus on niche-specific directories like Clutch for agencies or Capterra for software.
• Upgrade nofollow mentions - Check if reputable sites linking with nofollow tags might consider switching to dofollow for legitimate editorial mentions.

Top 10 Link Building Strategies & Techniques

There are different types of link-building strategies from guest posting to social media outreach. We have listed down some of the most effective ones for you to boost your website's online presence.

1. Guest Posting

Guest posting is one of the most effective link-building strategies. It involves writing high-quality content for other websites in your niche and including a link back to your own site. This technique helps build an audience, establish authority, and get valuable do-follow backlinks.

To implement this strategy:

• Start by identifying relevant websites that accept guest posts.
• Craft a compelling pitch that showcases your expertise.
• Once the client agrees with the pitch, create an informative article and interlink it to the main website.

Consistent contribution of guest posts to reputable sites can boost SEO link building efforts and attract high-quality backlinks.

2. Broken Link Building

Broken link building is another type of link building strategy that helps acquire high-quality backlinks. It involves finding broken or bad links on other websites and exchanging relevant content links.

This SEO strategy uses tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify broken links on websites in your area. Once the marketer finds a broken link, they inform the website owner. Then, they may suggest their content as a suitable replacement.

If the content fulfils the purpose, the website owner may accept it. As a result, it increases the site traffic.

3. Skyscraper Technique

The skyscraper technique focuses on creating content that outshines existing content on a particular topic. It's a strategic way to tackle the most well-researched and popular pieces in a niche. Effective execution allows businesses to earn high-quality backlinks from sites linked to competitor websites.

Companies must find content that has already garnered many high-quality backlinks to implement this. The goal is to create content on the same topic and ensure it covers all the gaps in quality.

Then, the marketers reach out to websites with improved content. When the site owners replace their existing links with your refined content, your website’s authority will grow in the eyes of search engines.

4. Build a statistics and definitions hub

Create a dedicated section housing original research, industry statistics, and clear definitions. Format data in easily citable ways with embed codes.

Journalists and AI systems love linking to authoritative stat sources. Include JSON-LD markup to help search engines understand your data structure.

5. Outreach

Outreach is a fundamental aspect of any successful SEO link building campaign. To do this, you need to find relevant website owners, bloggers, and influencers in your niche. Once you do that, reach out and promote your content to secure valuable do-follow backlinks.

To get results with this technique:

• Start by creating a list of potential outreach targets.
• Craft personalised emails that highlight the value of your content.
• Explain how it would benefit their audience.

For B2B, layer LinkedIn Sales Navigator for LinkedIn Lead Generation and refine your prospect lists.

If the outreach process is genuine, concise, and precise, businesses can secure backlinks, boosting SEO performance.

6. Design interactive comparison matrices

Develop tools that let users compare options in your industry - products, services, or solutions. Add export functionality and embed options.

When people share or reference comparisons, they link back to the source. Make your tool the default comparison resource in your niche.

7. Develop machine-readable data tables

Transform your data into structured, open-access tables that developers and researchers can reference. Use schema markup and provide CSV downloads.

When your data becomes the source for other tools and studies, natural links follow. Think "Our Data" pages that become industry benchmarks.

8. Utilising Social Media

Social media platforms offer a wealth of opportunities for SEO link building. By creating shareable content on social media, you can drive traffic to your website. The more relatable your content is, the more backlinks it will gain.

To use this link building technique, focus on crafting informative or engaging posts that gain your audience's engagement.

If your content is shareable, it spreads across social media. It attracts the attention of bloggers, journalists, and other website owners, who may choose to link back to your site.

9. Content Marketing

This link building technique focuses on consistently producing valuable and informative content to attract backlinks. You can establish your industry expertise with high-quality content and even improve brand positioning.

To use content marketing, start by conducting thorough keyword research. It will ensure you have relevant topic clusters for which the audience is searching.

The next step is creating in-depth, well-researched blog posts, infographics, or videos. If the content has value, it will gain traction, which will lead other websites to link to it as a helpful resource. Use AI in content marketing to scale briefs without fluff.

10. Create question cluster pages (targeting PAA)

Build comprehensive pages addressing every variation of common industry questions. Mirror Google's PAA format but go deeper.

Each question becomes a potential featured snippet and a magnet for links from sites needing authoritative answers. Structure with clear H3s and concise, quotable answers.

11. Infographics and Visual Content

Due to the rise of bite-sized content, people's attention span has reduced a lot. So, they engage more with visually appealing short-form content such as infographics or charts. And, these are great ways to generate links to the main brand site.

When users love an infographic, they are more likely to share the content on social media. This creates valuable backlinks and increases the website's credibility and visibility. Plus, short visual content is an effective way to educate the audience.  

So, to boost link building and organic traffic, keep the content engaging and precise. It must have a unique storytelling approach to hook readers.

12. Testimonials and Reviews

Wondering how to create backlinks with testimonials and reviews? By offering top-notch services and acquiring their feedback.

So, track online review platforms and engage with customers who leave feedback. With a positive review, ask site owners if they would be willing to link back to your web page. It is best when they do it through their social profiles.

13. Publish entity-backed expert insights

Connect your content to recognised entities, people, companies, concepts that search engines already understand.

Interview industry leaders, cite established research, and reference known organisations. This builds topical authority and attracts links from others discussing the same entities.

14. Forums and Community Engagement

Engaging in forums and online communities can be an effective link building strategy. Participate in discussions and provide insider insights. This will help you establish yourself as an industry expert and attract the attention of potential linkers.

For this SEO link building technique to work, you need to identify familiar places where your audience is active. Create a profile and start engaging in conversations, offering helpful advice.

After a while, link to your site, ensuring that it adds value to the discussion. As you build relationships, you gain trusted backlinks.

15. Directories and Resource Lists

Submit your website to relevant directories and resource lists for organic backlinks. By securing listings in high-quality, niche-specific directories, you can attract a specific target audience.

For this building strategy, submit your website to directories that are well-maintained and have a good reputation. When creating your listing, include a clear, concise description of your website.

Final thoughts on modern link building

With link building, you're building authority for a world where AI assistants, voice searches, and traditional Google results all pull from the same trust signals. Every quality link you earn is a vote of confidence that resonates across platforms.

Executing 15 different link building strategies while running your business is overwhelming. That's where expertise matters.

At GrowthJockey, we've built links for a number of ventures using our proven "Diagnose, Design, Build" framework. Our team combines technical SEO knowledge with AEO optimisation to ensure your content ranks everywhere - from Google's first page to ChatGPT's responses.

Our Intellsys.ai - AI-powered growth marketing platform tracks which strategies deliver the best ROI for your specific industry, adjusting tactics based on real performance data.

Ready to transform your link profile? Let's discuss how GrowthJockey, a venture builder, can accelerate your visibility across search and AI platforms.

FAQs on link building techniques

1. What are the essential factors in link building?

Important factors in building backlinks include:

• Relevance
• Natural link-acquiring
• Anchor text diversity
• Domain authority
• Link positioning
• Link quality

2. What are link building mistakes to avoid?

There are several link building mistakes that web admins and SEOs should avoid. These consist of buying links from suspicious sources that force search engines to penalise the website. Search engines view the excessive use of exact-match anchor text as an attempt to exploit rankings.

Internal linking to low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant websites can harm the credibility of the website. Using automated programs that violate search engine guidelines can attract penalties.

3. What is an effective link?

An effective link helps improve a website's search engine visibility and provides value to users. Such links come from reliable, trusted, and relevant sources.

Search engines place more emphasis on the quality and relevance of the linked website.

4. How many types of link building are there in SEO?

Link building broadly falls into three categories:

• earned links (natural editorial links from quality content)
• built links (through outreach and relationship building)
• created links (directory submissions, forum signatures)

Focus on earned and built links for sustainable results.

5. Is link building technical SEO?

No, link building is primarily off-page SEO, not technical SEO. Technical SEO involves site architecture, crawlability, site speed, and schema markup. Link building focuses on external signals and relationships. However, they work together.

6. What is a white-hat link?

A white-hat link is any backlink earned through legitimate, Google-approved methods that provide genuine value to users. These include editorial links from quality content, earned media mentions, legitimate guest posts, and natural citations.