So, when we talk about building a link profile, the goal isn’t just to get any link. It’s to get the right types of backlinks. You want links that move the needle on your rankings, drive real traffic, and build your domain authority.
But with so many different ways to build links, where do you even start? Should you focus on guest posts? Directories? Or maybe digital PR? To help you navigate this, let’s break down the types of backlinks you should actually care about, and why they matter for your SEO strategy.
These are the holy grail of SEO. An editorial backlink happens when a high-authority website mentions your brand or content naturally within their own articles. You didn’t pay for it, you didn’t ask for it (usually), and you certainly didn’t swap links to get it.
How it works: A journalist or blogger finds your content valuable—maybe you published a unique study, an infographic, or a comprehensive guide—and they cite it as a resource.
Why it’s valuable: Google loves these links because they are genuine. They indicate that your content is high-quality enough to be referenced by others in your industry. Plus, they often come from high Domain Authority (DA) sites like news outlets or major industry blogs.
How to get them: Create “link-bait” content. This could be original research, breaking news, or a contrarian opinion piece that gets people talking. Then, promote it heavily on social media and through PR outreach.
Guest posting is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it still works if you do it right. This involves writing an article for another website in your niche. In exchange for your content, the site owner allows you to include a link back to your own site, usually in the author bio or within the body of the text.Guest posting is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it still works if you do it right. This involves writing an article for another website in your niche. In exchange for your content, the site owner allows you to include a link back to your own site, such as wpmajesty, usually in the author bio or within the body of the text.
The caveat: Google has cracked down on spammy guest posting. If you are writing 300-word fluff pieces for low-quality sites just to get a link, you are wasting your time.
How to do it right:
The results? You get a quality backlink, exposure to a new audience, and potentially referral traffic.
If you run a local business, these are non-negotiable. Business profile backlinks come from digital directories like Yelp, Google Business Profile, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific listings (like TripAdvisor for travel or Clutch for agencies).
Why they matter: They establish your business’s legitimacy. For local SEO, having consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) data across these directories helps you rank in the “Map Pack” results.
How to get them: Manually submit your business details to these directories. Just make sure your information is 100% consistent across every platform.
Many websites maintain “Resource” or “Links” pages. These are curated lists of helpful tools, articles, and guides relevant to their audience. For example, a cooking blog might have a page listing “Best Kitchen Tools” or “Favorite Recipe Sites.”
How it works: You find these pages and pitch your content as a valuable addition to their list.
Why it’s a win-win: The webmaster wants to provide good resources to their readers, and you want a link. If your content is genuinely useful, they are often happy to add it.Why it’s a win-win: The webmaster wants to provide good resources to their readers, and you want a link to your WordPress plugin. If your content is genuinely useful, they are often happy to add it.
How to get them: Use search operators like keyword + “resources” or keyword + “useful links” to find opportunities. Then, send a polite email suggesting your content.
How to get them: Use search operators like keyword + “resources” or keyword + “useful links” to find opportunities. Then, send a polite email suggesting your content.
These links are earned when your brand sponsors an event, speaks at a conference, or donates to a charity. The organizing website will often list sponsors and speakers on a dedicated page with a link back to their sites.
Why they are unique: They often come from highly authoritative domains like .edu sites (universities) or .org sites (non-profits), which carry a lot of SEO weight.
Also: It builds brand awareness in the offline world, which translates to online authority.
This is a clever technique used by software companies and award programs. If you create a “Top 10” list or give out an award to other businesses, you can create a digital “badge” for them to display on their website.
How it works: You recognize a business for being excellent. You give them a badge image to put on their homepage. That image links back to your site.
The catch: The link must be natural. Don’t force people to link back just to win a fake award. But if you are a legitimate authority, businesses will want to show off your badge.
Do you have a mortgage calculator, a headline analyzer, or a PDF converter on your site? Free tools are link magnets. People love linking to useful utilities because they provide immediate value to their readers.Do you have a mortgage calculator, a headline analyzer, or a PDF converter on your site? Free tools are link magnets. People love linking to useful utilities because they provide immediate value and helpful documentation to their readers.
Why it works: It’s much easier for a blogger to link to a “Free ROI Calculator” than to a generic blog post about ROI.
The results? Sites with useful tools often generate hundreds of organic backlinks over time without active outreach.
Guesting on podcasts or webinars is the modern version of guest blogging. When you appear as a guest, the host will almost always link to your website in the show notes or the event description page.
Plus: You get to demonstrate your expertise vocally, building a stronger connection with the audience than text alone can provide.
Press releases used to be an SEO spam tactic, but they have evolved. While the links inside the press release itself are usually “nofollow” (meaning they don’t pass SEO juice directly), they serve a different purpose.
How it works: You distribute a press release about significant company news. Journalists see it. If the story is good, they write their own article about it and link to you.
So: The value isn’t in the press release itself, but in the editorial links it generates from news sites.
We can’t talk about good links without mentioning the bad ones. Not all links help you. In fact, “toxic” links can trigger a Google penalty.
Avoid these at all costs:
You might see competitors with 10,000 backlinks and panic because you only have 500. But don’t worry. A few dozen links from high-authority, relevant sites (like Forbes, TechCrunch, or a leading industry blog) are worth infinitely more than thousands of links from low-quality directories.
Consider this: Google’s algorithms are smart enough to ignore spam. They focus on relevance. A link from a site in your specific industry carries more weight than a link from a generic “general interest” site.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz to audit your current backlinks. Look for:
Building a backlink profile takes time. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The best strategy is to diversify. Don’t rely 100% on guest posts or 100% on directories. Mix it up. Focus on creating content that is so good people want to link to it.
When you focus on value first, the links tend to follow. Hence, your rankings improve, your traffic grows, and your website becomes an asset that generates revenue for years to come.