Link Building in 2024: What Works and What Doesn't

Link building remains one of the most powerful ranking factors in SEO, but the strategies that worked five years ago can now get you penalized. In 2024, successful link building is about quality relationships, genuine value, and sustainable tactics.

The Current State of Link Building

Google's algorithms have become incredibly sophisticated at detecting manipulative link schemes. At the same time, quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites continue to be a strong ranking signal.

Key Statistics:

• Backlinks remain one of Google's top 3 ranking factors
• The #1 result in Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than positions #2-#10
• 66.31% of pages have zero backlinks
• Referring domains are more important than total backlink count

What Works in 2024

1. Digital PR and Brand Mentions

Creating newsworthy content and pitching it to journalists and publications is one of the most effective white-hat link building strategies.

How to Do It:

• Create original research, surveys, or data studies
• Develop unique insights or expert commentary on trending topics
• Use tools like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) to connect with journalists
• Build relationships with editors and writers in your industry
• Create visual content (infographics, charts) that's easy to embed

2. Content-Led Link Building

Creating exceptional content that naturally attracts links is the most sustainable strategy.

High-Performing Content Types:

• Original Research: Conduct surveys or analyze data to create unique insights
• Ultimate Guides: Comprehensive resources that become go-to references
• Tools and Calculators: Interactive resources that provide value
• Data Visualizations: Infographics and interactive charts
• Expert Roundups: Collect insights from industry leaders

3. Strategic Guest Posting

Guest posting still works, but it must be done correctly—focus on relevance and quality over quantity.

Best Practices:

• Only target high-authority, relevant sites in your niche
• Write genuinely valuable content, not thin promotional pieces
• Use natural, contextual anchor text
• Focus on sites with real traffic and engagement
• Build relationships before pitching

4. Broken Link Building

Find broken links on relevant sites and offer your content as a replacement.

Process:

• Use tools like Ahrefs or Check My Links to find broken links
• Create or identify content that matches the broken resource
• Reach out to the site owner with a helpful tone
• Suggest your content as a replacement

5. Resource Page Link Building

Many sites maintain curated lists of helpful resources. Getting featured on these pages provides high-quality, relevant links.

How to Find Resource Pages:

• Search: [your keyword] + "helpful resources"
• Search: [your keyword] + "useful links"
• Search: intitle:resources + [your keyword]
• Analyze competitor backlinks for resource pages

6. Unlinked Brand Mentions

Find mentions of your brand without links and request the link be added.

Tools and Process:

• Use Google Alerts or brand monitoring tools
• Search for unlinked mentions regularly
• Reach out politely requesting a link
• High success rate since they already mentioned you

7. Competitor Backlink Analysis

Analyze where your competitors are getting links and replicate their successful strategies.

Steps:

• Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to analyze competitor backlinks
• Identify link opportunities you can also pursue
• Look for patterns in their link acquisition
• Find gaps where you can create better content

What Doesn't Work (And Can Hurt You)

❌ PBN (Private Blog Networks)

Google has gotten very good at detecting PBNs. The risk far outweighs any potential benefit.

❌ Buying Links Directly

Purchasing links violates Google's guidelines and can result in manual penalties.

❌ Mass Directory Submissions

Low-quality directory links provide no value and can actually harm your site.

❌ Excessive Link Exchanges

While occasional reciprocal links are fine, systematic link exchanges are a red flag.

❌ Irrelevant Links

Links from completely unrelated sites don't help and may look suspicious.

❌ Over-Optimized Anchor Text

Too many exact-match anchor texts look unnatural. Vary your anchor text naturally.

Link Building Outreach Best Practices

Crafting Effective Outreach Emails

Do:

• Personalize each email (reference specific content)
• Keep it concise and to the point
• Lead with value, not your ask
• Use a compelling subject line
• Follow up once or twice if no response

Don't:

• Send generic mass emails
• Make demands or act entitled
• Use overly salesy language
• Include too many links in the first email
• Send from a no-reply email address

Measuring Link Building Success

Key Metrics to Track:

• Referring Domains: Number of unique domains linking to you
• Domain Authority: Quality of linking domains
• Link Relevance: How topically relevant the links are
• Link Placement: Contextual vs. sidebar/footer links
• Anchor Text Distribution: Variety and naturalness
• Link Velocity: Rate of new link acquisition
• Traffic from Links: Referral traffic from backlinks

Building a Sustainable Link Building Process

Month 1-2: Foundation

• Audit existing backlink profile
• Disavow toxic links if necessary
• Analyze top competitors' links
• Create linkable asset content
• Set up monitoring tools

Month 3-6: Outreach and Execution

• Begin outreach campaigns
• Submit guest post pitches
• Create PR-worthy content
• Build relationships with influencers
• Track and analyze results

Month 6+: Scale and Optimize

• Double down on what works
• Automate repeatable processes
• Build strategic partnerships
• Create more linkable assets
• Continuously monitor and improve

The Future of Link Building

As AI and machine learning continue to evolve, Google will get even better at understanding link quality and intent. The future of link building lies in:

• Brand Building: Strong brands naturally attract links
• E-E-A-T Signals: Demonstrating expertise, experience, authority, and trust
• Relationship Marketing: Long-term partnerships over one-off links
• Content Excellence: Creating truly exceptional resources
• Community Engagement: Active participation in your industry

Conclusion

Successful link building in 2024 requires a shift from quantity to quality, from manipulation to genuine value creation. Focus on building relationships, creating exceptional content, and earning links through merit rather than shortcuts.

The sites that win at link building are those that consistently provide value, maintain high standards, and play the long game. It's not about gaming the system—it's about becoming a resource worthy of links.