Link building, explained properly
Clear, practical guides on how to earn links that move rankings. Every guide comes with diagrams, so you can see how it works instead of wading through theory.
Core guides
Link Building: The Complete Guide
Link building is getting other websites to link to yours. How it works, which strategies still earn rankings, what it costs and how to start.
What Are Backlinks? A Plain-English Guide
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. How they work, why Google still cares, and what separates a good link from a useless one.
White Hat vs Black Hat Link Building: Where the Line Really Sits
White hat link building earns links Google's policies allow, black hat manipulates rankings. Where every tactic sits, plus the grey hat middle.
How to Get Backlinks (Earn, Ask or Pay)
How to get backlinks in 2026. The methods that still work, how to choose between earning, asking and paying, and a simple plan for your first links.
Link Schemes: What Google Penalises and Why
What Google counts as link spam, from paid links and link exchanges to link farms, plus a short history of Penguin and what happens if you're caught.
What Is Anchor Text? Types, Examples and What Ratio to Use
Anchor text is the clickable words in a link. The 7 types with examples, why the mix matters, and how to keep yours looking natural.
How Many Backlinks Do You Need to Rank?
How many backlinks you need depends on who ranks above you. How to measure the referring domain gap and turn it into a monthly link target.
Link Building Tools: What Each One Does and What It Costs
The link building tools worth paying for, the free ones that cover the basics, and which tool does which job, with pricing checked in October 2026.
Link Building Outreach Email Templates That Get Replies
Six outreach email templates for link building: broken links, resource pages, mentions, guest posts and PR, with an annotated example.
Referring Domains Explained: What They Are and Why They Matter
A referring domain is a unique website that links to yours. How they differ from backlinks, why they matter more for rankings, and how to grow them.
Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: What's the Difference?
Dofollow vs nofollow links explained. What each rel attribute tells Google, whether nofollow links still help SEO, and how to check any link.
How to Do a Backlink Audit (and When to Disavow)
How to check your backlinks, judge which ones matter, and decide whether to keep, monitor or disavow, based on what Google actually says.
Domain Rating vs Domain Authority: DR and DA Compared
Domain Rating (Ahrefs) vs Domain Authority (Moz). How each is calculated, why neither is a Google metric, and what counts as a good score.
Internal Linking for SEO: Structure, Anchors and Audits
Internal linking connects pages on your own site. Why it matters for SEO, how to build a hub and spoke structure, and how to audit the links you have.
Link Building Case Studies: How to Tell a Real One From Marketing
What a credible link building case study should show, the red flags that give weak ones away, and how to measure your own campaign honestly.
What Is Link Juice? How Authority Flows Through Links
Link juice is SEO slang for the authority a link passes from one page to another. How it flows, what limits it and how to make the most of it.
Buying and outsourcing links
How Much Does Link Building Cost? Prices and Packages Compared
What link building costs in 2026, by link type, with published prices from named providers, typical monthly budgets and what drives the price up.
Is It Safe to Buy Backlinks? The Risks and How to Vet a Site
Google's spam policies prohibit paid links that pass ranking credit. What that means in practice, the real risks, and how careful buyers vet a site.
Outsourcing Link Building: In-House, Freelancer, Agency or Platform?
How to outsource link building, comparing in-house, freelancers, agencies and platforms on cost, control and risk, plus what to ask before you hire.
White Label Link Building: How It Works for Agencies
White label link building lets agencies resell links under their own brand. How the order flow works, pricing, margins and how to choose a provider.
Link Building Marketplaces: How They Work and When to Use One
How link building and guest post marketplaces work, what they cost, how they compare with managed services and agencies, and how to pick sites safely.
Free Backlinks That Are Actually Worth Having
Free backlinks worth your time, from partner pages and unlinked mentions to local citations, ranked by effort and value, plus the free links to avoid.
Link building strategies
See all 17 →Blogger Outreach: How It Works and When to Use a Service
Blogger outreach means pitching relevant bloggers for a link or mention. How the process works, what services do, and how to tell good outreach from bad.
Guest Posting: How It Works, What Google Says and What It Costs
Guest posting means writing an article for another site in exchange for a link. What Google says about it, how to find good sites, and what it costs.
Niche Edits (Link Insertions): How They Work and the Risks
A niche edit, or link insertion, is a link added to an existing article on another site. How they work, how to vet them, the risks and the costs.
Digital PR for Links: How Campaigns Work, With Examples
Digital PR earns links by giving journalists stories worth covering. How a digital PR campaign works, the main campaign types, and what to expect.
Media Placements and Press Release Backlinks: What Works
Media placements get your brand into news sites and publications. Earned coverage vs paid placements vs press releases, and what each is worth for SEO.
Directory Links: Which Directory Submissions Still Help SEO
Directory links come from listing your site in online directories. Which directory submissions still help SEO, and which ones Google calls spam.
Link building by industry
See all 12 →Local Link Building: How Local Businesses Earn Links That Rank
Local link building explained: where local SEO backlinks come from, which ones help the map pack, and how a local business can earn them on a small budget.
Local Citations: What They Are and How to Build Them
Local citations are mentions of your business name, address and phone number online. How citation building works and why NAP consistency matters.
SaaS Link Building: Getting Links to the Pages That Sell
SaaS link building done properly: how software companies earn links to feature, comparison and integration pages, not just the blog, and what agencies do.
Link Building for Lawyers and Law Firms
Link building for lawyers and law firms: the legal directories, bar associations and expert commentary that earn links, and the advertising rules.
Ecommerce Link Building: How Online Stores Earn Links
Ecommerce link building explained: how online stores earn backlinks when product pages won't, and how to pass that authority to category pages.
Link Building for Dentists: A Guide for Dental Practices
Link building for dentists: the local, professional and clinical sources that earn a dental practice links, and the advertising rules to follow.
Links and AI search
See all 4 →Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): What It Is and What Works
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is optimising content to be cited in AI answers. What the research shows, how it differs from SEO and where links fit.
How to Rank in AI Overviews (and Google's AI Mode)
How to rank in AI Overviews: what Google says about eligibility, which pages get cited according to Ahrefs data, and where backlinks fit in.
LLM SEO: How to Get Cited by ChatGPT and Other AI Assistants
LLM SEO is getting your brand mentioned and cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI assistants. What's documented, what studies show, and tools.
Brand Mentions: Why They Matter for AI Visibility and SEO
Brand mentions are references to your brand on other sites, linked or not. Why they matter for AI visibility, how to earn them and how to monitor them.
Reviews and comparisons
See all 34 →Best Link Building Services, Compared by What You Need
Ten link building services compared on price, minimums, who picks the sites and white label, grouped by use case rather than a ranking.
fatjoe Review: Services, Pricing and Who It Suits
A fair look at fatjoe's link building services, with published prices, turnaround, guarantees, how much control you get and who it suits.
fatjoe vs The HOTH: Which Link Building Service Fits You?
fatjoe and The HOTH compared on link pricing, turnaround, site control, reporting, white label and guarantees, from each company's own site.
uSERP Review: Packages, Pricing and Who It Suits
An independent uSERP review covering its link building packages, published monthly pricing, contract terms, reporting and who the agency suits.
Best Link Building Agencies, Grouped by Budget and Fit
Eight link building agencies and managed services compared on monthly minimums, contracts, site control and white label, organised by use case.
fatjoe vs Loganix: Managed Outreach or Approve-Your-Sites?
fatjoe vs Loganix compared on pricing, site approval, marketplace access, turnaround, white label reporting and link guarantees.