There’s no secret method. Every way of getting backlinks costs either time, money or both. These are the ones we see working, with their trade-offs.
1. Make something worth linking to
Original data, a useful tool, a calculator, a guide that’s genuinely better than what ranks now. Slow to pay off, but the links keep coming.
2. Digital PR
Pitch a story or data to journalists. When it lands, you get links from strong news sites. Hit-and-miss, and takes skill.
3. Guest posts
Write a useful article for another site in your niche. Works well when the site is relevant. You can pitch editors yourself or buy guest posts on a marketplace.
4. Link insertions
Get your link added to an existing article that fits. Faster than guest posts. See niche edits.
5. Broken link building
Find dead links on other sites, offer your page as a replacement. Labour-intensive, but site owners often appreciate it.
6. Unlinked brand mentions
Search for mentions of your brand that don’t link to you and ask for a link. Easy wins if you’re already being talked about.
7. Partnerships and suppliers
Suppliers, clients, associations and events you take part in often have a page where they list partners.
What to avoid
PBNs, large-scale link exchanges, comment spam and cheap link packages. They might work for a while, until they don’t.