When I first started developing link-building strategies, I found it incredibly overwhelming. The challenge of identifying valuable opportunities without wasting resources was scary.

In this guide, I'll share the roadmap I used to simplify the process and create effective link building strategies that exceed expectations.

Link building is about acquiring links from external sites, carefully considering the anchor text, destination URL, and the linking page's context. This strategy tells search engines the relevance and authority of your pages.

Similar to how academic citations enhance a study's credibility, backlinks guide search engines in navigating the web, allowing them to understand content quality and authority based on link quality and volume.

Link building today is diverse and incorporates various strategies. Through my experience, I've found several approaches that consistently yield the best results.

Guest Posting

I frequently use guest posting, which involves writing content for another website with the opportunity to link back to my site either within the content or through my author bio.

Guest posting works best under specific conditions:

• The host site is relevant to your niche, either directly or indirectly. For instance, if my client was a protein supplement business, I look for nutrition or general fitness sites.

• You cover a niche or topic that hasn’t been extensively covered on the host site, providing them with valuable and unique content.

• Establishing a working relationship with the editors makes life easier, and the process moves quickly.

• The site draws traffic and possesses robust backlinks. You can verify these metrics using tools like Moz Link Explorer.

Moz is beneficial for guest posting due diligence. Before making any pitches, I use it to assess the SEO metrics of potential host sites. This helps me understand the value I bring to their site with my guest post and what I gain in terms of SEO equity and potential referral traffic.

In the example above, I’m considering pitching a guest post to Calorie King and Cronometer, two similar health and fitness websites. I use Moz to evaluate which site will likely provide more value based on its Domain Authority, link profile, and spam score.

However, success hinges on the site’s willingness to engage. As a rule of thumb, I try to:

• Budget beforehand for each guest post opportunity

• Adhere to the site’s content standards

• Stay ready for the possibility that links may not endure. Websites can change ownership, shut down, or remove links for various reasons.

Digital PR

Digital PR is a newer form of link building that involves pitching unique stories to journalists. These journalists then publish articles that link to your website, usually the home page.

For digital PR to work, I've found it essential to have valid, timely data and a compelling narrative that journalists will find interesting. I often employ seasonality to increase my chances of coverage — for example, pitching chocolate-related stories around Valentine’s Day.

However, reaching journalists is a crucial challenge as they often receive a high volume of pitches.

So, here are some strategies that work when pitching journalists as part of a Digital PR campaign:

• Start with unique insights or fresh data that provide real value and can serve as the cornerstone of your campaign

• Reach out to relevant journalists who cover stories within your niche

• Keep your pitches short and to the point, focusing on why your story matters

• Always explain how you gathered your data or insights to add credibility to your pitch

Here’s an example of a reactive digital PR email that has worked for us at StudioHawk. Shoutout to Janine Tan Pacis, our Digital PR Executive at StudioHawk, for doing great work.

Unlinked brand mentions

Discovering instances where your brand is mentioned online without a backlink provides valuable opportunities for link acquisition.

To locate these mentions, I use Google Search operators to filter out mentions of "Studiohawk" that don't include our domain, like using the query “studiohawk -studiohawk.co.uk.” Next, I review each SERP result manually to check indexed pages where our brand is mentioned without a link, which is ideal for follow-up.

Also, I've set up Google Alerts for "Studiohawk" to receive real-time notifications of new mentions. This proactive approach allows me to reach out quickly to request links.

Here's how I handle unlinked mentions:

• I automate monitoring using Google Alerts to stay on top of new mentions.

• Upon finding an unlinked mention, I express gratitude and kindly ask if they could add a link to our website.

• I also check for mentions that only link to our social media and ask to include our website for a more direct connection.

Expert commentary

Expert commentary is a powerful way to establish authority in your field. You can provide journalists with insights on relevant topics through platforms like Connectively.

When journalists seek expert opinions, I respond quickly with detailed, insightful commentary and contact details. This positions me as a thought leader, often leading to high-quality backlinks when publishing my contributions.

Here are my best practices for engaging in expert commentary:

• Focus on topics where I have genuine expertise to ensure the quality and accuracy of my contributions.

• Respond quickly, as journalists often operate under tight deadlines and receive numerous submissions.

• Include comprehensive information about my qualifications and how to contact me, making it easier for journalists to verify my credentials and include me in their pieces.

Now that you understand more about different link building approaches, it’s time to start developing your strategy. I have set out a 4-step approach that follows The Teammate Technique, a link building technique I created.

Step 1: Establish your assets

First, I review the existing content on a client's site to identify high-quality pieces that offer value. This could be anything from in-depth blog posts to comprehensive guides.

Next, I assess what makes these contents valuable. Is it their depth of information, the unique insights they provide, or their practical applications? For instance, if a client has a sports website, a valuable piece might be a detailed blog post about different stages of marathon training, complete with recovery techniques, infographics, and videos. This type of content educates and engages their audience.

With an understanding of what existing content can serve as linkable assets, I also consider if there’s a need to create new content that could attract links.

Types of linkable assets I create include:

• Research reports that offer new, exciting data.

• Data-driven case studies that showcase real-world applications of a service or product.

• Evergreen content that continues to be relevant over time.

• Visual content like infographics.

• Interactive tools or calculators that help the user complete a task or implement what they’re learning.

Find out more about building links to linkable assets on the Moz blog.

Step 2: Prospecting

Prospecting is a crucial step in developing a link-building strategy for my clients. It involves identifying the right websites that align with my client’s niche and have content gaps we can fill.

Here’s how I approach prospecting:

I start by using Google Search operators to find relevant websites. For example, suppose my client’s site is about sports, specifically marathon training. In that case, I might use queries like intitle:marathon training -recovery plan -"injury" to find sites that discuss marathon training but may lack content on post-race recovery or injury prevention.

Once I have a list of potential websites, I use Moz Link Explorer to evaluate link profiles and Keyword Explorer to identify content gaps.

Tools like Email Extractor for Chrome, RocketReach, or Hunter.io are invaluable for finding contact information. With the right contacts and an understanding of the website’s content gaps, I plan personalized outreach messages that explain how my client’s content can add value to their site and fill the identified gaps.

Don’t forget to:

• Look at the websites manually to see if they cover your niche in depth

• Check if the website has a social media presence, indicating an active and engaged audience.

• Check that credible authors, not AI-generated, write the content on the target sites.

Step 3: Outreach

Outreach is where the real magic happens in link building. I want my email to be picked from a sea of generic pitches.

Here’s the essence of an outreach approach that has proven successful for me:

Start with genuine engagement: My emails start by commenting on something specific to the recipient. Maybe it's a recent article they published, a notable achievement, or something they said at a conference to show genuine interest in their work.

Offer value before asking: Instead of immediately asking for a link, I offer something of value. This could be an insight, detailed analysis, or an additional resource that complements what the publisher already has. This approach fosters a relationship rather than appearing transactional.

Follow up wisely: If I don't receive a response, I’ll send a follow-up email that’s slightly more direct but still rooted in offering value. I personalize these follow-ups to maintain the initial tone of helpfulness and collaboration.

Step 4: Link monitoring

Once I secure backlinks, I meticulously track them. Monitoring these links helps me identify trends and determine the most beneficial partnerships. I also try to diversify my backlink profile and keep sourcing links from multiple relevant sites.

A few link metrics to track include:

• Domains that have linked to you

• Domain Authority to determine the ​quality or trustworthiness of the backlink

• Where the links point to (destination URL) so you understand your best linkable assets

• The anchor text describing the linked content

• Link acquisition date

• Real-time status of the link (whether it has disappeared or remains online)

There are ways you can automate some of these processes within Google Sheets App Scripts, as you’ll see in this link reclamation guide from Hunter.io’s Antonio Gabric.

As link building becomes increasingly challenging, strategies that once worked effortlessly, like simple directory submissions or article exchanges, are no longer effective. Today, the process demands a more meticulous approach to identifying valuable assets, selecting the right prospects, and differentiating your efforts from a flood of spam.

Adopt a structured method like The Teammate Technique and follow the detailed strategies I've shared to improve your outreach efforts and boost your chances of success.