Why links still matter
Links have been part of how search engines judge importance since the original PageRank paper. Two decades and thousands of updates later, they still matter, but the way they matter has changed.
Search engines now evaluate links with far more context: is the linking site relevant to yours? Does it have real readers? Was the link given editorially, or was it placed in exchange for money or a reciprocal link? Google's spam systems are designed to neutralize links that fail those tests, which is why many old-school campaigns now produce nothing at all.
There's also a new reason to care. AI assistants and Google's AI Overviews rely heavily on what trusted third-party sites say about a brand. The same editorial mentions that build link authority also shape whether ChatGPT or Gemini recommends you.
Tactics that are dead (or dangerous)
If a provider offers any of the following, walk away:
- Link exchanges and three-way swaps. "You link to me, I'll link to you" schemes at scale are explicitly called out in Google's spam policies.
- Directory and article submission blasts. Hundreds of low-quality directories and article farms add no value and can look manipulative.
- Private blog networks (PBNs). Networks of sites built only to pass links are a primary target of link spam detection.
- Paid links without disclosure. Paying for a link that passes ranking credit violates search engine guidelines. Paid placements should use
rel="sponsored". - Sitewide footer and sidebar links. Rented "text link ads" are a relic of the 2000s and are easy to detect.
What works now
1. Digital PR
Pitch journalists with stories they want to cover: original data, surveys, expert commentary on trending news, or useful tools. A single successful campaign can earn links from dozens of real publications.
2. Linkable assets
Create something worth referencing: an industry benchmark report, a calculator, a definitive guide or a free template. Then promote it to the people who write about your topic.
3. Expert contributions
Answer journalist requests, contribute genuine guest articles to relevant publications and appear on podcasts. The goal is expertise and audience first; the link is a by-product.
4. Unlinked mention reclamation
Find places that already mention your brand without linking and politely ask them to add the link. Conversion rates are high because the relationship already exists.
5. Local and partner links
Suppliers, partners, associations, chambers of commerce, sponsorships and local press are relevant, trusted and often overlooked.
How to judge a link opportunity
Forget third-party authority scores as your only filter. Ask four questions:
- Relevance: would your customers plausibly read this site?
- Real traffic: does the site rank for anything and have an audience?
- Editorial standards: does it publish everything, or does it choose?
- Placement: is the link inside useful content, in context, rather than in a footer or a "sponsors" list?
A handful of links that pass these tests will outperform hundreds that don't.
How many links do you need?
There's no magic number. Look at the pages that rank above you for your target keywords and compare their referring domains, relevance and content quality. Often the gap is smaller than you think, and sometimes the real problem is content or technical health, not links. That's why we always start with an audit.
FAQ
Is link building against Google's guidelines?
No. Earning links is fine. Buying links that pass ranking credit, exchanging links at scale or using link networks violates Google's spam policies.
Should I disavow old spammy links?
Usually not. Google generally ignores spammy links automatically. Disavowing is mainly for sites with a manual action or a clear, large-scale history of paid or manipulative links.