The most reliable way to get backlinks to your site in 2026 is to make something worth citing, then put it in front of the sites that would cite it. In practice that means eight methods: guest posts on relevant blogs, broken link building, the skyscraper technique, digital PR, original data, reclaiming unlinked mentions, resource-page outreach and free tools. This guide explains how to get backlinks with each one, how to judge a link before you chase it, and which tactics can hurt you.
These are the strategies that you can use to create links that will result in sustainable, long-term growth in your SEO efforts, regardless of whether you're a small business in Massachusetts, or an online company that services customers nationwide.
What Is a Backlink and Why Does It Still Matter in 2026?
The definition of a backlink is a link from one site to another site, in this case, the other site being your site. That's all it is.
For instance, whenever a blog posts about your company and connects to your home page, you have obtained a backlink. Any review you find on an online magazine with a link to your site is a backlink as well.
Why do all SEOers pay so much attention to them?
Google says it has systems that look at how pages link to each other to work out what pages are about, and it still lists PageRank among its core ranking systems. It also finds most new pages through links from pages it has already crawled. Google has no way to know which businesses are trustworthy for millions of users, so it has to go by what's on the web. Having an important or popular site link to your pages is one sign that your content is valuable and should be shared with others.
Of course, not all backlinks are equal. A link from a reputable industry site is more important than a dozen links from any low quality random site. Overall, you will have better chances of ranking higher in search results if you have more quality backlinks.
Links matter beyond rankings too. When reputable sites mention or link to your business, people who read those sites, and the AI tools that summarize them, are more likely to come across your name.
That is, backlinks are not just for the purpose of ranking. They also help shape the perception of your business when users find you online, as they increasingly find answers from AI than from traditional search results.
Dofollow vs. Nofollow Links (and Why Both Matter)
Not every link passes the same signals, and this trips up a lot of beginners. A normal link, often called "dofollow," is one Google can follow and count. Site owners can add a rel attribute to tell Google more about a link. Google asks sites to mark paid or sponsored links with sponsored, user-generated links such as comments and forum posts with ugc, and other links they don't want to vouch for with nofollow. Google says links with these attributes generally won't be followed.
That doesn't make them worthless. A nofollow link from a busy, relevant site can still send visitors who read about you, remember you, and sometimes link to you properly later. Aim for a natural mix rather than chasing dofollow links only.
How to Tell If a Backlink Is Actually Worth Pursuing
Not every backlink is worth your time. Chasing the wrong ones can waste hours and sometimes even hurt your site. Before you reach out to anyone, check the quality of the backlink you're after with these five quick questions.
- Is the website actually related to your industry? A link from a site that talks about something completely different won't carry much weight, even if that site is well known.
- Does the site get real visitors? A high authority score means nothing if nobody actually reads the page. Check whether it shows up in search results or has genuine traffic. Authority scores like Domain Authority are third-party metrics, not Google's (see Myth #9).
- Is the link placed inside the content, not buried in a sidebar or footer? Links that sit naturally within an article carry far more value than ones tucked away where readers rarely look.
- Does the anchor text sound natural? If every link pointing to your site uses the same keyword-stuffed phrase, it can look manipulative to Google rather than genuine. Google's own advice is that anchor text should be descriptive, reasonably concise and relevant, and that cramming keywords into it is a spam-policy violation.
- Is it dofollow, or at least worth the visibility? Dofollow links carry more direct ranking value, but a relevant nofollow link from a well-trafficked site is still worth having.
If an opportunity checks most of these boxes, go after it. If it checks none, skip it and save your energy for a better one.
8 Proven Ways to Get Backlinks
Now for the part you actually came here for. These eight methods for building backlinks aren't shortcuts. They work because they give website owners a real reason to link to you.
Guest Posting on Relevant, Active Blogs
Create content for a blog or news site your users visit regularly, and include a natural link back to your site. The trick is to choose those blogs which are current and not those that haven't updated for years. When searching for "write for us" in conjunction with your industry, be sure to propose a topic they've never discussed before instead of pushing to the top of the pile to repurpose old material. Keep the link natural. Google's spam policies list links with optimized anchor text in guest posts as link spam, so use your brand name or a plain description rather than a keyword.
Broken Link Building
On each site, there are links that are old and no longer working, which are linked to pages that have been deleted or moved. Find one in your industry and e-mail the owner about it and propose an alternative page. This is a good thing for site owners because you are doing something for them that is beneficial, and they know it.
The Skyscraper Technique
Look for a very popular piece of content in your niche with lots of backlinks, then make it something that is unquestionably better, more comprehensive, more up-to-date, or simply more instructive. When it becomes live, contact the sites that are linking to the original and present them your version. You are not pitching a new idea, you are providing an enhancement on something that they already have found value in linking to.
Digital PR and Journalist Outreach
Journalists always seek out expert quotes for their articles and that's an easy way to get a link from a major publication. These requests are made through sites like Featured.com or Qwoted. Make your pitches concise and to the point—reporters sift through dozens of pitches and only choose to follow up on those that contain the information they are looking for.
Publishing Original Data or Local Research
Run a small survey, pull data from your own clients, or share results from something you tested, then publish what you find. Original information like this gets cited because nobody else has it. Even a simple local survey, like spending habits in your area, can catch the attention of local news and bloggers.
Reclaiming Unlinked Brand Mentions
Sometimes a website talks about your business without actually linking to it. Search your business name in Google to find these mentions, then send a quick, friendly email asking the writer to add a link. Most people are happy to fix this since they already mentioned you; they just forgot the link. While you're at it, look for broken backlinks: links from other sites that point to pages on your site that no longer exist. Redirecting the old URL to the closest live page wins that link back without any outreach.
Resource Page and "Best Of" List Outreach
There are numerous websites with pages that contain useful resources, services and tools for a specific industry. To locate these pages, conduct a search in Google for "[your industry] resources" or "best [your industry] tools," and then contact them and let them know why your business should be included. Stay on topic and limit the length of the post to what is relevant to their readers.
Building Free Tools, Templates, or Calculators
Free tools that solve one small, specific problem tend to get shared and linked to again and again, long after you publish them. Think simple: a checklist, a calculator, a planner, anything your audience would actually bookmark. Once it's live, share it directly with bloggers and sites that cover related topics.
Backlinks for Small and Local Businesses: What's Different
If you're running a local business, you have a few extra link opportunities that bigger companies often overlook. Local newspapers and news sites often cover community events, new store openings, or local milestones, so a quick pitch about something happening at your business can land a real news link. Joining your local chamber of commerce or a business association usually gets you listed on their website too, and that's an easy, legitimate link to start with.
Sponsoring a local event, sports team, or charity drive often comes with a website mention as part of the deal. The same goes for suppliers or partner businesses you already work with, since linking to each other's sites is a natural fit for both of you.
These local links work alongside your Google Business Profile and local SEO efforts, not instead of them. We're based in Massachusetts and use these exact tactics for clients here, but the same approach works no matter where your business is located.
Mistakes and Tactics That Can Hurt You
Some link-building shortcuts do more harm than good. Google's spam policies define link spam as creating links mainly to manipulate rankings. Its examples include buying or selling links for ranking purposes, excessive link exchanges, and using automated programs or services to create links. Private blog networks, networks of low-quality sites built to link to each other, fall into the same trap.
Two quieter mistakes: using the same keyword as the anchor text on every link, and submitting your site to dozens of random directories outside your field. Both can look manipulative even when each link seems fine on its own.
For links you didn't ask for, Google says that in most cases it can assess which links to trust on its own. Its disavow tool is an advanced feature meant for sites with many spammy links that have caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action. Used carelessly, it can hurt your rankings.
Free and Paid Tools to Find and Track Backlinks
You don't need expensive software to get started, but a few tools make the process much easier.
| Tool | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Seeing the backlinks you already have | Free |
| Ubersuggest | Beginners checking competitor links | Free tier available |
| Moz Link Explorer | A quick look at domain authority and link counts | Free tier available |
| Ahrefs / Semrush | Deep competitor research and tracking links over time | Paid |
Google Search Console's Links report shows a sample of your backlink profile, not every link, so use it for trends and a paid tool for full counts.
If you're just starting out, Google Search Console and Ubersuggest will cover most of what you need. Once you're running a steady link-building campaign, upgrading to Ahrefs or Semrush makes the research a lot faster.
How Long Does It Take to See Results from Backlinks?
Usually longer than people hope. Google first has to recrawl the page that links to you, which alone can take days or weeks, and then weigh the link alongside everything else it knows about both sites. Competitive industries take longer still. Our guide to how long SEO results take breaks down what to expect at each stage.
When it comes to getting quality links, it's better to get one from a relevant, trusted site than ten that are of low quality. Don't rush, build gradually, and results will come with time.
If you would rather have link building done for you, see our SEO services.
FAQs
How many backlinks do I need to rank?
There's no magic number. A handful of high-quality, relevant links can outperform hundreds of weak ones, so focus on quality over count.
Are backlinks still important in 2026?
Yes. They remain one of the strongest trust signals for Google, and they're now also shaping how AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini describe your business.
Can I get backlinks for free?
Definitely. Guest posting, broken link building, and reclaiming unlinked mentions cost nothing but time and a few well-written emails.
Is buying backlinks ever safe?
No. Google treats buying links for ranking purposes as link spam. Paid placements are fine only when they're marked with rel="sponsored" or nofollow, which means they're not passing ranking value anyway.
Final Thoughts
Backlinks take real time and effort to do right, and that's exactly where most business owners get stuck. If you'd rather focus on running your business while a team handles the outreach and tracking for you, Vortex Web Innovate offers a free backlink audit to show you exactly where you stand. Reach out, and let's talk about what your website actually needs.
