How to Make Backlinks: A Simple Guide for Beginners

Backlinks are like votes of confidence for your website. The more quality backlinks you have from trustworthy sites, the more Google sees your content as valuable—and the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.

If you’re new to SEO, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll walk through how to make backlinks in a way that’s simple, smart, and totally doable, even if you're just starting out.

What Are Backlinks, and Why Do They Matter?

A backlink (also called an inbound link) is when another website links to yours. It’s like someone saying, “Hey, check this out—it’s worth your time.”

Here’s why backlinks matter:

Boost rankings on Google and other search engines.
Drive referral traffic from other websites.
Build credibility in your industry or niche.

Not all backlinks are equal, though. Quality beats quantity. A few strong links from trusted websites are way more powerful than dozens of spammy ones.

Key Qualities of a Good Backlink

Before we jump into how to make backlinks, let’s understand what makes a backlink “good” for SEO:

Relevance: Is the linking site related to your topic?
Authority: Is the linking site trustworthy with solid domain authority?
Placement: Is the link in the body of the content, or buried in a footer?
Anchor Text: Does the clickable text use relevant keywords?

Now let’s dive into the real stuff—how to actually get those backlinks.

10 Easy and Effective Ways to Make Backlinks

Here are ten tried-and-true backlink strategies that work in 2025 and beyond.

1. Create High-Value Content People Want to Link To

This is the foundation. No one links to boring, thin, or outdated content.

What works well:

In-depth guides
Stats and research
Case studies
Infographics
Original insights

2. Guest Posting on Relevant Blogs

Guest posting is when you write a blog post for someone else’s website—and in return, you usually get a backlink to your own.

How to start:

Search for guest post opportunities with terms like:
- “write for us”
- “submit a guest post”
- “contribute + [your niche]”
Reach out with a friendly pitch
Provide valuable, non-promotional content

Just keep it real. Avoid spammy mass emails and focus on quality blogs in your niche.

3. Use HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

HARO connects journalists with expert sources. If you provide a helpful quote, they may feature you—and give you a backlink.

Steps:

Sign up for HARO (it’s free)
Respond quickly to relevant queries
Be clear, concise, and helpful

This is great for building backlinks from high-authority news sites like Forbes, HubSpot, or Business Insider.

4. Reclaim Lost or Broken Links

Sometimes websites link to your content—but the link breaks later on (maybe the URL changed or the page got deleted).

Use tools like:

Ahrefs (Broken Link Checker)
SEMrush
Broken Link Checker by Dr. Link Check

Reach out to site owners and kindly ask them to update the link. You’re helping them fix a dead link—win-win.

5. Build Relationships with Other Website Owners

Real connections often lead to natural backlinks.

Ways to build relationships:

Join niche Facebook or LinkedIn groups
Comment on relevant blog posts
Share other creators’ content
Feature them in your content (they may return the favor)

SEO isn’t just about links—it’s about people. Be helpful, and backlinks will follow.

6. Use Resource Pages

Resource pages are blog posts or landing pages that link to helpful tools, guides, or services.

How to find them: Search on Google:
"best [topic] resources" or "useful [industry] tools"

Example:

“Best language learning resources for beginners”
“Top small business SEO tools in 2025”

Reach out and suggest your content as a valuable addition.

7. Turn Mentions into Links

Sometimes, someone mentions your brand, product, or website—but doesn’t link to it.

Use tools like:

Google Alerts
BrandMentions
Mention.com

When you spot a mention, email the site owner and politely ask them to add a link. They’ve already mentioned you, so it’s an easy ask.

8. Skyscraper Technique

Coined by Brian Dean, this strategy involves:

Finding a piece of popular content with lots of backlinks
Creating a better version (more up-to-date, more detailed, better visuals)
Reaching out to those who linked to the original and suggesting your improved content

Yes, it takes time—but it works really well if your content stands out.

9. Write Testimonials or Reviews

Many websites love showing off customer feedback.

If you use a tool, software, or service, offer to write a testimonial in exchange for a link back to your website.

Bonus: It’s a white-hat, ethical link-building method that builds trust too.

10. Share Your Content in Communities

Don’t just hit “publish” and wait. Share your work!

Best places to share:

Quora (answer relevant questions)
Reddit (if you're careful and genuine)
Facebook/LinkedIn groups
Forums in your niche
Slack groups or Discord channels

Focus on being helpful, not salesy. Add value to the conversation and drop your link only when it’s truly relevant.

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