This is a complete list of link building tactics. This is not a recommended list of tactics, it exists solely for the purpose of education. There are link building tactics listed below that are known to no longer be worthwhile or of much value for SEO in general. We have described how to use some of these tactics or linked to more detailed documentation where available.

Link building or Link earning is a required part of any Search Engine Optimization campaign and often has a broad reach across digital marketing diciplines leveraging various forms of content, outreach, tools, and platforms to be successful. You may not be equipped or capable of some link building tactics, others may be incredibly expensive, and still others may be nearly impossible for your target website or industry. Selecting the appropriate link building or link earning tactics to pursue can lead to major increases in search engine ranking driving high levels of quality web traffic, give a boost to branding efforts, drive new sales or lead generation, assist paid search and social campaigns, and even help PR and social media campaigns.

List of Link Building Tactics

1. Photo Credit Link Building – A tactic that leverages the creation of unique photography, graphics, and illustrations to drive high-quality links through attribution requirements.

2. Guest Blog Posting – Write as a guest author for other websites that have readership and are in a similar industry. Write something that is useful for the audience and include one or two links to related content on your website and/or gain a link from the author bio included at the bottom of the post.

3. Surveys for Link Building – Create a survey using any online survey tool and gather data about a subject related to your audience from participants. Gather enough data to make your survey statistically relevant and publish the results using quality graphics.

4. Scientific Research Link Building – Perform unique scientific research on the microbiology, physics, medical, psychology, or other types of scienctific impacts of your product, industry, or related products on your potential audience or on their environment.

5. Unique Reasearch Link Building – Perform a unique research study such as testing how an online algorithm behaves in certain ways or how consumers react in certain situations.

6. Statistics Page Link Building – Create a page that collects statistics on one related subject matter for your industry or your target audience and keep it maintained and updated.

7. Resource Page Link Building – Create a page that curates resources for a specific usage case or for a specific portion of your target audience.

8. Broken Link Building – Find broken links on other websites, notify the maintainer of those websites, and recommend they update those broken links with a link to similar content on your website.

9. Unlinked Brand Mentions – Use tools to find mentions of your brand across the internet. Where possible reach out and see if you can gain links to your brand name from those mentions.

10. Content Curation for Link Building – Select a topic and curate it excessively on your blog or on a dedicated microsite.

11. Facebook Meme Page Link Building – Create a Facebook meme page and build an audience to it using Facebook’s paid tools. Post links to your related content periodically to gain exposure to this large audience.

12. Facebok Boosting for Links – Create a custom audience targeting writers, bloggers, and journalists interested in similar topics or your industry. Boost posts that contain links to your content to this audience.

13. Press Release Distribution for Links – Do something you believe is noteworthy and then purchase press release distribution to try and gain organic mentions in articles on news websites.

14. Ghost Blogging – Write a guest blog post with links to your content and send it to a website without prior authorization using a pseudonym and throwaway email address. Ask them to publish the post under their name.

15. Media Outreach for Link Building – Find journalists contact information that have written about your subject in the past and send them a quick pitch on your recent / noteworthy content asking them to consider using it in the future. You may also avail yourself as a future resource.

16. Inbound Digital PR – Using tools like HARO, PR Hunters, and SourceBottle find inbound requests from journalists and bloggers that are looking for sources, content, and comments in upcoming articles.

17. Content Expert – Using your own website or a hosted platform such as YouTube publish extensive and high-quality content on every potential topic in your target niche. Content must be in-depth or of extremely high value. Then either organically be placed on “top” lists in your industry or pay to obtain this inclusion.

18. Podcasting for Link Building – Put together a podcast your target audience might enjoy. Use this to build links to your content from your podcasting host and from your listeners.

19. YouTube for Link Building – Build a YouTube channel that is either higher entertaining, highly informative, or both on a topic your target audience is interested in. Make sure to write content on your website that you can cite in your videos. Place links to cited sources in your video descriptions.

20. Twitter for Link Building – Using a Twitter account to talk about one subject only over and over. May even make use of Promote Mode or other paid tools to help promote the content. Make sure to tweet out links to your website and content as well.

21. Footer Credit Link Building – A tactic used mostly by web designers to place a branded link to their website in the footer of every client’s website.

22. Free WordPress Theme for Link Building – Create a free WordPress theme your target audience might like. Include a link to your website in the footer’s copyright or credit section.

23. WordPress Plugin Development – Create a free WordPress plugin. In the description portion include relevant links to your website. Create a page about the plugin on your website and promote it.

24. Article Marketing – When you write a low quality article that includes links to your site and submit to a website that automatically publishes it.

25. PBN Link Building – Create a medium-sized to incredibly large system of blogs or other content websites. Using low cost writers have content spun or uniquely written for each one. Use every site in the network regardless of topic to link to your website and/or client websites.

26. Badge Link Building – Create a digital award system or validation system and give those included access to embed codes to add badges to their website to show off the acclaim. Use those badges to link to your website.

27. Data Visualization for Link Building – Create awe inspiring data visualizations on your website based on public datasets. Drive links from news sources and social discussions about the visualizations.

28. Infographics for Link Building – Take various data points and imporant pieces of information to create helpful infographics on related subjects.

29. Link Reclamation – Find links to your website that have recently been removed and request that they be re-added.

30. Make a Better Piece of Content – Find a piece of content on the web that has a lot of valuable links but that is outdated, incomplete, inaccurate, or just poorly done. Create a better or the best version possible of that piece of content then reach out to everyone who linked to the poorly done piece to see if they will consider linking to your better version instead.

31. Use RSS Syndication Websites – Some websites find RSS feeds of related content to pull in and automaticaly link to. By using various blog syndication and RSS syndication websites you can ensure you have the opportunity to gain these links.

32. Content Parternships – Find related but non-competitive businesses and websites on the web and work out a content partership with them. For example if you find a YouTube channel with a strong website you might promote their YouTube videos on your socials and your blog in exchange for their publishing content on your behalf or citing your content in their videos.

33. Be a Podcast Guest – Podcasts sometimes have websites of their own and link to the websites of their guests.

34. Give to local charity – Donated to local charities, non-profits, and silent auctions. Sometimes these give out links for helping them reach their goals.

35. Put together or Participate in a charitable event – The more heartwarming the more likely the local press will pick up the story. For example a group of businesses getting together to remodel a home for a recent handicapped child.

36. Answer Questions in Online Communities – First you have to answer a question on your website, then you can look for people asking the same question on social media sites like Reddit and Quora and on web forums. Answer the question by quoting or referring to your full answer on the website and provide the link as a source.

37. Ask For Links – If you have friends or family with relevant, valuable, and related websites ask how you can gain a link from them.

38. Provide Discounts – Create a discount program and offer discounts to various groups of people.

39. Support Crowdfunded Projects – Support a crowdfunded project that provides a link back as part of a “shoutout” or “thank you”.

40. Host an Event – Host an event at your place of business and gain links from public event calendars, news media, and industry websites.

41. Business Directory Listings – Submit your physical business information (Name, Address, Phone Number) to business directoy websites like Yelp, BBB, and the Yellow Pages to gain links from those websites.

42. Use Your Email Signature for Links – Place links to fresh, important, or valuable content in your email signature.

43. Create an Internship – Create an internship program and get listed on local college websites.

44. Promote Job Listings – Promote your open positions across as many websites as possible to gain links.

45. Create Useful Powerpoint Presentations – Place them on Slideshare or eDocr and gain links.

46. Create an Ultimate Guide to Something – Create an ultimate guide for something your target audience needs. Make sure this is incredibly thorough, cites all references, and includes custom imagery.

47. Create a Browser Extension or Addon – By making a browser extension or addon you’ll be able to gain links to your website from various sources related to the subject of the extension / addon.

48. City Rankings – Create a ranking of various cities based on specific criteria. This increases the chances of getting links from local publishers who wish to make it a point of civic pride or a of civic scorn.

49. Space Dive Link Building – A Space Dive is something currently at the far edge of possibilities for your brand or industry that is often breathtaking and inspriational.

50. Contribute to Wikipedia – Create a Wikipedia account and start helping update pages on various topics related to your niche. Gradually introduce links to content on your website as citations or references.

51. Get a Wikipedia Page – Getting a Wikipedia page can be incredibly difficult, but rewarding in terms of inbound links.

52. Be an Innovator – By being an industry innovator and making that known a website or brand can generate a lot of inbound links.

53. Predict the Future – Create an outlandish future prediction like the apartment building attached to an orbiting apartment building.

54. Blog Comment Link Building – Gain links by commenting on other blogs.

55. Create a Free or Freemium Web Tool – Internet users love useful things. Create a useful web tool on your website or app that your target audience will want to use and talk about.

56. Review Something – Review something relevant to your audience on your website, YouTube channel, or podcast.

57. Create a Visual Map – Find what people in certain geographic areas prefer the most, put those on a map, and spread the word.

58. Make a Free Google Sheets resource – Create a template or code that others can copy and use on Google Sheets (Google Drive).

59. Interview and Industry Expert – Do a written or email interview with an expert in your industry and publish it on your website.

60. Get HARO Users to Write Your Article – Crowdsource an article from HARO respondees and then ask them to link to it.

61. Make How To Graphics – Create graphics that tell users how to do something.

62. Write a Tutorial – Write a tutorial specifcally about something, give step-by-step instructions.

63. Take the Opposing Viewpoint – By taking an opposing side on an industry issue you may gain links from journalists trying to cover both sides.

64. Be Controversial – This may damage your brand at times, but by creating a controversy or simply taking more controversial views you can gain links from the media.

65. Create a Corporate Social Responsibility Report – Take a stand with your brand on social or enviromental issues and publish a report about your progress.

66. Create a Glossary of Industry Terms – Industry jargon can often be confusing. Make a glossary to make it easier for newcomers, customers, and outsiders to understand.

67. Purchase an Expriring Domaing – Purchase a valuable domain, recreate any of the content on the site you find valuable, and reach out to websites that linked to that content to get new links to your site.

68. Do Giveaways, Contests, and Raffles – Giving something away is a great way to build new links as it can get the related media talking about your website.

69. Create a Complete List of Something – Build a complete list and keep it up to date.

70. Create Interactive Charts and Graphs – Plot out statistical data on interactive charts and graphs that really grab users attention.

71. Create a Best of List – Rank businesses, apps, websites, tools, or other things related to your industry in an order based on specific criteria.

72. Join an Association – Industry trade associations and local business groups like Chambers of Commerce frequently link out to their members.

73. Get Listed in an Alumni List or Directory – If you graduated college there may be a list of alumni that incudes what businesses they own which includes a link.

74. Make a Calendar – Create a custom calendar of things for your audience to do or complete in the upcoming months or over a specific period of time.

75. Create an Event or Festival Guide – Make a guide to a popular event, conference, or festival in your niche.

76. Product Comparison Link Building – Publish a side by side comparison or two or more similar competing products in your niche.

77. Acquire Content, Websites, Apps, or Companies – Make an acquisition that bolsters your offerings, improves your talent level, or gives you new unique content.

78. Get Investor / Venture Capitalist Funding – When small or startup businesses get funded this often results in media coverage with branded links back to your website.

79. Hire a Known Person in Your Industry – Their salary may come at a higher cost, but often times bigger industry names garner industry media coverage, wider media coverage, and links from related websites to your industry or even competitors.

80. Set a Brazen Goal – Set a goal to accomplish something by a set deadline. Especially in terms of environmental impact, health concerns, technological discovery, or space exploration.

81. Grow Your Twitter Audience – A large Twitter audience of targeted industry related followers can often have result in unexpected link gains by simply tweeting out your content.

82. Do Something Great During or After a Natural Disaster – Mother nature’s fury can strike anywhere at any time. Some brands and small businesses gain major national and local coverage by being prepared to respond and offer aid during or after these disasters.

83. Make an Awesome, Hilarious, or Attention Grabbing Billboard – A great billboard can catch attention from local drivers, go viral on social media, and gain links from the media.

84. Create an Online Course – Make a structured educational course to teach others how to do something.

85. Host a Charity Fundraiser – Use your place of business to host a charity fundraiser (and or pay for the venue to host it).

86. Curate a List of Social Media Posts – Lists of Tweets, Instagram Photos, Facebook Posts, YouTube Videos, and TikTok videos can gain serious links.

87. Allow Customers to Leave Reviews – Online reviews are a form of UGC and when used correctly can encourage other websites to link to yours.

88. Give Away Icon / Graphic Sets – Create customized sets of icons or graphics for other websites to use and gain links from those.

89. Live Blogging – Live blogging a historic occasion or event; or even a conference, sports, or annual event can result in inbound links.

90. Send an Industry Recap Newsletter – A newsletter that recaps recent updates or changes to your industry.

91. Get Mentioned in a Newsletter – Find newsletter you want to be included in and pitch the managers on why they should send your content to their users.

92. Build a Microsite – When done correctly a microsite can attract large volumes of quality inbound links. You can then link to your main site from this microsite.

93. Create a New Holiday – Create a new annual holiday and make a page for it on your website.

94. Create a New Word – Invent a new word, get it listed in online dictionairies, and write about it on your website.

95. Write a Column for a News Website – Agree to write a weekly or monthly column about your industry for an industry or mainstream news website.

96. Support International Small Businesses – Use the website Kiva.org to create a team that helps funds loans for small business owners and farmers around the globe who need help to expand operations and grow. Kiva gives you a nice link on your team page.