Google’s latest algorithm updates, including the ongoing focus on AI-powered search results and Google’s own E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines, have amplified the importance of quality over quantity.
The strategies below are ranked in order of priority, from most impactful to least:
0. Facebook Backlinks (The “Parasite SEO” Playbook)
We’ll start with a new development: as of July 2025, Google officially began indexing and ranking content from public Facebook and Instagram accounts, meaning that posts from these platforms can now appear in Google search results. When you make a Facebook post, they create a standalone page in the background for that page.
This strategy leverages the immense domain authority of Facebook to rank for highly competitive keywords on a platform you control.
- Why it works: When you create a public post on your company’s Facebook page, Google often indexes it as a standalone page. Google uses the first 12-13 words of the post’s content and includes them in the page’s URL and title tag. This can cause these pages to rank extremely well for those specific keywords, often appearing on the first page of search results for branded or niche terms.
- Concrete Example in Action: A boutique coffee brand, Roast & Brew, wants to dominate the search results for its branded terms. The team creates a Facebook post that starts with the phrase: “Roast & Brew announces the launch of our new Sumatra Dark Roast…” Google indexes this post, and it quickly begins to rank on the first page of search results for “Sumatra Dark Roast,” pushing down competitors’ product pages. This tactic allows the brand to control multiple first-page results and build authority.
1. Editorial & Content-Based Backlinks (The “Link-Earning” Strategy)
This is the holy grail of backlinking in 2025. Editorial backlinks are those that are earned naturally because your content is so valuable and unique that other sites want to reference it.
- Why it works: These are the most powerful backlinks because they are a direct signal to Google’s algorithms that your content is authoritative, trustworthy, and a valuable source of information. The content around the link is contextually relevant and a clear endorsement from another site.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- Original Research: A digital marketing agency conducts a survey on the “State of AI in Content Marketing.” They publish the findings on their blog. Media outlets like Search Engine Journal or MarketingProfs would link to this data in their own articles, citing the agency as the original source.
- Interactive Tool: An accounting software company creates a free “Tax Deductions Calculator” for freelancers. Freelance bloggers and financial news sites, such as The Penny Hoarder, would naturally link to the calculator as a helpful tool for their audience.
- Comprehensive Guide: An outdoor gear retailer publishes the “Ultimate Guide to Hiking in the Pacific Northwest.” A local outdoor adventure blog, a travel site like Lonely Planet, or even a city’s tourism website could link to it as a definitive resource.
2. Press & Digital PR Backlinks
Securing media mentions is a direct way to build high-authority backlinks from highly trusted domains like news outlets, magazines, and industry publications.
- Why it works: Links from reputable, high-authority news sites are among the strongest trust signals you can send to Google. They are seen as a third-party endorsement from a widely-recognized source, which is invaluable for E-E-A-T.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- HARO (Help A Reporter Out): A B2B cybersecurity company sees a HARO request from a journalist at Wired who is writing about the latest ransomware trends. The company’s CEO provides a detailed quote and is then cited as an expert source in the final article, with a link to their website.
- Reactive PR: A new regulation is announced in the e-commerce sector. A digital agency specializing in e-commerce quickly writes a blog post analyzing the impact of the regulation and pitches it to editors at TechCrunch and Retail Dive, positioning themselves as a go-to source for commentary. The pitch is successful, and an editor links to their analysis.
- Press Release: A sustainable fashion brand partners with a well-known environmental non-profit. They issue a press release that is picked up by a publication like Vogue Business, which writes a short piece on the collaboration and links to the brand’s website.
3. Guest Post Backlinks (The Strategic Approach)
Guest posting remains a valid and powerful strategy, but the focus has shifted entirely away from volume. The new rule is: guest post only on sites that are highly relevant, have real traffic, and provide a legitimate audience for your content.
- Why it works: When done correctly, guest posting allows you to get a contextual link from a relevant site with a high domain authority. The link is placed naturally within an article that provides value to the reader, fulfilling the core principle of a good backlink.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- Pitching Relevant Sites: A graphic design agency specializing in branding pitches a guest post to a blog like HubSpot or Creative Bloq. The article, titled “The Psychology of Color in Brand Design,” includes a case study from the agency, with a natural link back to their portfolio page.
- Link Insertions on Aged Posts: A content marketing expert finds a popular, older article on Forbes titled “10 Ways to Improve Your SEO.” The expert emails the editor, offering to update the article with a new section on the importance of E-E-A-T, and requests a link insertion to a relevant guide on their site.
- Writing for a High-Authority Publication: A thought leader in the fintech space writes an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal’s opinion section, which includes a link in the author’s bio to their professional blog.
4. Community & Relationship-Based Backlinks
This strategy is about actively participating in your community and building connections. These links often come from niche forums, Q&A sites, or through professional collaborations.
- Why it works: Links from online communities, forums, or Q&A platforms can be highly relevant and drive targeted referral traffic. They demonstrate that your brand is an active and helpful participant in your industry.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- Quora: A marketing consultant finds a question on Quora asking, “What are the best SEO tools for small businesses?” They write a detailed, helpful response that lists and compares several tools. At the end of the answer, they add: “For a more in-depth comparison, I’ve written a full review on my blog here,” with a link to their article. This works because the primary focus is on providing value, not spam.
- Reddit: A software developer identifies an active subreddit like
r/webdev. A user asks for advice on optimizing a website’s speed. The developer provides a comprehensive answer, outlining common issues and solutions. They then link to a specific, non-promotional tool or a detailed tutorial on their own site that solves the problem mentioned in the post. The link is not the main point but is a helpful addition to the answer. - Expert Interview: An expert in artificial intelligence is invited to be a guest on a podcast focused on technology trends. The podcast’s show notes, which are published on their website, include a link to the expert’s company website and their professional bio.
5. Government & EDU Backlinks
These links are highly coveted and carry significant weight due to the inherent trust and authority of the domains.
- Why it works: Links from
.govand.edudomains are seen as extremely trustworthy and are a massive signal of authority. They are not always relevant to every business, but for those that can secure them, they are a huge win. - Concrete Examples in Action:
- University Scholarship: A web design agency creates an annual scholarship for a student majoring in graphic design at a local university. The university’s official scholarship page, a
.edudomain, lists the agency as the scholarship provider and links to their website. - Community Partnership: A local law firm sponsors a youth sports league managed by the city’s parks and recreation department. The
.govwebsite for the department includes a sponsors page with a link to the law firm. - Educational Resource: A company that sells scientific lab equipment publishes a series of educational resources for high school science teachers. A high school or university’s resource page, an
.edudomain, links to the company’s guides as recommended materials for students.
- University Scholarship: A web design agency creates an annual scholarship for a student majoring in graphic design at a local university. The university’s official scholarship page, a
6. Resource & Reference Backlinks
This is about getting your content included on existing resource pages or lists. These links are often very relevant because the page’s entire purpose is to provide helpful resources.
- Why it works: These links are often found on high-authority pages that are already ranking well for relevant topics. They provide both authority and targeted traffic from users looking for helpful information.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- Resource Page Inclusion: An online course provider finds a resource page on a popular blog like The Verge that lists “Top Free Coding Courses.” They contact the blog editor and politely suggest their free introductory Python course as a valuable addition to the list.
- Broken Link Building: A health and wellness blogger discovers that a link to a “Healthy Smoothie Recipes” list on an authoritative health website is broken. They create an even better, more comprehensive list on their own blog and email the website owner, pointing out the broken link and offering their new, updated list as a replacement.
7. Business Profile & Directory Backlinks
While less impactful for general SEO, these links are crucial for local businesses and brand consistency.
- Why it works: These are foundational links that help search engines understand your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) and verify your existence across the web. While they don’t provide a significant ranking boost on their own, they are essential for local SEO.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- Local SEO: A plumbing company ensures their Google Business Profile, Yelp, and local Chamber of Commerce pages are fully optimized with their correct NAP information and a link to their website.
- Niche Directory: A law firm specializing in personal injury ensures they are listed on legal directories like Avvo or Justia.
8. Social Backlinks
These are generally “nofollow” links and do not pass authority in the traditional sense, but they are a crucial part of a modern backlink profile.
- Why it works: Social links help with brand signals and can drive referral traffic. They tell Google that your brand is active and has a presence on the web. A strong social media presence can also lead to more opportunities for organic, editorial links.
- Concrete Examples in Action:
- LinkedIn: A CEO posts a new article from the company blog on their personal and company LinkedIn pages. The post gets significant engagement, driving traffic to the article and signaling to Google that the content is being discussed and shared.
- Pinterest: A home decor company creates and posts beautiful infographics and “mood boards” on Pinterest. Each image description links back to a specific product or a blog post on their website.
9. Sneaky Backlinks (The Low-Priority, High-Risk Tier)
These are the “old school” tactics that once dominated SEO but are now largely ineffective and can even be considered spam.
- Why it (barely) works: These links are generally “nofollow” and provide very little, if any, direct SEO value. Their primary benefit is a very minor brand signal and, in some cases, a small amount of referral traffic.
- Concrete Examples in Action (with caution):
- Blog Comments: A marketer leaves a genuine, insightful comment on an industry blog post. The comment adds value to the conversation, and they include their website in the designated URL field, but the link is usually “nofollow” and provides no direct SEO benefit.
- Web 2.0 Blogs: A content creator posts a short, repurposed article on a platform like Medium or WordPress.com that includes a link to their main website. This is primarily for content syndication and a slight brand signal, not for link juice.