How To Develop A Successful Link-Building Campaign: 8 Steps To Get It Right
Stewart
Co-Founder
In search engine optimization (SEO), backlinks are one of the most crucial factors for improving your website’s rankings. In fact, one study found that backlinks correlate with more traffic and higher authority for websites.
However, building links is time-consuming and takes a lot of resources—not to mention expertise. That’s why over 47% of marketers say that linkbuilding is the most challenging part of SEO.
The good news is that by following some simple steps, you can build a highly successful link-building campaign that helps you land high-quality backlinks.
In this guide, we’ll cover the eight steps you need to follow to build an effective link-building campaign that drives long-term results.
What Is a Linkbuilding Campaign?
A link-building campaign is a structured effort to secure backlinks from other sites to improve search engine rankings and domain rating (DR) for your own website.
Backlinks are critical factors in SEO because search engines like Google consider them to be a signal of a website’s credibility and relevance.
A link-building campaign follows a strategic and methodical process to acquire high-quality and high-authority backlinks.
What Are the Benefits of Developing a Linkbuilding Campaign?
Now that you know what a link-building campaign is, let’s look at its benefits for your website:
✅ Improved search engine rankings
The number one ranking page on Google has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than those ranking in positions two to 10.
Search engines like Google use backlinks as one of the most significant ranking factors. When a website has numerous, high-quality backlinks from high-authority sources, search engines view it as a trustworthy and authoritative site.
This results in higher search rankings for relevant queries, making it easier for users to find your website. Without backlinks, even the best content might struggle to rank well in search results.
✅ Increased organic traffic
Higher rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) naturally increase organic traffic. Organic traffic is the number of users visiting your website without you paying for them to do so.
Websites with between 30 and 35 backlinks generate over 10,500 monthly organic visits.
When a website appears on the first page of Google or other search engines, it receives more clicks from users looking for relevant topics.
A well-executed link-building campaign ensures that a website gains visibility and attracts consistent, targeted traffic from users who are genuinely interested in its content, products, or services.
✅ Enhanced website authority and credibility
A website with backlinks from reputable and authoritative sources is perceived as more credible and trustworthy by both search engines and users.
When well-known websites link to a web page, it serves as an endorsement, signalling to visitors that the content is valuable and reliable.
For example, if Forbes links to your website in one of their articles, you’re receiving a backlink from a highly authoritative site with a domain rating of 94:
Over time, as more high-quality backlinks are secured, your website builds a strong reputation, making it a go-to resource in your industry or niche.
✅ Faster indexing by search engines
Search engines use web crawlers to discover and index pages on the internet. Crawling is the process where search engines discover new or updated web pages and indexing is when Google stores and organizes website content.
Backlinks help these crawlers find a website more quickly, ensuring new content gets indexed faster.
Websites with strong backlink profiles—your collection of backlinks—are more likely to have their pages indexed and ranked faster.
✅ Higher referral traffic
Beyond improving SEO, backlinks also serve as direct referral traffic sources. When users on another website click on a backlink, they’re directed to your site, increasing overall traffic.
If the linking website is relevant and authoritative, the referred visitors are more likely to engage with your content, sign up for services, or make purchases.
Referral traffic is often highly targeted, making it more valuable than random visitors.
✅ Long-term SEO benefits
Unlike some marketing strategies that require continuous investment to maintain results, such as paid advertising, high-quality backlinks provide lasting benefits.
Once your website has acquired strong backlinks, they continue to contribute to your SEO performance over time, improving your rankings and traffic without ongoing costs.
While a link building campaign requires effort initially, its long-term benefits make it a worthwhile investment. In fact, 78% of SEOs report positive, long-term return on investment (ROI) for link building.
✅ Increased brand visibility and recognition
When authoritative sources frequently link to your website, you gain more exposure to new audiences. This increased visibility helps build strong brand recognition and trust among potential customers.
Users who consistently encounter your brand through different sources are more likely to remember you, engage with your content, and become loyal customers.
✅ Higher conversion rates and revenue growth
As your website gains more organic and referral traffic through successful link building efforts, it has a greater chance of increasing conversions.
Whether your goal is to sell products, generate leads, or increase subscribers, more targeted visitors lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.
8 Steps to Develop a Linkbuilding Campaign
Below is a detailed breakdown of the steps you need to take to execute an effective link-building campaign:
1. Goal-setting
Before you launch your link-building campaign, defining clear, measurable goals is crucial. Your objectives will determine the strategies and tactics you use.
The first step is to identify your key objectives. These could be:
🏆 Increasing organic traffic: Focus on getting backlinks from high-value pages to improve search engine rankings.
🏆 Improving your domain rating (DR): Gain links from authoritative sites in your industry or niche.
🏆 Boosting brand awareness: Target websites with a large and engaged audience.
🏆 Generating leads or sales: Drive referral traffic to your site's landing pages or product pages.
You may want to consider setting SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. This is a useful framework to follow because it keeps your campaign moving forward and lets you know when you’re accomplishing your goals.
For example, your SMART goal could be to increase your number of referring domains from high authority websites by 30% within six months to improve organic traffic by 20%.
2. Research link-building opportunities
Identifying where and how to get backlinks is vital to your link-building campaign.
You can start by analyzing your competitors’ backlinks using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to uncover websites that may be willing to link to your content.
This is what a backlink profile looks like on Ahrefs. This helps you establish which sites are linking to your competitors:
For example, if one of your competitors has a guest post on a well-known industry blog, you could pitch a guest blogging idea to the same publication.
Some examples of good sources for backlinks include:
➡️ News sites like Forbes or TechCrunch.
➡️ Industry blogs and publications.
➡️ University and government sites.
➡️ Business directories and associations.
➡️ Influencers’ websites.
One tactic you could include in your link-building campaign is broken link-building, which is when you identify broken links on relevant sites and offer your content as a replacement.
Let’s look at an example: If a blog post about “Best SEO Practices” contains a broken link, you can contact the website owner and suggest your own updated article as a replacement.
3. Develop linkable assets
A successful link-building campaign relies on creating high-quality content that naturally attracts backlinks.
Let’s unpack five different types of linkable assets that you can create:
1️⃣ In-depth blog posts and guides
This is long-form, well-researched content that provides unique insights. Longer content, specifically articles over 3,000 words, tends to acquire 3.5 times more backlinks compared to shorter pieces.
Additionally, companies that publish blogs get 55% more traffic and have 434% more pages indexed by search engines.
In this case, an example could be “The Ultimate Guide to eCommerce SEO.”
Below is an example of a long-form blog post that is very well-researched and has over 762 backlinks pointing to it:
2️⃣ Original research and data-driven content
You could conduct surveys, write case studies, or create industry reports that others can cite to enhance their own content. For example: “2025 Social Media Trends: A Study of 5,000 Businesses.”
Social media management platform Hootsuite has created a 2025 data-driven trends report. It has over 6,000 backlinks pointing to this page:
3️⃣ Infographics and visual content
People love sharing visual content, making infographics and videos an excellent way to earn backlinks. Content that includes more than three videos draws 55% more backlinks than content without.
For instance, you could develop content titled: “The Anatomy of a Perfect Blog Post: An Infographic”
In the blog post below, the writer shares a super useful infographic that has backlinks from websites with domain ratings of over 80:
4️⃣ Expert roundups and interviews
You could feature insights from industry experts and attract backlinks from their networks. For example, you could write an article titled “Top 10 SEO Experts Share Their Best Link-Building Tips” and include quotes from experts in the industry.
Below is a blog article by Search Engine Journal which shares advice from 15 SEO experts. The blog post has 75 backlinks:
5️⃣ Interactive tools and resources
Free calculators, templates, or quizzes also encourage backlinks. Let’s say you run a real estate business. You could provide a commission fee calculator on your website that would be useful for other sites to link to.
Here’s an example from General Referral of a calculator that works out how much referral agents can earn in fees. This interactive tool has been linked to by domains with domain ratings of over 92:
4. Reach out to prospective partners
Once you’ve developed valuable content, the next step in the link-building process is outreach. Outreach is when you contact website owners, bloggers, and influencers to secure backlinks.
Below are a few steps to get outreach right:
👉 Find the right contact person
The first step is to find the right contact person for the website you’re targeting. You can use tools like Hunter.io, Snov.io, or LinkedIn to find email addresses. Avoid messaging generic addresses such as [email protected]. Instead, target editors or content managers.
👉 Craft a personalized outreach email
Next, you’ll need to write personalized outreach emails to each website you’re targeting.
A successful outreach email is:
➡️ Concise: Keep it short and to the point.
➡️ Personalized: Mention something specific about their website or content.
➡️ Value-driven: Explain why linking to your content benefits them.
Below is an email template for a guest post pitch, which you can use to inform your own link-building outreach efforts:
Subject: Guest Post Idea for [Website Name]
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
I’ve been following [Website Name] for a while and really enjoyed your article on [Related Topic]. I noticed you frequently publish high-quality content on [Industry].
I’d love to contribute a guest post on [Proposed Topic], which I believe would provide value to your readers. I’ve written similar pieces on [Your Website], and I’d ensure this article is well-researched, engaging, and tailored to your audience.
Would you be open to discussing this further? Looking forward to your thoughts!
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]
👉 Send follow-up emails
A well-crafted follow-up email can significantly improve your link-building success rate. Many website owners are busy, and a polite reminder can make the difference between getting ignored and earning a backlink.
First, give the recipient enough time to read your email before following up. The best time to send your first follow-up email is three to five days after your initial message.
Your follow-up message should be concise, avoiding being pushy or aggressive. Acknowledge that they’re busy, provide a gentle nudge, and leave the conversation open-ended.
5. Diversify your link sources
Search engines favor natural backlink profiles that come from diverse sources. Relying too much on one type of link building strategy can make your link profile look unnatural and potentially raise red flags with search engines.
Aside from broken link building and guest blogging, here are some types of backlinks to consider for your campaign:
🔗 Niche directories: Getting listed in relevant business directories, such as Yelp or Clutch.
🔗 PR and media coverage: Getting mentioned in news articles, industry blogs, or press releases through PR outreach.
🔗 Podcast and video backlinks: Appealing on podcasts or YouTube channels that link to your website in their description.
By diversifying your backlink profile, you reduce reliance on a single method and create a well-balanced, organic profile.
6. Leverage social media and content promotion
While social media links don’t directly impact SEO, they can drive referral traffic and increase content visibility, leading to natural backlinks. In fact, Facebook drives 3.62% of all referral traffic in the U.S.
Below are some social media tips to get more links:
➡️ Share your content: Post your linkable assets on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, and niche-specific platforms.
➡️ Engage in industry groups: Share valuable insights on LinkedIn groups, Facebook communities, and forums like Quora.
➡️ Tag influencers and brands: If your content features an expert quote or brand, tag them in your social media posts, as they may share your link.
➡️ Repurpose your content: Convert your blog post into a YouTube video, infographic, podcast episode, or LinkedIn article to increase its chances of being linked to from multiple sources.
In the example below, Freshpaint invited a lawyer to join them in a webinar about a healthcare marketing issue:
They then repurposed this webinar into social media posts and a Q&A-style blog post:
7. Build relationships for long-term link acquisition
Rather than viewing link building as a one-time task, you should see it as an ongoing relationship-building process.
Below are some ways you can build relationships in your industry that may lead to high-quality backlinks:
➡️ Engage with bloggers and influencers: Comment on their blogs, share their content, and build a connection before requesting a link.
➡️ Attend industry conferences and webinars: Networking events can open doors to backlinks opportunities through collaborations.
➡️ Join online communities and mastermind groups: Being active in Slack groups, Discord servers, or niche communities can help you find linkbuilding opportunities.
8. Monitor your progress
Monitoring your link-building campaign is crucial to understanding its effectiveness, measuring ROI, and identifying areas for improvement.
Without proper tracking, you won’t know which link-building strategies are working or where to make adjustments.
📈 Track acquired backlinks
The first step in monitoring your campaign is tracking which backlinks you’ve successfully acquired. You need to know:
➡️ Which websites have linked to you.
➡️ The quality of those backlinks.
➡️ The types of backlinks.
You can track backlinks by using:
💻 Google Search Console: Navigate to “Links” to see who is linking to your site.
💻 Use SEO tools: Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush can give you deeper insights into your backlink profile.
💻 Spreadsheets: Maintain a link-building spreadsheet to manually track new backlinks, their status, and the outreach process.
📈 Measure the quality of your backlinks
Not all backlinks carry the same weight. High-quality, relevant links from authoritative sites improve your ratings, while low-quality links can be ignored or even harm your SEO.
Here’s how to evaluate link quality:
➡️ Domain authority (DA) or domain rating (DR): High DA or DR sites provide stronger SEO benefits.
➡️ Relevance: Links from sites within your niche are more valuable than unrelated ones.
➡️ Traffic: A backlink from a site with high organic traffic is more beneficial.
➡️ Anchor text: The clickable text on a webpage that leads to your site. Ensure the anchor text used is relevant and natural, avoiding over-optimized, spammy text. A study found that pages ranking in the top 10 search results have a diverse anchor text profile.
📈 Analyze referral traffic from backlinks
As mentioned earlier, backlinks drive referral traffic to your site. Monitoring how much traffic comes from backlinks can help you identify the most effective link sources to build more of these backlinks.
You can use Google Analytics to see which backlinks send visitors to your site. You can then identify which pages are getting the most referral traffic and replicate the strategy you used.
For example, if a guest post on a marketing blog sends you hundreds of visitors, you should double down on posting on similar sites.
Let Us Plan and Master Your Link Building Campaigns
A well-executed link-building campaign is a game-changer for your website’s SEO, visibility, and authority.
By following a strategic approach, such as setting clear goals, creating valuable content, and conducting outreach, you can secure high-quality links that drive traffic and long-term growth.
Building high-quality backlinks takes time, expertise, and the right partners. At Linkbuilder, we specialize in creating and executing link-building campaigns that deliver huge results.
Contact us today if you’re ready to develop a stronger, more authoritative website. We’ll show you just how powerful a link-building campaign can be!