Top Link Building Methods For Your WordPress Website


top link building methods

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Table of Contents

We get it! Link building can be a headache. You reach out, put in the effort, and… crickets. It feels like nothing works.

But here’s the thing, when done right, link building is one of the most powerful ways to boost your WordPress site’s SEO, authority, and traffic.

At WP Creative, we’ve tested tons of strategies. Some flopped, and some worked like magic. And now, we’re sharing the best, battle-tested link-building methods that actually get results. Here are 10 top link-building methods that actually work.

1. Answer Questions for Reporters and Bloggers

The next way to earn high-quality backlinks is by providing expert insights to reporters, bloggers, and researchers. Journalists and content creators often seek professional opinions for their articles, and in return, they credit contributors with backlinks.

Some platforms to find these opportunities are:

  • Featured
  • Qwoted
  • SourceBottle
  • JustReachOut
  • PressPlugs
featured questions

Aside from journalist platforms, you can actively reach out to bloggers, podcasters, and industry publications for guest features or interviews as well.

2. Digital PR

Digital PR is a way to build backlinks by getting featured in news articles, industry blogs, and media publications. It is an effective way to secure online mentions that could lead to valuable backlinks because:

  • News websites and major publications have strong domain authority
  • Media coverage increases brand credibility
  • Improves ranking as Google favours websites that earn mentions from reputable sources

To leverage digital PR, write and distribute press releases about new products, achievements, funding rounds, or industry insights. Consider platforms like PR Newswire, Business Wire, and Newsjacking for submission.

Besides, also respond to media requests either for some expert opinion or an asset which can lead to valuable links to your site.

3. Skyscraper Technique

The Skyscraper Technique is a way of finding popular content, improving it significantly, and promoting it to gain backlinks from sites that link to the original post.

This is an effective technique because you’re not guessing what works; you’re improving content that already gets backlinks. Similarly, creating more in-depth, updated, and visually appealing content makes it more link-worthy.

  • Focus on the following aspects when updating your content:
  • Use eye-catching visuals
  • Make your content actionable with how to guides and expert takeaways

Once you’ve updated your content, it’s time for promotion. Share it on social media, forums and communities to boost visibility. Finally, draft a friendly outreach email to websites linking to the outdated content. Let them know you’ve created a better, updated resource that could replace their existing link.

draft email

4. Guest Posting

Guest posting is the method of writing content for other relevant websites in your industry and including a link back to your own site.

When you contribute valuable articles to reputable blogs, you gain exposure to a new audience, build brand credibility and generate links. Website owners often appreciate well-researched, insightful content, and in return, they often allow you to link back to your relevant page.

To get started:

  • Find Sites in Your Niche: Look for blogs that accept guest posts and align with your industry.
  • Pitch a Valuable Topic: Reach out to website owners with fresh, relevant ideas that fit their audience.
  • Write High-Quality Content: Provide unique, well-structured, and engaging content.
  • Include a Natural Backlink: Place your link within the content or author bio in a way that adds value.

Analysing what’s already working for your competitors is an important thing to consider while building your own backlink profile.

If your competitors are ranking higher than you, chances are they have a solid backlink profile that is helping them gain authority. Instead of starting from scratch, you can analyse their backlinks and target similar referring domains to boost your own rankings.

Based on this analysis, you can find guest posting opportunities, website mentions and even industry directories, business listings, or resource pages.

Here’s how we do it with Ahrefs’s Backlinks tool:

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  • Go to the Site Explorer tool and enter your competitor’s domain.
  • Click on the Backlinks section to see all the sites linking to them.
competitor backlinks analysis
  • Filter results to find do-follow links from high-authority domains.
  • Analyse the types of content that earned them backlinks (guest posts, directories, mentions, etc.).
  • Identify link-building opportunities and reach out to those websites with a compelling pitch.

6. Leveraging Social Media

Social media isn’t just for engagement. It’s a powerful tool for building backlinks and driving traffic to your WordPress website.

While social media links are usually “nofollow links” (meaning they don’t pass direct SEO value), they help increase content visibility, attract organic backlinks, and boost brand authority.

You can begin by sharing your blog posts, case studies, and infographics on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest.

social media sharing

If you’re wondering where to start with social media, here are some tips:

  • Engage in Twitter threads & LinkedIn discussions.
  • Reply to industry-related questions and subtly drop your content link
  • Host live Q&As or webinars where attendees link back to your site for more information

7. Add Value to Other Sites’ Articles

Chances are high-authority websites will update their article while also providing you with a backlink if you can manage to provide them with valuable content for their website.

Instead of waiting for sites to link to your content organically, you can proactively reach out and suggest updates, improvements, or additional insights to relevant articles.

This strategy is highly effective because many website owners and content managers want their articles to stay relevant and accurate. If you can offer a fresh perspective, updated statistics, or expert insights, they are often happy to add a link to your website as a valuable reference.

However, there are certain things to consider:

  • Focus on Industry blogs & niche websites with an engaged readership.
  • Reach out only to high-authority sites that rank well for your target keywords.
  • Look for content-heavy websites that frequently update their blogs.

Read More: 10 Types of Content to Boost your Web Traffic

8. Creating Free Tools or Templates

Offering free tools or templates that provide real value to your audience could go a long way for building backlinks. When you create something useful, time-saving, or problem-solving, other websites and blogs will naturally link to it as a helpful resource.

These tools and templates include:

  • Calculators
  • Marketing Tools
  • Checklists
  • Resume formats

A really great example of this is the free email signature generator and website grader tool developed by HubSpot.

hubspot signature tool

This tool has been linked to thousands of times by marketing blogs, SEO experts, and industry websites it helps solve real problems. As a result, they naturally attract backlinks and drive continuous traffic.

9. Effective Collaborations with Partners

Long-term collaborations with partners could be a great way for you to earn high-quality relevant links. If you already have such a partner, you can look for ways to gather backlinks from them.

To collaborate:

  • Publish joint content that highlights both brands
  • Feature each other’s products or success stories
  • Offer deals or collaborations via exclusive discounts or affiliate partnerships

A great example of this is the collaboration between Shopify and Oberlo. Oberlo, a drop shipping app, was one of Shopify’s key partners. Shopify frequently mentions Oberlo in its blog posts, guides, and resource pages. Oberlo, in return, includes Shopify in its content, tutorials, and email newsletters.

shopify and oberio collaboration

Broken link building is a smart way to earn backlinks while helping site owners fix outdated or non-working links.

It works by finding broken backlinks on relevant sites and reaching out to the creator to replace them with your content.

How it works:

  • Find Broken Links: Use WordPress plugins or tools like Ahrefs, Check My Links (Chrome Extension), or SEMrush to scan industry-related websites for broken links.
broken backlinks
  • Create or Offer Relevant Content: If you already have content that fits, great! If not, create a high-quality article or resource that matches the broken link’s topic.
  • Reach Out to Website Owners: Politely inform them about the broken link and suggest your content as a useful replacement.

11. Resource Page Link Building

Resource pages are web pages that curate and link to useful tools, guides, and references on a specific topic. Websites, universities, government portals, and industry blogs often maintain these pages to help their visitors find valuable content.

To get started, search for resource pages relevant to your industry. You can use Google search operators to uncover them:

  • “Best resources for [your topic]”
  • “Useful [topic] tools” + “inurl:resources”
  • “[Your industry] recommended websites” + “inurl:links”
  • “Top [niche] blogs” + “helpful links”

Example: If you run a WordPress SEO agency, you can look for “SEO resource pages” or “best WordPress tools and plugins”.

resource pages

Once you’ve found a relevant resource page, send a polite and concise email to the website owner or content manager.

12. Prepare Shareable Infographics

Creating an attractive infographic is an art, with many online tools available that can help in creating one. Infographics are strong content for websites. It can also add value in generating backlinks to your site.

HOW? Eye-catching infographics can go viral, and websites that do share your infographics can include a link to your post. Therefore, the more your infographic is shared, the more you’ll get the backlinks you need for your site.

Recovering lost backlinks is an easy win, as these links have already been acquired so all you need to do is restore them.

Ahrefs is one of the most effective link-building tools to track backlinks that have disappeared. Here’s how:

  • Step 1: Open Ahrefs Site Explorer and enter your website’s domain.
  • Step 2: Click on the “Backlinks” tab in the left panel.
  • Step 3: Filter by “Lost” to see backlinks that have recently disappeared.
  • Step 4: Check the “Lost Link Reason” – common reasons include: 404 Error (Page Removed), Link Removed or Redirected (3xx Error).
lost links

Once you’ve identified missing links, it’s time to get them back:

  • If the lost link points to a deleted or broken page on your site, restore or redirect the page to a relevant live URL.
  • If a website removed your link, send a friendly email asking if they can reinstate it. Be polite and offer an updated resource if needed.
  • If the link was removed because of outdated content, create a new, improved version and suggest it as a replacement.
  • If a linking website moved domains or restructured URLs, reach out and ask if they can update the backlink to your new page.

Unlinked brand mentions are cases where your brand, product, or website is mentioned in an article but without a backlink. Since these sites already acknowledge your brand, getting them to add a link is often much easier than cold outreach.

Ahrefs’ Content Explorer and Alerts features make it easy to track where your brand is mentioned online. Here’s how:

  • Open Ahrefs and go to Content Explorer.
  • Type in your brand name (e.g., “WP Creative”) and filter by “In content” to find mentions.
  • Click on the “Highlight Unlinked” filter and enter your domain to see mentions that don’t link back.
unlinked mentions
  • Sort the results by Domain Rating (DR) to prioritise high-authority sites.
  • Review each mention to ensure it has a positive sentiment before reaching out.

Tips for drafting an outreach email:

  • Start by thanking them for mentioning your brand to establish goodwill before making your request.
  • Explain how adding the link improves user experience by giving readers direct access to more information.
  • Provide the exact URL and the mention you’d like them to link to so they don’t have to search for it.

15. Submit to Directory and Business Listings

While directories don’t carry the same weight as editorial backlinks, they are still useful for building a well-rounded backlink profile, improving local SEO, and increasing brand trust. The key is to choose high-authority directories and ensure your business information is accurate and up to date.

In addition to building backlinks, these can also help you improve search visibility and drive targeted traffic. Make sure to look for niche-specific directories as this might even help you boost your local SEO.

To find these directories, either check competitor’s backlinks to see where they are listed or simply do a quick Google search to find such directories.

Here are a few examples of business directories:

  • Google My Business: Essential for local SEO; helps businesses appear in Google Search and Maps.
  • Yelp: Great for businesses looking to build a reputation through customer reviews.
  • Bing Places for Business: Helps improve visibility on Microsoft’s search engine.
  • Clutch: Ideal for service-based businesses, agencies, and B2B companies.
  • Manta: A small business directory that improves search engine presence.
google business submission

16. Building A Brand

When people recognise, trust, and talk about a brand, they naturally link to the website without you having to ask. So, it’s important to develop a strong brand identity that stands out in your industry.

Start by identifying your brand voice and values. Ensure that your messaging remains consistent. Create a unique USP which will help you stand apart from your competitors.

Once your brand is established, it’s time to raise awareness. For this, focus on:

  • Social Media Promotion: Share valuable insights on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to get noticed.
  • Digital Advertisements: Use paid ads on Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn to drive targeted traffic and brand awareness.
  • SEO: Improve your website’s visibility by optimising content, keywords, and technical SEO.
  • Guest Blogging: Writing for authoritative sites and appearing on podcasts builds brand recognition and earns backlinks.

Get Expert Link-Building Services with WP Creative

At WP Creative, we specialise in high-quality link building, helping your WordPress site gain authority, improve search rankings, and drive organic traffic. Beyond link building, we offer comprehensive SEO and WordPress web development services to build fast, secure, and SEO-friendly sites optimised for better conversions.

Ready to grow your online presence? Let’s build powerful backlinks and take your WordPress website to the next level. Contact WP Creative today!

Conclusion

Building high-quality backlinks is key to improving SEO, driving organic traffic, and ranking higher in search results. Strategies like broken link building, competitor research, digital PR, and social media engagement help create lasting results.

By prioritising meaningful outreach, strong partnerships, and brand recognition, you can build links naturally and expand your online visibility.

Get Your Free Website Audit

($3,000 Value)

  • Uncover performance issues
  • Identify SEO opportunities
  • Security gaps, and quick wins
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Updated on: 7 April 2017 |

WordPress

Nirmal Gyanwali, Director of WP Creative

Nirmal Gyanwali

With over 16 years of experience in the web industry, Nirmal has built websites for a wide variety of businesses; from mom n’ pop shops to some of Australia’s leading brands. Nirmal brings his wealth of experience in managing teams to WP Creative along with his wife, Saba.