What is link building? (How to earn links ethically)

SEO

Link building is the process of building links to (and within) your website.

It’s an incredibly important part of SEO. Internal links help search engines crawl your website properly, whilst backlinks (links that come from third-party sites to your website) are little votes of confidence that demonstrate you’re an expert in your niche!

But link building has a bit of a reputation.

For some businesses, the phrase brings to mind spammy emails, paid-for links, dodgy guest posts and SEO shortcuts that sound too good to be true. And, to be honest, that caution is sensible. Link building can be done badly. It can be manipulative. It can put your website at risk if the main goal is to trick search engines rather than build real trust.

That’s why we’re interested in ethical link building.

Done properly, link building isn’t about buying your way to the top of Google. It’s about earning relevant, high-quality links from websites that make sense for your business, your industry and your audience.

So, let’s unpack what link building is, why it matters, what to avoid, and how ethical link acquisition works in practice.

What are links?

Links (or hyperlinks) are connections embedded within a webpage that allow users to navigate from one page or resource to another and fall into two main categories.

1. Inbound links. These are incoming links from one website to another. They are also known as “backlinks” or “incoming links.”
2. Internal links. These are the links that connect the internal pages of your website.
3. Outbound links. These are the links that you add, connecting your website to third-party sites.

Links can be in the form of text, images, or buttons, and when clicked, they direct the user to the target destination, whether it’s another webpage, a file, or even a specific section of the same page. You can often detect a link because the text is highlighted in some way.

Just like the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz, links are our internet highways! They are the roads that lead to the content that provides the information that we are looking for. 

And search engines follow those roads too.

Why link building matters

In the digital world, links help search engines understand how websites relate to one another.

When another reputable website links to your site, it can signal that your content is valuable, trustworthy or relevant to a particular topic. This can support your visibility in search engine results pages, which can increase organic traffic to your website.

Well-placed links can also generate referral traffic. In other words, people may click through from a third-party website and land on your site because they’re genuinely interested in what you offer.

It’s not just the Dorothys of this world that follow these digital yellow brick roads. Google’s spiders, or crawlers, follow them too. This is one of the ways Google finds, indexes and ranks content online: by following links from websites it already knows about and trusts to other websites.

That’s why link building sits alongside good content, technical SEO and a strong internal linking strategy. We believe link building is so crucial that we build it into every SEO campaign we run on behalf of our clients.

Why businesses are wary of link building

If you feel cautious about link building, you’re not alone.

Many businesses have heard horror stories about SEO agencies buying hundreds of links, placing content on irrelevant websites or using strange-looking sites that exist purely to manipulate rankings. Others have received endless outreach emails offering “high DA backlinks” for a suspiciously low price.

That kind of link building is exactly why people are wary.

Google’s own spam policies describe link spam as links created primarily to manipulate search rankings, including buying or selling links for ranking purposes, excessive link exchanges and automated link-building services. Google has also warned against large-scale article, guest post or syndicated post campaigns where the main intent is to build links back to the author’s site, especially when articles use keyword-rich links at scale.

So, if a business owner asks, “Is link building risky?” the honest answer is: it can be, when it’s done badly.

But that doesn’t mean all link building is bad. It means the approach matters.

Ethical SEO practices are not about shortcuts. They are about building visibility in a way that is transparent, sustainable and genuinely useful. Ethical link building should be easy to explain. You should know where links are coming from, why they are relevant, and how they support your wider brand and SEO strategy.

Not all links are created equal

It is important to understand that not all links are going to be of equal value.

A link from a trusted website such as the BBC, The University of Oxford, Sky, a respected industry publication or a relevant trade body is going to carry much more weight than a link from your cousin’s niche blog discussing the best way to cook eggs.

That doesn’t mean every link needs to come from a huge national publication. Smaller, niche websites can be incredibly valuable if they are relevant, trusted and genuinely connected to your audience.

For example, if you are a commercial cleaning company, a link from a facilities management publication, a local business directory, or a workplace health and safety resource is likely to make far more sense than a link from a random fashion blog.

The goal is not just to collect links. The goal is to earn the right links.

What makes a good link?

Before we dive into the “how”, we need to cover a few provisos. There is a lot that goes into what makes a great backlink, but for beginners, good links usually need relevance, authority and a natural placement.

1. Relevance

Is the website linking to you relevant to your product, service, industry, location or audience?

The more closely aligned the website is, the more meaningful the link is likely to be. If your website is about cleaning products, you probably don’t want lots of links from unrelated fashion blogs. It just doesn’t match up.

Relevant backlinks signal to search engines, and to real people, that the link is natural and useful.

2. Authority

Trusted, trusted, trusted.

You don’t want spammy sites linking to yours.

Lots of SEO tools use scores to measure how authoritative a domain is. These are normally called things like domain authority, domain rating or authority score. They can be useful indicators, but be careful.

Authority scores can be manipulated. We’ve seen plenty of spammy websites present with a high authority score in SEO tools.

Unless you know the organisation, manually check the referring website. Does it look trustworthy? Does it have a clear purpose? Does it publish useful content for a real audience? Would you be happy for a potential customer to see your brand there?

Spammy websites tend to have:

• A cluttered or low-quality appearance.
• No discernible purpose for existing.
• Articles on a multitude of unrelated topics.
• Lots of obviously paid or keyword-stuffed links.
• Content that feels generic, duplicated or AI-generated without expertise.

A good backlink should pass the human test as well as the SEO test.

3. Natural anchor text

Anchor text is the clickable text of a link.

When links are gained organically, you often have little control over the anchor text used. That’s okay. In fact, that’s natural.

A healthy anchor text profile will usually include a mixture of:

• Branded anchor text, such as “Twogether Digital”
• Naked URLs, such as the website address itself
• Generic anchor text, such as “read more” or “this website”
• Partial-match phrases
• Long-tail phrases
• Occasional keyword-based anchor text
• Image links, where the image alt text may act as the anchor text

A natural profile will contain a combination of the above.

What you want to avoid is forcing the same exact-match keyword into lots of backlinks. That can look unnatural and manipulative, particularly if those links appear in low-quality guest posts, directories or paid placements.

Ethical SEO techniques should make your backlink profile look like the natural result of a trusted business being mentioned across the web, not like a campaign designed to game the system.

What manipulative link tactics look like

Manipulative link building usually focuses on influencing rankings without creating any real value.

It often includes things like:

• Bulk-buying links.
• Paying for links on irrelevant websites.
• Using private blog networks.
• Excessive link exchanges.
• Low-quality guest posts written purely to include a backlink.
• Keyword-stuffed anchor text.
• Automated link-building tools.
• Directory submissions at scale with no relevance or quality control.
• Press releases distributed purely to gain keyword-rich links.

Google recommends qualifying paid, sponsored or otherwise commercial links properly, and warns that excessive sponsored or guest posting without the right link attributes can lead to algorithmic or manual action.

So yes, link building can go wrong.

But the problem is not the links. The problem is manipulation.

What is ethical link building?

Ethical link building is the process of earning relevant, useful and trustworthy links in a way that makes sense for real people, not just search engines.

A good test is this:

Would this link still be valuable if Google didn’t exist?

If the answer is yes, it’s usually a good sign.

For example:

• Being quoted in an industry article is valuable because it positions you as an expert.
• Being listed in a relevant trade directory is useful because potential customers may actually find you there.
• Getting coverage through digital PR can build brand awareness as well as links.
• Creating a genuinely helpful guide can earn links because it gives other websites something worth referencing.

That is the heart of ethical link building. It gives people a real reason to mention, cite or link to your business.

Why link building matters in the age of GEO

Search is changing.

People are no longer only using traditional search results to find information. They are also using AI tools, AI Overviews and generative search experiences to get answers more quickly.

This is where GEO, or generative engine optimisation, becomes important.

In the age of GEO, it is not enough to think only about blue links on a search results page. Your wider digital footprint matters. Where is your brand mentioned? Who is citing you? Which websites are associating your business with your services, expertise and sector?

Ethical link building can support this because it helps your business appear in relevant, trusted places across the web.

That might include industry publications, journalist quotes, respected directories, partner websites, local business organisations, useful resources and digital PR coverage.

In other words, ethical link acquisition is not just about rankings. It’s about reputation.

How ethical link acquisition works in practice

Building links is a huge topic.

Whole books are written on it, and there’s no way we can go into all the intricate details here. But there are some practical, ethical ways to start earning links.

These are the link-building activities we believe work best, especially in the age of GEO.

1. Attract links with great content

Third-party websites are more likely to link to content that is high quality, useful and relevant.

That means investing in content that answers questions associated with your niche. You will need to conduct keyword research to find out what those queries are, but you also need to understand what your audience genuinely cares about.

Content that provides original insights is particularly useful for link building. This might include:

• Statistics.
• Survey results.
• Original research.
• Industry data.
• Practical guides.
• Expert commentary.
• Comparison pieces.
• Checklists.
• Templates.
• Thought leadership.

The stronger the content, the easier it is to promote.

But “publish and pray” is rarely enough. Once you have created something genuinely useful, you need to put it in front of the right people.

That might mean emailing relevant websites, messaging industry contacts, sharing it with journalists, promoting it on LinkedIn, or suggesting it as a useful resource to someone who has already written about the topic.

The key is relevance. Don’t send hundreds of generic emails. Find people who may genuinely find the content helpful and explain why it could be useful for their audience.

2. Respond to inbound journalist requests

One of the strongest ethical link-building techniques is responding to journalists’ requests.

Platforms such as:

• Featured
• Qwoted
• Help a B2B Writer/Mention Match
• HARO/Help a Reporter
• SourceBottle

…connect journalists and content creators with expert sources. A lot of these platforms have free versions or trials, and they often send inbound requests directly to your inbox.

Personally, I’ve found that Featured and Qwoted return the best results.

Qwoted often features requests from authoritative websites such as Forbes and the BBC, plus many niches will find that the most well-known brands in their industry are represented on this platform. However, it is competitive, so you really have to know your stuff.

Featured hosts lots of niche-relevant websites, and I have found that I’ve won a lot of mentions on this platform. I suspect that, because it doesn’t feature as many of the household names as Qwoted its not as popular. But it’s worked wonders for my clients, so I thoroughly recommend the platform.

Winning mentions through these platforms works well because the link is earned through expertise.

You are not paying for a placement or forcing your website onto an irrelevant page. You are helping a journalist, writer, or publisher create a better article by contributing a useful expert quote.

When choosing who to respond to, make sure the website or publication is relevant to your niche. Make sure you are speaking from a position of genuine expertise, too. It is really obvious when someone is using AI to write generic responses or “faking it until they’re making it”.

A good response should be:

• Specific.
• Useful.
• Concise.
• Based on real expertise.
• Relevant to the publication’s audience.
• Easy for the journalist to use (please spell check!)

This type of activity is valuable for SEO, but it is also valuable for brand building. If your name, business and expertise are appearing in relevant publications, that supports trust across the wider web.

3. Get listed on relevant directories

Directories still have a place in ethical link building, but only when they are relevant and credible.

Using competitor research, you can identify directories where similar businesses are listed. But don’t blindly copy every directory link your competitors have. Some may be useful. Others may be junk.

Good directory opportunities might include:

• Industry directories.
• Local business directories.
• Trade associations.
• Professional membership bodies.
• Partner directories.
• Supplier directories.
• Niche platforms your audience may actually use.

The key question is: would a potential customer reasonably expect to find your business here?

If yes, the directory may be worth pursuing.

If the website exists purely to list thousands of businesses across unrelated categories, with no editorial standards or real audience, it probably isn’t worth your time.

4. Use digital PR to earn authority

Digital PR is one of the most effective ways to earn high-quality links because it focuses on stories, expertise and useful angles that publications actually want to cover.

This could include:

• Commenting on industry trends.
• Sharing original research.
• Producing data-led insights.
• Creating a useful campaign.
• Offering expert opinion.
• Responding quickly to current conversations.
• Publishing resources that journalists can reference.

For B2B businesses, digital PR does not have to mean flashy consumer campaigns. It might be a helpful comment on a sector trend, a piece of original data from your own business, a practical response to a change in legislation, or insight into a problem your customers are currently facing.

Digital PR works best when it is rooted in genuine value. It should not be a thin attempt to get a backlink. It should help tell a story, contribute to a conversation or provide useful insight.

5. Promote great content to relevant websites

Creating great content is the first step. Promoting it is the second.

If you have created a genuinely useful guide, report, article or resource, there may be websites that would benefit from referencing it.

This might include:

• Bloggers who have written about the same topic.
• Industry publications.
• Trade bodies.
• Local organisations.
• Partner businesses.
• Resource pages.
• Journalists.
• Newsletter editors.
• LinkedIn creators.

Outreach can happen by email, LinkedIn or direct message. But ethical outreach should always be targeted and personal.

You are not demanding a link. You are showing someone a useful resource and explaining why it may be relevant to their audience.

A good outreach message is short, specific and respectful. It should never feel like spam.

6. Use competitor research carefully

Competitor research is still useful, but it should not become a copy-and-paste exercise.

You can use an SEO tool such as Semrush to analyse which websites are linking to competitors who are performing well in the search results. The idea is not simply to match every link they have, but to understand what types of links may be helping them build authority.

For example, are their links coming from:

• Directory listings?
• Guest articles?
• Brand mentions?
• Thought leader quotes?
• Industry publications?
• Partner pages?
• Digital PR coverage?
• Useful resources?

Once you know what is working in your sector, you can decide which opportunities are worth pursuing ethically.

Some competitor links will be worth exploring. Some will not.

Lions and tigers and bears… Oh my!

Ok, I lied. I’m not finished with The Wizard of Oz analogies.

It’s important that we cover some of the pitfalls and danger zones when it comes to link building.

Don’t bulk-buy links

Bulk-buying links will almost always come back to haunt you.

Don’t do it.

If someone is offering a large number of backlinks for a tiny fee, there is probably a reason. The links are likely to come from low-quality, irrelevant or spammy websites.

A good link requires something of value: expertise, time, useful content, a strong relationship, a relevant listing, or a genuinely interesting story.

Don’t chase authority scores blindly

Authority scores can be useful, but they are not the full story.

A website with a high authority score can still be irrelevant or spammy. A smaller niche website with a modest score can still be incredibly valuable if it has a real audience and strong topical relevance.

Manual review matters.

Don’t over-optimise anchor text

If every link to your website uses the exact same keyword phrase, it doesn’t look natural.

Real links vary. Some use your brand name. Some use the page title. Some use the URL. Some use simple phrases like “read more”.

A natural backlink profile is varied.

Don’t treat guest posting as a shortcut

Guest posting can be useful if you are genuinely educating another website’s audience or contributing something valuable. Google does not discourage these types of articles when they inform users, educate another site’s audience or bring awareness to your business. But large-scale guest posting with keyword-rich links purely for SEO is where the danger begins.

So, before writing or placing a guest article, ask: Would this article still be useful without the backlink?

If not, it probably isn’t worth doing.

Be consistent

Small peaks and troughs of link acquisition are normal, especially if you get a piece of press coverage or publish a strong resource.

But avoid amassing links once a year and then doing nothing.

Ethical link building works best as a consistent part of your wider SEO and content strategy.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

To gain a link, you usually have to give something back.

That might be good content, useful information, time, expertise, data, a quote, a story or a genuinely helpful resource.

Anybody offering lots of links to your site for little to no investment from you is probably not offering something sustainable.

Ethical link building benefits: time-consuming, but worth it

As with all things in the world of SEO, link building can be very time-consuming.

If someone is promising you quick wins, that usually means one of two things: either the links are low quality, or the tactics are risky.

But when done right, ethical link building is a powerful tool.

It can help your website generate enquiries. It can build your authority. It can increase referral traffic. It can support traditional SEO and strengthen your visibility in AI-led search experiences. It can also help your brand appear in the kinds of places your prospects already trust.

A decent backlink campaign can turn your website into a lean, mean, enquiry-generating machine, meaning you get a website that works as hard as you do to bring in new enquiries.

But the best link building does more than build links.

It builds trust.

Final thoughts

Ethical link building is not about shortcuts, tricks or volume.

It is about earning attention in places that matter.

That might mean responding to journalist requests, getting listed in relevant directories, investing in digital PR, creating genuinely useful content, promoting that content to the right websites, and building relationships with people in your industry.

These ethical SEO techniques may take more time, but they create a stronger foundation.

In a search landscape increasingly shaped by AI, authority and trust are only becoming more important. So the goal is not just to get more backlinks. The goal is to build a digital footprint that shows search engines, AI tools and potential customers that your business is credible, relevant and worth choosing.