What Is Link Building? Definition & Guide

Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites that point to pages on your site. These inbound links -- also called backlinks -- are one of the most powerful signals search engines use to evaluate a page's authority and trustworthiness. A page with many high-quality backlinks tends to rank higher than an equally optimized page with few links. Link building is the primary way to earn that authority from external sources.

Why Link Building Matters

Search engines treat backlinks as votes of confidence. When a reputable website links to your content, it is signaling to search engines that your content is worth referencing. The more high-quality sites that link to a page, the more authoritative that page appears -- and the higher it tends to rank.

Not all links are equal. A single backlink from a major industry publication can be worth more than a hundred links from obscure, low-quality sites. Link quality -- determined by the linking site's authority, relevance, and organic traffic -- matters far more than link quantity. Chasing link volume without attention to quality can actually harm rankings.

Beyond SEO, backlinks drive direct referral traffic. When your content is cited on a popular site in your industry, their readers become your audience. This audience overlap is often highly qualified -- people already interested in your space who are now learning about your brand for the first time.

How It Works

Earning links starts with creating content worth linking to. In-depth guides, original research, data visualizations, and strong opinion pieces earn links naturally because other writers find them useful to cite. Without genuinely valuable content, link building becomes an uphill battle.

Active link building involves outreach: identifying sites that cover related topics, finding specific pages where your content would add value, and reaching out to the authors or editors. The pitch should be specific, respectful, and focused on why the link benefits their readers -- not just why it benefits you.

Digital PR is another powerful link-building approach. By publishing original research, expert commentary, or newsworthy content, you can earn coverage and links from news sites, trade publications, and industry blogs at scale. Averi supports content teams in creating the kinds of high-value, linkable assets that make outreach and digital PR work.

Link Building Best Practices

• Prioritize earning links from sites with high domain authority and genuine audience relevance
• Create linkable assets -- original research, comprehensive guides, tools, or data -- that naturally attract citations
• Use broken link building: find dead links on relevant sites and offer your content as a replacement
• Avoid buying links or participating in link schemes that violate Google's guidelines
• Diversify your link profile -- vary anchor text, linking domains, and page types being linked to
• Track your backlink profile regularly and disavow spammy or harmful links

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