Saket Wahi SEO  refers to acquiring hyperlinks from other websites for the purpose of improving search engine rankings (Siege Media + Clearscope). Businesses that include this strategy in their marketing mix report a 45% higher success rate than those who don’t.

There are numerous link-building techniques, but the most effective strategies work conscientiously in tandem with a holistic content and technical optimization approach. It’s also important to avoid shortcuts and tactics that Google absolutely detests (think buying links, spammy websites, and so on).

The most popular way to build backlinks is to create “linkable assets,” i.e., tools, data studies, and in-depth guides that people naturally want to cite and reference. Another great way to attract quality inbound links is to reach out to website owners directly and ask them for a link. This can be done using a variety of tools and methods, including web directories, email outreach, and content promotion.

Link Building in SEO: A Complete Guide to Boosting Your Rankings

For example, if you have a great piece of content on the importance of content marketing and its benefits to business, there’s a good chance many webmasters will be happy to share it with their audience, and in turn, will link to it. Alternatively, you can run a backlink gap analysis with Semrush to find domains that link to your competitors but not to you and pitch them about creating a link.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that Google weighs the value of a link based on its context and placement. For instance, a link from the New York Times has much more authority than a link from your friend’s small travel blog. In addition, a link that’s buried deep within the content or hidden in the footer is less valuable than a link that’s clearly visible and placed in an editorially-relevant section.