Publish something other people want to cite, tell the right people about it and be useful in the places your market gathers.
For founders and marketers who need links but want to avoid schemes. You will have a plan built on an asset, a target list and honest outreach.
Links from other sites remain one of the strongest signals a page can have, and they are the hardest to get honestly. Shortcuts such as paid placements, link swaps and private networks are the quickest way to a penalty. Earning links means giving people something they want to cite, and making sure the right people know about it.
1Make one asset worth citing
Links follow assets that other people find useful to reference. Three types reliably earn them.
| Asset | Why people link to it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Original data | It is a source others can cite | A survey or an analysis of anonymised product data |
| A free tool | It is useful to send readers to | A calculator or checker for a common task |
| A definitive explainer | It is the best single page on a topic | A clear, complete guide with a worked example |
2Find who covers the topic
List ten people who write about your area: journalists, newsletter authors, bloggers, community leads. Read what they have linked to in the last year. That tells you what they value, and whether your asset fits.
3Reach out with value, not a request
A short, personal note works better than a template. Say who you are, what you made and why their readers would care, in a few sentences. Do not ask for a link. Send one follow-up after about a week and then leave it.
Mass template
Hi, I love your site. We published a great guide you should link to. Let me know if you can add it. Thanks!
Specific and useful
Hi Sam, your piece on retail returns cited a few surveys. We analysed anonymised data from about two thousand stores on how return rates change after a fit guide is added, and published the method and figures here. It might be useful for readers who ask the same question.
The second message references the recipient's work, states what is new, shows the method and asks for nothing.
4Answer requests where you have real expertise
Services that connect journalists with experts send daily requests. Reply only where you have genuine experience, answer the exact question briefly, and give one specific detail you can support. A few good answers earn more than many generic ones.
5Stay clear of schemes
- Paid links that pass ranking signals break Google's spam policies unless marked appropriately
- Link swaps arranged at scale are treated as link schemes
- Private networks and expired-domain tricks can lead to manual action
- Offers to sell you links by the dozen are best ignored
6Track what you earn
Keep a simple tracker of relevant, editorial links, the page they point to and the asset behind them. It shows which kinds of assets earn links, so you can make more of those.
Worked example
A tool that earned links (illustrative)
A made-up invoicing tool builds a free late-payment interest calculator. It writes a short guide below the tool explaining the calculation, lists the calculator in two relevant resource pages by asking their authors, and shares it in a freelancer community where people ask the question often. Over a few months a handful of relevant sites link to it unprompted, and signups from the page are tracked separately.
Say it in 30 seconds
The 30-second version
Publish one asset people want to cite, such as data, a free tool or a definitive explainer. Find the people who cover the topic, pitch the value to their readers, answer journalist requests where you have real expertise, and stay clear of paid placements, swaps and networks.
Worksheet
Link earning plan
The full guide and a worksheet to fill in, as a PDF you can print or share with your team. The worksheet covers:
- Choose one asset type: original data, a free tool or a definitive explainer
- Write the question the asset answers that people would cite
- Publish it on a page that is easy to reference
- List ten people who cover your topic
- and 6 more
One email with the PDF. No list, no follow-ups.
