Links remain one of the signals search engines use to understand which pages are trusted and relevant. But not every link is equal, and some can create more risk than value. These best practices help you judge opportunities consistently.
The four questions we ask about every link
1. Is the linking page relevant? A link from an article about your topic, on a site that covers your industry, carries meaning. A link from an unrelated page rarely does.
2. Is it editorial? The best links are placed because an editor or author decided the reference helps their readers. Links inserted into footers, author boxes on unrelated sites or long lists of sponsors carry little weight.
3. Does the site have a real audience? If people actually read the page, the link can send visitors as well as signals. Check whether the site ranks for relevant searches and shows signs of genuine engagement.
4. Would you be comfortable explaining it? If you would be embarrassed to show the link to a customer or a search-engine reviewer, it probably is not worth having.
Practices to avoid
Google's spam policies describe link schemes that can lead to ranking penalties or links being ignored. Common examples include:
- Buying or selling links that pass ranking credit without a
sponsoredornofollowattribute - Excessive link exchanges ("link to me and I'll link to you")
- Private blog networks built only to pass links
- Automated programmes that create links at scale
- Large-scale article marketing with keyword-rich anchor text
Build assets worth linking to
The most sustainable way to earn links is to create resources people want to cite: original research, practical tools, clear definitions, templates or comprehensive guides. Outreach then becomes a matter of letting the right people know the resource exists.
Keep anchor text natural
Anchor text should describe the destination in a way that reads naturally. A healthy profile includes branded anchors, URLs, descriptive phrases and generic text. Repeating the same commercial keyword across many links looks unnatural and adds risk.
Diversify where links point
Linking only to your homepage or a single money page is unnatural. Spread links across useful resources, guides and category pages, then use internal linking to pass relevance to the pages that matter commercially.
Measure with care
Tools such as Semrush and Google Search Console show which links have been discovered. Track new and lost links, but remember that third-party metrics are estimates and that rankings respond to many factors. A useful report shows what was earned, where it points and how the linked pages are performing over time — without overstating cause and effect.
The bottom line
Good link building looks a lot like good marketing: useful content, relevant relationships and honest reporting. It takes longer than shortcuts, but it builds an asset that keeps working instead of a liability waiting for the next algorithm update.