SEO Basics: What is link building?
Link building is an essential part of SEO. It helps search engines find, understand, and rank your pages. You can write the perfect post, but if search engines cannot follow at least one link to it, your content may stay hidden from view.
For Google to discover your pages, you need links from other websites. The more relevant and trustworthy those links are, the stronger your reputation becomes. In this guide, we explain what link building means in 2025, how it connects to digital PR, and how AI-driven search now evaluates trust and authority.
If you are new to SEO, check out our Beginner’s guide to SEO for a complete overview.
A link, or hyperlink, connects one page on the internet to another. It helps users and search engines move between pages.
For readers, links make it easy to explore related topics. For search engines, links act like roads, guiding crawlers to discover and index new content. Without inbound links, a website can be difficult for search engines to find or evaluate.
You can learn more about how search engines navigate websites in our article on site structure and SEO.
In HTML, a link looks like this:
The first part contains the URL, and the second part is the clickable text, called the anchor text. Both parts matter for SEO and user experience, because they tell both people and search engines what to expect when they click.
There are two main types of links that affect SEO. Internal links connect pages within your own website, while external links come from other websites and point to your pages. External links are often called backlinks.
Both types of links matter, but external links carry more authority because they act as endorsements from independent sources. Internal linking, however, plays a crucial role in helping search engines understand how your content fits together and which pages are most important.
To learn more about structuring your site effectively, see our guide to internal linking for SEO.
The anchor text describes the linked page. Clear, descriptive anchor text helps users understand where a link will take them and gives search engines more context about the topic.
For example, “SEO copywriting guide” is much more useful and meaningful than “click here.” The right anchor text improves usability, accessibility, and search relevance. You can optimize your own internal linking by using logical, topic-based anchors.
For more examples, read our anchor text best practices guide.
Link building is the process of earning backlinks from other websites. These links act as votes of confidence, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
Search engines like Google still use backlinks as a key ranking signal, but the focus has shifted away from quantity and toward quality and context. A single link from an authoritative, relevant site can be worth far more than dozens from unrelated or low-quality sources.
Good link building is about creating genuine connections, not collecting as many links as possible. When people share your content because they find it useful, you gain visibility, credibility, and referral traffic. These benefits reinforce one another, helping your brand stand out both in traditional search and in AI-driven environments where authority and reputation matter most.
In 2025, link building has evolved into a form of digital PR. Instead of focusing purely on SEO tactics, marketers now use link building to boost brand visibility and credibility.
Digital PR revolves around storytelling, relationship-building, and public exposure. A successful strategy might involve pitching articles or insights to journalists, collaborating with bloggers, or publishing original research that earns citations across the web. When your business appears in trusted media or professional communities, you gain not just backlinks but also brand mentions and citations that reinforce your authority.
Citations are particularly important in today’s search landscape. They are references to your brand or content, even without a clickable link. Search engines and AI systems treat them as indicators of credibility, especially when they appear on reputable sites. Combined with consistent author information and structured data, they help demonstrate your E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
You can learn more about building brand authority in our article on E-E-A-T and SEO.
Not all links are created equal. A high-quality backlink from a well-respected, topic-relevant website has far more impact than multiple links from small or unrelated sites.
Consider a restaurant owner who earns a link from The Guardian’s food section. That single editorial mention is far more valuable than a dozen random directory links. Google recognizes that editorial links earned for merit are strong signals of expertise, while low-effort links from unrelated pages carry little or no value.
High-quality backlinks usually come from sites with strong reputations, clear editorial standards, and engaged audiences. They fit naturally within content and make sense to readers. Low-quality links, on the other hand, can make your site appear manipulative or untrustworthy. Building authority takes time, but the reward is a reputation that search engines and users can rely on.
Read more about this long-term approach in our post on holistic SEO.
Because earning good links can take time, some site owners resort to shortcuts like buying backlinks, using link farms, or participating in private blog networks. These tactics may offer quick results, but they violate Google’s spam policies and can trigger severe penalties.
When a site’s link profile looks unnatural or manipulative, Google may reduce its visibility or remove it from results altogether. Recovering from such penalties can take months. It is far safer to focus on ethical, transparent methods. Quality always lasts longer than trickery.
The best way to earn strong backlinks is to produce content that others genuinely want to reference. Start by understanding your audience and their challenges. Once you know what they are looking for, create content that provides clear answers, unique insights, or helpful tools.
For example, publishing original data or research can attract links from journalists and educators. Creating detailed how-to guides or case studies can draw links from blogs and businesses that want to cite your expertise. You can also build relationships with people in your industry by commenting on their content, sharing their work, and offering collaboration ideas.
Newsworthy content is another proven approach. Announce a product launch, partnership, or study that has real value for your audience. When you provide something genuinely useful, you will find that links and citations follow naturally.
Structured data also plays a growing role. By using Schema markup, you help search engines understand your brand, authors, and topics, making it easier for them to connect mentions of your business across the web.
For a more detailed approach, visit our step-by-step guide to link building.
Search is evolving quickly. Systems like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity no longer rely solely on backlinks to determine authority. They analyze the meaning and connections behind content, paying attention to context, reputation, and consistency.
In this new landscape, links still matter, but they are part of a wider ecosystem of trust signals. Mentions, structured data, and author profiles all contribute to how search and AI systems understand your expertise. This means that link building is now about being both findable and credible.
To stay ahead, make sure your brand and authors are clearly represented across your site. Use structured data to connect your organization, people, and content. Keep your messaging consistent wherever your brand appears. When machines and humans can both understand who you are and what you offer, your chances of visibility increase.
You can read more about how structured data supports this process in our guide to Schema and structured data.
There are many ways to put link building into action. A company might publish a research study that earns coverage from major industry blogs and online magazines. A small business might collaborate with local influencers or community organizations that naturally reference its website. Another might produce in-depth educational content that other professionals use as a trusted resource.
Each of these examples shares the same principle: links are earned because the content has genuine value. That is the foundation of successful link building. When people trust what you create and see it as worth sharing, search engines take notice too.
Link building remains one of the strongest ways to build visibility and authority. But in 2025, success depends on more than collecting backlinks. It depends on trust, consistency, and reputation.
Think of link building as part of your digital PR strategy. Focus on creating content that deserves attention, build relationships with credible sources, and communicate your expertise clearly. The combination of valuable content, ethical outreach, and structured data will help you stand out across both Google Search and AI-driven platforms.
When you build for people first, the right links will follow.
Link building means earning links from other websites to show search engines that your content is credible and valuable. In 2025, it is part of digital PR, focused on relationships, trust, and reputation rather than quantity.
AI-driven search now looks at citations, structured data, and contextual relevance alongside backlinks. Focus on quality, clarity, and authority to build long-term visibility online.
Ethical link building remains one of the best ways to grow your brand’s reach and reputation in search.
The post SEO Basics: What is link building? appeared first on Yoast.
Continue reading...
Link building is an essential part of SEO. It helps search engines find, understand, and rank your pages. You can write the perfect post, but if search engines cannot follow at least one link to it, your content may stay hidden from view.
Table of Contents
- What is link building?
- What is a link?
- Internal and external links
- Anchor text and why it matters
- Why we build links
- Link building as digital PR
- Link quality over quantity
- Avoid shady link-building tactics
- How to earn high-quality links
- Link building in the era of AI and LLM search
- Examples of effective link building
- In conclusion
- TL;DR
For Google to discover your pages, you need links from other websites. The more relevant and trustworthy those links are, the stronger your reputation becomes. In this guide, we explain what link building means in 2025, how it connects to digital PR, and how AI-driven search now evaluates trust and authority.
If you are new to SEO, check out our Beginner’s guide to SEO for a complete overview.
What is a link?
A link, or hyperlink, connects one page on the internet to another. It helps users and search engines move between pages.
For readers, links make it easy to explore related topics. For search engines, links act like roads, guiding crawlers to discover and index new content. Without inbound links, a website can be difficult for search engines to find or evaluate.
You can learn more about how search engines navigate websites in our article on site structure and SEO.
A link in HTML
In HTML, a link looks like this:
Code:
<a href="https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/">Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress</a>The first part contains the URL, and the second part is the clickable text, called the anchor text. Both parts matter for SEO and user experience, because they tell both people and search engines what to expect when they click.
Internal and external links
There are two main types of links that affect SEO. Internal links connect pages within your own website, while external links come from other websites and point to your pages. External links are often called backlinks.
Both types of links matter, but external links carry more authority because they act as endorsements from independent sources. Internal linking, however, plays a crucial role in helping search engines understand how your content fits together and which pages are most important.
To learn more about structuring your site effectively, see our guide to internal linking for SEO.
Anchor text and why it matters
The anchor text describes the linked page. Clear, descriptive anchor text helps users understand where a link will take them and gives search engines more context about the topic.
For example, “SEO copywriting guide” is much more useful and meaningful than “click here.” The right anchor text improves usability, accessibility, and search relevance. You can optimize your own internal linking by using logical, topic-based anchors.
For more examples, read our anchor text best practices guide.
Why we build links
Link building is the process of earning backlinks from other websites. These links act as votes of confidence, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
Search engines like Google still use backlinks as a key ranking signal, but the focus has shifted away from quantity and toward quality and context. A single link from an authoritative, relevant site can be worth far more than dozens from unrelated or low-quality sources.
Good link building is about creating genuine connections, not collecting as many links as possible. When people share your content because they find it useful, you gain visibility, credibility, and referral traffic. These benefits reinforce one another, helping your brand stand out both in traditional search and in AI-driven environments where authority and reputation matter most.
Link building as digital PR
In 2025, link building has evolved into a form of digital PR. Instead of focusing purely on SEO tactics, marketers now use link building to boost brand visibility and credibility.
Digital PR revolves around storytelling, relationship-building, and public exposure. A successful strategy might involve pitching articles or insights to journalists, collaborating with bloggers, or publishing original research that earns citations across the web. When your business appears in trusted media or professional communities, you gain not just backlinks but also brand mentions and citations that reinforce your authority.
Citations are particularly important in today’s search landscape. They are references to your brand or content, even without a clickable link. Search engines and AI systems treat them as indicators of credibility, especially when they appear on reputable sites. Combined with consistent author information and structured data, they help demonstrate your E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
You can learn more about building brand authority in our article on E-E-A-T and SEO.
Link quality over quantity
Not all links are created equal. A high-quality backlink from a well-respected, topic-relevant website has far more impact than multiple links from small or unrelated sites.
Consider a restaurant owner who earns a link from The Guardian’s food section. That single editorial mention is far more valuable than a dozen random directory links. Google recognizes that editorial links earned for merit are strong signals of expertise, while low-effort links from unrelated pages carry little or no value.
High-quality backlinks usually come from sites with strong reputations, clear editorial standards, and engaged audiences. They fit naturally within content and make sense to readers. Low-quality links, on the other hand, can make your site appear manipulative or untrustworthy. Building authority takes time, but the reward is a reputation that search engines and users can rely on.
Read more about this long-term approach in our post on holistic SEO.
Avoid shady link-building tactics
Because earning good links can take time, some site owners resort to shortcuts like buying backlinks, using link farms, or participating in private blog networks. These tactics may offer quick results, but they violate Google’s spam policies and can trigger severe penalties.
When a site’s link profile looks unnatural or manipulative, Google may reduce its visibility or remove it from results altogether. Recovering from such penalties can take months. It is far safer to focus on ethical, transparent methods. Quality always lasts longer than trickery.
How to earn high-quality links
The best way to earn strong backlinks is to produce content that others genuinely want to reference. Start by understanding your audience and their challenges. Once you know what they are looking for, create content that provides clear answers, unique insights, or helpful tools.
For example, publishing original data or research can attract links from journalists and educators. Creating detailed how-to guides or case studies can draw links from blogs and businesses that want to cite your expertise. You can also build relationships with people in your industry by commenting on their content, sharing their work, and offering collaboration ideas.
Newsworthy content is another proven approach. Announce a product launch, partnership, or study that has real value for your audience. When you provide something genuinely useful, you will find that links and citations follow naturally.
Structured data also plays a growing role. By using Schema markup, you help search engines understand your brand, authors, and topics, making it easier for them to connect mentions of your business across the web.
For a more detailed approach, visit our step-by-step guide to link building.
Link building in the era of AI and LLM search
Search is evolving quickly. Systems like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity no longer rely solely on backlinks to determine authority. They analyze the meaning and connections behind content, paying attention to context, reputation, and consistency.
In this new landscape, links still matter, but they are part of a wider ecosystem of trust signals. Mentions, structured data, and author profiles all contribute to how search and AI systems understand your expertise. This means that link building is now about being both findable and credible.
To stay ahead, make sure your brand and authors are clearly represented across your site. Use structured data to connect your organization, people, and content. Keep your messaging consistent wherever your brand appears. When machines and humans can both understand who you are and what you offer, your chances of visibility increase.
You can read more about how structured data supports this process in our guide to Schema and structured data.
Examples of effective link building
There are many ways to put link building into action. A company might publish a research study that earns coverage from major industry blogs and online magazines. A small business might collaborate with local influencers or community organizations that naturally reference its website. Another might produce in-depth educational content that other professionals use as a trusted resource.
Each of these examples shares the same principle: links are earned because the content has genuine value. That is the foundation of successful link building. When people trust what you create and see it as worth sharing, search engines take notice too.
In conclusion
Link building remains one of the strongest ways to build visibility and authority. But in 2025, success depends on more than collecting backlinks. It depends on trust, consistency, and reputation.
Think of link building as part of your digital PR strategy. Focus on creating content that deserves attention, build relationships with credible sources, and communicate your expertise clearly. The combination of valuable content, ethical outreach, and structured data will help you stand out across both Google Search and AI-driven platforms.
When you build for people first, the right links will follow.
TL;DR (2025 Version)
Link building means earning links from other websites to show search engines that your content is credible and valuable. In 2025, it is part of digital PR, focused on relationships, trust, and reputation rather than quantity.
AI-driven search now looks at citations, structured data, and contextual relevance alongside backlinks. Focus on quality, clarity, and authority to build long-term visibility online.
Ethical link building remains one of the best ways to grow your brand’s reach and reputation in search.
The post SEO Basics: What is link building? appeared first on Yoast.
Continue reading...