Introduction: Getting Backlinks Without Paying For Them
If you’re here, you will be searching for how to get backlinks for free. However, growing your SEO organically can be a slow process. There are many methods and techniques involved, which you can learn about in our simple SEO guide below.
SEO Basics: The Simple SEO Guide for Website Owners [UPDATED]
One such method is backlinks. These help to drive traffic, boost authority, and improve rankings if earned naturally and effectively.
But Google says you can’t pay for them, and this is for a good reason – it’s to help prevent web spam and avoid websites bloating their authority artificially.
From providing testimonials to blogger outreach services, here we look at our top 15 methods to achieve backlinks without paying for them.
Editor's Note [16.03.26]: We've expanded this guide from 10 to 15 methods with five new backlink strategies (resource page link building, expert roundups, free tools, local citations, and original research). We've also added a section on digital PR, the HARO/Connectively shutdown, and AI-generated content as backlink strategies, plus a conclusion and links to our SEO and blogger outreach services. First published in 2017 as "Top 10 Ways to Get Free Backlinks for Your Website", the guide was refreshed on 17th February 2025 with updated links and a general tidy-up.
Top 15 Methods to Get Free Backlinks
Claim Links
Your company, website or products have probably been mentioned many more times than you have backlinks for and claiming these links is an easy way to gain backlinks. Using tools like Mention.net or BuzzSumo, you can scour the internet for instances where you have been mentioned and use the results to help you create a list of potential mentions to convert to backlinks.
Become a Repair Man
Broken links negatively affect your SEO and fixing them should form part of your own maintenance programme.
However, there is also a way you can use broken links to get free backlinks.
By using tools such as Screaming Frog (or free tools like Dead Link Checker) to run an audit on the site of a target blogger or potential link site, you can prove yourself useful as a handyman. This way, you can identify broken links to the webmaster and suggest suitable alternatives you could replace a broken link with a quality backlink for your site.
Helping to fix broken links could earn you some backlinks in return. Image via Flickr.
Blogger Outreach
Bloggers are influencers and getting backlinks from bloggers who are most active in your niche can earn you good traffic. Identify the right people, build a relationship and target them individually. Make sure that you are providing them something in return.
Pitch Your Academic Expertise
Backlinks from trusted sources gain more weight and a link from a .edu domain can bring big rewards. A lot of universities offer a resources section for their students and a well-aimed pitch to a university’s webmaster could land you a very high-quality backlink. Consider what kind of degree course your site could be useful for and research institutes that both offer courses in this field and also provide resource links for students.
If you’ve graduated from a university check whether they provider Alumni profiles as you may be able to publish a profile and mention/link to your website from there.
Getting a link from a .edu site is worth the effort. Image via Pixabay.
Get a Free Critique
There are plenty of free peer-to-peer website reviews sites where you can submit your domain’s URL and receive feedback on your site; from design to content. The beauty is that you get a free backlink. Check the domain authority of the service you are submitting to.
Provide Testimonials
Usually, it’s the other way around and companies chase you for testimonials but, if you use the services of any organisation, product or company then offer a testimonial and they may return the favour with a backlink.
Create Powerful Infographics
Infographics are an incredible way to build backlinks and well-researched and creatively produced content of this nature is hugely popular. Three times more likely to engage an audience, infographics are hugely shareable and, with the right data, more likely to be linked to. You can use tools to create your own infographics that are available free such as Canva.
Improve Existing Content
Once again, using the approach of “why reinvent the wheel?”, you can earn a lot of free backlinks by taking existing well-performing content and expanding, updating or improving it.
For example, the best-performing content for the keywords ‘best ways to get hired fast’ is a 12-step guide with pictures from Wikihow that was updated a year ago.
To rank highly simply produce a better piece of content, find out who links to the original and let them know that you have a more definitive article.
Add a video, make it a twenty-step guide and enliven the design for a surefire way to get a link.
Blogger Outreach
There are always plenty of opportunities to reach out to bloggers, companies and review sites to publish a blog post. Doing your research and looking at ways to create relevant and unique content for both you and your target site is key. The benefit for your target is a free piece of content and a reciprocal backlink.
Writing a guest post can help you achieve a free backlink. Image via Pixabay.
Use Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking sites like Reddit, Tumblr and Stumble Upon all rank well in search engines and provide a democratic opportunity for internet users to rank your content directly. Using the 80:20 rule, you should always give more than you ask for when establishing a social bookmarking account. Be relevant and don’t just promote your URLs to social bookmarking sites, make sure you engage with others and share their content too.
Resource Page Link Building
Many websites maintain resource pages — curated lists of useful links on a specific topic. Search for terms like “useful resources” or “helpful links” alongside your industry keywords to find relevant resource pages. If your content genuinely fits, reach out to the site owner and suggest your page for inclusion. The key is targeting resource pages that are actively maintained and relevant to your niche.
Contribute to Expert Roundups
Industry roundup posts (e.g. “25 SEO experts share their top tips”) are popular because they offer readers multiple perspectives in one place. Bloggers who create these actively seek contributors, and being featured earns you a backlink alongside your expert insight. Search for roundups in your sector and reach out to the authors with a genuine, useful contribution.
Create Free Tools or Calculators
Free tools attract backlinks naturally because people reference them when recommending resources. This could be as simple as a spreadsheet template, a cost calculator, a checklist PDF, or an interactive quiz related to your industry. Once published, promote it through your social channels and relevant communities.
Local Citations and Directories
For local businesses, getting listed in reputable local directories (Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, industry-specific directories) provides valuable backlinks and local SEO signals. Focus on directories that are genuinely used by people in your area or sector, not bulk directory submission services.
Publish Original Research or Data
Original surveys, case studies, and data-driven reports are link magnets. If you can gather unique data from your own business or industry and present it well, journalists, bloggers, and other businesses will reference and link to your findings. Even a small survey of your customers can produce insights worth linking to.
Digital PR, HARO and AI Content as Backlink Magnets [March 2026 Update]
The link building world has shifted since this article was last updated. Help A Reporter Out (HARO), which was one of the best free ways to earn high-authority backlinks, went through several changes. It was rebranded as Connectively under Cision, then officially shut down on 9 December 2024. In April 2025, HARO was acquired by Featured.com and relaunched as a free service matching journalists with expert sources. If you previously used HARO, check out the revived HARO via Featured.com or alternatives like Qwoted, Source of Sources (SoS), and SourceBottle.
Digital PR has also become one of the most effective link-earning methods in 2025 and 2026. Rather than requesting links directly, digital PR focuses on creating original research, data studies, and expert commentary that naturally attract editorial coverage from authoritative publications. Google’s March 2024 Core Update reinforced this direction by putting less emphasis on link quantity and more on link quality and editorial relevance. A single mention in a national publication is now worth more than dozens of manufactured directory links.
AI-assisted content creation is also changing the picture. Tools like ChatGPT can help you produce data-driven blog posts, infographics, and interactive tools more efficiently. The key is using AI to handle the research and structure while adding your own expertise, data, and unique perspective. Content that brings genuine insight and original data is far more likely to earn backlinks than generic AI-generated articles.
Both approaches work best when combined with the foundational methods listed above. The core principle has not changed: create something genuinely useful or interesting, and the links will follow.
For businesses looking to build their backlink profile through genuine outreach, our team can help you connect with the right publishers and journalists in your sector. If you need broader support with your link building and SEO strategy, we can help you develop a sustainable approach that delivers results.
Further Reading
For more useful help, advice and insights, visit our link building guides below.
Best Link Building Strategies: Top 10 Tips for Building High-Quality Backlinks [UPDATED]
Backlink Your Way to SEO Success: An Up-To-Date Link Building Guide [UPDATED]
Conclusion
Building free backlinks takes time and effort, but the methods above show there is no shortage of legitimate ways to earn them. The common thread running through all 15 approaches is the same principle Google has always rewarded: provide genuine value. Whether that means fixing someone’s broken links, creating a tool others find useful, or sharing original research that journalists want to cite, the best backlinks come from real contributions rather than shortcuts.
Start with the methods that best match your strengths and resources, be consistent, and the links will build over time.
Need help? Contact Opace
If you need help getting backlinks or simply don’t have the time, then Opace can help. Get in touch with one of our SEO team today to discuss your SEO strategy.
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