Action Plan for Top 5 Link Building Strategies (2025)

🔗 1. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) Link Building

Goal: Earn backlinks from top media outlets.

Steps:

1. Sign up at www.helpareporter.com or alternatives like Qwoted, SourceBottle, or Terkel.

2. Check daily email queries for your niche (Business, Travel, Tech, Pets, etc.).

3. Respond quickly with expert quotes, credentials, and short answers.

4. Include a link to your website and relevant credentials.

5. Track accepted mentions using Google Alerts or Ahrefs.

Tip: Speed is key — reply within 1-2 hours of receiving the query.

🔗 2. Digital PR Campaign

Goal: Gain links from big media and authority blogs.

Steps:

1. Create newsworthy content:

   • Data studies, surveys, industry reports, or quirky insights.

   • Examples: “The Most Dog-Friendly Airlines in 2025” or “Survey: 75% of Cat Owners Work Remotely.”

2. Create a press release with key findings.

3. Build a media list (journalists, bloggers, editors).

4. Send a personalized pitch explaining why this story matters to their readers.

5. Follow up once if no response.

Tip: Use tools like MuckRack or Prowly to find journalists.

🔗 3. Broken Link Building

Goal: Replace dead links with your content.

Steps:

1. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Check My Links (Chrome extension) to scan niche blogs or resource pages.

2. Identify broken outbound links.

3. Create or match content relevant to the broken link.

4. Email the site owner:

   • Be polite and helpful (“I found a broken link on your page… I have a similar resource you can use.”)

5. Offer your content as a replacement.

Tip: Higher success when the broken link was a valuable resource before.

🔗 4. Podcast Guesting

Goal: Build authority and gain links from podcast websites.

Steps:

1. Search for podcasts in your niche via ListenNotes.com or Spotify.

2. Craft a pitch: Highlight your expertise, experience, and a few topics you can talk about.

3. Reach out via email or social media.

4. Appear on the podcast and request a link in the show notes (standard practice).

5. Share the episode to your network.

Tip: Smaller podcasts are more receptive than top-tier ones for first-timers.

🔗 5. Unlinked Brand Mentions

Goal: Convert mentions into backlinks.

Steps:

1. Use Google Alerts or Ahrefs Content Explorer to track where your brand/product is mentioned.

2. Check if they linked to your site; if not, note it.

3. Reach out with a polite email:

   • Thank them for the mention.

   • Kindly ask if they could add a link to help readers find your site easily.

4. Track success using a spreadsheet or CRM.

Tip: Mention how the link benefits their readers, not just you.