Guide · SEO
Link Building Basics: How to Earn Links Without Spam
Link building is the work of earning links to your pages from other sites, and Google allows it only when the links are earned, not bought, swapped or forced. This guide covers what Google calls a link scheme, how to mark links, and safe ways to earn them.
What link building means
Links are one way Google learns which pages may be useful to searchers. Google says they can be good for a site to receive, as long as they are well deserved. That is the safe core of link building: make something worth linking to, then let people find it.
The trouble starts when the goal changes from earning a link to forcing one. Google calls that a link scheme. Its guidelines say any link meant to manipulate PageRank or a site's ranking may count as part of one.
This guide shows what to avoid, how to mark links the right way, and where real links come from.
Sources: Google Search Central, Link schemes; Google Search Central Blog, A reminder on qualifying links and our link spam update
What Google calls a link scheme
Google's link scheme page lists the behaviour that can hurt a site's ranking. The main examples are:
- Buying or selling links that pass PageRank, including money, goods or services in exchange for links.
- Sending someone a free product in exchange for a review that includes a link.
- Excessive link swaps, such as "link to me and I'll link to you".
- Large-scale article marketing or guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text.
- Using automated programs or services to create links.
- Requiring a link in terms of service or a contract, without letting the other site qualify it.
Google also names unnatural links. These are links that the site owner did not place or vouch for. Examples include low-quality directory links, widely spread footer links, and forum comments with keyword-packed signatures.
Sources: Google Search Central, Link schemes
How rel attributes mark a link
You can tell Google how you relate to a link with a rel value in the link tag. Google lists three.
Value Use it for rel="sponsored" Ads and paid placements rel="ugc" User-generated content, such as comments and forum posts rel="nofollow" Other links you would rather not vouch for Google says nofollow used to be the advice for paid links and is still fine, but sponsored is preferred. Regular links that you stand behind need no rel value at all.
If your site links out, mark paid, affiliate and user-posted links this way. If someone links to you from a paid placement, expect that link to carry one of these values too.
Sources: Google Search Central, Qualify your outbound links to Google
What Google said about affiliate and guest posts
On 26 July 2021, Google posted a reminder about commercial links. It said that using affiliate links to earn money from a site is fine in general. It asks sites to mark them with rel="sponsored", whether the links were made by hand or by software.
The post also covered sponsored and guest posts. These are articles written by or in the name of one site and published on another. Google said it had seen campaigns of low-quality guest posts made mainly to gain links. It added that it had become much better at spotting and nullifying such schemes. Even so, it still urges site owners to apply the right rel values.
Google warned that sites publishing or buying excessive sponsored and guest posts without link tags may face algorithmic or manual actions.
Sources: Google Search Central Blog, A reminder on qualifying links and our link spam update
The July 2021 link spam update
In the same post, Google announced what it called the link spam update. It said the update would roll out over the next two weeks. It described it as more effective at identifying and nullifying link spam, across many languages.
Google did not say which sites would be hit. It said sites taking part in link spam would see changes in Search. For a team doing link building, the lesson is plain. Links from schemes may simply stop counting.
Sources: Google Search Central Blog, A reminder on qualifying links and our link spam update
Safe ways to earn links
Google's own advice is short. The best way to get other sites to make high-quality, relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can gain popularity naturally. Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, so more useful content means a better chance that someone links to it.
In practice, a team can do these things:
- Publish original material, such as a study, a guide or a tool that readers cannot get elsewhere.
- Make each page easy to cite, with a clear title, a plain summary and a stable address.
- Tell people who would truly find a page useful that it exists, and let them decide whether to link.
- Use plain anchor text, such as a page name or brand, rather than packed keywords.
- Mark any paid or sponsored link with rel="sponsored".
If a link would not exist without a payment, a swap or a script, treat it as a scheme. If you see another site doing this, Google invites reports so it can improve its detection.
Sources: Google Search Central, Link schemes; Google Search Central Blog, A reminder on qualifying links and our link spam update
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