Link building: how to gain backlinks in 2026?

Link building, or building backlinks, is the process of gaining links from other websites to yours. In the past it was often misused to manipulate search results, but today it is an important part of SEO optimisation and building online authority. What is its future? Find out how to approach building high-quality links and how that will help you raise your SEO results.

What link building is and why it still matters in 2026

Backlinks are a signal to Google of your site's trustworthiness and relevance. The more quality links from relevant sources you have, the better Google rates you and the greater the chance you will appear higher in search results.

Google keeps improving its algorithms so as to identify quality content and relevant links better. That is why it matters to focus on building a natural, organic network of backlinks.

Types of backlink

When building backlinks it matters to distinguish between various types of link. Not all of them will help you improve your position in search and bring relevant traffic. Let us look more closely at which types of backlink exist and what effect they have on SEO.

Dofollow vs. nofollow links

If a site links to another site, there are two ways of doing so. The first is a dofollow link and the second a nofollow link. Although both types of link achieve the same aim — connecting from the original site to the target site — they tell a search engine two different things.

• Dofollow is a link that helps from the SEO point of view by passing the original site's authority to the target site. This transfer of authority is called "link juice". Gaining dofollow backlinks helps improve a site's domain authority or domain rating, which in turn helps improve keyword rankings.

By default links are dofollow, so there is no need to state rel="dofollow" when linking to a site.

<a href="http://example.com">Click here</a>

• Nofollow is a link that does not pass authority to the page it links to. These links do not help from the SEO point of view.

If you want to create a nofollow link, add rel="nofollow" to the code when creating the link to a site.

<a href="http://example.com" rel="nofollow">Click here</a>

A nofollow backlink should be used when you do not want to pass authority to or promote the linked page.

Internal links

An internal link is a link to another page on the same site. It is usually done through the site's navigation or elements such as lists of popular articles, related articles and so on. Besides that you can link to thematically relevant pages directly in the text. Readers then get further content on certain subjects exactly where they need it.

Internal links help Google understand your site's structure and content better. Proper interlinking improves indexing and makes finding your way around your pages easier.

The most effective link building strategies for 2026

Link building is still a key part of SEO in 2026. Google keeps improving its algorithms and emphasises quality content and relevant links.  Do you want to be sure your strategy is current and effective? We will introduce proven link building strategies that will help you gain quality backlinks and improve your positions in search.

Content is king

Quality, original content is the foundation of successful link building. If you want people to link to you, you have to offer them something exceptional. Your content should be:

• Interesting: it has to engage your target group and offer them something that catches them.
• Useful: it should solve your readers' problems, answer their questions and bring them practical information.
• Shareable: it should be so good that people want to share it with their friends and acquaintances.

Content worth linking to is like a magnet for links. It is content so valuable that other people simply have to link to it.

How to do it? 

Create a comprehensive, detailed article, infographic, video or other type of content that solves an important question in your industry. Share it on social media, forums and in relevant communities.

An example: if you have an e-shop with bicycles, you can write a detailed article about how to choose the right bicycle for the terrain and riding style. You can add quality photographs and videos to this article.

Broken link building

Broken link building is a strategy where you look for websites with broken links. These links, also called "dead", lead to pages that no longer exist and show a 404 Not Found error.

Your task is to find these broken links and contact the site's owner with an offer to replace them. Instead of the broken link you offer them a link to your relevant, quality content that fits the page thematically.

An example: if you find a travel blog with a broken link to an article about accommodation in Prague, you can offer them a link to your page with reviews of hotels in Prague.

One useful tool for finding broken links is Check My Links; you only have to install the Chrome extension.

Guest blogging

Guest blogging is writing and publishing a blog post on another person's or company's website. Why does guest blogging matter? It helps you: 

• build relationships with other people in your industry, 
• expose your brand to a new audience, 
• raise traffic to your website, 
• establish yourself as a thought leader,
• create backlinks to your website that potentially raise SEO. 

How to do it?

Approach blogs and sites on similar subjects and offer to write a guest article with a link to your site.

An example: if you run a cookery blog, you can approach food bloggers and offer them an interesting recipe with a link to your blog.

Link baiting 

This is the process of creating content whose only aim is for people to link to it or share it. The aim of creating link bait is to create as many incoming links to a website as possible. In this process it matters that the content be persuasive and valuable. Otherwise it will be considered spam, which will ultimately lead to penalties from Google.

An example: if you run a site about marketing, you can create an infographic about the latest trends in online marketing.

Avoiding spam links 

There are plenty of spam websites and you should avoid them at all costs. Search engines will at best ignore links on these sites, which means your effort is a waste of time. At worst you will get a manual penalty that destroys your positions in search.

How to build quality backlinks?

Backlinks matter for a good position in search. They raise your site's credibility in Google's eyes and help attract more visitors. Take a look at how to build quality backlinks for your site.

E-E-A-T

Google wants to offer its users the most relevant, most trustworthy search results. That is why it emphasises E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness).

These factors play a key part in assessing websites and content. If you want to gain quality backlinks, it is essential that your site and content meet the E-E-A-T criteria.

• Experience: the content you create should come out of the author's authentic, personal or practical experience of the subject.
• Expertise: show that you are an expert in your field. Publish quality, informative content that demonstrates your knowledge and experience.
• Authoritativeness: build a reputation in your industry. Gain recognition from other experts, publish articles on relevant sites and take part in professional discussions.
• Trustworthiness: create a trustworthy site. Make sure your site is secure, up to date and contains accurate information. Publish contact details and information about the content's authors.

Relevance and context 

Make sure the linked content is contextually relevant to your site. Content relevance matters more than ever. Google will not reward content or campaigns it does not consider relevant.

Domain and page authority 

Domain authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a site is likely to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).

A high DA score means a site has a strong backlink profile, publishes high-quality content and is trusted by search engines.

Google considers sites with a high DA more trustworthy and relevant and therefore gives them greater weight. Gaining a link from such a site will strengthen your online authority too.

Anchor text

Anchor text is the linked text leading to another URL. That URL may be part of the same domain (an internal link taking you to another page on the same site) or it may take you off the site to a page on another domain. 

Anchor text matters for several different reasons. 

• It can make or break the user experience. Badly placed or spammy anchor text lowers UX. We consider addressing the user experience an important task of every SEO optimisation, because that is what search engines such as Google ultimately reward. 
• Good anchor text optimisation helps search engines find their way around better. Anchor text not only tells readers what the linked page is about but informs the algorithms too. 

Google and readers alike favour descriptive anchor text that lets them find out what they will get when they click it. 

Tools for analysing link building

Today there are plenty of tools that will help you analyse and improve your link building. They will help you identify potential opportunities, analyse the competition and track your progress. Among the most popular, most comprehensive tools are Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz, which offer a wide range of features.

Ahrefs:

• Site Explorer: detailed analysis of any website's link profile including the Domain Rating (DR) metric, anchor text analysis, identifying toxic links and much more.
• Content Explorer: helps identify popular content in your industry and find opportunities for guest blogging and link building.
• Keywords Explorer: keyword research and competitor analysis.
• Rank Tracker: tracking positions in search for selected keywords.

SEMrush:

• Backlink Analytics: backlink analysis, identifying toxic links, anchor text analysis and comparison with the competition.
• Organic Research: organic search analysis, identifying keywords and tracking positions.
• On-Page SEO Checker: suggestions for optimising content for search engines.
• Position Tracking: tracking positions in search for selected keywords.

Moz:

• Link Explorer: backlink analysis including the Domain Authority (DA) metric, anchor text analysis and identifying spam links.
• Keyword Explorer: keyword research and competitor analysis.
• Rank Tracker: tracking positions in search for selected keywords.

Besides all-in-one platforms there are also plenty of specialised link building tools:

Majestic SEO: focuses on backlink analysis and offers unique metrics such as Trust Flow and Citation Flow.

LinkMiner: a tool from Mangools that helps find broken links and analyse competitors' link profiles.

Screaming Frog: a technical SEO tool that can crawl websites and identify link problems such as broken links or redirects.

Google Search Console: a free tool from Google that gives you information about how Google sees your site, including links pointing to it.

Google Analytics: helps analyse traffic and track the results of your link building activity.

Trends in link building: what awaits us in the future?

Link building keeps developing and adapting to the changing online environment. Which trends will shape the future of building backlinks and what awaits you in 2025?

AI's influence on link building

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how we approach building backlinks. AI-driven tools can analyse huge amounts of data and identify prospects with high-quality links more effectively than ever before. 

• Personalised outreach: AI algorithms can create personalised outreach messages, which raises the likelihood of gaining backlinks.
• Predictive analysis: predicting which websites are most likely to give backlinks on the basis of historical data.
• Automation with a human touch: automation does speed processes up, but keeping a personalised approach ensures better relationships and a higher success rate.

The future of guest blogging: what will it mean in the coming years?

In 2026 quality over quantity will dominate guest blogging. Companies have to focus on creating compelling, informative posts that engage a targeted audience. The importance of platforms focused on specific industries will rise. Measuring guest blogging's success will extend to tracking traffic, generating leads and conversions. Building relationships with bloggers and experimenting with new content formats such as videos and infographics will matter. Originality and promotion on social media will be key to success.

New strategies and techniques: what innovations can we expect in link building?

Besides AI's influence and changes in guest blogging we can expect further innovations in link building:

• A focus on E-E-A-T: Google will place even greater emphasis on websites' expertise, authority and trustworthiness. Link building strategies will have to focus on building reputation and credibility.
• Diversifying the link profile: it will matter to build links from various sources, not only from articles and blogs.
• Using new technologies: new technologies such as blockchain and VR/AR could bring innovative ways of building links.
• Measurement and analysis: it will matter to track link building results and analyse strategies' effectiveness.

Link building keeps developing. Companies that adapt and use new strategies will have a competitive advantage online.

Link building as a long-term investment

Link building is a long-term investment in your site's success. Regularly building quality backlinks will help you improve your positions in search results, raise organic traffic and build online authority.

It matters to monitor and analyse your link building results regularly. Watch which links you gain, what effect they have on your positions in search results and what traffic they bring you.

Watch out for "black hat" methods!

After last year's Google algorithm updates it matters more than ever to avoid unethical link building practices. These include, for instance:

• Buying links: paying for links in order to manipulate positions in search.
• Using PBN networks: creating a network of sites with the sole aim of linking to your site.
• Stuffing anchor text with keywords: using unnatural, manipulative anchor text.

A tip to finish: prioritise building backlinks to the pages that matter most to you. Focus on pages that generate the most conversions or have the greatest potential for growth.