Backlink Building in 2024: What Still Works

Last Updated: February 8th, 2024
By Adam Bilter

Backlinks remain the single most powerful off-page SEO factor in 2024. Despite years of Google claiming to reduce the importance of links, every major ranking study confirms that backlinks are still the strongest predictor of where a page ranks. The difference in 2024 is that quality matters far more than quantity — and getting this wrong can actively hurt you. Use our free PageRank and backlink checker to see your current link profile before you start building.

Why Backlinks Still Matter So Much

Google's own internal documentation and employee statements have confirmed repeatedly that PageRank — driven by backlinks — is one of their top three ranking signals. Every link from a credible website is a vote of confidence, and those votes directly influence where your pages appear in search results. A site with 500 high-quality backlinks from authoritative domains will almost always outrank a site with 5,000 links from low-quality sources. In 2024, Google is better than ever at identifying and discounting low-quality links — and in some cases, penalizing sites that have too many of them.

Link Building Strategies That Work in 2024

1. Original Research and Data Studies

Publishing original research that other websites want to cite is the gold standard of link building. If you conduct a survey, analyze a dataset, or compile statistics that don't exist anywhere else, journalists, bloggers, and industry publications will link to you as the source. This strategy takes real work but produces some of the highest-quality, most natural links possible — exactly what Google rewards.

2. Free Tools and Resources

Free web tools attract links naturally because they provide ongoing value. Our free PageRank checker is a perfect example — it's linked to by thousands of SEO blogs because it solves a real problem for free. If you can build a free tool, calculator, template, or resource that your target audience uses regularly, links will follow.

3. Digital PR and Media Outreach

Getting your brand or content mentioned in major publications (Forbes, TechCrunch, industry trade publications) earns extremely high-authority links. The best way to achieve this is to:

• Respond to journalist queries on platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
• Pitch original story angles to relevant journalists
• Publish newsworthy research or data that naturally generates press coverage

4. Strategic Guest Posting

Guest posting on reputable, relevant websites still works in 2024 — with important caveats. Google has become much better at identifying low-quality guest post links, particularly from sites that exist primarily to sell links. Focus on:

• Sites with genuine readership and editorial standards
• Websites topically relevant to your niche
• Publications that wouldn't accept just any submission

5. Broken Link Building

Find pages on authoritative websites that link to dead URLs. Contact the webmaster, point out the broken link, and suggest your content as a replacement. This strategy works because you're doing the webmaster a favor while earning a quality link.

6. Resource Page Link Building

Many websites maintain "resource pages" or "best tools" pages that list helpful websites in their niche. Finding these pages and getting your site listed is a reliable source of contextual, relevant backlinks.

7. Skyscraper Technique

Find content in your niche that has earned many backlinks. Create a significantly better, more comprehensive version of that content. Then reach out to sites linking to the original and show them your superior version.

Link Building Tactics to Avoid in 2024

Paid Links Without Nofollow

Buying links that pass PageRank violates Google's webmaster guidelines and can result in manual penalties. If you pay for links — including sponsored posts — make sure they're tagged with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow."

Private Blog Networks (PBNs)

PBNs are networks of websites created specifically to build links. Google is extremely effective at identifying and devaluing these, and sites using them risk severe ranking penalties.

Low-Quality Directory Submissions

Submitting to hundreds of low-quality web directories no longer provides any benefit and can hurt your domain authority score.

Measuring the Impact of Your Link Building

After implementing any link building campaign, track these metrics monthly:

• Number of referring domains (unique sites linking to you)
• Domain Authority score
• Estimated PageRank
• Organic keyword rankings for target terms

Use our PageRank checker to monitor your domain authority, backlink count, and citation flow over time. Real link building progress typically becomes visible in your metrics within 2-3 months.