22 Types of Backlinks That Rank (And The Ones That Don’t)

Links and your link profile are still the #1 ranking signal, and the first stepping stone to building a quality link profile is understanding the different types of backlinks you have at your disposal – And there are a lot…

Most people would take months, if not years to perfect all of them, but you only really need to select a handful, hone in, tighten up your game and start deploying like a madman!

1. Editorial Links

An editorial link is one that you didn’t ask for, pay for, or even know was coming, the site links to you because your content actually delivered value to their readers, or your brand/product got mentioned organically.

That’s it. No outreach email. No “collaboration opportunity.” No link insert offer wrapped in “just found a broken link on your page.”

Sounds nice, right? Almost like a fairy tale. But in 2025’s link economy?

True organic editorial links are rarer than a Google update that actually makes the SERPs better!

They still matter, though. They’re the cleanest and safest links you’ll get and they’re exactly what Google’s spam team dreams about when they write their documentation.

Most link sellers in SEO will claim editorial links as high level publishers doing editorial pieces on your content so they can sell you NoFollow Forbes posts for $10,000…

Here’s what actually earns you editorial links without a budget:

• Original Data & Research – Not recycled stats. We’re talking proprietary data, industry surveys, or in-house findings that haven’t been published anywhere else.

• Infographics Worth Stealing – Not Canva templates. Real design, real numbers, real share value. Bonus if it’s embeddable and branded, including in the filename.

• Expert Interviews or Controversial Takes – If you can’t interview a famous person, be the one with the strongest (or smartest) opinion.

• Actual Value-Driven Guides – Not just long content. Guides that solve real problems and double as source material for journalists and bloggers.

Risk Level: Minimal
Effectiveness: 9.5/10
Longevity: 10/10 if the site survives
Cost Range: $0 (if earned) – $1,500+ (if “arranged”)

2. Guest Post Links

Guest post links are the backbone of most link building services… And 90% of the time? It’s an AI templated article with your link jammed into the second paragraph and a massively downward Ahrefs graph.

The kicker? A lot of the time, they still work. And they’ll continue to work as long as Google keeps pretending their algorithm can fully detect intent behind a link.

But here’s the harsh reality most SEOs won’t admit:

Guest posting is only effective when you stop treating it like a “numbers game.”

If you’re smashing out 100 random guest posts on random DR40 blogs with no traffic, the likelihood is most of those signals will be neutralized come next update.

What Separates a Terrible Guest Post from a Strategic One?

Quality = Authority + Relevance + Placement.
Anything outside that trifecta is noise.

Let’s break it down:

• Authority – You want DR60+ minimum, with real rankings and indexed content. Not some expired domain flipped into a “tech news” site two months ago.

• Relevance – Topical trust is real. If you’re in finance and getting links from a CBD blog, congrats — your anchor text means nothing.

• Placement – You don’t just want any link. You want a contextual, in-body link surrounded by related copy. Not hidden in an author box or wedged into a spammy listicle.

When Guest Posts Work Best:

• When you’re launching a new domain and need clean seed links from targeted sites on the linkgraph.

• When targeting bottom-funnel or high-CPC keywords where anchor text actually matters.

• When used to diversify link velocity between parasites, press, and PBNs.

• When you need a LOT of links for competitive keywords.

The Smart Way To Do Guest Posting in 2025:

1. Stop going broad: Pick 10-15 targets in your vertical and go deep.

2. Offer value: Find missing content, outdated posts, or UX problems you can solve.

3. Use real personas: Even fake authors get better placement if they’re built properly.

4. Track indexation: If the post doesn’t index in 30 days — it doesn’t count. Simple as.

You can still automate the grunt work. Hell, I’ve built entire systems around guest post outreach at scale. But the content? The angle? That needs to be strategic.

Otherwise, congrats — you’re just another guy buying $80 posts on FatJoe and wondering why your DR went up but rankings didn’t move.

Risk Level: Medium (if over optimized or footprint-heavy)
Effectiveness: 7.5/10
Longevity: 6–9/10 depending on site age and content quality
Cost Range: $50–$1,200 per post depending on tier, country, and broker margin

3. Link Insertions / Niche Edits

You know what’s easier than writing new content, building internal and tier 2 links, posting on socials and trying to rank it? Buying your way into a page that’s already got all of those signals!

That’s what a link insertion, or niche edit, or curated link, is. You find an indexed, aged, topical post… and you inject your link into it. Quick. Cheaper than guest posts. No bylines. Done.

This tactic is old, abused, and flagged by every Google spam doc —

And yet, still one of the most consistently effective tactics in the entire SEO arsenal.

Why?

Because you’re hijacking:

• An already indexed page

• That already has existing backlinks

• That Google already trusts

You’re not asking Google to crawl and rank something new, you’re surgically adding link equity rather than hoping on gaining it from other types of links like guest posts.

The Right Way To Do Link Insertions

Not all niche edits are created equal.

Here’s how we do it:

• Relevancy first: Target pages that are at least topically aligned to your destination page — same silo, same category, ideally even same intent.

• Traffic check: Don’t just trust DR. Use Ahrefs or SimilarWeb to confirm if the page (or site) has any meaningful rankings or search visibility.

• Anchor moderation: Use branded, partial match, or contextually embedded links — aggressive exact-match in an old blog post is a red flag.

• Manual review: Don’t rely on some $40 Upwork scraper list. Actually read the content before placing a link. Make sure it makes contextual sense.

Where Link Insertions Shine

• Powering up parasite pages with mid-high comp terms (especially post-index).

• Injecting relevance to new money pages without overloading your own blog.

• Scaling up velocity for churn-and-burn campaigns without burning actual money.

• Fixing underperforming URLs by juicing their external authority without rewriting them.

Pair this with buying tier 2 links and a social buffer, and it’ll rank most medium comp keywords with ⅓ the effort of guest posting.

Risk Level: Medium-High (spam detection or deindexing risk on bad sites)
Effectiveness: 8.5/10
Longevity: 7/10 (depends on publisher stability and edit visibility)
Cost Range: $30–$800 per insertion depending on DR, traffic, and outreach layer.

4. Digital PR Links

The current darling of “white hat” SEO, everyone’s now calling themselves a “Digital PR agency” and jacking up their link building prices, I mean DPR prices, as a result.

But here’s the truth:

Digital PR is either the most scalable authority hack you’ll ever use… or a complete waste of five figures and three months of your life, and it’s almost always completely niche and geo dependant.

And when a campaign lands, it really lands! Think homepage links on tier 1 media, DR90+ citations, brand mentions that spark Google Discover visibility, and if you’re lucky, some syndication loops that carry your link through 50+ domains in one shot.

When it flops? You just paid $10,000 for a campaign that results in a bunch of useless mentions buried on obscure lifestyle magazines that no one has ever heard of in my generation.

What Is a Digital PR Link?

A Digital PR link is any earned (or manufactured) backlink that results from a newsworthy event, data drop, asset, or stunt your brand pushes to the media.

And I use “newsworthy” very loosely. In 2025, controversial, funny, or even just clickbait counts.

Here’s what’s working right now:

• Data drops & trend jacks – Run a shitty little survey, present it as “industry insights,” slap a logo on a PDF and boom, you’re a “thought leader.”

• Controversial takes – “AI is killing SEO” is boring. Try “Google is an illegal monopoly that penalizes small business to serve shareholders.” Now you’ve got headlines.

• Viral stunts – Give away a free house. Offer to marry your customer. Build an AI clone of your CEO. Sounds insane? That’s why it gets links.

• Founder/exec profiles – Only works if your founder isn’t a wet sponge. Unique backstories, scandals, or weird backgrounds = journalist bait.

How To Pull It Off (Without a $10k/month Retainer)

1. Find your angle – No one cares about your product. They care about the story around it. What industry trend can you hijack?

2. Build a media kit – Press release, images, quote from the founder, one-liner stats. Journalists are lazy — spoon feed them everything.

3. Blast it properly – No Mailchimp. Use tools like Roxhill, Propel, or Prowly. Or hire a freelancer with access to Cision. The list matters more than the message.

4. Monitor syndication – Use BrandMentions, Ahrefs alerts, and Google News to track secondary pickups. A single link can turn into dozens.

Supplement with HARO since it’s back, and HARO alternatives.

Risk Level: Medium (burn rate if it fails, press exposure risk if it backfires)
Effectiveness: 8/10 (when done well, can hit 10/10)
Longevity: 9/10 (homepage or nav bar links last until redesign)
Cost Range: $250 (DIY data stunt) – $10,000+ (agency-led full campaigns)

5. HARO & Expert Roundup Links

You answer some simple questions, drop a few quick quotes, and boom… DR90 link from Business Insider, HubSpot, or Yahoo Finance shows up in your inbox. No payment, no outreach team, just “you being the expert.”

Sounds great, right? That used to be HARO! Nowadays? The new platform doesn’t have anywhere near the same # of quality placements, and more random link building VAs spamming replies than ever…

Still, when this tactic works, it can produce some of the cleanest, most natural authority links in SEO.

You just need to stop being basic about it.

What Counts As A “HARO” or Expert Quote Link?

• HARO (Help A Reporter Out) — now resurrected under a new owner, but still relevant if you filter aggressively.

• Terkel, Qwoted, Featured, SourceBottle — same game, different database.

• Expert roundups — blog-style posts where 10–50 people answer one question, and you sneak in a branded link with your 150-word wisdom nugget.

• LinkedIn/Twitter Source Calls — journos now post live calls for sources in feeds. You reply in 5 mins or you’re dead.

How We Land These Links Consistently

1. Build a character – Nobody wants “Founder of X with 15 years of SEO experience.” Be the brutally honest link builder, the guy who ranks casino sites, the woman who automated her entire agency. Be memorable.

2. Personalized quote banks – Prewrite 20–30 fire quotes based on trending questions (AI, E-E-A-T, authority, Google updates, etc.) or create a CustomGPT that can spit them out for you! Adapt and fire.

3. VA filtering system – Get a VA to pull ONLY the worthwhile DR60+ queries in your vertical, and ignore the fluff (no more replying to “best stress relief tips for remote workers” unless you’re a psychologist).

4. Link tracking & negotiation – Half of these won’t link unless you ask. Always reply with: “Thanks! Would you mind linking to my brand bio here?”

Bonus tip: Many of these journalists reuse sources. Land one good quote and you’ll start getting direct source requests in your inbox. That’s when the real wins happen.

Where HARO & Expert Quotes Shine

• Brand building for real founders (these links tend to use your personal name)

• Fast E-E-A-T & Trust Signal stacking for YMYL or sensitive niches.

• Zero cost authority links from domains you’d pay thousands for on other marketplaces.

• Citation stacking for press — especially when combined with Digital PR or press releases.

But again, expect a 5–10% success rate! You either need patience, a system to scale it or a famous influencer (you can pay to be a brand ambassador, remember) that everybody wants to feature in that industry.

Risk Level: Minimal (you’re not paying or spamming)
Effectiveness: 7.5/10 (10/10 when it lands on a DR80+)
Longevity: 10/10 if it stays in the article
Cost Range: $0 (manual outreach) – $400/month (VA + filtering systems or HARO service providers)

6. Parasite SEO Links

This is where the gloves come off. Parasite SEO isn’t new — it’s just finally getting the credit it deserves.

You’re not building a site. You’re not waiting 6 months for sandbox. You’re not spending weeks on link outreach.
You’re just publishing content on a domain that Google already loves… and riding that domain’s authority like it’s a rented Lambo.

A Parasite Link = You rank your offer/content/affiliate landing page on someone else’s domain.

Simple.

It can be Forbes. It can be Outlook India. It can be a local news rag that sells posts for $150. Doesn’t matter. If it ranks, and you control the CTA — it works.

We’ve done this across iGaming, finance, CBD, weight loss, crypto, and even “how to sell feet pics” keywords. You name it — someone’s parasiting it.

Why Parasites Work (And Will Keep Working)

Because Google still prioritizes:

• Authority (domain age, backlink profile, trust)

• Freshness (recently published content)

• UGC weight (news, blogs, Reddit, forums)

Parasite SEO hijacks all three.

Your 3-day-old WordPress site? Never stood a chance.

How To Deploy Parasite Links Like a Pro

1. Find your playground – Use Ahrefs to reverse engineer parasites already ranking in your niche. Look for DR70+ sites that allow user-contributed content or paid placements.

2. Intent match the page – If you’re targeting “best crypto casino India,” your article better look like a real editorial, not an affiliate cash grab with buttons everywhere.

3. CTA first – Before you even write, plan where your CTA goes. Parasites don’t convert by accident — your affiliate link, form, or redirect needs to hit above the fold.

4. Track & scale – Monitor indexation, rankings, and conversions. If it hits? Order 3 more on similar domains. If it flops? Clone the content and try again elsewhere.

We’ve ranked parasites same day. We’ve ranked them top 3 within 48 hours. And we’ve used them to dominate SERPs while our main site chills on page 5.

Best Types of Parasite Platforms

• News Publishers – Outlook India, Hindustan Times, Times Union

• User Profile Blogs – Medium, Vocal, Tealfeed

• PDF/Slide Hosts – SlideShare, Scribd, Issuu (for low comp, long-tail play)

• Forum Threads – Quora, Reddit, niche forums (still hit top 10 regularly)

• Web 2.0s on expired domains – Tumblr, WordPress.com, Blogspot, especially if the domain has legacy juice

When To Use Parasite SEO

• Launch day – You want traffic tomorrow? Good luck doing that with your own site.

• High-risk offers – Casino, payday loans, kratom, crypto. Google hates them. Parasites don’t care.

• ORM battles – Need to push negative content down? Fill page one with parasites.

• Testing intent – Before you build a site around a niche, parasite it first. See if it even ranks.

And yes — PressWhizz offers parasite placements, and we know exactly which ones are working right now. You won’t find those on some public database.

Risk Level: Medium (if content violates site TOS, they can remove it)
Effectiveness: 9.5/10 (can outrank entire sites solo)
Longevity: 5–8/10 (parasites churn fast, especially post-core updates)
Cost Range: $50–$2,000+ depending on the domain and vertical

7. PBN Links

The mere mention of these links makes Google cry, Reddit scream, and white hats start polishing their Chrome extensions.

But guess what?

PBNs still work.
And not only that, when built and deployed correctly, they can deliver faster and stronger ranking movement than any other link type on this list.

The problem? Everyone who gets hit by an update that ever built a single PBN link immediately blames the PBNs…
And there might be some truth to it if they’re buying PUBLICLY available PBN links and not building themselves.

What Is a Real PBN in 2025?

A real PBN is:

• Built on genuinely clean expired or auction domains

• Rebuilt to replicate the old structure and content

• Hosted on dedicated IPs, ideally per site

• Interlinked very selectively

• Masked so well even the nosiest Ahrefs deep dive wouldn’t connect the dots

Anything else? That’s just a footprint farm asking to get nuked.

How We Use PBNs Strategically

1. Domain vetting – Metrics mean nothing if the history is toxic. No spam anchors, no casino/pharma past, no 301 chains from Vietnam.

2. Topical relevance – The domain needs to be niche-aligned. Not DR40 “tech blog” linking to your supplements site with an AI-written post about testosterone boosters.

3. Content quality – Every PBN post should look and read like something from a guest post campaign. Forget the 500-word garbage. Use full briefs.

4. Link scheduling – Drip feed links like a human would publish. No 10-link blasts in week one. No site-wide anchors. Keep it chill.

5. Tiered boost – Hit your PBN pages with tier 2 links (Web 2.0s, spam comments, PDFs) to make them stronger over time.

When To Use PBN Links

• Churn and burn sites (duh)

• Parasite pages that need a little firepower

• Category page pushes where editorial links are hard to justify

• Aged sites with strong content but weak external link velocity

• Secondary link sources to avoid anchor text overkill from guest posting

And if you’re scared to host them yourself?
Buy from networks that don’t label themselves as PBN sellers — just “niche content publishers.”
(Hint: PressWhizz private inventory includes hundreds of them. You’ll never know. Google won’t either.)

Risk Level: High (if built or deployed wrong — or overused)
Effectiveness: 8.5/10 (when used with surgical precision)
Longevity: 3–7/10 depending on build quality and link velocity
Cost Range: $30–$300 per link (DIY) or $100–$1,000+ (third-party placement)

8. PDF Links

Most people forget that Google can even index PDFs, and that the links embedded inside can still pass just as much juice as any other contextual link! They force indexation, pass trust, and build brand legitimacy without triggering spam filters.

The easiest way to build these is by publishing branded documents, whitepapers, case studies, lead magnets, and uploading them to high-trust doc-sharing sites that Google eats up as part of your entity stacking.

Why PDF Links Still Work:

• Most .gov, .edu, and B2B directories auto-index document uploads.

• They can sit on DR70+ root domains (like Scribd, SlideShare, Issuu, Academia).

• Google treats them like static assets — less likely to get nuked in core updates.

How to Deploy:

• Use branded file names, not “Untitled-1.pdf.”

• Include naked URLs and brand anchors inside the PDF.

• Host on authority platforms only — forget random doc dumps.

• Link back to money pages AND your homepage for balance.

Bonus: If you embed them on your parasite pages or use them for tier 2s, they boost trust signals even harder.

Risk Level: Minimal
Effectiveness: 6.5/10
Longevity: 10/10 (PDFs stay up forever)
Cost Range: $0–$50 per doc (VA-created and distributed)

9. Forum Profile & Signature Links

Most SEOs treat forum links like they’re toxic dumping grounds, but they’re still highly effective tier 2 links and indexing triggers for fresh URLs.

Forum profile links = links in your user bio.
Signature links = links that appear under every post or comment you make.

Google may devalue most of them… but not all links are for juice. Some are for indexing, velocity, and link graph noise.

When They Still Work:

• Tier 2 to parasites, PBNs, guest posts (buffer & boost)

• Indexing new pages faster by creating cross-domain associations

• Brand mentions from niche-relevant communities

• Fake authority – forums still rank for lots of weird long-tails

Pro Moves:

• Target active forums with regular crawl activity (use Ahrefs/Site: search).

• Use realistic usernames tied to your niche or persona.

• Drop a few posts to avoid mass deletion by mods.

• Always pair with other tier 2s (Web 2.0s, comments, PDFs).

Risk Level: Low
Effectiveness: 5.5/10 (tiered) – 2/10 (direct)
Longevity: 6–9/10 (unless the forum bans you)
Cost Range: Free – $100/month (VA or automation at scale)

10. Authority Profile Links

These are your About.me, Crunchbase, G2, Product Hunt, AngelList etc… type links.

You create a profile → drop a brand mention or naked link → Google sees your name on trusted domains. Instant credibility padding.

They’re not power links. They’re perception links, and that still moves the needle.

Especially post-HCU and in YMYL spaces, Google wants to see your entity spread across trusted ecosystems. Authority profiles make that happen.

How to Use Them Properly:

• Match your branding + description + logo across every profile.

• Link to both your homepage and main social profiles.

• Use structured data (e.g., sameAs schema) to tie it together on-site.

• Bonus points for verified profiles or news coverage embeds.

Pro Tip: Stack 15–20 of these, then link to them from a press page or author bio. It fakes authority like a pro.

Risk Level: Zero
Effectiveness: 6/10 (boosts trust, not rankings)
Longevity: 9/10
Cost Range: Free – $250 (if outsourced or boosted)

Here’s the next one — UGC Links, and yes, they still slap when used right:

11. UGC (User Generated) Links

UGC = User Generated Content, think Reddit, Quora, niche forums, comments sections, and anything where the user (you) creates the content and includes a link.

Google slaps a rel="ugc" on a lot of these now, but here’s the truth:

Google still indexes and ranks UGC-heavy pages, and if your link sits there with high engagement? It passes signals — maybe not juice, but definitely trust and context.

What’s Working Right Now:

• Reddit answers with legit upvotes (especially on trending subs)
• Quora answers that reference niche authority and include citations
• Niche communities (Discord-wannabe forums, crypto boards, SaaS user groups)
• Comment links on aged blog posts with crawl activity

Don’t overthink it. These links won’t push page 1 on their own…
But they do help index your page faster, build brand familiarity, and pad anchor diversity — all while sending referral traffic if placed properly.

Pro Tip: UGC links are killer tier 1 for parasites and tier 2 for PBNs.

Risk Level: Low
Effectiveness: 5/10 (tiered), 6.5/10 (Reddit/Quora direct)
Longevity: 7/10 (platform dependent)
Cost Range: Free – $150 (if outsourced or botted with karma accounts)

12. Local Citations / Directory Links

Citations = business mentions with NAP (Name, Address, Phone) — often on local directories, business listings, or map-based platforms.

They’re not sexy. They don’t rank affiliate pages.
But if you’re doing Local SEO and skipping these, you’re basically playing with a broken mouse.

The key? Consistency across every listing. Google doesn’t trust a brand that can’t decide whether it’s on “1st Ave” or “First Avenue.”

Where They Still Matter:

• Map Pack dominance (proximity + trust = GMB visibility)

• Brand reinforcement across authority sites (Yelp, Bing, YellowPages, Apple Maps)

• Geo-targeted link signals — helps tie your site to a specific region

How To Build Them Right:

• Use a NAP template and stick to it across all listings

• Include site link + business description wherever allowed

• Add images, categories, and reviews where possible (yes, optimize these like landing pages)

• Index them — use tier 2s if needed (Web 2.0, bookmarks, PDF links)

Risk Level: Zero (unless spammed or faked)
Effectiveness: 7/10 (local SEO only)
Longevity: 10/10
Cost Range: Free – $300 (DIY vs Yext, Whitespark, etc.)

13. Web 2.0 Links

Web 2.0s = free blog platforms like WordPress.com, Tumblr, Blogger, Weebly, Jimdo, and a dozen others that haven’t been updated since 2013, and that’s exactly why they work.

These aren’t built for power. They’re built to absorb volatility, create tiered buffers, and fake link velocity around your main site.

They act like mini parasite hubs, if you know how to stack them.

When They Still Work:

• Tier 1 links to buffer your money site (use brand/URL anchors only)

• Tier 2 to pump juice into guest posts, PBNs, press, or citations

• Indexation triggers for new pages

• Link velocity control — simulate natural buzz without real exposure

How To Make Them Stick:

• Post at least 2–3 times per Web 2.0 — don’t leave it as a one-post spam dump

• Use unique content (spin or AI rewritten is fine if not detectable)

• Link out to authority sites to mask your link intent

• Interlink your web 2.0s into a loose network (no exact footprints)

You can steal my full web 2.0 backlink site list as well, and start building these for free today.

Risk Level: Low (tiered); Medium (if used as obvious spam on Tier 1)
Effectiveness: 5.5/10 (Tier 1); 7.5/10 (Tier 2 strategy)
Longevity: 8/10 (platforms die, but slowly)
Cost Range: Free – $100 (VA or bot-managed networks)

14. Image Links

Image links aren’t just “visual content”, they’re strategic linkable assets that can get you placements in blogs, media, directories, and embeds… all while feeding referral traffic, indexation signals, and even image SERP visibility.

You embed it, they copy it, you get a link.
Or better yet — they embed it, and Google sees your brand as the OG source.

What Counts:

• Infographics – Not cheap Canva garbage. Real data, custom design, branded, and shareable.

• Memes – Especially in niches like crypto, fitness, marketing… hell, even law. Memes get picked up in roundup posts and subreddits.

• Branded images & charts – Bonus if they include your URL in the graphic itself.

• Embeds on media & parasites – Image links on DR90 sites still pass juice if the image file is hosted on your domain.

Best Practices:

• Use descriptive filenames (not “image123.jpg” — try “presswhizz-seo-link-velocity.jpg”)

• ALT text = indexation opportunity.

• Host images on your root domain, then distribute via guest posts, PDF uploads, Reddit, forums, etc.

• Track stolen embeds (or fake steal them yourself) using reverse image search or tools like Pixsy.

Risk Level: Minimal
Effectiveness: 6.5/10 (higher when embedded on authority sites)
Longevity: 9/10
Cost Range: Free – $300+ per graphic depending on quality

15. Press Release Links

Press release links are misunderstood. Most people either spam them via $20 Fiverr gigs or avoid them entirely because “they’re all nofollow.”

But here’s the truth:

It’s not about one PR link. It’s about the 300+ syndications that flood Google’s link graph overnight.

When timed, written, and distributed right, a single press release can dominate branded SERPs, trigger indexation, and push trust across your entire link profile.

When They Actually Work:

• New site launches — Get your brand/entity indexed FAST

• Brand refresh or acquisition news — Adds legitimacy & coverage

• Stacked with HARO or DPR — Fills the SERPs with your narrative

• As Tier 1s to buffer PBNs or Parasites — They stick and redirect authority

Execution Tips:

• Use naked/branded anchors — never exact match

• Syndicate with platforms that hit Yahoo, MarketWatch, Digital Journal, etc. (not “yourpressnews.international”)

• Drop in embedded links, images, and a CTA — not just plain text

• Always track syndication — 90% of your links won’t index unless boosted

As an additional tip, build a Press page on your site, then link to all indexed PRs. Boosts topical authority and keeps the juice flowing both ways.

Risk Level: Low (unless overused in spammy verticals)
Effectiveness: 7/10 (for velocity, 5/10 for raw ranking)
Longevity: 6/10 (depends on syndicate expiry)
Cost Range: $75–$800 (depending on distro reach and add-ons)

16. .EDU / .GOV Links

Every agency loves to flex “.edu backlinks” in their sales decks like they just got knighted by the Queen. But here’s the reality:

These links hit different. Not because of magic TLDs. But because Google still associates them with legitimate institutions and non-commercial trust.

That trust bleeds, and when you land one, it reinforces your whole brand entity.

What Actually Works:

• Student Blog Sponsorships – Many universities let students run their own blog subdomains. You sponsor a post, sneak in the link, and it’s live under a .edu root.

• Scholarship Pages – You create a “PressWhizz Future Marketers Scholarship,” list it on your site, then outreach to scholarship directories at schools. It’s fake charity. But it works.

• Resource Page Inserts – Some .edu and .gov sites have outdated “Helpful Resources” pages. Pitch yours as a better replacement.

• Conference / Webinar Listings – Run a digital event, then get it listed on campus calendars or .gov bulletin boards.

• Local Initiatives – For .govs, offer content or service discounts to government employees. Many will add you to employee perks portals.

Execution Blueprint:

1. Avoid automated scraping — You need custom outreach, not a VA hammering contact forms.

2. Use your brand angle — .edu sites love education, research, diversity, and tech innovation. Use that hook.

3. Be human — Most success comes from building rapport with the department admin, not blasting “Dear Web Admin” emails.

4. Anchor moderation — Never use exact-match anchors. Stick to naked, branded, or natural language.

Risk Level: Low (if earned legit; High if over-schemed)
Effectiveness: 9/10 (Google trusts these links like gospel)
Longevity: 10/10 (unless the page dies or the admin gets wise)
Cost Range: Free (earned) – $1,500+ (via student or broker placements)

17. Link Exchanges

Most people think link exchanges are dead because Google kills two-way linking, but reciprocal linking happens naturally all the time.

People in the same niche refer to each other. Partners link back. Contributors get bios. It’s organic… until it’s not.

The trick isn’t avoiding link exchanges, it’s doing them without getting caught. I have a full guide to link exchanges.

Risk Level: Medium (if overdone or traceable)
Effectiveness: 7.5/10
Longevity: 5–9/10 depending on network size
Cost Range: Free – $500+ (some swaps include content creation or brokerage)

18. Coupon Code & Voucher Links

Coupon pages are one of the most abused, overlooked, and money-printing link types out there, especially for SaaS, eCommerce, and any site with an affiliate program.

You give them a code. They create a page. You get a DR70+ link on a high-traffic coupon subdomain.

It’s not complicated. It’s just effective.

Where to Place Coupon Links:

• RetailMeNot, Honey, Slickdeals, Groupon, CouponBirds, Dealspotr, Coupons.com — the classics.

• Niche-specific sites – SEO tools? Try AppSumo clones. Crypto tools? Try altcoin deal forums.

• Your own partners’ blogs – Let them create coupon pages to increase CTR and grab longtail traffic.

Bonus Play: The Fake Expiry Loop

Set the coupon to look like it expires every 7 days.
Update the page weekly.
Google sees it as “fresh” content, and users see it as “urgent.”

(We’ve ranked coupon pages in the top 3 off this trick alone.)

How To Get These Links:

• Email the platform and offer a “partner code”

• Submit via their forms or signups (most have one hidden in the footer)

• Create demand — fake a “deal” and let affiliates pick it up via SEMrush or coupon feeds

• Use sites like CJ, Refersion, or PartnerStack to auto-issue trackable coupons

Risk Level: Low (unless spammed in blackhat verticals)
Effectiveness: 7.5/10
Longevity: 6–9/10 (pages stick until you stop the offer or get bumped off)
Cost Range: Free – $500 (if platform charges or brokered)

19. Webinar, Video & Podcast Links

Webinars, videos, and podcasts are more than just “content marketing”, they’re entity validators, citation machines, and backlink magnets all rolled into one.

The beauty? These links usually live on DR60+ platforms, get auto-syndicated, and scream E-E-A-T from every pixel.

Why These Links Hit Different:

• Multi-platform exposure – One podcast = Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podchaser, ListenNotes, etc. That’s 5+ backlinks without even trying.

• Branded anchor heaven – Hosts love linking to your site, social profiles, and offer pages.

• Long content bias – Google LOVES indexing long-form multimedia content — and it trusts sites that publish it.

Where These Links Come From:

• YouTube Video Descriptions – Add site links, socials, and resources in every upload.

• Podcast Show Notes – Get your link added as “guest resources” or “mentioned sites.”

• Webinar Landing Pages – Hosting your own? Include outbound links to your own stuff. Guesting? Negotiate link placement ahead of time.

• Speaker Bio Pages – If you present live, make sure you’re listed on the host site with a dofollow link.

Risk Level: Zero
Effectiveness: 8/10 (massively underrated)
Longevity: 10/10
Cost Range: Free – $1,000 (DIY vs sponsored guest spots)

20. Testimonial Links

You’ve used someone’s product. Their plugin. Their service. Their theme. Their tool. Now write them a few lines of praise… and politely request a backlink on their testimonial page, homepage, or “trusted by” slider.

This is one of the few link trades that even white-hats do, because it’s natural, verifiable, and mutually beneficial.

And most SaaS and service businesses are desperate for social proof — even more than you are for links.

I wrote an entire guide on testimonial link building so you can get my full strategy on this!

Risk Level: Minimal
Effectiveness: 7/10 (if placed well)
Longevity: 9/10
Cost Range: Free – $150 (if using the product/service)

21. Sidebar & Footer Links

These were the link of choice back in the blogroll days. Entire affiliate empires were built off global footer links from WordPress themes and PHPBB forums.

Nowadays? They’re high-risk, but still effective in small, targeted doses.

A single site-wide footer link from a DR70+ site with real traffic? That’s still more juice than 20 junk guest posts.

How They Work:

• Sidebar links = niche blogrolls or “Recommended Tools” sections

• Footer links = global anchors (usually branded) dropped on every page

Great for:

• Parasite SEO boosts

• Homepage anchor pushes

• Fake authority via “trusted by” network effects

Avoid:

• Exact-match anchors (unless doing black hat, otherwise you’ll tank the whole profile)

• Spammy, templated sites with 100+ OBLs

• Linking out to multiple projects from the same site — footprint city

Risk Level: High
Effectiveness: 8/10 (when clean + relevant)
Longevity: 4–7/10
Cost Range: $50–$500 depending on site and placement scope, usually that’s a 12 month rental cost too.

22. NoFollow & Sponsored Links

NoFollow and Sponsored links used to be the kiss of death in link building, like “thanks, but no thanks” in HTML.

But Google doesn’t ignore these. They just treat them differently. And if they’re coming from high trust, high traffic pages, they still move the needle.

Think of them as link profile seasoning, not the main course, but without them, your meal’s bland and unnatural.

When NoFollow Still Helps:

• DR90+ media placements – Even with a rel=nofollow, your brand gets indexed, recognized, and oftentimes, cited elsewhere.

• Reddit, Quora, Wikipedia – NoFollow but high-trust. Google still uses them for context and authority mapping.

• Press Releases & Directories – Almost all syndicated PR is NoFollow or Sponsored now, but it still builds velocity + legitimacy.

Sponsored Links = Signal, Not Penalty

As long as it’s tagged properly (rel="sponsored"), Google just knows it’s a paid placement. That’s not a penalty, that’s still compliance! And Kyle Roof said in his NoFollow case study that Sponsored tags still pass signals the exact same as a DoFollow anyway – And I’d tend to agree with him.

Risk Level: None
Effectiveness: 4/10 (ranking) – 8/10 (trust + velocity)
Longevity: 9/10
Cost Range: Free – $1,000+ (depending on source)

Final Thoughts: Pick Your Poison, Then Master It

That’s it. 22 link types. Every single one battle-tested in real world scenarios!

But remember, the truth is, you don’t need all 22. You likely don’t even need 10…

You need 3–5 link types that match your business model, risk appetite, and budget, then you need to run them harder, smarter, and more surgically than 99% of SEOs are capable of.

Pick a stack and stick to it.

• Local Business? → Citations, HARO, PR, Guest Posts, Authority Profiles.

• Affiliate Mad Lad? → Parasites, Link Inserts, PBNs, Web 2.0 tiering, Profiles.

• B2B SaaS? → DPR, HARO, Podcast links, Testimonial swaps, High end guest posts & niche edits.

• ORM/Churn & Burn? → Parasites, Press Releases, PBNs, Footer drops, PDF bombs, footer and homepage links.

And “looking natural” is the premise, but Google doesn’t reward average. It rewards entities with momentum, visibility, and alignment with the linkgraph.

So stop JUST copying what the last guy did. Build smarter. Build louder!