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5 White Hat Link-Building Strategies that Work in 2024

Deep into SEO? Then you know how critical links are for your site. But in 2024, the rules are shifting again, and old tricks might not cut it anymore. Today, we’re talking about white hat strategies — methods that align with Google’s latest guidelines and help build lasting relationships, not just quick wins.

We’ve put together a list of five strategies to help you earn quality links the right way. These methods are tried and true, relevant with today’s algorithms, and ensure your link-building efforts are both effective and safe. We’ll talk about:

• Which white hat link-building methods will truly work this year?
• How to avoid sketchy tactics while still strengthening your search engine rankings?
• White Hat vs Black Hat Link Building tactics.

What Is White Hat Link Building?

Let’s talk about white hat link building.

It’s basically about earning links to your site through genuine, Google-approved techniques. Unlike “black hat” or “gray hat” tactics that can lead to penalties and drops in ranking, white hat focuses on quality, relevant content and real connections with other websites.

Why is this important?

58.4% of experts rate the impact of links on SEO as high. More than two-thirds (68.9%) of companies prefer to handle link building in-house. It makes sense — quality links require a deep understanding of the business and constant oversight.

Many companies also delegate this task. About a third of SEO experts and marketing managers spend less than $300 per quality link. Around 23% spend between $400 and $600 per link. These amounts are spent on legitimate, high-quality methods and top-tier links from reputable sites — ones that competitors can’t easily snag.

Imagine you have a blog where you dissect the latest marketing trends. You write a stellar article about how AI is transforming marketing, and a respected AI resource mentions you. That’s white hat link building in action.

White hat might be slow, but it’s definitely worth it. You’ll climb higher in search results, and that’s what we’re all aiming for. But you’ll also establish a strong reputation in your industry.

White Hat vs Black Hat Link Building

The debate rages on: “White hat or black hat?” Let’s check out the difference.

White link building methods are when you play by the rules. You create high-quality content that people actually want to read and link to. This could be anything from useful articles to intriguing studies and engaging blog posts. Google loves these kinds of links because they point to valuable and helpful content.

On the flip side, black hat link building is about gaming the system. It involves sneaky schemes that break Google’s guidelines.

For example, buying links from shady sites or using Private Blog Networks to generate a bunch of fake links.

The problem? These methods can lead to serious consequences.

Black hat tactics might seem like a quicker way to the top of search results, but what happens when Google catches on? You could face penalties, lose rankings, and damage your reputation. Your site might suddenly disappear from search results, and getting back on track could be a long, tough process. Or you might see a boost initially, only to plummet dramatically a few months later.

For instance, if your site sells cutting-edge medical equipment, you could take the black hat route and quickly rack up hundreds of links from irrelevant and suspicious sites. But when Google catches you, your site’s rankings will drop, and customers won’t be able to find you.

Or you could go white hat: write valuable articles about your products, collaborate with well-known medical blogs, and earn quality links. The results might take longer to show, but they’re steady and reliable.

Another black hat example is buying cheap links on platforms like Fiverr. It seems like a sweet deal to get dozens of links for pennies. But here’s the reality: these links come from sites where anyone can drop a link, often in comments or forum posts. They don’t last long (forum moderators quickly clean up), and they won’t deliver results. It’s a waste of money, no matter what they promise. You get what you pay for.

So, the choice is clear. White hat methods take more effort and time, but they offer reliable results and protect your site from penalties.

Best Practices for Using White Hat Strategies

Editorial links

Nothing really beats the power and authority of editorial links. These links pop up naturally when top-notch sites and bloggers mention your content in their articles and posts. But why are editorial links such a big deal, and how do you actually snag them? And how do you build these links if they’re supposed to just happen without us meddling?

Imagine a journalist writing an article for a major news site who links to your blog or research as a credible source. These kinds of links not only boost your site in Google’s eyes but also increase user trust.

How to get editorial links?

• Create High-Quality Content:

Your main goal is to whip up content that people will want to link to. This could be research, infographics, unique insights, or just awesome articles. Let’s say you’re in the medical equipment game. You could publish a study on the latest tech in ultrasound diagnostics. If your research is interesting and useful, other medical sites and blogs will start linking to it.

• Build Relationships with journalists and bloggers:

Keep in touch with people who might dig your content. Offer them exclusive materials or just get to know them and lend a hand. You can send a press release about your new product or research to journalists who cover that beat. Even if they don’t use it right away, your name will stick with them.

• Be Active on Social Media:

Share your content, jump into discussions, and answer questions. The more eyeballs on your content, the higher the chances someone will link to it. Here’s a hot tip: get involved in discussions on LinkedIn (Twitter or niche forums can work too). Share your articles and research, answer questions, and make comments.

Niche edits are also a nice tactic. Unlike creating fresh content for guest posts, you add your link to already existing articles on authoritative sites. This gives your link a cool boost because it’s placed in a trusted context.

Imagine you find an article about the latest trends in software development, and it’s already killing it in search results. Reach out to the author or site owner and suggest adding a link to your article that complements or beefs up the current content. This kind of link will carry weight both for search engines and readers.

So, editorial links and niche edits are awesome tools for your SEO, and they also work great for driving traffic. They’re kind of the gold standard for link building. They require time and effort, but their value is hard to overestimate.

Guest Blogging

Imagine you’re writing an article for another site, and in exchange, you get a link back to your site. Yes, primarily, this helps you get backlinks. But it also significantly increases your brand visibility and attracts a new audience. By the way, guest posting is the go-to link-building strategy, used by 64.9% of link builders.

The first step is to find suitable sites for guest blogging. Look for resources that are related to your niche and have a high level of trust and authority.

• Ahrefs — for finding authoritative sites and analyzing their link profiles;
• SEMrush — for analyzing competitors and finding sites for guest posts;
• Moz — for checking domain authority;
• Google Alerts — for monitoring mentions in your niche and finding potential opportunities.

Once you have a list of target sites, the next step is creating quality content. Here’s where the real work begins:

• SEO Specialist studies site metrics, chooses a topic, and selects keywords;
• Copywriter creates quality content that’s interesting to the target site’s audience;
• This can take several days since the article must be deep and informative;
• Editor polishes the article to meet high-quality standards;
• Link Builder contacts site owners and arranges publication.

Quality sites like G2, Clutch, or Outbrain offer great guest blogging opportunities. But they won’t accept just anything. You’ll need a professional approach and a whole team of specialists.

If you see a site that offers “Write for us” right on the homepage, with no clear requirements and is willing to stuff your article with a bunch of irrelevant links, it’s a bad option. Such sites often have low authority and won’t bring you the desired results. It’s a waste of time and money.

If you don’t have an in-house team to handle guest blogging, it’s best to delegate these tasks to professionals. They will ensure quality content that will be accepted by authoritative sites, and the links obtained will have real value for your SEO.

This approach allows you to get several links from one article, making the whole process more cost-effective, especially compared to other link-building methods.

Broken Links

Broken links are a true goldmine for white-hat link building. But what are they, and how can they improve your SEO?

Imagine you’re reading an article and click on a link that takes you to a “404 Not Found” page. That’s a broken link. It’s basically a dead link that no longer works because the page was removed or the URL changed.

It is a fantastic opportunity for link building. Website owners don’t want their visitors hitting errors. So, if you offer to replace a dead link with your relevant content, it’s a win-win.

How to find broken links? Use tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or Broken Link Checker. These tools help you find dead links on target sites in your niche.

Suppose you run a blog about healthy living. You find a popular site with a similar theme and use Ahrefs to scan for broken links. You discover that one of their popular pages has a dead link to a removed article about the benefits of green tea.

Now you’ve got a chance to reach out to the site owner and suggest your article on green tea as a replacement. Here’s an example email:

Hi Name,

I stumbled upon your article Article Title and noticed that one of the links leads to a page that no longer exists. I recently wrote a detailed article on the benefits of green tea that could be a great substitute.

Here’s the link to the article: Your Link

I hope this helps keep your content relevant and useful for readers.

Best,
Your Name

Key benefits:

• Reduce Bounce Rates. Broken links can negatively impact user behavior metrics like bounce rate and time on site. Fixing them helps site owners improve these metrics.
• Increase Relevance. If your content is truly helpful and relevant, it increases trust in your site from search engines and users.

Tips for a successful strategy:

• Personalize your requests. Don’t send the same email to everyone. Make sure your message is personalized and specific for each site owner.
• Be persistent, but not annoying. If you don’t get a response right away, try following up after a while, but don’t be pushy.

Of course, this isn’t easy in practice, and it’s a job for a true link-building pro. So don’t be afraid to delegate to a team that’s been doing broken link building for a while.

PR Link Building

PR link building is basically getting backlinks through media mentions, press releases, interviews, and other press and media interactions. Imagine your brand popping up on Forbes or TechCrunch. Sounds awesome, right?

Links from authoritative news sites and media platforms hold a lot of weight. A good ranking in search results is gold, but targeted traffic to your site is a real diamond.

How does PR link-building work?

1. Create a newsworthy event. You need something genuinely exciting to share. Maybe you’re ready to give an interview on a niche topic? Conducted an interesting study? That’s your bait for journalists.
2. Write a press release or article. A press release should be informative and captivating. Imagine you’re telling a friend about something super important. Make sure it includes all key details and links to your site.
3. Distribute the press release. Send your press release to relevant media outlets. Use platforms like PR Newswire, HARO (Help a Reporter Out), or directly contact journalists and editors.

Imagine you own a tech startup and just launched an innovative health app. You create a press release and send it to TechCrunch, Mashable, and Wired. A few outlets publish articles about your app, including a link to your site. Bingo! Traffic goes up, and your ranking jumps.

Maybe you own an auto repair shop, and the Barbie movie just came out! You might think, what’s the connection? “Barbie’s got everyone’s head spinning, and the city seems dipped in pink paint. To celebrate the movie release, Auto Shop X offers Glamorous Service. Get a regular check-up and receive exclusive Barbie-style accessories for your car. Think it’s just cosmetic? Think again! Their mechanics ensure your ride is not just pretty but reliable.”

Tips for a successful strategy:

• Look for news hooks. Find interesting events and topics in your company or industry that might catch the media’s attention. Events shaking the world can also be tied to your business.
• Partner with PR agencies. If you’re not experienced in PR, hire professionals to help create and distribute press releases. This is NOT a strategy for beginners, let’s face it. You need connections with webmasters across various niches. Digital PR becomes 433% more popular as link builders accumulate several years of experience.

Brand News

Brand News is getting your brand featured in different media, blogs, and news sites. This can be anything: launching a new product, participating in charity events, winning awards, or even company parties. You might think we just talked about this in the PR link-building section. There are nuances, though.

The main difference is the focus:

• PR Link Building: Long-term image building, general PR, and brand recognition.
• Brand News Link Building: Specific events and news. Updates about the brand.

How does brand news work for link building?

1. Create a news hook. Find something cool happening in your company. Launching a new product? Taking part in a big event? Won an award? It should be a quick, pinpoint news item! This is your chance to make some noise.
2. Prepare the material. Write a quality press release. It should be interesting, informative, and catchy enough for journalists and bloggers to want to share it.
3. Spread the news. Again, use news distribution platforms like PR Newswire, or reach out directly to journalists and bloggers. It’s important that they talk about you and link back to your site.

Okay, picture this: you’ve got a chain of restaurants, and you’re about to open a new location with a killer concept. You write a press release, talking up the new spot, its awesome features, and invite everyone to the grand opening. You send this release to local news outlets and popular food blogs. And what happens? Everyone starts writing about your new restaurant, people flock in to try the new stuff, and your site blows up with traffic and new links. Wow, cool, right?

Use this tool right, and your brand will become the talk of the town and a point of interest for a lot of people. Plus, you’ll get some great links.

All the methods described in this article require time, effort, and strategy. It’s important to remember that honesty and transparency always pay off. White-hat link-building methods not only help improve search engine rankings but, most importantly, build trust in your brand. It’s way harder to fix a site that’s dropped in the rankings than to start by filling its link profile with awesome, top-quality links.

In the end, quality content and useful links will help you achieve sustainable growth and long-term success. In 2024, like always, winners in SEO are those who focus on quality, not quantity.