It is easy to The first few backlinks are the worst. You’ve got no traffic, no name, and nobody has any reason to link to you yet.
I remember that stage well. The first thing I did when I started my first site was search for “how to get backlinks” and I took a weekend to submit my site to as many of the many directories as I could. Nothing happened. No traffic, no ranking movement, nothing. At that point, I realized that I was running down the wrong road.
What works is slower and less exciting. But before getting into backlinks, it helps to understand the bigger picture. If you’re new to SEO, this SEO for beginners guide breaks down how crawling, indexing, search intent, and the rest of SEO actually fit together.
Why Backlinks Still Matter
Other sites that send traffic to you will seem like they’re not just randomly pointing to a page, but to a real source.
Quality beats quantity
One link in a good site in your niche is more valuable than 50 links in a site that nobody reads. In my experience, a single relevant mention did more for a new site than all those weekend directory submissions combined.
Bad links can hurt
A stack of spammy links is ignored, and may even be penalized. That’s why it is not worth taking shortcuts.
Get Your Own House in Order First
Before you ask anyone for a link, make sure there’s something worth linking to and that your own pages are connected.
Make something worth linking to
I made this mistake early on: I emailed people asking for links to a post that was, honestly, pretty average. Nobody replied, and they were right not to.
Say you run a houseplant blog. “10 plant care tips” is forgettable. However, when another blogger receives a reader’s query about why their pothos leaves are turning yellow, they’ll point them to “Why your pothos leaves keep turning yellow, and what to check first”. It’s focused and answers one question well.
In the same way, SEO does the same. This is why a practical guide such as an On-Page SEO Checklist is going to get more attention than a massive blog post that’s called “Everything About SEO. Any type of tutorial, checklists or small case studies usually bring in links.
Sort out your internal links
This one’s boring, but it costs nothing and you control all of it. I make sure to link to it from older posts when I post something new and I link to my homepage or service page when I publish it.
Imagine that you wrote a post about keyword research for low competition keywords. Return to your old post about the basics of keywords and link it to the new post. Also, if the post should naturally conclude with what you are providing, link the reader to the services page, such as: SEO services for small businesses. It only takes 2 minutes and it helps Google understand the relationship between your pages.
Ways to Earn Your First Backlinks
You don’t need all of these. Pick two or three and do them properly.
Guest posting (the non-lazy way)
Guest posting got a bad reputation because people spammed it. If you pick blogs that real people read and offer something good, it still works.
Don’t send a template. Send something like:
Hi Sam, your post on fixing slow WordPress sites saved me an hour last week, especially the caching bit. I’d like to write something for your readers about spotting thin content before Google does. Want an outline first?
Notice it doesn’t ask for a link, and it shows you read their work. That’s most of the battle. If a site has a “write for us, $50” banner, skip it. Sites that publish anything for cash pass on very little value.
A few good directories
Pick the legit ones: your industry’s directory, Product Hunt if you’re launching something, a local business listing. An hour of work, tops. If someone is selling “500 backlinks for $20,” walk away. That was exactly my weekend mistake.
Sharing your content on social media
Social links don’t usually count for rankings. The point is that people see your post, and a few of them own websites.
Watch out for Reddit and Facebook groups. Your link will be removed quickly if you drop your link without context. Answer a question correctly first: then, if it does fit, mention your guide second.
Building real relationships
To be honest, this is the easiest and least done. Follow bloggers that are in your niche; leave comments with actual ideas – not just “great post!” – and share their content. After a few months – when you get something good published – they already know who you are.
Expert-quote platforms
Everyone has to give journalists quotes from people who know what they’re talking about, and a good answer can get a link. HARO closed in 2024, so look at Quoted, Featured, or similar, and double-check what’s still running because this space changes constantly.
Speed matters more than polish. Reply fast, keep it short and specific, and don’t pitch yourself unless they ask.
Shareable visuals
Checklists, simple charts, and infographics get linked more than walls of text because people can grab them and go. Add a credit line or embed code under the image so linking to you takes zero effort.
Keep Your Content Fresh
If the post still has the word 2023 in the introduction, then it is your sign. Review the statistics, replace stale examples and remove dead examples every few months. It’s cheaper than writing something new and often works better.
Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Site
These look like shortcuts, but a penalty can take months to clean up, and some new sites never recover.
Buying links and using automated tools
Google is good at spotting paid link patterns and tool-generated links.
Comment spam and private blog networks
Dropping links in random comment sections or building PBNs is exactly what search engines are trained to catch.
Anchor Text Tips for Beginners
Mix it up. Use phrases such as ‘keyword research guide’, ‘on page SEO checklist’, your brand name or even just ‘this post’. If you use the same keyword each time it will sound like it is phony.
The Honest Summary
There’s no hack. Make valuable content, be persistent in your niche, and wait. PPC advertising management can generate targeted visitors during the wait for authority to grow, if you desire traffic while you wait. Remember, though, do not get links overnight. They rarely do.
FAQs
How many backlinks does a new site need?
No magic number. Five to ten good ones from relevant sites beat hundreds of junk ones.
How long until I get my first backlink?
If you’re actively seeking out, a few weeks to a couple of months. Rankings take longer than that!
Are free backlinks okay?
Yes, if they’re earned or come from legit places like real directories and guest posts. Free isn’t the problem. Spammy is.
Can I buy backlinks to speed things up?
You can, but I wouldn’t. The penalty costs more than the links are worth.
Do social media links count?
Primarily for visibility and not necessarily for rankings, but if you get seen then you may get links.
What makes a backlink “good”?
It comes from a relevant, trusted site, sits naturally inside useful content, and is on a page real people visit.
Do internal links count as backlinks?
Not technically, since backlinks come from other sites. But internal links still help Google understand your site, so don’t skip them.
