What is link building and why do you need it?

August 17, 2017

Link building is the process of earning relevant, editorial links from other websites to your own. These links help search engines understand how your content is referenced across the web and how your website fits within its wider topic area.

In 2025, link building is no longer a standalone SEO tactic. It works alongside content quality, technical performance, user intent, and brand credibility. When handled properly, it supports long-term visibility, qualified traffic, and trust rather than short-term ranking gains.

This page explains what link building means today, how it has changed, and why it still plays a role in sustainable SEO.

What link building means in modern SEO

Link building refers to the practice of acquiring hyperlinks from external websites that point to your pages. A hyperlink allows users to move between pages on the web, but for search engines, it also provides context.

Google now treats links as supporting signals, not endorsements. A link only carries value when it is editorially placed, relevant to the subject matter, and genuinely useful to the reader. Links exist to help users find information, not to manipulate rankings.

How link building has changed since this page was first published

When this article was first published in 2017, link building often focused on scale. Directory submissions, guest posts written solely for links, and repetitive anchor text were common.

That approach no longer works.

Today, effective link building is closely tied to content outreach and digital PR. Links are earned because content is useful, authoritative, or newsworthy. Search engines are far better at identifying artificial link patterns, which means shortcuts now carry more risk than reward.

Why link building still matters in 2025

Although Google uses hundreds of ranking signals, links still help search engines understand how content is connected across the web.

Relevant links help reinforce topical relevance, particularly in competitive sectors. They can also drive referral traffic from sites that already reach your target audience. When links come from trusted publications or industry platforms, they also contribute to brand credibility, which influences how users engage with your site.

Link building does not compensate for weak content or poor technical SEO. It works best when it supports strong foundations.

How Google evaluates backlinks today

Backlinks are not judged by volume. Google evaluates them based on context, relevance, and natural placement.

A small number of well-placed editorial links can carry far more weight than a large number of low-quality ones. Links that exist purely for SEO purposes are increasingly ignored or discounted.

In practice, this means link building must look and behave like normal publishing activity.

Domain Authority, Trust Flow, and SEO reality

Metrics such as Domain Authority and Trust Flow are created by third-party SEO tools. Google does not use these scores in its ranking systems.

They can help compare websites at a high level, but they should not dictate strategy. What matters is relevance, editorial integrity, and whether the linking site genuinely serves the same audience.

Follow links, nofollow links, and natural profiles

Follow links allow search engines to crawl and evaluate the destination page. Nofollow links do not pass the same signals, but they still play a role in building a natural link profile.

In reality, reputable websites earn a mix of both. Referral traffic, brand mentions, and visibility matter just as much as crawlable links.

Anchor text and editorial linking

Anchor text is the clickable text within a link. In modern SEO, it should read naturally and describe the destination page clearly.

Over-optimised or repetitive anchor text patterns are a common sign of artificial link building. Natural language linking reflects how people reference content in real editorial environments.

Content outreach is the foundation of link building

Content outreach focuses on sharing genuinely useful resources with relevant publishers, journalists, and website owners.

While the goal may be to earn a link, the wider benefit is relationship building. Trusted recommendations from respected sources carry influence beyond search results, particularly when audiences value the publisher’s opinion.

This approach supports visibility, trust, and long-term brand recognition.

How Purplex approaches link building today

At Purplex, we treat link building as part of a wider SEO and content strategy, not a standalone service.

We focus on earning links through insight-led content, digital PR activity, and sector-relevant outreach. That means prioritising relevance, credibility, and audience alignment over scale.

Our approach supports sustainable growth rather than short-term ranking spikes, and it aligns with how Google evaluates links today.

Measuring link-building success properly

Link building impact is rarely immediate. Improvements tend to appear over time through stronger rankings, increased referral traffic, and improved engagement.

While tools such as Google Search Console and SEO platforms can show link data, brand exposure and trust are harder to quantify. These signals still matter, particularly in competitive markets.

About the author

I’m Martyn East, an SEO specialist at Purplex Marketing. I work with construction, building products, and home improvement businesses across the UK, helping them improve search visibility through practical, ethical SEO.

My focus is on how Google evaluates relevance, authority, and trust in real terms. That means clear content, sound technical foundations, and link strategies that support long-term lead generation rather than short-lived ranking tactics.

You can read more of my articles on the Purplex author page.

Published on: 17 August 2017 at 16:02
Updated: 22 December 2025 at 16:29

This entry was posted in Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy