Around 50% of people find link building the most challenging part of search engine optimization. You need high-quality backlinks to boost your website’s authority and ranking on search engines. But Google’s always watching. One wrong move and you risk penalties.

In 2025, using the right strategies is more important than ever. It’s how you build trust and authority and achieve long-term SEO success without those risky penalties.

But what exactly are the right strategies? Let’s dive in.

What Is White Hat Link Building?

Unlike black-hat link building, white-hat link building is all about getting backlinks the right way. By following Google’s guidelines to the letter. It’s the safest way to build links and boost your rankings on search engines because you’re playing by the rules.

With white hat techniques, you’re less likely to get penalized by Google. It might take longer to see results, but the best link building techniques for long term search engine success are through white hat backlinks. 

What makes a link white hat?

There’s some debate about what exactly qualifies as white hat. Google says you should create content that naturally attracts links. But let’s be real, a little outreach goes a long way.

Here’s how I see it: a link is white hat when it’s placed in content with a genuine purpose. It’s editorially approved, not just bought and paid for.

Here are a few examples of this in action:

• A website owner finds your content organically and links to it because they think it’s valuable.
• You reach out to a website owner with some awesome content, they agree it’s a good fit for their audience, and they link to it.
• You pitch a guest post idea, and the website owner publishes it because their audience will find it useful.

Basically the link should benefit the website’s audience. That’s what matters most.

White Hat Link Building Strategies That Guarantee Success

Here are 10 proven white hat link-building techniques to get great backlinks and boost your rankings in 2025:

Create linkable assets

As the saying goes, “Build it and they will come.” In the world of link building, this means creating high-quality, informative content that other websites naturally want to link to. This is called a “linkable asset.”

The higher the quality of your linkable assets, the more likely other websites will link to them. It’s an SEO technique that focuses on quality over quick tricks.

Ahrefs does this well. They publish in-depth research studies based on their own data. These studies are packed with valuable insights and naturally attract tons of backlinks from authoritative and reputable sites.

Key takeaway

Remember, creating high-quality linkable assets takes time and effort. But it’s an investment that will pay off in the long run with search engine results like more website traffic, more contextual backlinks, and often an overall improvement in the site’s ranking. 

After all, only 1.94% of all pages get between one and ten monthly search visits from Google. Make sure yours is one of them.

Competitor analysis and targeting their links

Your competitors can be a goldmine of link-building opportunities. By analyzing their backlink profiles, you can uncover valuable websites and resources already linking to content similar to yours.

This is a white hat strategy because you’re not stealing links or engaging in any shady tactics. You’re simply identifying high-quality, relevant websites that have already shown interest in your niche.

Here’s how it works:

• Identify your competitors: Start by identifying your main competitors in the online space.
• Analyze their backlinks: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to see who’s linking to them. Pay attention to high-authority websites and those relevant to your niche.
• Create even better content: Study the content that attracts links and create something even better. Think more comprehensively, more up-to-date, and more engaging.
• Outreach and build relationships: Reach out to the websites linking to your competitors. Introduce yourself, highlight the value of your content, and suggest they consider linking to your resource.

For example, let’s say you discover that a competitor’s article on “The Future of AI” is getting backlinks from several tech blogs. You could create a more in-depth and visually appealing piece on the same topic, then reach out to those tech blogs and offer your content as a valuable resource for their readers.

The key is to focus on providing value and building relationships. If your content is truly better than what’s already out there, you’ll have a good chance of earning those valuable backlinks.

To learn more about effective outreach strategies, check out our guide on link-building outreach.

Broken link building is your chance to be a hero

Finding dead links on other sites is the buried treasure. It’s an opportunity to swoop in, offer valuable replacements, and earn a backlink in the process.

Source: Broken Link Finding Tool

How to do it:

1. Find a broken page with links: Use Ahrefs’ Content Explorer to search for a topic in your niche and filter for broken pages with at least 10 referring domains. This means the page is no longer live, but other websites still link to it.
   
2. Recreate the content: Use the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to see what the broken page looked like and recreate a similar, but improved, version on your own website.
   
3. Reach out to linkers: Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to find all the websites linking to the dead page. Then, reach out to them and offer your new content as a replacement.
   

Example:

Let’s say you find a broken page about “vegan recipes” with 50 referring domains. 

As part of your broken link building efforts you could create a comprehensive guide to vegan recipes on your website, and then contact all 50 websites linking to the dead page, offering your content as a replacement.

Broken backlink reclamation

Around 8% of all links start breaking within just three months. After seven years, that number jumps to a staggering 44%!

That means almost half of a website’s original links could be broken links. (Source)

Broken links happen. Maybe the page linking to you was deleted, or they messed up a redirect. Whatever the reason, it hurts your search engine optimization. The good news is you can reclaim lost links without relying on black hat SEO techniques.

Here’s how:

• Identify broken links: You can simply use LinkMiner or Check My Links Chrome extension to find broken backlinks pointing to your website.
• Diagnose the issue: Figure out why the link is broken. Is it a bad redirect? Did they remove the link? Did the page disappear entirely?
• Reach out and offer a solution: Contact the website owner and let them know about the broken link. Offer a solution, like the correct URL if it’s a redirect issue, or suggest an alternative page on your site if the original content is gone.

It’s a win-win or I would say the best link-building strategy.

You get valuable backlinks from high authority sites, and the website owner fixes a broken link on their site. Broken link building is a great way to build relationships and improve the user experience.

Guest posting

65% of marketers believe guest blogging is the most effective way to build links. 

But it’s not as simple as just churning out articles and posting them anywhere. To make guest posting work for you in 2025, you need white hat link building techniques.

It means focusing on quality over quantity. You have to build relationships with site owners and provide genuine value to their audience.

It’s simple, just:

• Find relevant websites: Start by identifying authoritative websites in your niche that accept guest posts. Look for blogs with engaged audiences and high-quality content. Guest blogging will only yield relevant links if you begin with relevant keywords and relevant content web pages.
• Craft high-quality content: Don’t just rehash old ideas. Write original, insightful articles that provide real value to the website’s readers.
• Strategic linking: Include a link back to your website within the guest post, but make sure it’s natural and relevant. Don’t stuff keywords or force links where they don’t belong.
• Build relationships: Guest posting is about more than just getting a link. It’s an opportunity to build relationships with other website owners and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Avoid black hat sites: Steer clear of websites that offer paid guest posts or have a reputation for spammy tactics.
• Don’t overdo it: Focus on quality over quantity. A few high-quality guest posts on relevant websites are more valuable than dozens of low-quality links.

PR link building

When it comes to building good backlinks, public relations (PR) can be a powerful tool. It’s not about any old PR tactic. We’re talking about white hat PR link building.

The difference is that white-hat PR focuses on earning links through genuine newsworthy content and building relationships with journalists and media outlets. It’s about getting your brand featured in relevant publications because you have something interesting and valuable to share.

So, instead of buying links or spamming reporters, you’re creating compelling stories that attract media attention naturally. This could involve:

• Launching a new product or service
• Sharing industry insights and expertise
• Announcing company news and milestones
• Partnering with other organizations on initiatives

When done right, PR link building can lead to quality backlinks from authoritative news sites and blogs. This not only boosts your website’s authority but also increases brand visibility and drives targeted traffic.

Need help with your link-building strategy? Consider hiring a link builder to help you secure those valuable backlinks.

Become a source for journalists with HARO

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a platform that connects journalists with expert sources. It’s a goldmine for white hat link building.

Here’s how it works:

Journalists submit queries through HARO, looking for sources to contribute to their articles. As an expert in your field, you can sign up for HARO and respond to relevant queries with valuable insights. If your response is selected, you’ll get featured in the article with a backlink to your website.

HARO is a great way to get great backlinks from authoritative media sites.

However, only about 20% of responses get featured. To increase your chances of success:

• Be selective: Only respond to queries relevant to your expertise.
• Provide value: Offer genuine insights and avoid self-promotion.
• Be concise: Journalists are busy, so keep your responses clear and to the point.
• Fact-check: Make sure your information is accurate and credible.

By using HARO strategically, you can build relationships with journalists, get featured in major publications, and earn valuable backlinks for your website.

Turn brand mentions into backlinks

Your brand is probably getting mentioned online more than you realize. But are those mentions turning into valuable backlinks? If not, you’re missing a prime opportunity.

This strategy is about finding unlinked brand mentions and converting them into linked mentions. It’s a simple but effective way to boost your website’s authority and drive referral traffic.

How to do it:

1. Find unlinked mentions: Use a tool like Ahrefs’ Content Explorer to find websites that mention your brand but don’t link to your site. Here’s a search string you can use:
   
   [your brand] -outlinkdomain:[yourwebsite].com -site:[yourwebsite].com -intitle:[your brand]
   
2. Filter your results: To narrow down your search, use filters like Domain Rating, Language, and “One page per domain.” This will help you focus on high-quality websites that are relevant to your niche.
   
3. Prioritize your outreach: Look for mentions where adding a link would genuinely benefit the reader. For example, if a website mentions your brand in an article but doesn’t link to your homepage, that’s a good opportunity to reach out.
   
4. Craft a personalized pitch: When you reach out, be polite and explain how adding a link to your website would provide more context or information for their readers

For example, if you find a post that mentions your company but doesn’t link to your website, you could send a friendly email like this:

“Hi [Name],

I came across your recent blog post about [topic], and I noticed that you mentioned [your brand name]. Thanks for the shout-out!

I thought it might be helpful for your readers to learn more about [your brand name] by linking to our website: [your website URL]. This would give them easy access to more information about our products/services.

Thanks for your time, and keep up the great work!”

Bonus tip:

Want to get even more brand mentions? Try getting your brand included in relevant listicles. For example, if you run a local coffee shop, search for “best coffee shops in [your city]” and see if your business is listed. If not, reach out to the website owner and see if they’d be willing to add you.

“Content Everest” technique (CET)

The “Content Everest” Technique (CET) is all about creating content that towers above the competition. It’s a powerful strategy for attracting quality backlinks and boosting your ranking on search engines.

Here’s how it works:

1. Identify your peak: Choose a keyword you want to rank for and analyze the top-performing content for that keyword.
2. Climb higher: Create content that surpasses the existing top-ranking content in terms of quality, depth, and value. Think bigger, better, and more comprehensive.
3. Reach the summit: Promote your “Everest” content to relevant websites and influencers in your niche. Show them why your content deserves a place at the top.

The CET is based on the idea that people want to link to the best resources available. By creating content that truly stands out, you increase your chances of attracting valuable backlinks and improving your website’s authority.

Here’s an example: If the top-ranking article on “Email Marketing Tips” has 50 tips, your “Everest” content could include 100 tips, plus in-depth explanations, real-world examples, and actionable strategies.

The CET is a white hat strategy because it focuses on creating truly exceptional content that deserves to be linked to. 

Resource pages

Resource pages are curated lists of links to external websites. They’re like goldmines for white hat link builders. Because they’re specifically designed to link to valuable resources.

When you get your link on a resource page, you’re actually making that page better. This makes it much easier to get your link included.

Here’s how to find resource pages in your niche:

• Use Google search operators: Try these search strings in Google:
  • “Resources” + keyword
  • “Useful resources” + keyword
  • “Inurl:links” + keyword
  • “Links” + keyword
  • “List” + keyword
  • “Tips” + keyword
• Think outside the box: Many resource pages don’t use the typical “resources” keyword. Try searching for:
  • keyword + “best sites”
  • keyword + “best blogs”
  • keyword + “places to learn”
• Analyze your competitors: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to see which resource pages link to your competitors.

Once you’ve found some promising resource pages, contact the website owner with a personalized email. Explain why your content would be a valuable addition to their page.

Remember to:

• Be helpful: If you find broken links on the resource page, let the owner know.
• Make it easy: Suggest a specific section where your link would fit best.
• Personalize your outreach: Show that you’ve taken the time to learn about their website.

Resource page link building is a highly effective strategy. By providing valuable content and building relationships with website owners, you can earn high-quality backlinks and improve your website’s authority.

Gray Hat vs. Black Hat vs. White Hat Links

Source: Google

White, gray, and black hat link building represents different approaches to getting those valuable backlinks. Think of it as a spectrum of risk versus reward.

White hat, as we’ve discussed, is all about playing by Google’s rules. It’s the safest and most sustainable approach, but it might take longer to see results.

Black hat, on the other hand, is like playing with fire. It involves using tactics explicitly against Google’s search engine guidelines, such as buying links or participating in link schemes. While these tactics might provide a quick boost, they put your website at serious risk of penalties.

Gray hat falls somewhere in between – not quite white hat, but not as risky as black hat. Some businesses choose to work with specialized agencies like ours that can navigate these murky waters, leveraging gray hat tactics strategically without crossing into dangerous territory with the right link building tools and techniques.

Over to You

In conclusion, while SEO tactics continue to evolve, white hat link building remains the gold standard for sustainable success in 2025 and beyond. However, executing an effective white hat strategy requires significant expertise, resources, and time – making professional assistance increasingly valuable. 

An experienced SEO agency brings the technical knowledge, established relationships with quality publishers, and a deep understanding of content creation that resonates with target audiences. Their dedicated teams can consistently produce high-quality content, conduct strategic outreach, and monitor performance while you focus on your core business operations. 

While it’s possible to handle link building in-house, partnering with a reputable agency is often more cost-effective and yields faster results without compromising on quality. As search engines become increasingly sophisticated at detecting manipulative practices, having seasoned professionals guide your link building strategy can help ensure your efforts align with best practices and drive sustainable organic growth. 

Remember that building authority isn’t a sprint but a marathon – and having the right partner can make all the difference in achieving your long-term SEO goals.