Link Building
The process of acquiring external backlinks to increase a site's authority.
Full definition
Link building is the process of acquiring external backlinks to a site in order to increase domain authority in the eyes of search engines.
Google uses links as a trust signal: if authoritative sites link to you, your content is deemed credible. The PageRank algorithm, invented by Larry Page, remains the foundation of link-based ranking.
- •White-hat vs. black-hat link building:
- •White-hat: guest posts, PR, HARO/Connectively, linkable asset creation (research, infographics).
- •Grey-hat: link marketplaces, PBNs, automated directories.
- •Black-hat: spam link networks, link injection.
Since 2012 (Google Penguin), aggressive spam link building leads to manual penalties. The modern approach: Digital PR, creating unique research others cite organically.