How to check if your backlinks help or hurt SEO?

Backlinks remain one of the strongest signals search engines use to evaluate a website’s authority. Google sees them as digital “votes of confidence.” The more high-quality backlinks you secure, the more credible and relevant your site appears.

For example, a local Australian news portal saw its rankings skyrocket after gaining backlinks from national media outlets. Their content was already strong, but it was the authority of those external links that propelled them higher on Google.

What Makes a Link High Quality?

Not all backlinks are equal. A strong link usually comes from a relevant, trustworthy site and is placed naturally within valuable content.

For instance, if you run a travel blog, a backlink from Lonely Planet signals expertise and relevance. A link from an unrelated, low-quality site, on the other hand, could appear suspicious to search engines and harm your rankings.

Which Advanced Link Building Strategies Work Today?

How Does Broken Link Building Work?

Broken link building is about finding dead links on other websites and offering your content as a replacement. Site owners welcome the fix, and you gain a backlink.

For example, a Sydney-based e-learning company used Ahrefs to identify competitor pages with broken links. By providing their updated guide as a replacement, they earned more than 15 backlinks in just one month.

Can Digital PR Drive Quality Backlinks?

Digital PR involves creating stories or campaigns that are so newsworthy they earn media coverage and authoritative backlinks.

Take an Australian fintech startup that published original research on digital payments. By sharing it with journalists, they secured coverage in major finance outlets, with each article linking back to their study. The result? Higher visibility, brand recognition, and trusted backlinks.

Is Guest Posting Still Effective?

Guest posting remains one of the most reliable and sustainable link-building strategies when done correctly. The key lies in focusing on quality over quantity. A handful of thoughtful guest posts on reputable, industry-relevant sites can deliver more long-term value than dozens of generic, low-quality submissions.

For example, a Melbourne-based digital marketing consultant contributed case studies to well-known SEO blogs. Instead of keyword-stuffing, they provided practical insights, which earned backlinks, brought in client leads, and strengthened their professional reputation. Similarly, an Australian health brand built a steady publishing schedule on niche wellness blogs. Over time, they weren’t just gaining backlinks; they positioned themselves as a trusted authority, achieving a 40% increase in organic traffic within a year.

Guest posting also has secondary benefits that extend far beyond link building:

• Building relationships: Contributing to respected websites creates valuable connections with industry influencers and decision-makers.

• Expanding brand reach: Guest posts put your expertise in front of new, engaged audiences.

• Driving referral traffic: Visitors who read your post on a trusted site are more likely to click through to your website and convert into leads or customers.

Another example is an Australian SaaS startup that regularly contributed to tech publications. The backlinks strengthened their SEO performance, but the real breakthrough came from referral traffic that turned into enterprise-level clients.

Tips for success in guest posting:

• Choose sites with authority and an engaged readership in your niche.

• Provide unique insights, data, or research that can’t be found elsewhere.

• Write for the audience first, ensuring backlinks feel natural and relevant.

• Avoid over-optimisation; forced links are easily spotted by search engines.

• Treat each guest post as a brand-building opportunity, not just a backlink tactic.

When done strategically, guest posting is not only a white-hat link-building method but also a powerful way to position your brand as a thought leader while driving sustainable growth.

What About the Skyscraper Content Technique?

The skyscraper method means finding highly linked content in your niche, creating something even more comprehensive, and then reaching out to websites linking to the original.

For example, a health and wellness business developed a detailed nutrition guide that surpassed outdated resources. They contacted sites linking to the older content, convincing many to update their references. This single campaign resulted in dozens of new backlinks.

Can Tools Help With Outreach and Link Building?

Manual outreach is time-consuming, but tools streamline the process. BuzzStream, Pitchbox, and Hunter are popular choices for finding prospects, tracking emails, and automating follow-ups.

A Brisbane digital agency used Pitchbox to run outreach for multiple clients. Automation doubled their response rates and cut campaign time in half, allowing them to scale efforts without sacrificing personalisation.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid in Link Building?

Even well-meaning businesses can make mistakes. Risky practices include:

• Buying backlinks or joining link farms.

• Excessive link exchanges.

• Posting on irrelevant or low-quality websites.

A retail brand once purchased hundreds of backlinks from spammy blogs. Their rankings spiked briefly but collapsed after Google issued a penalty, causing a 70% traffic loss. Sustainable link building requires patience and white-hat strategies.

How Can You Measure Link Building Success?

Tracking results ensures your efforts deliver more than just numbers. Important metrics include:

• Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR): Stronger sites pass more trust.

• Referring Domains: More unique sites linking to you carry greater weight.

• Referral Traffic: Backlinks should send visitors who engage with your site.

• Conversions and Leads: Links should contribute to business goals like sales or sign-ups.

• Keyword Rankings: Strong backlinks often boost target keyword positions.

For instance, a fitness centre gained just two backlinks from a high-authority health site, yet those links drove a consistent stream of new memberships. Similarly, a Melbourne e-commerce store ran a digital PR campaign that earned coverage in national newspapers. The results? A 25% lift in sales, more branded keyword searches, and stronger customer trust within three months.

By monitoring these outcomes, businesses can refine their strategy, doubling down on tactics that drive real-world results and adjusting when backlinks aren’t delivering value.

FAQ

What is the most effective link-building strategy today?
It depends on your industry, but digital PR, guest posting, and skyscraper content often deliver the best results.

How many backlinks do I need to rank?
There’s no set number. Quality matters more than quantity. Ten strong backlinks can outweigh hundreds of weak ones.

Are all guest posts considered safe?
No. Posting on irrelevant or spammy sites can harm SEO. Always target reputable, niche-relevant platforms.

Can I use automation for link building?
Yes, tools help streamline outreach, but human interaction and personalised communication remain essential.

How long does it take to see results from link building?
Usually two to six months, depending on competition and niche. Consistency and quality are key.

Wrap up

Link building remains one of the strongest ranking factors in SEO. High-quality backlinks act as “votes of confidence,” boosting site authority, visibility, and trust.

Key insights:

• High-quality links: Come from relevant, authoritative websites with natural placements.

• Effective strategies today:

  • Broken link building – replace dead links with your updated content.

  • Digital PR – create newsworthy campaigns that earn media coverage and backlinks.

  • Guest posting – publish valuable, niche-relevant content on trusted sites to gain links, referral traffic, and brand authority.

  • Skyscraper technique – build more comprehensive content than existing resources and persuade sites to link to yours.

  • Outreach tools – platforms like Pitchbox or BuzzStream streamline prospecting and follow-ups.

• Mistakes to avoid: Buying links, using link farms, irrelevant guest posts, or overdoing link exchanges. These can trigger Google penalties.

• Measuring success: Focus on metrics like domain authority, referring domains, referral traffic, conversions, and keyword rankings. Quality and impact matter more than sheer volume.

Bottom line: Sustainable link building relies on quality, relevance, and consistency. White-hat techniques like guest posting, digital PR, and skyscraper content not only improve rankings but also build brand trust, authority, and long-term growth.