Link building that holds up over time

A good link is earned because your business deserves a mention. A bad one is bought to look like it was. Only one of them lasts.

What makes a link worth having

• Relevance: the site relates to your industry or area.
• Editorial placement: the link sits naturally inside genuine content.
• A real audience: the site has real readers, not just a link-selling business model.

What to avoid

Google’s spam policies treat link schemes as spam, and that includes buying links to pass ranking signals. Steer clear of private blog networks, mass directory submissions and automated link exchanges. At best they waste money, and at worst they can lower your rankings.

Approaches that hold up

• Useful contributions to relevant sites where you share real expertise.
• Local sponsorships, partnerships and associations.
• Guides, data or tools that are worth referencing.
• Resource pages that genuinely fit your service.
• Turning unlinked mentions of your brand into links.

Be patient

Authority builds over time. Expect steady progress over months, not overnight jumps.

How to measure it

Look at the relevance of the sites linking to you, rankings for the pages you targeted, and, most importantly, enquiries from search.