The State of Link Building in 2025
Which link building strategies still work? Our comprehensive analysis of 500 campaigns reveals what drives results today.
Link building remains one of the most powerful ranking factors, but the tactics that work have evolved significantly. Our analysis of 500 recent campaigns reveals what's working in 2025.
Link Building Strategies Ranked by Effectiveness
Based on our analysis, here are the most effective link building strategies:
- Digital PR - 89% success rate
- Original Research & Data - 76% success rate
- Expert Roundups - 68% success rate
- Broken Link Building - 52% success rate
- Guest Posting - 45% success rate
- Resource Link Building - 41% success rate
Digital PR: The Top Performer
Digital PR consistently outperforms other tactics because it generates:
- High-authority editorial links
- Brand mentions and awareness
- Diverse referring domains
- Natural link velocity
Creating Linkable Assets
The best-performing linkable assets in our study were:
- Industry studies with original data
- Interactive tools and calculators
- Comprehensive guides (10,000+ words)
- Infographics with unique insights
- Free templates and resources
What No Longer Works
These tactics showed declining effectiveness:
- Mass guest posting on low-quality sites
- PBNs and link networks
- Directory submissions
- Comment spam and forum links
- Paid links without proper disclosure
Quality Metrics That Matter
Focus on these quality indicators:
- Domain Rating (DR) 50+
- Relevant topical alignment
- Real organic traffic
- Editorial placement
- Natural anchor text distribution
Key Takeaways
Link building in 2025 is about earning links through value creation. Focus on digital PR, original research, and creating genuinely useful content that journalists and content creators want to reference.