Like most people in the SEO world, you probably think that you need time, effort, and money to build quality backlinks. But I’ll help you learn how to get free backlinks to your site fast so that you focus on creating premium content.
But why should you listen to me?
I’m the guy who’s got 63,655 backlinks to my main website and 247,550 backlinks to Supertools at the time of writing this post. And you’ll be surprised to know that I have never reached out to someone asking for backlinks to my sites.
It’s building backlinks without putting extra effort and money into link building.
And in this post, I’m going to show you exactly how I did it so that you can too. Don’t get too exciting because I’ll not share something magical! It’s just common sense.
Sounds fair? Let’s start with the basics first.
What is a Backlink in SEO?
A backlink is simply a link that points from one site to another. When a website links to your site, it’s called a backlink for your site. Backlinks are essential for SEO because they act as votes of confidence from one site to another.
Google looks at them to gauge how popular and trustworthy your site is. And they’re probably the highest-ranking factors that Google uses in their algorithm.
In other words, if you want to rank higher on Google, you need backlinks. Period.
That doesn’t mean that you don’t need quality content or functionality on your site. And that also doesn’t mean that all backlinks are created equal.
There are two types of backlinks:
1/ Do-follow backlinks
Do-follow backlinks are the most valuable type of backlink because they’re counted as a vote by Google. When someone links to your site with a do-follow link, they’re telling Google that your site is worth linking to.
Not all backlinks should be tagged as ‘do-follow’ because it’s unnatural to have all backlinks as do-follow.
2/ No-follow backlinks
On the other hand, a no-follow link doesn’t pass along link juice. It doesn’t give your site a vote in Google’s algorithm. However, it can still be valuable because it can drive traffic to your site.
For example, if someone links to your site with a no-follow link, you may drive traffic or signal Google that your site is relevant for that keyword.
Both types of backlinks are important without a doubt.
Now that you know the basics of what a backlink is let’s get into how to get free backlinks fast without link building!
How to Get Free Free Backlinks to Your Website (2022)
The goal is to get other websites to link to your website without putting in too much effort. And the best way to get free backlinks is by creating great content and getting people to link to it naturally.
Let me give you a scenario on how backlink works!
Understand How Someone Links to Your Website
When people create content, they’ll look for the relevant information on Google or any other place. And naturally, they’ll include an essential source in their content. And boom! That’s how a backlink is created!
For example, let’s say you have a blog post about getting quality backlinks for your site. And during your search, you come up with:
Brian Dean’s article about Google’s 200+ Ranking Factors.
You’ll link back to this post, just like I did!
And that’s a backlink created for Brian Dean’s Backlinko.
Why did I link back to Brian’s article?
Well, it’s simple! I found his post to be relevant to my blog post. And it’s good for my site’s SEO because Backlinko is a high authority site in the niche.
So Here’s the Idea: Create Valuable Resources
If you want someone to link back to your content, ensure that your content is:
- Relevant
- Accurate
- Readable
- Up-to-date
- And most importantly, better than the competition!
If you can create such content, people will link to it naturally. Try to create a valuable resource on a subject that’s hard to create! And that’s how you get free backlinks fast without putting in too much effort!
And don’t just create written content; you can also go for:
Not everyone will create helpful resources like these. If they will, they’ll require much time and effort. And then drive traffic to your valuable content:
So, the best way to get free backlinks is by creating free resources and ranking them in search engines. If you can do that, people will link to your site naturally without you having to ask for it!
That’s how Neil Patel gets links to his Ubersuggest tool. And that’s how I get links to my SEO Analyzer tool. Just Google the term, and you’ll know!
13 Types of Valuable Resources to Get Free Backlinks
This section will share the types of valuable content you can create to get quality backlinks to your site fast without link building!
1/ How-to Guides
One of the most popular types of content out there is the how-to guide. People love learning how to do things, especially if they’re struggling with something.
To create how-to articles:
- Choose a topic that you’re knowledgeable about.
- Do offline and online research about that.
- Create a step-by-step guide on how to do it.
- Ensure to include plenty of screenshots, images, and graphics.
- And make it as readable as you can.
Let me give you a few examples of how-to guides from my blog now:
By creating a high-quality how-to guide, you can help your readers and earn some valuable links.
2/ Case Studies
If you’ve had success with a specific project or campaign, why not write a case study? People love reading case studies because they offer insights and lessons that can be applied to their work.
Let me give you two examples of case studies I’ve created in the past:
To write a case study, describe the project or campaign in detail and discuss what went well and what could be improved. Ensure to include plenty of data and statistics to back up your claims.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and blog because I regularly create and share case studies based on real-life examples.
3/ eBooks
Writing an ebook is an excellent option if you’re looking for a more in-depth way to earn backlinks. eBooks offer a lot of value to readers, making them more likely to link to your site when they share your eBook with others.
Go to my eBooks section of this site, and you’ll find plenty of eBooks about online business and marketing. They’re free forever. I just want to help my readers succeed in online businesses.
To write an eBook, choose a topic you’re interested in and put together a comprehensive guide. Once you’re finished, make your eBook available as a PDF download on your site.
Here’s a takeaway; you can create eBooks and many other resources using Canva. It’s a designing tool for non-designers! There are tons of templates for ebooks and more.
4/ Tools & Apps
Tools and apps help attract quality backlinks because they offer a lot of value to users. They’re collections of tools and resources that people can use to help them with a particular task or project.
For example, I’ve founded Supertools to help digital marketers like you amp up your game. Let me share some of the listed tools and apps:
And the list goes on! I’ve created over 40 different tools. I’ve launched a free app called Super Email Sender to help you send bulk emails at zero cost.
To create a toolkit, either you need to hire a developer or use APIs to do it yourself.
But what I do is:
Here’s a pro tip: Choose a tool you believe can improve and promote. And don’t copy just about anybody, including me.
5/ Infographics
Infographics pack a lot of value into one image. They’re visual representations of data and information.
Infographics are perfect pieces of content for people who want to learn more about a certain topic. For example, I’ve created this little infographic about content marketing for this blog:
To create an infographic, choose a topic and create a visual representation of the data using Canva. Include plenty of graphics and images to make your infographic more visually appealing.
6/ Checklists
Checklists are a great way to get free backlinks because they enlist things people need to complete a certain task. For example, I’ve created this ultimate SEO checklist to help people optimize their sites for search engines.
To create a checklist, choose a topic and list out all of the steps that need to be completed to complete that task.
Ensure to make it easy for users to check off each item as they complete it. And that’s why I’ve created the checklist on Notion and shared it on my blog. People can copy the template and customize it accordingly.
7/ Templates
This type of content is precious to your audience because they can use it in their work. And they will link back to them to share them with their circle of friends and colleagues.
This could be anything from Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations to email signature templates and social media post templates.
You cannot imagine how many people will be grateful for your help in making their lives easier. And they’ll also be more likely to link to your site when they use your template.
8/ Cheat Sheets
If you want to earn some quick and easy backlinks, cheat sheets are the way to go. Cheat sheets are condensed versions of longer guides or tutorials that people can use as a reference when they need them.
You can create cheat sheets online using Cheatography:
To create a cheat sheet, simply take a comprehensive guide that you’ve already written and condense it down into the most critical points. Don’t forget to add graphics to make your cheat sheet valuable.
9/ Webinars
Free webinars can also bring in a lot of backlinks from the industry’s leaders and enthusiasts. Webinars provide valuable information, but they also allow people to interact with the presenter in real-time.
To create a webinar, simply choose a topic you’re knowledgeable about and create a presentation. Promote your webinar in advance and offer viewers a chance to ask questions during the live broadcast.
10/ Whitepapers
Whitepapers are usually in-depth guides on a certain topic, perfect for looking for detailed information. Journalists will love this kind of content, and they will surely give a backlink to your site.
To do a whitepaper, write an in-depth guide on the topic you know well. And ensure to include plenty of data and statistics to back up your claims.
11/ Podcasts
I love podcasts! They’re less competitive to break into. And they offer tons of value about a topic in a conversational style.
This content type is a great way to earn backlinks because it offers a lot of value to listeners. It makes relevant people more likely to link to your site when they share it with others.
To create a podcast, simply choose a topic and record an episode on it using tools like Anchor.fm or Podbean Ensure to promote your podcast in advance and offer listeners a chance to ask questions during the live broadcast.
12/ Facts & Stats
Bloggers, writers, entrepreneurs, and journalists care about accurate facts and statistics. They use these to support their claims in their content. So if you can provide them with accurate data, they will be more likely to link to your site.
To create a facts & stats page and list all of the relevant data you can find on a specific page. Let me share this post by WP Forms to give you an example:
People want to see data that supports what you’re saying. So, include sources for your data so that people can check it for themselves.
13/ Interviews
Interviews are an important type of content that offers many insights into any industry or niche. They provide valuable information, but they also offer the chance to hear from an expert in their own words.
That industry leader will link back to their interview or share it across social media. You can have tons of eyeballs with just one successful interview, without a doubt.
There are many different types of content that you can create to earn backlinks. You’ll be more likely to earn backlinks from relevant, high-quality websites by creating valuable content.
7 Other Ways to Get Free Backlinks Fast
In addition to creating valuable resources, there are a few other sources to drive traffic and attract backlinks to your site. Let me share seven of my favorites!
1/ Analyze Your Backlinks Profile
Analyzing your links profile will not get you any backlinks whatsoever. But it will give you some insight into the quality of your current links profile and where your site is lacking.
There are several ways to do this, but I prefer using SEMRush because it provides a large amount of data. But then it’s a paid tool for search engine marketing. The good news is that you can do it for free. Here’s how!
This free backlinks checking tool will give you an overview of backlinks, referring domains, etc. You can also analyze your competitors’ backlinks and see if you can get them as well.
2/ Create Content About Your Favorite Tools
If you have been online even for a month, you must be using some cool tools online. Why not write about it? This way, you can attract stakeholders to those tools and software companies. And they may link back to your site in their testimonials.
For example, I’ve written about InVideo which helps you to create videos fast:
3/ Reach Out to Industry Leaders & Publications
This is obvious! If you want a backlink from an authoritative site, you need to give them something in return. But that doesn’t mean you have to do some shady business.
You can reach out and contribute to their content or be a guest author yourself! Or just ask them if they could link back to your relevant piece of content. It seems challenging, but it works like a charm if done right.
4/ Repurpose Your Content to Get Free Backlinks
What? Yes, you read that right! You can get backlinks by repurposing your content. So you convert your blog into a Quora answer. And link back to your post that is relevant to that answer.
And it’s not just about Quora; you can repurpose your content for SlideShare, Reddit, and more. You can find more about this in this guide to content distribution.
I do it all the time using Canva and other tools. Include a link back to your original article in the description. This will help you get traffic as well. And that’s how a free backlink is also created!
5/ Write High-Quality Guest posts on Relevant Blogs
Writing guest posts is an excellent way to get exposure and links from high-authority websites. But it’s not as simple as just writing a post and submitting it to any blog that accepts guest posts.
You need to be strategic about it and contribute to sites relevant to your niche or industry. And don’t forget to follow the guidelines, if any. You have a higher chance of getting your guest post accepted.
6/ Leverage Broken Links Building Strategy
Broken link building is an incredible strategy that can help you get high-quality links from authority websites. And the best part? It’s not as challenging as you believe it to be! Here’s how it works:
- Find relevant pages on other websites that are no longer working.
- Reach out to the site owner and let them know about the dead pages.
- Create a similar page resource and let them know about it.
- Ask if they would be willing to link to your resource as a replacement.
7/ Follow Your Competitors
Your competitors are your best teachers! If they are ranking higher than you in SERPs, they are doing something right. So why not follow their backlinks and find ways to get links from the same places?
Summary: How to Get Free Backlinks Fast
There are several ways to get backlinks for free. But the best one is by creating high-quality content or any resource like tools or templates. Why? Because then you always focus on creating value for your readers and users.
And backlinks are just the by-product of that! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start implementing these ways to get free backlinks and see the results. Do you know any other ways to get free backlinks?
Let me know in the comments below!