How to create a winning link building strategy?

So don't be tempted to go after DA for DA. Look at the context, the theme and the real value that this link brings to your business.

1. Understand the purpose of link building

Before you begin, you should know why you need links. Not all links are the same or serve the same purpose. They can be used to:

• Improve domain authority.
• Position specific keywords.
• Earn direct traffic from referring pages.
• Increase brand visibility.

Google uses links as a sign of trust and relevance. A link from another page works like a “vote” to your site. But not all votes are worth the same. Those that come from relevant sites, with a good reputation and themically close to you, weigh much more.

Therefore, if you don't understand the objective behind your links, you run the risk of focusing on tactics that don't bring real value to your project.

To learn more about this, read this article ⏩ How do I create links for my website?

2. Define your SMART objectives

No strategy works without clear objectives. Use the SMART framework:

S: Specific

M: Measurable

A: Achievable

A: Relevant

T: Timed

Example:

“I want to increase my website's domain authority by 30% in the next 6 months by obtaining quality links from industry sites with DA > 40.”

This type of definition gives you direction, metric, and time frame. Without this, any action you take will be reactive, not strategic.

Another example could be:

“I want to position 5 articles on 'digital marketing for SMEs' among Google's top 5 positions in 4 months, using natural links from specialized blogs.” 

The important thing is that these objectives are linked to real metrics that you can measure month by month.

3. Analyze your current backlink profile

Use tools like MAKE IT TOOL to analyze:

👉 Quality vs. quantity: Do you have a lot of low-quality links?

👉 Most linked pages: Which URLs receive the most links? Are they the most important?

👉 Domains that already link you: Are there opportunities for recurring collaboration?

👉 Competition: Where are you gaining positions from?

This analysis allows you to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

For example: if you see that your competition has links from certain media in the sector and you don't, those media automatically become part of your priority list.

You may also find that a lot of your link base comes from irrelevant sources or spam. In that case, you prioritize cleaning and replacing with higher-value links.

You may find our post on How to deauthorize links in Google Search Console useful

4. Define your target audience and strategic channels

Not all links have the same value. A link from a site that your audience regularly reads is much more valuable than one from a spam blog.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Where is my audience?
• What media, blogs or platforms do they consume?
• Who does my competition collaborate with?
• What topics generate engagement?

Your strategy should focus on sites that provide real value, not just DA/PA numbers.

Imagine that you are a sports supplement brand. If you get a link from a nutrition or fitness blog, that link will weigh more than one from a general news portal. In addition, it is likely to generate qualified traffic.

Define a list of strategic channels: blogs, media, directories, influencers, etc., and prioritize the ones that make the most sense for your niche.

5. Choose your mix of link building tactics

This is where a lot of people get lost: they confuse tactics with strategy. A strategy can include several tactics, but each one must be aligned with a clear objective.

Some effective tactics (depending on the time of the project):

• Content outreach: Create unique content and promote it among influencers or media in the sector.
• Link complaint: Retrieve mentions without a link (e.g., when someone mentions your brand but doesn't link to you).
• Broken link building: Find broken links on relevant sites and offer your content as a substitute.
• Skyscraper technique: Improve popular content and promote it to get natural links.
• Collaborations with influencers or partners: Includes testimonials, case studies or co-marketing.

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⚠️ Practical tip: Avoid relying on a single tactic. Use a diversified mix to reduce risks and maximize results.

For example, combining content outreach + skyscraper + broken link building allows you to attack from different fronts, without depending on a single source of links.

6. Assign resources and define a schedule

A link building strategy requires time, people and budget. Therefore, it is advisable that you have the following defined ⬇️

Who will be responsible for executing each action?

How much time will you spend weekly/monthly?

What tools will you use?

How will you measure progress?

Create a calendar with monthly milestones, not just quarterly ones. This allows you to quickly adjust if something doesn't work.

A practical example of a schedule might be:

Month 1: Backlink analysis + strategic channel selection

Month 2: Content Development + Start of Outreach

Month 3: Contact + recovery of lost mentions

Month 4: Follow-up + adjustment of tactics based on results

Month 5: Consolidation + Scaling What Works

Month 6: Final Assessment + Replanning

If you do this right, you'll have a clear route to follow, without improvisation or blind decisions.

7. Constantly measure and optimize

The strategy is not static. It must evolve according to the data. Key metrics to monitor:

• New unique links
• New reference domains
• Domain Authority/Page
• Target keyword positioning
• Conversion rate from organic traffic

Review your results every month. If a certain tactic isn't working, pivot. Agility is key in SEO.

For example, if after two months you see that broken link building isn't working, you can redirect those efforts to content outreach or take advantage of co-marketing opportunities.

In addition, it uses performance reports to justify work to internal teams or clients. Showing tangible progress helps maintain long-term support. MAKE IT TOOL is also very useful for this, since you can do the following:

It has a delivery of monthly, biweekly or weekly reports. Where you can see how the number of backlinks is progressing, by type, by country, by type of TLD, how your authority is progressing...

✅ Tip: Prioritize relevance over authority

Many fall into the mistake of only looking for links from sites with high authority, regardless of whether they are relevant. But Google is increasingly rewarding thematic relevance.

A link from a small blog specialized in your niche is worth more than a link from a generalist portal with a high DA but out of context.

For example ▶️ if you are a law firm specialized in labor law, a link from a local law blog with little DA but very specific will weigh more than one from a national newspaper that publishes everything.

Creating an effective link building strategy goes beyond contacting bloggers or creating random mailing lists. This is a constantly planned, measured and adjusted process, which must respond to clear objectives and be aligned with the global positioning of the web.

If you want sustainable results over time, leave behind loose tactics and focus on building a solid strategy, based on data, competitive analysis and a clear definition of success.

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