You have created 100s and 1000s of backlinks for your website, but still, you are not getting the desired results and improvement in the website rankings. Even if you have invested and paid thousands of rupees to a digital marketing agency to get backlinks, but got nothing, and now you are frustrated.
So, Guys, backlinks in 2025 have completely changed. Those old tricks and backlinks strategies in 2023 and 2024, which were working, are now a waste of time and are not giving results. Now, new strategies are taking place, which are giving real results.
Hi there, my name is Pawan Kumar, co-founder of Elbestor, a digital marketing agency in Bihar, and a full-time SEO professional. Today, I am going to share what exactly the backlinks strategy in 2025 will work and what will not.
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What are Backlinks?
Backlinks, also known as inbound links or incoming links, are links from one website to another. When one website links to a page on a different website, it creates a backlink. Think of it as a vote of confidence—when someone links to your content, it signals to search engines like Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
Backlinks play a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO). The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search engine results. However, it’s not just about quantity—the quality and relevance of the linking website also matter. A backlink from a well-respected site in your industry carries more weight than dozens from low-quality or unrelated sites.
In short, backlinks are one of the building blocks of SEO. They help improve a website’s visibility, authority, and credibility online.
Before we start, if you need our SEO and backlink creation service, then contact us.
Now, you all want to know what backlinks are working and what is not in 2025. So, let’s start with what an outdated backlinks strategy is and what will be updated in 2025.
Outdated Backlink Strategies in 2025
Now let’s discuss what methods and techniques are outdated for the backlink creation in 2025:
1. Mass low-quality Guest Posting
Earlier, people published 100s of guest posts on any website, which are low in quality. But Google’s algorithm catches this activity. Even a recent SEJ (Search Engine Journal) analysis took place on an e-commerce website that was acquiring 200 low-quality guest posts backlinks. However, the website did not get any significant results over 6 months after investing an extensive amount in this link-building strategy.
This case highlights the declining effectiveness of mass guest posting on low-quality websites. While guest blogging can still be a valuable SEO strategy, its success largely depends on the quality and relevance of the host site.
Tip: Don’t waste money on low-quality guest posting websites; instead, create valuable content and post on high-quality websites, and check the relevancy. Focus on quality over quantity.
2. PBN or Private Blog Network
These are the black hat SEO tactics used by many website owners to rank faster in Google search results. It was very powerful, but now this is a very risky backlinks creation strategy in 2025.
The Google December 2024 core update cracked down on PBNs using machine learning. As I said, a lot of website owners were using the PBN method to get ranked faster in SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
These methods use many websites to make a group of them and sell backlinks to money sites in the hope of boosting ranking and authority. But Google is becoming smarter day by day, and the Google December 2024 core update used machine learning to target the PBNs. A lot of websites disappeared after this core update, which were using PBNs backlinks.
Tip: Don’t buy PBNs Backlinks at all now, this will permanently remove your website from the SERP and also penalize you.
3. Reciprocal Link Exchanges
Reciprocal Link Exchanges. In simple words, I give you a backlink from my website, and you give me a backlink from your website. This is now also an outdated backlink strategy in 2025.
Google is quick to detect unnatural linking patterns, often rendering those backlinks ineffective. A recent Ahrefs study found that websites with more than 30% reciprocal links saw a noticeable drop in search rankings. In 2025, direct link exchanges are not just outdated—they can actually hurt your SEO performance.
Reciprocal Links occur when two website owners link to each other’s content. When done naturally—such as during collaborations or when two brands genuinely reference each other’s work—these links are generally harmless. However, if overused or artificially created to manipulate rankings, search engines may flag them as a spammy SEO tactic, which can negatively impact your site’s visibility.
Tip: Keep it natural and don’t overuse it.
4. Comment Backlinks
Blog comment backlinks are one of the oldest backlink strategies, which is now completely outdated, and even their spam-like behavior can be harmful to your website and brand.
The comment backlinks are mostly “no-follow” and spammy in nature. Also, studies have taken place and found that there are no noticeable benefits, and waste of time and money, may even send negative signals to search engines like Google.
Tip: Don’t waste time creating comment backlinks for your website.
5. Overusing Exact Match Anchor Text Backlinks
In the outdated method, people create backlinks on the exact keyword for which they want to rank. But in 2025, it is a red flag, overusing exact match anchor text like 70%-80% sends a negative signal to search engines, and Google found that this is an artificial or paid backlink. For example, if you’re targeting the keyword “best digital marketing agency in Bihar” and most of your backlinks use that exact phrase as anchor text, Google may see it as a sign of unnatural or manipulative link building.
According to Semrush backlink tool data, natural backlink profiles use exact-match anchor text in fewer than 5% of cases. To maintain a healthy and organic link profile, it’s better to focus on varied anchor text—like branded terms, partial matches, or natural phrases—rather than repeating the same keyword.
6. Buying links from Link Farms
This is another outdated backlinks strategy in 2025. The main objective of these link farms is just to sell backlinks and do not provide real value to websites. In this method of link building, you buy backlinks, but there is no relevancy or quality; just getting backlinks from any website.
However, the Google spam detection algorithm can easily identify when you buy backlinks from suspicious sources. Platforms like Fiverr and other cheap link-building services offer 100s of backlinks for $5-$10. But these are a waste of time and money even this can result in a penalty from Google.
The Authority Hackers has confirmed that link buying from link farms had a negative impact in 78% of cases.
Previously, people put their website links in the footer of other websites. So they can get backlinks from all pages of that website. But in 2025, Google easily detected that this is not a natural link and found that this is a paid placement. So this kind of backlink gets low value or even ZERO value. This method is now outdated and ineffective in 2025 for your brand and website.
The Neil Patel analysis says that sitewide footer links decline in value over time. In 2025, the influence of sitewide footer links is negligible for rankings.
8. Article Directories
This is last in this list of outdated Backlink strategies that are not working anymore in 2025 is the Article Directories. Websites like Apsense, EzineArticles, Articlebase, and many others worked previously, but are now valueless. Generally, on these websites, low-quality content is published and mostly posted to just get backlinks. The Google Panda update and other updates penalized these.
Now getting backlinks from article directories website values practically ZERO now. So, don’t waste time publishing or submitting articles on these types of websites. It is just a waste of time; instead, try to find relevant and high-quality websites that accept articles.
The above backlinks strategy is outdated and no longer works in 2025, so avoid doing these practices.
Winning and Updated Backlink Strategies in 2025
Now let’s come up with what the updated strategy is in 2025 for backlink creation, which actually helps in SEO and improves website rankings.
1. Topical Authority Backlinks
This is the most powerful and working backlink strategy in 2025. This means you do not just need backlinks, you need backlinks from websites that are experts in your topic and niche.
For example, if you are selling digital marketing services, then you need to get backlinks from tech or digital marketing-related websites. Backlinks from these websites are more valuable than a random high DA (Domain Authority) website.
According to the SEMrush study, the impact of topically relevant backlinks is 3X that of non-relevant high authority websites.
Even when I saw this in my circle, a friend of mine created and bought backlinks from high DA sites for his health-related website. One of my websites has a low number of backlinks, but all are from relevant sites and are ranking better than my friend’s website. I can’t share the website due to the privacy of clients.
Tip: Focus on creating backlinks from relevant sites instead of buying or making an effort to get backlinks from random high DA sites.
2. User-Generated Backlinks
This is the next successful backlink strategy that will be working in 2025. User-generated backlinks are backlinks that are created naturally by users or shared on websites like Reddit, Quora, and other niche-related forum websites. This signals Google that your website content is valuable to real users, and that is why sharing and referencing on other UGC (User Generated Content) websites.
Tip: Don’t spam, instead do genuine conversation where you can add value, and mention your website naturally if that adds value there.
According to the SEJ (Search Engine Journal), the analysis found that UGC backlinks increased by 40% in 2025.
3. Brand Mention with Implied Links
This has become a very powerful strategy in 2025 for improving the website’s off-page health now. Google not only tracks hyperlinks but also tracks brand mentions. If a reputed website mentions your brand name without any direct linking to your website still gives positive signals to Google.
These linkless backlinks will change SEO completely in 2025. Moz’s recent study says that brand mention impact increased on ranking after the Google Bird update.
Tips: Do PR(Press Release) for your brand and website. Try Elbestor PR service, we will give you the best website for your PR.
4. Podcast Appearances
This is a new method and way for backlinks in 2025. Usually, podcast hosts include the guest link in the notes and description, so you also need to contact them to get featured in niche-related podcasts. You can email them to pitch for it, and tell them how you can provide value to their audience.
According to Buzzsprout’s data, podcast listeners increased by 45% in 2025. This also increases the backlinks value shown in notes, and this is a great opportunity for gaining high-quality and relevant backlinks.
5. Data-Driven Original Research
If you publish unique data or research, people will give your website references and backlinks naturally. I even gave references and backlinks to the originally published data and research.
To do this for yourself, you can conduct a survey in your niche, or you can create data and research from existing data from a new perspective. Creating original research can help to get authentic backlinks for your website.
Ahrefs case studies confirm that data-driven original research content gets 5X backlinks than average content. However, this link-building strategy takes time and needs a lot of research, but the results are amazing and long-term, and backlinks are automatically generated because if other users use your data, they will give you references and backlinks in their posts.
6. Broken Link Building with Added Value
This is also an old strategy and still working in 2025, but now to enjoy this, you need to add value to that broken link.
To enjoy this, you need to find popular and high-authority websites in your niche and try to find the broken links. You can try tools like Ahrefs and others for it. Now create better content for those broken links, contact the website owner and suggest to use of your published resources. But just don’t give simple broken link replacement, try to give significant additional value.
Ahrefs says that emailing broken link replacements with added value gives 29.8% success results.
Tip: Email with better and added value content so the website owner is happy to replace broken links with yours instead of ignoring them.
7. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) Source Requests
HARO is a platform where journalists try to find expert sources. You can also sign up for this platform, and you can respond to the relevant queries. If your response is selected, then you will get the opportunity to publish your content and get backlinks on high-authority news websites and publications.
Tip: Invest your daily 15-20 minutes on this platform. If your response is selected, you can get backlinks from 70+ DA websites for free.
8. Strategic Collaborative Content
In simple words, publish co-created content in your industry with other experts. Like expert roundups, collaborative research, or multi-author content, and all. When you collaborate with experts who share content with their audience, and create organic backlinks for your website and brand.
According to Buzzsumo, co-created content is shared 3.2X than single-author content and also attracts backlinks. This method helps to expand your network and create credibility in your industry.
Tip: Try to publish co-created content and research, which helps to attract more backlinks.
Let’s Sum up
From my analysis and research, I found that backlinks actually work in 2025. The backlink strategy has completely changed, and you need to follow winning and updated strategies instead of wasting time on outdated strategies for real results.
Try our SEO service for your business and website. Contact us NOW.
FAQs
Q1. Are backlinks still important in 2025?
Yes, but quality, relevance, and topical authority matter more than quantity.
Q2. What is the best backlink strategy for beginners in 2025?
Start with guest posting on niche-relevant blogs, user-generated content on forums, and HARO submissions.
Q3. Can I still use Fiverr or cheap backlink services?
No. These typically involve link farms and spammy tactics, which can result in Google penalties.
Q4. How many backlinks are enough in 2025?
There’s no magic number. A few high-quality, relevant backlinks can outperform hundreds of low-quality ones.
