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September 18, 2025

SEO

What is link building?

Link building is a core discipline of SEO, which is about getting other websites to link to yours. When external websites link to your content, it sends a signal to Google that your site is trustworthy and relevant. These links are called backlinks, and they act as “votes” for your website.

The more relevant and high-quality backlinks you have, the greater your chances of ranking higher in Google’s search results. That’s why link building is often crucial to growing your organic traffic.

Why is link building important?

  • Google assesses a website’s authority based on both content, technique and external signals. Here, link building plays a key role.An example:
     If a reputable news site links to your company page, Google will interpret it as a sign that your content has value. This gives you authority, and thus a better chance of ranking high for your keywords.

    At Acend, we work with link building as an integrated part of the SEO strategy, because links create credibility and support visibility in search results.

Internal links, external links and backlinks

  • When talking about link building, it is important to understand the difference between the different link types and how they work together.
    • Internal links: These are links that you insert from one subpage on your website to another. They help both users and search engines navigate. For example, you can refer from a blog about SEO to a subpage about Google Ads, so the reader gets a natural flow on the site. Internal links also help distribute authority between pages and strengthen the most important landing pages.
    • External links: These are the links you place from your website to other relevant websites. Many people think that external links only send “value away”, but in fact they can strengthen your content because you document and substantiate what you write. For example, if you run a sportswear webshop and link to official size guides from Nike or Adidas, you signal credibility.
    • Backlinks: These are links from other websites that point to your site. This is the core of link building, as they function as “recommendations”. The stronger and more relevant the sender is, the more value you get. A link from an industry organization, media outlet, or popular blog within your niche can have a huge impact on your visibility in Google.

Natural links vs. built links

  • There is a difference between links that you get naturally and those that you seek out yourself.
    • Natural links occur when others choose to link to your website on their own because you have created something that provides value – for example, an in-depth article, a unique product or a tool that they want to share with their readers.
    • Built links are links that you actively work to get. This can be through outreach, guest blogging, or by working with a link building agency.

    Both types can be valuable, but Google especially values ​​natural links because they are considered the most trustworthy recommendations.

How does link building work in practice?

Link building requires both strategy and creativity. There are many ways to build links, but it is crucial that the effort is natural and not manipulative.

  • Guest blogging: You can write articles for other blogs or media in your industry. In return, you are typically allowed to link to your own page. This provides both exposure and a relevant backlink. 
  • Digital PR: Unique studies, cases or analyses can generate publicity in media that often provide links as a reference. For example, a company could do an industry analysis and have it quoted by major news media. 
  • Content marketing: Create valuable content like guides, e-books, or tools. When the content is useful, others will naturally link to it. Example: An interactive mortgage calculator could attract links from personal finance blogs. 
  • Broken link building: Find dead links on relevant pages and suggest your own content as a replacement. This solves a problem for the website owner and gives you a new backlink. 
  • Partnerships: Many forget that existing networks are worth their weight in gold. Collaborate with suppliers, customers or industry associations, and agree on natural links in, for example, resource or partner pages.

The most important point is that link building is an ongoing process. You must constantly think about how you can create value for others – then links often come as a natural consequence.

Implementing SEO requires a combination of strategy and persistence:

  1. Keyword Analysis: Find out what words your target audience uses. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help.
  2. Content Optimization: Write texts that answer users’ questions – not just for Google, but also for your customers.
  3. Technical Review: Make sure your site has a sound structure, fast loading times and a high Health Score. It’s the very foundation that makes it possible to exploit the potential of content and link building.
  4. Ongoing follow-up: SEO is not a one-time task. Use Google Analytics or Search Console to adjust your strategy.

Example: A webshop that sells sportswear can start by optimizing category pages like women’s running shoes. Subsequently, they can write blog posts about how to choose the right running shoes, which both attracts traffic and strengthens authority.

5 tips for link building success

To ensure that your efforts generate the best results, you should focus on these five tips:

  1. Prioritize quality over quantity
     A link from a national newspaper or a strong industry association can be worth more than 100 links from small, irrelevant blogs. Google looks at the authority of the sender. 
  2. Work with variety
     A healthy link profile consists of a mix of internal links, external links and backlinks. At the same time, you should vary the anchor text (the word or phrase that links from) so that it does not seem artificial. 
  3. Create valuable content that deserves links
     The best foundation for link building is good content. When you publish guides, analyses or resources that others want to share, backlinks come more naturally. 
  4. Build relationships in your industry
     Link building is largely about networking. Attend events, collaborate with other players, and be active on digital platforms. When you are visible, it increases the likelihood that others will link to you. 
  5. Monitor and adjust your efforts
     Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console to keep track of your links. Keep an eye on which links provide the most value and where you are losing links – so you can act quickly.

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your content to increase your visibility and authority in Google.

It depends on the strategy. You can see results in a few months, but strong link building is typically an ongoing effort over a longer period of time.

The price varies. Some choose to build relationships and content themselves, while others buy links through agencies. At Acend, link building is part of an overall SEO strategy.

Internal links connect pages on your own site, while backlinks come from other websites and strengthen your authority in Google.

No. A link from a strong and relevant source counts far more than many weak links from irrelevant pages.

No – link building works best in conjunction with technical SEO and good content. It’s part of a holistic strategy.

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Frederik Krøl Larsen

CCO & Partner

Frederik er CCO & Partner hos Acend. Hans fornemmeste opgave er, at holde et højt kommunikationsniveau mellem kunder og konsulenter, samt levere solide SEO strategier og holde os opdateret på den altid ændrende Google algoritme.

Do you want more organic traffic?

We are happy to look into your case. Contact us if you want to increase your online presence with SEO.

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