SEO Link Building: How Reddit Pros Actually Build Links

Introduction — based on Reddit discussions

This article summarizes and expands on a detailed Reddit thread where SEO practitioners explained how they actually perform seo link building. Below I synthesize the consensus, highlight where people disagreed, list specific tactics that worked for practitioners, and add expert commentary so you walk away with a usable, prioritized plan.

What Reddit users agreed on (the core principles)

Build value, not links. The most repeated point: create content or resources worth linking to — original data, tools, comprehensive guides, or unique case studies.
Outreach still matters. Cold outreach, personalized emails, and relationship-building are how most link opportunities are converted. Templates help, but personalization raises response rates.
Quality over quantity. A few high-authority contextual links outperform many low-quality links. Relevance and placement (in-body editorial links) matter more than raw domain count.
Track and test. Use a simple tracking system (spreadsheet or CRM) to manage outreach, follow-ups, and outcomes. Measure response and conversion rates so you know what to scale.
Be ethical and transparent. Avoid link schemes, PBNs, or paid links that violate Google’s guidelines — the short-term gain often vacillates into long-term risk.

Where Reddit users disagreed

PBNs and paid links: Some admitted using them for quick wins; most warned about volatility and risk. The consensus trend is shifting away from private networks unless you accept the risk.
Scale vs. depth: Junior SEOs often push high-volume outreach (guest posts, article placements). Senior folks typically focus on fewer, higher-impact relationships and bespoke campaigns.
No-follow value: Some claimed no-follow links help discovery and traffic and can indirectly influence rankings; others treat them as negligible for ranking signals and prioritize do-follow links.
Anchor text tactics: Aggressive exact-match anchors were flagged as risky. Opinions vary on branded or partial-match anchors, but many recommend a natural mix to avoid penalties.

Practical, Reddit-tested tactics (step-by-step)

Below are the most actionable methods shared by thread participants, organized so you can pick one and run with it.

1. Broken link building

Find resource pages or posts in your niche with dead links (use Ahrefs/SEMrush or search operators like “inurl:resources ” and check 404s).
Create or identify a suitable replacement page on your site (a relevant guide or resource).
Reach out to the webmaster politely pointing out the broken link and offering your resource as a replacement.
Best practice: include an exact URL, a screenshot or evidence of the broken link, and a concise value pitch.

2. Skyscraper-style outreach

Find a popular piece of content with many backlinks.
Create a better version (more current data, visuals, structure, or examples).
Contact sites linking to the original and pitch your superior resource.

3. HARO and expert contributions

Sign up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and respond quickly to relevant queries with concise, quotable responses.
Quality: include credentials, a clear quote, and an offer for follow-up. Many in the thread reported high ROI when responses were timely and specific.

4. Guest posting (selective, high-quality)

Target relevant, authoritative sites. Customize each pitch — mention a recent article and propose a specific angle.
Avoid churn-and-burn guest posts; prioritize long-term relationships with a handful of editors.

5. Link reclamation and brand mentions

Use tools to find brand mentions without links, then reach out to ask for proper attribution.
Reverse image search is a tip some Redditors used to find unlinked image uses that could become links.

6. Resource pages and roundup requests

Search for “best X resources” or “X roundup” and pitch your resource if it truly adds value.
Personalize: reference why your resource complements the list and provide a short blurb and image you can use.

7. Data-driven and original research

Several Reddit users reported that original surveys, benchmarks, or interactive tools attract natural backlinks and media mentions.
Repurpose the data into visual assets for easier outreach (charts, embed code, downloadable PDFs).

Outreach templates and process tips shared on Reddit

Short subject lines that reference value (e.g., “Quick fix for your broken link on X” or “Contribution idea for your resource page”).
First email: one short paragraph identifying the issue/opportunity, one sentence pitch of your resource, and a friendly sign-off.
Follow-ups: two polite follow-ups spaced 3–7 days apart. Keep them shorter and add new evidence or a fresh angle.
Tracking: at minimum capture prospect, contact, outreach dates, response, and outcome in a spreadsheet. Many use Google Sheets before moving to a CRM.

What Redditors said about tools and scaling

Tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, SEMrush, BuzzSumo, and Hunter.io were commonly used for prospecting and contact discovery.
Some suggested automating discovery but never automating personalization. Use templates to save time but always add manual context.
Virtual assistants (VAs) are often used for research, but final outreach should come from a real person to preserve authenticity.

Expert Insight — beyond Reddit: building linkable assets that scale

Reddit advice is practical but sometimes tactical. To scale link-building sustainably, focus on creating repeatable linkable asset types and distribution channels. Examples:

Data Hubs: An evergreen dataset updated quarterly attracts recurring citations. Create a public API or downloadable CSV for journalists and researchers.
Interactive Tools: Calculators or configurators that people embed on their own sites generate natural backlinks and embed traffic.
Modular Content: Build core long-form guides and several shorter spin-offs that can be pitched to different audiences — more touchpoints for outreach.

Invest in content engineering: make pages easy to cite, provide author bios and embed codes, and produce high-quality visuals. These small frictions often make the difference between being linked and being ignored.

Expert Insight — outreach optimization and testing

Redditors emphasize personalization; my addition is to treat outreach like a conversion funnel. Test subject lines, opening lines, and the number/timing of follow-ups. Key metrics to track:

Open rate (for emails), reply rate, link conversion rate, and time-to-link.
Segment prospects by intent — resource pages have higher conversion rates than editorial blogs, for example — and allocate effort where the return is higher.
Run A/B tests on small batches and scale what works. For example, test a data-led pitch vs. a benefit-led pitch for the same asset.

Avoid these pitfalls (from Reddit and added experience)

Don’t mass-send bland templates. Low personalization causes brand damage and wastes time.
Avoid buying bulk links or using shady networks that promise instant DA boosts; these often trigger penalties.
Don’t over-optimize anchor text. Aim for a natural distribution and prioritize relevance.
Don’t ignore the underlying content quality — a link to a thin page is rarely durable.

Sample simple outreach sequence (framework)

Day 0: Short, personalized intro email pointing out the issue/opportunity and offering a resource.
Day 4: Friendly follow-up with a single new benefit or example of other placements.
Day 10: Final follow-up offering to help update the page directly (e.g., send the exact HTML or image).

Measuring success

Redditors commonly track link acquisition by raw links, domain authority of linking sites, referral traffic, and finally rankings for target keywords. A pragmatic order of priorities:

Referral traffic and engagement (does the link bring users who convert?)
Topical relevance and site authority
Improvements in rankings for target terms over time (allow 3–6 months to see impact)

Final Takeaway

Reddit pros converged on a few simple truths: focus on building genuinely useful assets, use focused and personalized outreach, prioritize quality over volume, and track everything. Avoid black-hat shortcuts and treat link building as a long-term marketing discipline rather than a numbers game.

Combine Reddit-tested tactics (broken link building, HARO, selective guest posts) with strategic asset creation and outreach optimization to scale sustainably. Start with one campaign, measure results, iterate, and expand the approaches that consistently deliver links and traffic.

Read the full Reddit discussion here.