Introduction — this guide is based on Reddit discussions
This article synthesizes a lengthy Reddit thread where SEOs, freelancers, and in-house marketers shared real-world tactics for how to get backlinks. I read through the community consensus, parsed areas of disagreement, and pulled together practical, step-by-step advice so you can pick the best methods for your site.
Across the thread, most contributors agreed on a few fundamentals: quality beats quantity, relationships matter, and link building is distribution plus value. Where opinions diverged were tactics — for example, whether guest posts are still worthwhile, how aggressively to scale outreach, and which link sources are the worst time-wasters.
Reddit consensus, disagreements, and practical tips (quick)
- Consensus: Create something worth linking to (data, tools, guides), then promote it with outreach.
- Disagreements: Some users favor manual, high-touch outreach; others push scaled sequences and automation. Guest posting gets mixed reviews—valuable when done right, spammy otherwise.
- Practical Reddit tips: use HARO, broken link building, resource page outreach, and email templates with personalization; track prospects with a sheet or CRM; prioritize relevancy and domain authority over raw link counts.
12 Proven Strategies Reddit Users Recommend
1. Build linkable assets (original data, tools, and long-form guides)
Redditors repeatedly said that the single best long-term strategy is to produce something uniquely useful: original research, calculators, interactive tools, or comprehensive guides. These assets attract organic links and make outreach far easier.
- Create a promotional plan before you publish — social, niche forums, and email outreach.
- Use visuals and downloadable assets so other sites can embed and link back.
2. Guest posting (quality over quantity)
Opinions vary but most agreed guest posting still works when you target relevant, authoritative sites and contribute meaningful content. Avoid low-quality networks and thin posts that exist solely to drop links.
- Pitch unique angles tailored to the target site’s audience.
- Include a useful author bio and contextual links within content (not sitewide footer links).
3. Broken link building
This is a repeatable tactic many Reddit users swear by: find broken outbound links on relevant resource pages, then offer your relevant content as a replacement. It’s outreach with a clear value exchange.
- Tools: Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or Check My Links browser extension.
- Pitch: politely point out the broken link and propose your content as a modern alternative.
4. HARO and journalist outreach
Helping journalists through HARO (Help A Reporter Out) was commonly recommended — quick responses with expert quotes can earn placements on news sites and industry publications.
- Respond fast, be concise, and include credentials or data to stand out.
- Track your responses and follow up when the piece publishes to request a link if it’s missing.
5. Resource page and roundup outreach
Many sites maintain resource pages or recurring roundups. Redditors advised targeting these with tailored pitches demonstrating why your page deserves inclusion.
- Look for pages titled “Resources”, “Best of”, “Tools”, or “Links” within your niche.
- Showcase how your resource fills a gap in their list or provides better value.
6. Skyscraper technique (improve & outreach)
Find popular content, create a better, more up-to-date version, then reach out to sites that linked to the original. Reddit users recommend this but caution against lazy copying — your version must be meaningfully superior.
- Improve depth, data, visuals, and usability.
- Use tools to find backlinks to the original and customize outreach messages.
7. Build relationships and community
A lot of success stories came from organic relationship-building: networking with other creators, participating in communities, sponsoring events, and collaborating on content.
- Offer mutual value — co-authored posts, interviews, or data swaps.
- Be consistent and don’t only reach out when you want a link.
8. Local citations, niche directories, and industry listings
Redditors recommend high-quality niche directories and local citations for local businesses. Avoid low-quality, spammy directories that add no traffic or authority.
- Prioritize relevance and traffic metrics over quantity.
- Complete profiles thoroughly and use consistent NAP (name, address, phone) data for local SEO.
9. Testimonials, case studies, and partnerships
Offering a testimonial to a vendor or doing a joint case study can often earn a backlink. People are willing to link to partners who helped them, especially if the content highlights positive outcomes.
- Be specific in testimonials and ask for a link to your site.
- Propose measurable case studies showing real results.
10. Create sharable visuals and infographics
Visual content that summarizes data tends to be linked often. Redditors suggest making embed codes available to make it easy for bloggers to use your graphics with a link back.
- Provide multiple sizes and an embed snippet (iframe or HTML) including the link.
- Pitch visuals to journalists or niche blogs that frequently publish infographics.
11. PR and newsworthy angles
Pitch data-driven stories or timely commentary to journalists. Reddit contributors noted that having a unique angle makes getting a journalist’s attention easier than broad press releases.
- Prepare a short, punchy pitch and a data-backed hook.
- Leverage local news and trade publications for more approachable wins.
12. Repurpose content & syndication with canonical links
Repurposing blog posts into slide decks, videos, or smaller social posts helps reach new audiences who may link back to your original content. When syndicating, use rel=canonical or request a canonical tag to credit the original source.
- Turn long posts into multiple formats and pitch them to niche publishers as guest resources.
- Monitor syndicated pieces to ensure canonical or backlink attribution.
Practical outreach tips from Reddit that actually work
- Personalize the first line of your outreach — mention a recent article or how their audience benefits.
- Keep emails short, include a clear value proposition, and always add a polite follow-up if you don’t get a reply.
- Use objective metrics in outreach: traffic, unique data points, or real-world examples of how your content helps their readers.
- Track outreach in a spreadsheet or CRM and prioritize high-value targets first.
Expert Insight — scaling outreach without becoming spammy
Many Reddit users debate automation. Here’s an expert approach that scales and stays human:
- Segment prospects into tiers (A: high priority, B: relevant, C: low effort). For A-tier, send highly personalized emails; for B-tier, use semi-personalized templates; for C-tier, rely on networking and social nudges.
- Create short outreach templates with placeholders for personalization tokens (article title, author name, specific paragraph reference). Spend 2–3 minutes personalizing each outreach for B-tier, and 10+ minutes for A-tier.
- Limit automation to scheduling and follow-ups only — do not bulk-send identical cold emails.
Expert Insight — measuring link quality and ROI
Not all links are equal. Use these metrics to prioritize efforts:
- Referring domain authority and topical relevance are primary indicators.
- Referral traffic and conversions determine ROI — track UTM parameters on pages that earn links.
- Anchor text diversity and placement (in-body vs footer) affect SEO impact; aim for natural contextual links.
- Monitor link growth velocity. Sudden unnatural spikes may trigger manual reviews; steady, relevant growth is healthier.
Common mistakes Redditors warned about
- Mass directory submissions with no relevance.
- Buying links from low-quality networks — short-term gains often backfire.
- Generic, non-personalized outreach that reads like spam.
- Over-optimizing anchor text. Keep natural variation.
Quick action checklist — implement in 30 days
- Week 1: Audit content and identify 2–3 linkable assets to promote.
- Week 2: Build a prospect list (resource pages, broken links, HARO queries).
- Week 3: Launch outreach with tailored emails; create embed snippets for visuals.
- Week 4: Follow up, track responses, and measure referral traffic and conversions.
Final Takeaway
Reddit’s collective advice boils down to this: focus on building useful, link-worthy content and pair it with thoughtful outreach. Tactical methods like HARO, broken link building, guest posts, and resource outreach are repeatable and effective when executed with quality and relevance in mind. Avoid shortcuts that sacrifice reputation, and track links by the value they deliver — not just the raw count.
Read the full Reddit discussion here.