E1062: Most link building advice sounds great until you try to execute it. The real challenge isn't "getting backlinks." It's getting links that make sense, earning real replies, and avoiding tactics that waste your time.

I break down a Reddit post that ranks five link building methods by how well they work in practice. I walk through each method, why it works, what to watch out for, and give many examples along the way.

In this episode: - The 5 link building methods, ranked by effectiveness - Why "relevance" often beats raw authority - How to think about links in a way that avoids spam tactics - What runs out quickly vs. what scales over time - A simple question to filter good link ideas from bad ones: would this link still make sense if Google didn't exist? The 5 methods (ranked): - Adjacent niche outreach (complementary businesses, same audience, not competitors) - Competitor backlink gap (find sites that link to competitors but not you) - Niche blog outreach (contextual placements, but you must vet sites carefully) - Partner/supplier/customer mentions (real relationships, natural links) - Agency-to-agency link swaps (rare, but works when relationships exist)

Examples mentioned: - Roofing company swapping links with a gutter installer (same homeowner, not competitors) - Directory and listing opportunities discovered through competitor backlink profiles - Guest contributions on niche sites that have real organic traffic - Vendors or partners featuring you in customer stories or recommended tools pages

Key cautions covered: - Don't publish on sites that exist only to sell links - Check for real organic traffic and whether it's stable or increasing - Expect low reply rates in outreach, and plan for it - Some methods are high quality but limited by how many real relationships you have - Look for relevance

⭐️ 5 link building methods ranked by how well they actually work - https://www.reddit.com/r/linkbuilding/comments/1tgeomv/5_link_building_methods_ranked_by_how_well_they/ ⭐️ Episode 1001 - Guest Blogging Is DEAD for SEO (According to Google) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StrGzJ_05qY ⭐️ Episode 1037 - How One Simple Website Got 384,000 Backlinks (Linkable Assets Explained) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Q5HHatvoc ⭐️ The AI System to Find Relevant Journalists, Land Coverage, and Earn Ongoing High-Authority Backlinks - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/articles_ai-system-find-journalists-earn-high-authority-backlinks/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Why Link Building Fails 00:17 Reddit List Overview 00:53 Adjacent Niche Outreach 02:06 Competitor Backlink Gap 02:46 Niche Blog Outreach 04:20 Pitch Journalists Instead 05:31 Partner Supplier Mentions 06:40 Agency Link Swaps 07:33 Relevance Beats Authority 08:13 Linkable Assets Resource 09:50 Final Thoughts

The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#linkbuilding #backlinks #searchengineoptimization #seo