Listen: Link Building
Getting other websites to link to a site's pages. Links are a ranking input in classic search, and the pages they sit on are pages AI systems retrieve and cite.
Transcript
Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your pages. Ever since Google introduced its PageRank algorithm in 1998, links have served as a crucial signal of authority. Along with technical setup and high-quality content, link building is one of the core pillars of search engine optimization, or SEO.
But not all links are created equal. A link's value depends on the authority of the referring site, how closely the topics match, and where the link is placed on the page. Earned editorial links are highly valuable. On the other hand, buying, swapping, or mass-producing links violates spam policies and can trigger search engine penalties. Special tags, like those for sponsored content or user-generated posts, are viewed merely as hints rather than direct ranking votes.
As artificial intelligence changes how we search, links remain essential. AI systems answer questions by retrieving pages from search indexes, meaning links still determine which content rises to the top. Furthermore, having your brand mentioned on third-party sites helps train these AI models. A link surrounded by descriptive text gives an AI system context to read, which is far more valuable than a bare link.
Ultimately, building high-quality, relevant links is about more than just a ranking vote. It is about establishing your brand's authority in an evolving digital landscape.