4 Emerging Link-Building Trends You Need to Know About

At first glance, links don’t seem like a very complicated part of search engine optimization (SEO). You just hyperlink a URL to an anchor text, right? Not really.

Links can be complicated, and like many other SEO professionals, I fully understand the challenges that come with the link building process. After all, links are a key ranking factor for Google, so even though this field is highly dynamic in nature, the process needs to be done correctly.

So, should you prioritize quantity over quality links? What are some new link building trends and best practices to adopt in 2024? Let’s dig deeper into these questions below.

If you want to step up your SEO strategy and stay competitive, keep reading.

Related: 7 Link Building Tactics You Need to Know to Skyrocket Your Website’s Rankings

Quality Over Quantity: The Evolution of Link Building

I have been closely following the quality vs quantity debate in link building and one thing I can say is that for us SEO professionals, adapting from quantity to quality links absolutely helps in securing better rankings and traffic. Why?

Google’s algorithm updates mean that you’re more likely to get left behind by sticking to old tactics that the search engine will penalize you for. What does this mean? Old tactics like link farming or using private blog networks to drive hundreds of low-quality links to your site no longer work.

Google is very smart and recognizes this behavior as spammy, unuser-friendly and a way to game the system, hence the introduction of quality backlink building – the process of building relationships with high authority websites for organic backlink acquisition.

Therefore, as the first link building trend for 2024, we advocate building high-quality links instead of focusing only on the number of links you get.

Incorporating AI and automation into link building

Now, trend number two is the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation into link building. If you know me, you know that I’m a big advocate of using AI tools for sophisticated link building strategies.

But how can AI help you improve your SEO success? AI can help with a variety of things, including streamlining your link prospecting, outreach, and monitoring processes to improve efficiency. Here’s how you can use both free and paid AI tools to enhance your link building efforts.

• Generate content and content ideas. There are plenty of tools out there, including ChatGPT, that can take your target keywords and audience analytics, analyze online sources and generate unique content ideas that have the potential to attract backlinks, and even use AI to generate some of your content (which you should personalize with care, of course).

• Conduct in-depth keyword research: The best thing about this approach is that AI SEO Tools Identify high competition keywords and long tail phrases. Ultimately, you’ll be able to better target a more niche audience while using less competitive terms.

• Create a guest post pitch: We all know that while searching for guest posting opportunities on authority websites, it is important to create a highly personalized and compelling pitch. This is where AI tools come in handy. Whether you use an AI template or not, you are much more likely to secure a guest posting opportunity than if you don’t use an AI template.

• Identify relevant thought leaders: Yes, building key relationships with industry influencers and thought leaders is a great approach to link building. However, figuring out who is who at the zoo can take literally hours, whereas an AI tool can do it in seconds. It’s important to input the right data to get the best results.

• Participate in relevant online communities: Online communities are a great source of backlinks and you will want to know where your target audience is located online. With AI tools, this task becomes much easier than ever before as AI will come up with great ideas to engage with relevant online communities where you can earn more backlinks by strategically sharing your content.

• Resource Page Link Building: Resource page link building is an important link building strategy that reaches relevant websites with resource pages to share your content. Fortunately, AI tools can save you time and effort, helping you identify resource sites faster and build stronger relationships with them.

• Advanced tracking and reporting: The more valuable data you have at your fingertips, the faster you can adjust your SEO strategy. Use AI tools to track link building metrics, including website traffic, search engine rankings, and backlink quality.

• Anchor text optimization: Some AI tools can quickly spot opportunities to identify which links have the best anchor text. Use this to your advantage to ensure your anchor text is relevant and authoritative, improving the quality of your links.

Related: How AI and Machine Learning Can Enhance Your Link Building Process and Improve SEO

Audio Link Building

Trend number three on my list is the rise of audio link building. We all know that audio content like podcasts and YouTube videos are super popular. In fact, ignoring these content platforms will hurt your link building efforts.

However, choosing to build links on these platforms is a great way to attract new audience segments while increasing the engagement of backlink acquisition.

Social Media Integration for Link Building Success

Social media is the last trend on my list, coming in at number 4. You can’t and shouldn’t ignore social media. It has huge potential for link building and driving traffic. Firstly, social media allows businesses and SEO specialists to create and share shareable content.

Secondly, social media is a great platform to connect with influencers who might be interested in sharing your content. And finally, in your efforts to increase your online visibility, you can use social media to interact with your target audience more effectively.

Related: 6 Elements to Include in Your Link Building Campaign

Adapting to Google’s algorithm updates

I want to close today with a tough point: we as SEOs face a tough challenge. Google is very secretive about what it ranks on. We feel like we might be playing a guessing game, but that’s not necessarily the case.

Applying industry best practices, following white hat link building strategies, and staying adaptable and flexible to algorithm changes can make your link building efforts more effective.

It’s 2024 and we’re competing with the world’s leading search engine giants, but we’re not alone. By studying trends like the ones above and following industry best practices, you can stay more agile and innovative in your link building and achieve sustainable SEO success.