ways to earn editorial links Key Takeaways
Editorial links are backlinks that you earn naturally because your content is so valuable that other websites want to reference it.
- Publish original research, data studies, or expert roundups that journalists and bloggers naturally cite.
- Build relationships with editors through HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and personalized outreach that offers unique insights.
- Create evergreen resources like ultimate guides and glossary pages that become go-to references in your niche.
Why Editorial Link Building Strategies Matter More Than Ever
Search engines evaluate backlinks as votes of confidence. When a reputable site links to you without being asked, it tells Google that your content is trustworthy and relevant. Editorial link building strategies focus on earning these natural endorsements rather than manipulating link profiles with spammy tactics. In a post-Penguin algorithm world, editorial links are the safest and most sustainable path to high rankings. For a related guide, see 5 Proven Backlink Strategies: Build Links the Right Way.
What Makes an Editorial Link Different?
An editorial link appears within the body of a page because the author found your content useful. It is not a sidebar link, a footer link, or a paid sponsorship. It is a contextual recommendation. For example, a journalist writing about remote work trends might link to a study you published on productivity data. That is an editorial link. It carries more weight than a generic directory listing because it is earned through merit.
Benefits Beyond SEO Rankings
Editorial links also drive referral traffic from targeted audiences. If you are mentioned on a site like Moz or Ahrefs, readers who click through are already interested in your topic. This leads to higher engagement, lower bounce rates, and potential conversions. Combined, ways to earn editorial links become a cornerstone of a holistic content marketing strategy. For a related guide, see 6 Proven Ways to Improve SEO with Content Marketing That Work.
14 Proven Ways to Earn Editorial Links
Below are actionable methods you can implement starting this week. Each approach is designed to make editors and writers want to link to you.
1. Publish Original Research and Data Studies
Survey your audience, analyze industry trends, or compile unique statistics from publicly available datasets. Journalists are constantly looking for fresh numbers to support their stories. When you publish a data-driven report, you become a cited source. For instance, if you run a marketing blog and survey 1,000 businesses about their ad spend, you can create a press release and pitch it to publications like Search Engine Land.
2. Create Ultimate Guides and Tutorials
Comprehensive guides that cover a topic from beginner to advanced levels become reference materials. Optimize these pages for featured snippets and include step-by-step instructions. When another writer needs to explain the same concept, they will link to your guide as a credible source. Think of it as building a pillar page that naturally attracts how to get editorial backlinks queries.
3. Conduct Expert Roundups
Interview 10–20 industry leaders and compile their insights into one article. Each expert will likely share the piece with their audience, increasing visibility. Moreover, if your roundup includes a unique angle (e.g., future predictions), it becomes quotable content for other bloggers who want to reference expert opinions.
4. Write Guest Posts on Authoritative Sites
Guest posting remains effective when done right. Identify high-domain-authority publications in your niche and pitch them unique topics that have not been covered. Include a contextual link back to a relevant resource on your site within the body—not just in the author bio. This editorial mention passes value and establishes expertise.
5. Use Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
Sign up for HARO as a source. You will receive daily queries from journalists seeking expert commentary. Respond quickly with concise, quotable answers. If selected, you earn a link from a news publication such as Forbes, Inc., or local media. This is one of the fastest ways to earn editorial links because the ask is already there.
6. Build Useful Free Tools and Calculators
Develop a simple interactive tool—like a mortgage calculator, ROI estimator, or keyword difficulty checker. Free tools attract backlinks naturally because bloggers love embedding them in their own posts. For example, a WordPress developer could create a page speed test tool that site owners embed via iframe, earning editorial credit.
7. Create Visual Assets: Infographics, Charts, and Videos
Visual content is highly shareable. Design an infographic that summarizes a complex topic and include an embed code. When a writer embeds it, they need to credit the source—usually with a link. Similarly, produce original chart images from your data that can be reused under a Creative Commons license with attribution.
8. Participate in Link Roundups and Resource Lists
Many bloggers publish weekly or monthly roundups of the best articles in their niche. Search for phrases like “best marketing articles this week” or “resources for startups,” then submit your best content via the curator’s contact form. This targeted outreach yields high-quality editorial links.
9. Leverage Broken Link Building
Find relevant pages on authoritative sites that have broken outbound links. Use a tool like Ahrefs or Check My Links to identify them. Reach out to the webmaster, point out the broken link, and suggest your comparable content as a replacement. This method transforms a dead link into a live editorial link.
10. Turn Brand Mentions into Backlinks
Monitor the web for unlinked mentions of your brand, tools, or experts. When someone writes about your company without including a hyperlink, politely ask them to add one. Use tools like Mention or Google Alerts. Many site owners are happy to oblige because it improves their user experience.
11. Publish Original Case Studies and Success Stories
Share real-world results that demonstrate a method or product in action. Case studies with data and before-and-after metrics are gold for journalists covering your industry. For example, a SaaS company that details how a client increased revenue by 200% using their software can be referenced in future articles about B2B growth.
12. Write for Wikipedia (Ethically)
Wikipedia prohibits self-promotional linking, but you can cite authoritative sources on relevant pages. If your content is among the most credible sources on a topic, Wikipedia editors may link to it. Focus on factual, non-commercial pages where your content adds value. A Wikipedia backlink is a strong editorial signal.
13. Be Interviewed on Podcasts or Webinars
When you are a guest on a podcast, the show host often includes show notes with links to your website or specific resources. These links are editorial because the host chooses to feature you based on expertise. Pitch yourself to relevant podcasts and prepare to offer unique insights.
14. Create Glossary Pages and Define Industry Terms
Develop a comprehensive glossary of terms for your niche. Each entry should include a clear definition and a one-sentence example. Authors writing about the industry will link to your glossary as a reference for readers unfamiliar with terminology. This is an evergreen, low-effort editorial link building strategies approach.
SEO Entities and Their Functions for Link Building
Understanding the following entities helps you evaluate, prioritize, and improve your link building efforts.
- Domain Rating (DR) measures the overall authority of a website’s backlink profile. A higher DR means links from that site pass more value.
- Referring Domains count the unique websites that link to you. Increasing this number with quality editorial links improves your DR.
- Anchor Text is the visible, clickable text in a link. Diverse anchor text that includes branded terms and exact-match keywords builds topical relevance.
- Broken Backlinks are links pointing to pages on your site that return 404 errors. Recovering them via redirection preserves link equity.
- SERP Features like People Also Ask and Featured Snippets signal the content format that Google rewards for a given query. Aligning your editorial content with these formats increases the chance of earning a link.
Useful Resources
Deepen your knowledge of editorial link building strategies with these high-authority guides.
- Ahrefs Link Building Strategies – A deep dive into 13 modern approaches, including broken link building and skyscraper technique.
- Moz Link Building Guide – Moz’s beginner-friendly overview of how to earn links ethically and effectively.
Earning editorial links is a long-term investment in your site’s authority and reputation. By consistently creating remarkable content and building genuine relationships with editors, you will see your rankings and referral traffic improve. Start with two of the strategies above this week, and refine your approach based on what works best for your niche.
Frequently Asked Questions About ways to earn editorial links
What exactly is an editorial link?
An editorial link is a backlink that appears naturally within the content of a webpage because the author found your resource valuable. It is not paid or exchanged; it is earned by merit.
How long does it take to earn editorial links ?
Results vary, but consistent effort in publishing high-quality content and executing outreach can yield editorial links within 3 to 6 months. Some methods like HARO produce links within weeks.
Can I still use directory submissions?
Directory submissions are not editorial links. They typically reside in footer or sidebar areas and carry little value. Focus on contextual, body-of-content links instead.
How do I find broken links for broken link building?
Use a tool like Ahrefs Site Explorer or Check My Links browser extension. Find a page with many outbound links, run a crawl for broken ones, then email the site owner with a replacement suggestion.
Do editorial links help local SEO?
Yes. Editorial links from local news sites, community blogs, or chambers of commerce improve local search visibility and signal relevance to a geographic area.
What are unlinked brand mentions?
Unlinked brand mentions occur when someone writes about your business or name but does not include a clickable link. You can request the author to add a link.
How do I monitor brand mentions?
Use tools like Google Alerts, Mention, or Brand24. Set alerts for your brand name, product name, and key personnel.
Is guest posting still effective in 2025?
Yes, but only if you focus on quality over quantity. Publish on high-DR sites with relevant audiences and place contextual links within the article body, not just the bio.
How many editorial links do I need to rank?
There is no magic number. Focus on earning links from unique, authoritative domains relevant to your niche. A few high-quality editorial links often outperform many low-quality ones.
Can I earn editorial links from social media?
Social media links are typically nofollow, but they can lead to editorial links when a blogger discovers you via a social post and links to you from their site.
Do editorial links affect Domain Rating?
Yes. Every quality editorial link from a unique referring domain can incrementally increase your Domain Rating (DR), which correlates with stronger organic rankings.
What is the skyscraper technique?
Created by Brian Dean, it involves finding popular content in your niche, creating something significantly better (longer, more detailed, with better visuals), and then reaching out to those who linked to the original.
What topics work best for original research?
Topics that journalists frequently cover, such as salary surveys, consumer behavior trends, pricing benchmarks, and technology adoption rates, tend to attract the most editorial links.
Is HARO free?
HARO offers a free plan that allows you to receive query emails three times a day. Paid plans offer additional features like keyword alerts and faster support.
How do I make my infographic linkable?
Create a dedicated page for the infographic with an embed code, a brief article summarizing the data, and a clear attribution request. Promote it to bloggers and journalists.
What should I include in a HARO pitch?
Start with your name and expertise, include a short bulleted list of quotable insights, and offer to provide additional data or an interview. Keep it under 200 words.
Do editorial links have a half-life?
Yes, some links can be lost if the linking page is deleted or updated. Regularly monitor your backlink profile and re-engage authors when valued links disappear.
Can I buy editorial links?
Buying links violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Paid links are not considered editorial and risk manual penalties. Always earn links through genuine value.
What is the easiest way to earn editorial links ?
For most beginners, HARO and broken link building offer the fastest returns because they target existing demand or fix problems that site owners want solved.
How do I measure the success of my link building?
Track metrics such as new referring domains, Domain Rating increases, organic traffic growth to linked pages, and referral traffic from editorial mentions.