How to Build Backlinks While Maintaining Relationships

How we raised a moving company’s organic website traffic by 40% Last month, I worked with a moving company that was struggling to rank on Google. They had zero backlinks. They knew they needed to build a strong backlink profile, but they didn’t know where to start. That’s where I came in. Here’s how we approached it: 1. Competitor analysis We started by analyzing their top competitors in the area. ◾ Step 1: Identified local movers ranking for keywords like “movers in [city name].” ◾ Step 2: Used tools like Ahrefs to analyze their backlink profiles. ◾ Step 3: Found patterns—most competitors were getting backlinks from: ◽ Local directories. ◽ Industry-specific blogs. ◽ Review sites. From this, we prioritized high-quality, local backlinks that would have the biggest impact. 2. Content creation & outreach Next, we focused on creating content that others would want to link to. ◾ Blog Posts: We created articles like “10 Packing Hacks Every Mover Should Know.” ◾ Infographics: Designed a visual guide on “How to Safely Pack Fragile Items.” ◾ Videos: Produced short videos highlighting the moving company’s services and customer stories. For outreach, we: ◾ Pitched guest blog posts to local websites and moving industry blogs. ◾ Used HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to position the client as an expert for journalists. ◾ Shared content across social media to increase visibility. 3. Local SEO & citations We optimized their local presence with: ◾ A fully updated Google My Business profile (with accurate NAP info and new customer reviews). ◾ Listings on directories like Yelp, Angie’s List, and local chamber of commerce sites. ◾ Consistent online citations across all platforms. 4. Broken link building We identified broken links on local websites and reached out to the site owners. ◾ Suggested their blog posts and guides as replacements. ◾ Secured several quality backlinks through this strategy alone. 5. Building relationships We also helped the client establish local partnerships to generate backlinks: ◾ Collaborated with real estate agents and storage facilities. ◾ Sponsored local community events for exposure and mentions on event websites. Within 3 months, here’s what we achieved: ✔ Added 25 high-quality backlinks from local and industry-specific sites. ✔ Improved their local Google rankings by 2 positions for key keywords. ✔ Increased organic website traffic by 40%. Backlinks aren’t just about volume—they’re about quality, strategy, and relationships. P.S. I’m offering free consultation call (Link in bio) to help you: ◾ Identify backlink opportunities tailored to your niche. ◾ Build a roadmap for sustainable SEO growth. ◾ Start ranking higher and attracting more customers.

Your SEO agency just sent you a report showing 50 new backlinks this month. Impressive, right? Until you realize they're all from irrelevant sites with zero authority, purchased from link farms that Google will eventually identify and penalize. Most agencies chase link quantity over quality because it's easier to show impressive numbers in monthly reports. But a few high-quality, contextual links from authoritative sites will outperform hundreds of spam links every time. The worst part? When Google cracks down on these link schemes, your agency will blame "algorithm changes" and suggest you need to spend more to recover. They created the problem they're now charging you to fix. Real link building focuses on creating content so valuable that authoritative sites naturally want to reference it. It's about building genuine relationships with industry leaders, not gaming the system with purchased links. Our SEO Growth Accelerator teaches your team to build backlinks the right way. You learn to create link-worthy content, develop authentic industry relationships, and earn links that actually strengthen your domain authority. When you own the link building process, you're not at the mercy of shady schemes that could implode at any moment. Quality links from relevant, authoritative sources are the foundation of sustainable organic growth.

I’ve built over 10,000 backlinks for over 100 companies. But I don’t build links like everyone else. I use a system called “Friends First.” It will change how you builds links. ⬇ — First, this is how most link builders build links: Blast 10,000 emails > generic message + offer to pay or trying to trick people > less than 1% reply > take whatever they can get. This is why most link builders: - Burn their lists - Have bad reputations - Get links on bad/weird sites I always thought that was so dumb. Link building is a profession, and call me crazy — but because of that, I’ve always tried to treat it professionally. That’s where “Friends First” link building came from. The basic idea is: before you even really need to go run a campaign, you invest time & energy into forging real relationships with the best media companies in that space. If you’re in home goods, the very first day you open your doors, you should be rubbing elbows with writers and editors at The Spruce, for example. Nothing fancy. Just say hey. Let them know you appreciate their work. Connect & compliment. Don’t ask for anything. Just be a cool, normal human. Then, if you make a friend, act like a friend. Keep in touch. Keep an eye on their work. Do that 30-40 times. THEN... when you have a campaign to run, you don’t have to pitch at all. You’re just reaching out to your friend & asking to collab on some content or whatever. Plus… …because you’re friends (if you can really make a friend and act like a friend consistently), they will link to you on their own. They’ll open doors. If they change jobs, they’ll get you some press at the new place. And so on. 20 good friends in your space is 100x better than 20 links. It’s real, consistent press. It’s real marketing. And guys — it’s just more fun. Making friends is nice. Don’t just do it for the links. Enjoy the friendships. It’s the best way to do this kind of thing. — If you do want to operationalize this, though, you can. We do this for our clients; we just give our team time & resources to proactively build relationships. It’s win-win, and it works like hell.

I've been analyzing n8n workflows for SEO automation. And there's 1 thing I'm happy I DON'T see Hundreds exist: Content generation Keyword research Meta tags Social scheduling SEO audits But what is missing? Automated link building! And that tells you everything about 2025 SEO. If this was 2015, n8n would have: PBN automation Web 2.0 link farming Directory submissions Comment spam bots Link exchanges Today? Cold outreach templates Guest post pitching Relationship tracking Notice the shift? 2015: Automate the links 2025: Automate the outreach The links themselves can't be automated anymore. The links that matter require: Real relationships Editorial approval Value exchange Human conversation You can't automate a local news feature. You can't bot an industry publication placement. You can't script a podcast mention. Google got smarter. They detect: Automated link patterns Content existing just to link Link farm domains Unnatural velocity The algorithm evaluates: Source authority Editorial context Traffic quality Brand mentions This is why n8n focuses on outreach, not links. You can automate: Finding prospects Tracking conversations Follow-ups Relationship management You can't automate: Editorial trust Link-worthy content Genuine authority Real citations Link automation missing from n8n isn't a gap. It's proof the game elevated. If you're still thinking 2015: "I need 100 backlinks this month" You're playing the wrong game. The new game: "How do I get featured in local news?" "What value can I provide publications?" "Who should I build relationships with?" One high-authority mention beats 100 directory links. One news feature beats 1,000 comment backlinks. One guest post beats an entire PBN. I focus clients on: Press releases (real coverage) Guest posts (editorial placements) Local partnerships (authentic collaborations) Case studies (content worth citing) Community involvement (events worth mentioning) These create: High-authority backlinks Brand mentions Traffic Trust signals None can be automated. If it could be automated, it wouldn't be valuable. Google rewards what's hard to fake: Real authority Real relationships Real value The SEO community moving from automation isn't a problem. It's proof we're playing the right game. Shortcuts disappeared because they stopped working. What's left requires strategy, relationships, and effort. That's why it works. Looking for automated link building means chasing 2015 tactics in 2025. The links that matter can't be automated. They must be earned. Are you chasing volume or building authority?

I’ve secured top local SEO rankings for every startup I’ve worked on by combining micro-influencer partnerships with strategic guest post backlinking. Guest posting is a smart way to grow your brand’s visibility and build meaningful connections at the same time you're improving your organic search visibility. Start by seeking out guest posting opportunities within your industry. Many blogs and sites are constantly searching for fresh content, and a well-pitched idea could open the door for collaboration. Even if you don’t see formal calls for submissions, most platforms welcome guest contributions. Medium, for example, offers a space to publish your own content whenever you like. Guest posting is about both links and relationships. By providing value to another platform, you’re not only boosting your SEO but also creating potential allies in your industry. And when you invite those collaborators to share their expertise on your platform, it becomes a mutually beneficial partnership. This approach has consistently worked for me, and it’s a scalable strategy for any startup. Ready to try it out?