Our line on links: what we do and what we refuse
Links can help a site, but the wrong ones can cost far more than they ever gave. We set the boundary before any outreach begins.
What we do
- Create pages and resources that other sites have a real reason to cite
- Pitch genuine stories to local media and industry publications
- Build relationships with associations, suppliers and community groups
- Fix inconsistent business details across directories
- Recover mentions of your business that do not yet link to you
What we refuse
- Paying for links that pass ranking credit
- Swapping links in bulk with unrelated sites
- Running automated tools that create links at scale
- Building or renting private blog networks
- Buying old domains to point links at your site
What Google's spam policies say
Google's spam policies list buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam. They include exchanging money, goods or services for links, and sending a product in return for a write-up with a link. They also name excessive link exchanges, automated link creation and guest posts or press releases with optimised anchor text.
The same page says paid placements are not a violation when the links are qualified with the rel attributes nofollow or sponsored. The problem is paid links that pass ranking credit without that disclosure.
Google's policy page does not use the term private blog network. Our refusal is a business decision: these networks exist to pass ranking credit, and we do not think a client should carry that risk.
Where earned links come from
Earned links are slower than bought ones, which is why they last. Each source below rewards something real.
Local news and trade media
A newsworthy angle, such as a change in rules or a local survey result, can earn coverage with a link.
Industry bodies and associations
Membership pages, event listings and published resources often link to member businesses.
Universities and training providers
Practical guides or guest talks for local institutions can lead to resource-page mentions.
Community and sponsorship
Sports clubs, charities and events list local supporters on their websites, but we only pursue links that are editorially given.
Supplier and partner pages
Real working relationships can produce links on partner or stockist pages.
Original resources
A clear explainer or checklist that answers a common question can be cited without being asked.
How a link-building project runs
We do not start with a list of sites. We start with your business and what is worth linking to.
- Review your existing linksWe look at who already links to you, which pages draw them and whether any look risky.
- Find what is worth citingWe identify facts, resources or stories that are specific to your business and useful to others.
- Choose realistic targetsA short list of relevant sites, chosen by whether their readers would care, not by a score.
- Reach out with a real reasonEach message explains what you offer and why it suits that publication. No templates sent in bulk.
- Record and reportEvery earned link is logged with its source and date, along with what we tried and what did not land.
Digital PR for a Canberra audience
Digital PR means giving journalists and editors a story they can use. In Canberra, that often links to policy changes, procurement rules, planning decisions, housing, education or local events. A business that can explain a change clearly to the public has a good chance of being quoted.
It works best when you have something factual to say. A survey of your own customers, a plain-language explanation of a new rule, or a local data point you hold can all qualify. We help shape the story, but the facts and the spokesperson must be real.
Some sectors need extra care. Government suppliers, for example, should check their contract conditions on public comment before pitching a story. Our notes on SEO for government contractors cover how those buyers research suppliers. Property businesses face a different mix, which we discuss on the real estate agents page. Local coverage can also centre on a district, such as the town centre stories we cover in SEO for North Canberra.
Local citations: useful, but keep expectations modest
A citation is a mention of your business name, address and phone number on another site. It supports local visibility mostly by being consistent.
| Type of listing | What to check | Common problem |
|---|---|---|
| Business directories | Name, phone and website match your main profile | Old phone numbers or a former trading name |
| Industry association pages | Services described correctly and website linked | Listing never updated after a rebrand |
| Chamber or local group pages | Correct suburb and service area | Address shown when the business should not show one |
| Maps and navigation apps | Pin position and opening hours | Duplicate entries for one business |
| Review sites | Ownership claimed and details accurate | Unclaimed entries with outdated details |
Five questions to ask about any link offer
Offers arrive by email every week. Run each one through these questions before replying.
- Who is being paid? If money, goods or services change hands for a link, Google expects it to carry rel=sponsored, with nofollow still acceptable.
- Would the page exist without the link? A real article has readers and an editor. A page that exists to hold links is a warning sign.
- Who chose the anchor text? Google lists articles, guest posts and press releases with optimised anchor text as link spam.
- Does the site fit your customers? A link from a site your customers would never visit adds risk and no referrals.
- Who can remove it later? Cleaning up a bad link is slow, so find out who controls the page before you agree.
Where this sits among other services
Links rarely fix a weak website on their own. We generally suggest working in this order.
- First, the pages: Links to a thin or confusing page have little to reinforce. On-page work comes first.
- Then, the local profile: For shop-front and service businesses, local SEO and a correct Business Profile support citations.
- Then, the outreach: Link building adds value once the site is clear about what you offer and who you serve.
- Throughout, the overview: The full list of services shows how this fits with the rest.
Timelines and what we report
Earned links take weeks or months to appear, and some pitches never land. We report on the links earned, the outlets approached and the pages those links point to. We do not report vanity totals.
We do not guarantee a number of links or any ranking outcome. An editor decides whether to link, and a search engine decides what to do with it. Both decisions sit outside our control. Questions about AI answer features are a separate topic, and our page on Google AI Overviews sets out what Google says about eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
Do backlinks still matter for rankings?
Links remain one of the ways search engines discover pages and judge how others regard them. They are not the only factor. A site with unclear pages or crawl problems will not be rescued by links, so we usually check those basics first.
Why won't you buy links for me?
Google's spam policies list buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam. A paid link that passes ranking credit is a risk to your site, and the cost of cleaning it up falls on you. We would rather build slower links that stand up.
Are private blog networks ever safe?
We do not think so, and we do not use them. Their purpose is to pass ranking credit from sites made for that reason. Google's policy page does not name them, but the link spam rules cover the behaviour they depend on.
Can I pay a publication for an article or sponsorship?
Yes, as advertising. Google's spam policy accepts paid placements when the links are qualified. Its documentation says sponsored is the preferred value for advertisements and paid placements, and that nofollow is still acceptable. Paid coverage is a legitimate marketing channel, but it should not be treated or sold as a ranking tactic.
How many links do I need?
There is no fixed number. What matters is whether the right kind of sites mention you, and whether competitors for your searches have earned more of them. We look at both before suggesting any outreach.
What are local citations and do I need them?
They are mentions of your business details on other websites. Most businesses need a small set that is accurate and consistent, not hundreds. Wrong details create confusion for customers and for search engines.
Should I worry about bad links already pointing to my site?
Sometimes. If a past provider built paid or automated links, we review them and tell you what we find. Many odd-looking links are harmless, so we avoid drastic cleanups unless there is clear evidence of a problem.
Sources and further reading
- Spam policies for Google web search: Link spam: buying and selling links, link exchanges, automated links, large-scale article marketing; qualifying paid links with nofollow or sponsored; no named PBN entry
- SEO link best practices for Google: Mark paid links sponsored or nofollow; anchor text guidance
- Google Search Central: Qualify your outbound links: sponsored preferred for advertisements and paid placements; nofollow acceptable; ugc for user-generated links