A backlink is a link coming from another site to your own website. Some of the backlinks you may have you received passively with no effort of your own, but there are quite a few ways to get free backlinks and boost your search rankings.

Create and maintain a steady blog with great content.

Create great blog content that people naturally want to link to. This is the easiest way to get free backlinks and boost your search rankings.

Link to other blogs on your blog.

Blogs are supposed to be social and informal. The more you link to other blogs, the greater the likelihood that someone you link to will return the favor.

Write guest blog posts.

Writing guest blog posts is another good way to get free backlinks. Most media outlets allow you to submit original articles on topics relevant to their audience. Here are guest blogging instructions for some of the top media outlets online.

Curate and publish helpful resource lists.

Resource lists accomplish two goals – people love to link to them and they often also consist of helpful content for your audience. If you create a comprehensive resource list, it will be easy for other people to link to.

Create case studies.

If you make your clients look great in case studies about their business, they will definitely link to your site. But the key here is that they have to be great. This means choosing companies that have seen the best results (from your work), like you a lot, and know your product or service.

Write book reviews.

If you provide a book review about another author’s content, there’s a good chance they will link to it. Just remember to review the site on your website. There’s no backlink/search rankings value for you with a review somewhere else.

Create slideshare presentations.

Slideshare presentations are popular but content and quality is key. Make sure that whatever you do is compelling. Otherwise it’s just a waste of time. Read this Hubspot guide to nailing your next powerpoint presentation.

Sponsor or speak at an event.

Events usually give their speakers and sponsors great website publicity. You can also negotiate inbound links into your terms to be sure your time and resources yield a marketing boost.