Once upon a time, link building was no more than opening up your webmaster forum of choice and firing off private messages to website owners who were desperate to cash in on their web real estate. Suffice to say, the game has changed.

While the above approach might still be adopted by some, Assertive Media are much more stringent about the methods they adopt. The threat of being banned from Google is simply too high for many to even consider, and this is why a lot will rely on slightly longer-term tactics which means that penalization is never a problem.

In truth, you could pen an entire dissertation about white hat link building - the list is endless and is never going to stop growing. For the purposes of today, we have compiled a selection of our favorites; the ones which are proving to work for a lot of companies who are aiming to grow their organic presence.

Method #1 - Broken link building

Let's start with one of the easiest methods around and one that has also been around for years. The premise of this is simple; you'll find a page on the internet that houses a broken link, and email the webmaster to inform them about it. Obviously, this page has to be related to your own website, as the next step is to suggest a replacement page that you own to gain the link.

Sure, it does take a lot of graft, but a lot of these links live on old domains which will pass considerable authority to your site if you succeed.

Method #2 - The press release

Building links with press releases is another tactic that has been around for a considerable period of time, but historically this has revolved around very commercial releases that were created with the sole purpose of gaining a link.

That last sentence might raise a few eyebrows, particularly as this page has been put together to boost your backlink profile. However, the concept behind the "modern" press release is to create something that's non-commercial (i.e. nothing related to your brand) that can gain a headline in a newspaper.

Surveys are an excellent way to do this and if you can survey a reasonable amount of people (at least several hundred, preferably more), you can give the mainstream press some real juicy headlines which they will be more than happy to link to you about.

Method #3 - On-site tools

We'll save the most advanced until the end, although there's no doubt that if executed correctly tools based on your own site can be absolute gold dust. This is as close to a traditional marketing campaign as you will see and involves your site hosting a unique tool or set of data that gives others plenty of reasons to link.

Of course, this content needs to be based on your topic - it can't be something completely random. Some sites will collate data and display it as an infographic, others might make a game, while some may create an interactive tool that tells something about you (like all the social media tools we see).

Method #4 - Guest Blogging

Guest blogging involves writing high-quality, informative articles for other websites or blogs within your industry or niche. In exchange for your content, you can include a link back to your own website in the author's bio or within the body of the article, where relevant. This method not only helps you build backlinks but also establishes your authority in your field and can drive targeted traffic to your site.

Method #5 - Influencer Outreach

Leverage the influence of industry influencers or thought leaders to build links and increase your website's visibility. Identify influencers who are relevant to your niche and approach them for collaborations, such as interviews, guest posts, or joint content creation. When influencers share or link to your content, it can significantly boost your website's credibility and traffic.

Method #6 - Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking involves submitting your website's content or URLs to social bookmarking platforms and online communities. While it may not provide high-quality, contextual backlinks, it can help increase the visibility of your content and drive traffic to your site. Additionally, these platforms can serve as a valuable source of referral traffic.

If you're looking for a link building company, it's essential to explore professional services that excel in ethical link building strategies tailored to your website. This approach can significantly enhance your organic presence over the long term, added link building company UK.

This can be a really good long-term approach, but one must appreciate that the investment can be a lot higher as well.