How to earn trust and high quality links

Have you ever received an email like this from a stranger?

Hello {First Name},

Just came across your post about {x}.

Good stuff!

I just published a resource that will provide a ton of value to your readers.

{Some random URL}

Might this be a good fit for your position?

Best wishes,
Spammy McSpammerson, founder of SpamCo

These “classic” outreach emails may have worked 10 years ago, but your chances of getting a link with them now are practically zero.

The rules of the game have changed. If you want to build high quality links in 2023, you need to build relationships.

Relationships influence how people make decisions.

For example, ask to borrow $100 from a random person on the street and they will surely say no. However, ask a friend who knows and trusts you, and they will be more likely to say yes.

It’s the same with link building. You can’t just “cold email” editors asking for a backlink unless they know you well or you offer to provide them with something of value in return.

Here are a few more ways relationships can help build links:

1. Stand out in prospects’ inboxes

The inboxes of your prospects are full of spam and cold emails. And there is an apparent prioritization when it comes to answering business emails.

First, they answer to their colleagues and business partners. Then they answer less urgent emails from the people they know. Only then do they decide whether to respond to the cold emails left in...