Quote from James A.Hart on June 29, 2025, 11:59 am

There’s a very simple framework I use to think about backlinks when launching a new website — and it’s worked for years.

Backlinks have always been the jet fuel behind SEO growth, ever since Google introduced PageRank. The basic idea?
Pages with more quality links rank higher. Simple.

I break my backlink strategy into two core categories:

1. High Relevance, High Volume Links
These are links from websites closely related to your niche.
I’m not overly focused on their authority — I just want a lot of them.
Think of:

• Guest posting on niche blogs
• Link insertions into relevant articles
• Link exchanges with related sites

I either build these links in-house or use tools like Authority Builder to help scale the process.

2. Low Relevance, High Authority Links
These are powerhouse backlinks from domains like Forbes or AmericanExpress.com.
They may not be niche-specific — for example, they might not directly relate to my hosting review site — but they pack a punch in terms of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

To land these, I use a mix of:

• HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
• Digital PR, where we pitch viral or data-driven stories to journalists

Right now, I’m building most HARO links internally. For digital PR, I use tools like Fairy, SmartCat, and SearchIntelligence.co.uk to find the right opportunities.

That’s my two-pronged approach to backlinks — relevance on one side, authority on the other.

If you want to grow a new website fast, balance both.
Relevance gets you rankings. Authority builds long-term trust.

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