Blog
Getting backlinks without buying them
I build BacklinkGenie, an agent that pitches editors for links. Here I write up what actually gets a reply, and how to keep the links once you win them.
Nikunj Thakkar, founder
Start with a guide
Long reads that link out to everything else on the topic
Guide
Link Building
20 min read
How to get backlinks in 2026: 12 methods ranked by effort and risk
Twelve ways to get backlinks in 2026, ranked by effort, cost and Google policy risk, with what each one is worth for a SaaS or startup site.
Guide
Outreach
18 min read
Link building outreach: the complete process for 2026
How link building outreach works in 2026: find posts worth a link, verify the editor, write one pitch per post, send safely, follow up and monitor.
Latest
- 16 min read Guide Tools AI link building: what agents can and can't do in 2026 What AI link building is, which outreach tasks an AI agent handles well, which still need a human, and how to stay inside Google's and Gmail's rules.
- 17 min read Guide AI Search How to get your brand named in AI search answers (2026) How ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews pick the brands they mention, and the practical steps that get your product into those answers.
- 9 min read How-to Link Building Backlink monitoring: how to know when a link goes live or disappears How to monitor backlinks: what each check should verify, how often to run it, which tools see what, and a free spreadsheet method for the links you earned.
- 17 min read Guide Link Building What makes a high-quality backlink in 2026? A high-quality backlink sits in the body of a relevant page people read, placed by an editor and left followed. How to score any link in five minutes.
- 7 min read How-to Link Building How to get into '[competitor] alternatives' articles How to get listed in '[competitor] alternatives' posts: which competitors to target, what editors need, and a pitch that answers the switcher's question.
- 10 min read How-to Link Building How to find your competitors' backlinks and win the same links Check competitor backlinks with free or paid tools, sort them by link type, and pitch the ones you can realistically win. A step-by-step link gap method.
- 9 min read How-to Link Building How to find every 'best X' and roundup post in your niche Find the 'best X', alternatives and roundup posts your buyers read: the searches to run, the Google operators that help, and how to log and score each one.
- 8 min read How-to Outreach Sending outreach from Google Workspace: setup, limits and risks Yes, you can send cold outreach from Google Workspace at low volume from a separate domain. Google's real limits, the setup and what gets you suspended.
- 9 min read How-to Link Building How much do backlinks cost in 2026? Prices by method Backlink prices in 2026 from published price lists: $60 to $500 per paid placement, $375+ per link from agencies, and what earned outreach costs per link.
- 8 min read How-to Outreach How to find the editor's email for any blog post Find the right editor's email for a specific article: identify who owns the page, work out the address pattern, and verify it before you send a pitch.
Older posts are listed under each category above.
Rather have the list than the reading?
Paste your URL. The agent finds published posts in your niche where your product fits, and the editor to contact for each. Free, no card.
