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Link building playbooks

Nine plays that still work, with the exact trigger, the ask, and the reason each one gets a yes.

Nine plays that still earn links in 2026. Each one has a trigger, an ask, and a reason the other side says yes. Skip any play where you cannot name all three.

01

The broken page swap

Trigger
A page in your niche links to something that now 404s.
Move
Publish the replacement, then tell the linking site which of their pages is broken and where the fix is.
Why it works
You are fixing their problem before you ask for anything.
Medium effort
02

The unlinked mention

Trigger
Someone names your brand in an article without linking.
Move
Email the author with the sentence quoted and the URL. Nothing else.
Why it works
The editorial decision is already made. You are asking for a formatting change.
Low effort
03

The roundup entry

Trigger
A best-of list in your category is missing you.
Move
Send the two lines you want added, in their format, plus a screenshot of the feature they would describe.
Why it works
Lists need updating and updating them is work you just did for free.
Low effort
04

The original number

Trigger
You have data nobody else has, from your own product or a survey you can run in a week.
Move
Publish one number in the headline, the method underneath, and a chart people can embed.
Why it works
Writers need a citation. A number with a method attached is the cheapest one they can use.
High effort
05

The free tool

Trigger
There is a repeated manual task in your category.
Move
Build the smallest version that works, put it on its own indexable page, and gate nothing.
Why it works
Tools get linked as resources for years. Blog posts get linked for a month.
High effort
06

The expert quote

Trigger
A journalist or blogger is writing about your category now.
Move
Answer their question in under 100 words with one specific claim they can quote.
Why it works
Deadlines. Specific beats comprehensive when someone is filing today.
Low effort
07

The comparison page

Trigger
People search for you against a competitor.
Move
Write the fair version, including where the competitor wins.
Why it works
Fair comparisons get cited by third parties. Rigged ones get ignored.
Medium effort
08

The integration page

Trigger
You connect to a tool with a partner directory.
Move
Ship the listing, then a page on your own site for that integration, and link them.
Why it works
Directory links are permanent and the partner wants the listing filled.
Medium effort
09

The community answer

Trigger
A thread on Reddit, Quora or a niche forum asks the exact question you answer.
Move
Answer it fully, in your own name, with the link only if it genuinely helps.
Why it works
These threads are read by people and quoted by models. Both matter.
Low effort

One play run properly beats five run badly. Pick the two where you already have the trigger and run those every week.

More free tools
H1 checkerHow many H1 tags the page has, what they say, and whether they match the title.Heading structure checkerThe full outline of your page and every place the hierarchy skips a level. Models read the outline first.Title tag checkerLength, pixel width, duplication with the H1, and whether your keyword is anywhere near the front.Meta description checkerDo you have one, does it fit, and does it earn the click.SERP snippet previewYour page exactly as Google renders it, on desktop and mobile, with the truncation point marked.Keyword density checkerThe words and phrases your page actually leans on, with counts, and where your target term ranks.

All free tools

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