While many SEOs struggle with link building, those who succeed follow a strategic, data-driven approach. In this guide, we’ll break down key tactics that make truly effective link-building campaigns.
We’re sharing two essential practical applications for link building that Hristo Bogdanov, MeUp.com’s Head of SEO, revealed at SEO Mastery Summit 2025 as part of his workshop, titled: “We Built 7,000+ Backlinks – Here’s What We Learned (Do’s, Don’ts & Golden Nuggets)”.
As an expert with over five years of extensive experience in all aspects of off-page SEO, Hristo is always eager to share some of his know-how and make link builders’ lives a tiny bit easier with proven strategies and good practices.
Don’t miss to read our article about six common link building mistakes you want to avoid before they affect your rankings.
Now let’s reveal those two golden nuggets.
Strategy 1: The “Already Ranking” Outreach Strategy (Reverse Parasite SEO): Step-by-Step Execution
One of the most effective yet underutilized link-building strategies is targeting sites that already rank for your target keywords. Here’s how it works:
1. Identify Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities
- Focus on informational queries related to your niche (for example: “What is an MX record?” for hosting companies).
- Keep in mind that placements ranking for commercial keywords (e.g., “best hosting providers”) may be expensive.
2. Analyze the Top 20 Ranking Pages
- Use Ahrefs/SEMrush to find articles with moderate Domain Authority (DA 20-50). These sites are more likely to accept affordable link placements.
- Example: A cybersecurity site ranking for “308 redirect explained” might add your hosting brand as a recommended resource.
3. Pitch Contextual Brand Mentions
It’s essential to try to link to your brand in a natural way and make it a natural extension of the “customer journey”.
Why This Works?
- Traffic That Converts: Many of these links will actually generate traffic to you as they drive highly targeted visitors, super relevant to your website. It’s basically a recipe for success – people are clicking on your links, going to your site and engaging with your content. Isn’t this what we all want?!
- Google’s Trust Signal: Links in editorially relevant content pass strong ranking signals.
- Update-Proof Resilience: While rankings fluctuate during core updates, referral traffic remains steady, proving the tactic’s sustainability: one campaign generated 400 clicks/day initially, stabilizing at 100+ daily clicks even after a Google update.
Key Takeaways for Your Campaign
✔️ Target low-competition, high-intent articles (avoid commercial terms).
✔️ Prioritize relevance over domain authority (DA 20-50 sites often deliver the best ROI).
✔️ Diversify traffic sources to reduce dependence on Google.
This tactic turns competitors’ rankings into your link-building goldmine – while most SEOs fight for guest posts, you’re securing passive, high-converting traffic.
Strategy 2: Supercharge Your GMB with Microdata (Step-by-Step Guide)
This powerful local SEO strategy was popularized by Jacky Chou from Indexsy and combines citation building with link equity in a way most businesses never leverage.
The original video in his YouTube channel provides a step-by-step guide on how it works.
We’ve enhanced the process with a few modifications, so here’s our guide:
1. Generate Your Microdata Code
- Use the free Microdata Generator tool.
- Fill in your complete business NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number).
- Add your GMB profile URL in the designated field.
2. Embed in Guest Posts
- Copy the generated HTML code.
- Paste into a .txt file and append your GMB embed link.
- Insert as custom HTML in your guest post.
Front-End Display:
What Search Engines See: 
Why This Outperforms Traditional Citations?
Why This Outperforms Traditional Citations?|
Traditional Citations
|
Microdata Technique
|
|---|---|
|
Nofollow links (if any)
|
Dofollow link to your site
|
|
Low link equity
|
Full link juice from quality placements
|
|
Just NAP consistency
|
NAP + GMB link + website link
|
Key Benefits
✔️ Triple-Powered Local Signals:
- NAP consistency across the web
- Direct link to your GMB profile
- Dofollow backlink to your website
✔️ Stronger Than Directory Listings:
Most citation sites provide nofollow links at best.
This method gives you editorial links with structured data – Google’s preferred way to understand business information.
Pro Tips & Warnings
⚠️ Aggressive Campaign Warning:
If building at scale on lower-quality sites, remove your website link and keep only plain text NAP + GMB URL to avoid spam flags.
Maximize Impact:
- Prioritize placements on locally-relevant blogs/news sites
- Combine with other local signals
- Track rankings for “brand + location” keywords to measure impact
- Тhe key is consistency – aim for 10-20 quality placements rather than hundreds of spammy ones
Final Thoughts: Building Links That Last
Whether you’re leveraging the “Already Ranking” outreach tactic or supercharging your GMB with microdata, the key is to focus on relevance, quality, and long-term value.
Quick Recap for Success:
✔️ Prioritize relevance – Links from topical, authoritative sites matter more than sheer quantity.
✔️ Track beyond rankings – Measure traffic, conversions, and referral value to gauge real ROI.
✔️ Diversify your approach – Combine outreach, local SEO, and content-driven links for resilience.
The best link-building campaigns don’t just boost rankings – they build trust, drive consistent traffic, and future-proof your site against algorithm changes.
Need Help? Let Us Build the Links for You!
Skip the struggle and get results faster:
MeUp.com offers a fully managed link-building service at no extra cost.