Link Building, No BS - What Actually Works (and What’s a Waste of Time) in 2025

Link building is still one of the core pillars of SEO, shaping brand credibility and boosting visibility online. The more people talk about you, the more credible you become. But the way link building works and how effective different tactics are keeps shifting, especially now as AI and Google AI Overviews are rewriting the rules.

You can’t “learn” Google’s algorithm because it’s always changing. The only safe bet? Invest in timeless strategies like high-quality content. In 2025, it’s not about getting as many links as possible - it’s about getting the right ones. So let’s dig into the latest industry reports to see what’s worth your time and resources - and what you can safely ditch.

Cutting Through the Noise - What the Data Says

Industry research is a goldmine for spotting what works in an ocean of shifting SEO trends. Here are the big takeaways:

• Digital PR leads the pack - 48.6% of SEO pros say Digital PR is the most effective link building tactic in 2025 (BuzzStream 2025).

• Patience pays off - Nearly 50% of link builders report seeing measurable results only after 1-3 months, and in many cases it takes up to six (DemandSage 2025).

• Relevance is king - Forget chasing DR/UR scores. What matters most now is topical alignment between your site and the linking source (Editorial.Link 2025).

• Unlinked brand mentions are rising - Google increasingly treats brand mentions - even without a hyperlink - as signals of trust and authority. This is especially important with AI Overviews (BuzzStream 2025).

• Budgets are climbing - Between 61% and 73% of companies are increasing their link building spend in 2025 (FatJoe 2025).

Reality Check - How It Plays Out in Practice

Case Study 1 - Ahrefs: Data-Driven Links

In the SEO world, Ahrefs has Zeus-level respect. For years they’ve been publishing in-depth reports and original research based on their own data content that the industry eats up. Each report becomes a link magnet, cited by blogs, agencies, and even mainstream media.

👉 Example: their “Content Decay” report earned thousands of backlinks from high-authority sources, without traditional outreach.

Takeaway: create resources grounded in unique data that solve real problems for your industry.

Case Study 2 - Oatly: PR Over Links

“Let’s get people talking about us! Who? Everyone!” That could be Oatly’s unofficial slogan. The Swedish oat milk brand built visibility not through classic link building, but through bold PR moves and social campaigns.

👉 The result? Mentions in the NY Times, The Guardian, countless food blogs, and social media chatter. Many of those didn’t even include a link but the visibility was massive.Google hasn’t officially confirmed that brand mentions act like links, but the correlation is hard to ignore. Oatly’s domain profile is strong, and their SEO results are proof.

Takeaway: focus on brand reputation and PR - it strengthens your E-E-A-T signals.

Case Study 3 - InPost: A Polish Digital PR Example

Poland’s logistics giant InPost regularly drives earned media coverage that naturally generates mentions and backlinks.

👉 Example: the launch of InPost Fresh and their integration with Allegro. News about these services was picked up by outlets like Bankier.pl, Wirtualne Media, and Rzeczpospolita - bringing in hundreds of strong backlinks with zero paid link campaigns.

Takeaway: local media and trade outlets are a huge opportunity. Create newsworthy content and let journalists amplify it.

What Actually Works in 2025

Here’s the short list of what to double down on:

• Digital PR
  → Collaborating with media, running campaigns worth citing.
  → Think: data reports, proprietary research, bold or socially relevant campaigns.

• Link-worthy content
  → Long-form guides, interactive tools, infographics.
  → The more useful, the higher the chance of earning natural links.

• Topical relevance
  → A link from a niche industry blog is often more valuable than one from a big but generic news site.

• Personalized outreach
  → Templated cold emails don’t cut it anymore.
  → Build relationships, add real value, and pitch with context.

• AI as an assistant, not a crutch
  → Use AI for prospecting, research, and drafts.
  → But AI-generated filler content + farmed links? Straight to the penalty box.

What’s a Waste of Time

• Bulk links from low-quality directories or link farms.

• Guest posts published solely for backlinks on poor-quality sites.

• Spray-and-pray outreach with no research - journalists and bloggers ignore it.

• “Link swaps” in closed exchange networks - high risk, low reward.

Bottom Line

SEO isn’t magic - it’s consistent effort and good practices. In 2025, link building isn’t about “collecting links.” It’s about building reputation, visibility, and content that earns authority on its own.

For your strategy, focus on:

✅ Digital PR and data-driven content
✅ Brand building and media mentions
✅ Topical relevance and link quality

Because in SEO - as in life - it’s better to have a few strong relationships than thousands of weak ones.