March 26, 2025

How to Backlink on a Budget & Which Tools to Use

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How to Backlink on a Budget & Which Tools to Use

Table of Content

1. Understanding the Importance of Backlinks
2. Budget-Friendly Backlink Strategies
3. Avoiding Common Budget Backlinking Mistakes
4. Low Cost Tools
5. Get Started Backlink Building Yourself Today

Understanding the Importance of Backlinks

Backlinks represent trust from other websites to yours. These help tip search engines off that your content is valuable and eventually lead to ranking on places like Google (an SEO baby is born). 

While most active business owners can create great content simply by writing up case studies or generating blogs around FAQs, building links is still expensive and sometimes ambiguous.

If you're building backlinks on a budget, this article will point you in the right direction to get started. Keep in mind that white-hat link-building is a slow burn. Most businesses should expect to build only a few links a month with these methods, but over time, they will prove far more effective than buying quick placements and not really being sure of their value.

Budget-Friendly Backlink Strategies

Building backlinks doesn’t have to be expensive, although if you’ve requested proposals from agencies, we are sure you’ve seen some high quotes. That is because link building will always take time and real people negotiating a real exchange of value…and people are expensive! But with the right strategies, a few tools, and a little time to dedicate to the task, you can secure high-quality links in-house without spending a fortune. Below we have listed some of the most effective ways to attract links in a white-hat fashion & on a budget.

 Utilizing Journalist Requests Platforms

Journalists are constantly looking for expert opinions. Services like Qwoted and Featured let you connect with writers working on articles in your industry.

  • Sign up for free and receive journalist requests straight to your inbox.
  • Respond quickly with insightful quotes to increase your chances of being featured.
  • Score high-authority backlinks from news sites, blogs, and industry publications.

These backlinks are often from highly authoritative domains, making them valuable for SEO.

Creating Link-Worthy Content on Your Website

The best backlinks come naturally when you produce valuable content. Instead of begging for links, create something worth linking to & send it out to influential websites & indivudals. Some ideas include:

  • Guides & Tutorials (blog + video)
    • In-depth resources that answer common industry questions. 
  • Original Research
    • Unique data or surveys that others will reference.
  • Infographics
    • Visually appealing content that makes information easy to digest.
  • Case Studies
    • Real-world examples of success stories within your industry.

When your content is truly useful, people will naturally link to it, reducing the need for cold outreach.

Leveraging Guest Posting Without Paying for Links

Guest posting remains one of the best ways to get backlinks. But how do you do it on a budget?

  • Target Smaller, Niche Websites
    • Skip the high-cost guest post opportunities and find industry blogs that accept quality submissions for free.
  • Provide Value First
    • Pitch topics that fill a gap on the target site, ensuring your article solves a problem for their audience.
  • Use LinkedIn
    • LinkedIn articles are a great (and free) way to associate your brand and name with a powerful domain like LinkedIn. If these articles gain traction, you may get your content infront of people who would never open your cold emails.

With the right approach, guest posting can be a cost-effective way to build links and authority simultaneously.

Finding Niche-Specific Directories and Listings

Not all directories are spammy. Many reputable sites offer free business listings that provide solid backlinks. Focus on:

  • Google My Business
  • Industry-Specific Directories
  • Local Chamber of Commerce Type Listings 
  • Charities Listing Their Donors

These may not be the most powerful backlinks, but they add credibility and help with brand exposure.

The Power of Broken Link Building

This method involves finding broken links on other websites and offering your content as a replacement.

  • Use tools like Check My Links or Ahrefs to find broken links on sites in your niche.
  • Reach out to the site owner and suggest your content as a replacement.
  • Gain a quality backlink while helping the site improve user experience.

This strategy requires effort but costs little and yields great results when done right.

Building Links Through Community Engagement

Sometimes, link-building is about relationships, over rankings. Being active in industry communities can lead to organic backlink opportunities.

  • Engage on forums and Reddit
    • Answer industry questions and provide value (without spamming your links).
  • Collaborate with other businesses
    • Try writing up a review of one of your suppliers, how could they not post that?!
  • Comment on blogs/social posts
    • Thoughtful, insightful comments can sometimes lead to backlinks when site owners recognize your expertise.

Avoiding Common Budget Backlinking Mistakes

Not all backlinks help your SEO. In fact, bad backlinks can hurt your rankings. When building backlinks on a budget, avoid these pitfalls:

  • Buying Cheap Links
    • Low-cost links from spammy sources will only burn your cash
  • Overusing Exact Match Anchor Text
    • Google may see it as manipulation, keep things natural here.
  • Ignoring No-Follow Links
    • They may not pass authority, but they still drive traffic and diversify your backlink profile. Refer back to “Building Links Through Community Engagement” for more.
  • Focusing on Quantity Over Quality
    • A few high-quality backlinks are worth more than dozens of low-quality ones. Work on making relationships with local news outlets, it may take time but one local link may be all you are missing.

Cracking Googles Enigma: The True Value of Backlinks

Uncertain why backlinks matter? Still trying to figure out how Google attributes value to backlinks? Well, one thing is for certain, backlinks are still extremely valuable and they are most definitely here to stay.

Learn More

Low Cost Tools

We would be lying to you if we said backlink building can be done in an efficient manner without the use of some tools. Below we outline two free or low-cost resources (we use right here at Mad Mango) that can help you find backlink opportunities, track mentions, and connect with site owners for link placements. 

Qwoted

Qwoted is a free journalist connection platform that helps experts gain backlinks from media outlets and blogs.

  • Easy to use – Set up a profile and start receiving journalist requests.
  • Great for authority building – Backlinks come from reputable sources.

Hunter.io 

Hunter.io helps you find the email addresses of website owners, making it easier to reach out for link-building opportunities.

  • Find unlinked mentions – Contact website owners to turn mentions into backlinks.
  • Cold outreach for guest posts – Locate editors and pitch articles with ease.

Get Started Backlink Building Yourself Today

You don’t need a massive budget to build backlinks. By focusing on content, outreach, and strategic networking, you can develop a strong backlink profile without spending big. SEO is a long game, and smart, budget-friendly tactics will help you steadily improve your rankings over time.

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