Editorial link building is one of the most reliable ways to earn backlinks that feel natural to readers and safer for search engines. Instead of placing links wherever you can, the aim is to earn or secure links in relevant content, with sensible anchor text and a clear reason for the reference.
If you want better organic visibility without relying on risky tactics, understanding the difference between dofollow and nofollow links, plus how anchor text affects context, is essential. This guide explains how to approach editorial links in a practical way, whether you manage a blog, business website, or client SEO campaign.
What editorial link building means
Editorial link building refers to backlinks placed within content that is written or approved by an editor, publisher, or site owner because it adds value to the page. These links usually appear in articles, guides, resource pages, interviews, or news-style content where the link supports the topic rather than forcing a promotion.
This matters because editorial links tend to look and behave more naturally than links added in comments, low-quality directories, or unrelated pages. A useful editorial link can strengthen topical relevance, send referral traffic, and help search engines understand what your page is about.
If you are still learning the basics of safe link acquisition, the backlink building guide is a helpful resource for understanding how links fit into a broader SEO strategy.
Dofollow and nofollow links explained
Dofollow and nofollow are link attributes that influence how search engines treat a backlink. A dofollow link can pass ranking signals, while a nofollow link tells search engines not to pass that same type of equity in the usual way. In practice, both can still be useful.
Dofollow editorial links are often the most valuable for SEO because they can contribute to authority and relevance. However, nofollow links can still support visibility, branded discovery, referral traffic, and a natural link profile. A healthy backlink profile usually includes a mix of both.
The key is not to chase one attribute alone. If every backlink is dofollow and looks forced, the profile can appear unnatural. If you only focus on nofollow mentions, you may miss opportunities for stronger ranking support. A balanced approach is usually safer and more sustainable.
Anchor text that supports rankings safely
Anchor text is the clickable text in a link. It tells users and search engines what the linked page is about, so it needs to be chosen carefully. Good anchor text is descriptive, relevant, and varied.
For editorial backlinks, the safest approach is to use anchor text that feels natural in the sentence. This may be a brand name, a page title, a partial keyword phrase, or a descriptive phrase such as “this SEO checklist” rather than a repeated exact-match keyword every time. Over-optimised anchors can create risk and reduce trust.
Useful anchor text habits include:
- Use branded anchors where possible.
- Mix partial-match and descriptive phrases naturally.
- Avoid repeating the same keyword-heavy anchor across many sites.
- Match the anchor to the page topic and the surrounding sentence.
- Keep the link useful for the reader, not just for SEO.
If you are checking how your link profile is developing, a tool such as Ahrefs can help you review anchor patterns, referring domains, and link quality signals.
How to build editorial links the right way
Editorial links are earned through relevance, trust, and usefulness. That means your content, outreach, and relationships should give publishers a good reason to reference you. The process is usually slower than spam-based methods, but it is much more defensible and better aligned with long-term SEO.
Practical ways to earn editorial links include publishing original insights, creating useful guides, contributing expert quotes, offering data-backed commentary, and building relationships with relevant publishers in your niche. For businesses, this often works best when the target page genuinely helps the publisher’s audience.
For a structured view of how links are developed safely, the backlink building process explains a more controlled, manual approach to link acquisition.
Editorial links are especially effective when the source page is closely aligned with your topic. For example, a digital marketing blog should aim for links from marketing, business, or web strategy content, not unrelated articles that only mention a keyword once.
Backlink quality and indexing
Not every backlink adds the same value. Backlink quality depends on the relevance of the source page, the trustworthiness of the domain, the placement of the link, and whether the page is indexed and accessible to search engines. A link on a strong, relevant page is generally more useful than many weak, unrelated links.
Backlink indexing also matters. If a linking page is not crawled or indexed, the link may contribute less visibility and be harder to verify. That is why it is sensible to prioritise links from pages that are discoverable, regularly updated, and part of a real website structure.
When link discovery is part of your wider SEO workflow, backlink indexing can be a useful support topic to understand, especially for new pages and fresh mentions that search engines may not pick up immediately.
Best practices
Good editorial link building is about judgement, not volume. A few relevant links placed in the right context can be more useful than many poor ones. The best approach is to create content and outreach that make sense for readers first, then ensure the backlink profile remains natural.
- Prioritise relevance over raw domain metrics.
- Choose pages that genuinely fit the topic.
- Use varied anchor text with a natural distribution.
- Mix dofollow and nofollow links over time.
- Check whether linking pages are indexable and live.
- Focus on editorial placements that add value to the article.
- Review backlinks regularly to spot unnatural patterns early.
If your site needs a broader review before starting a link campaign, a free website SEO audit can help identify technical or on-page issues that may affect how well new backlinks support organic growth.
Common mistakes to avoid
Many backlink problems come from pushing anchor text too hard or treating all backlinks as if they work the same way. Editorial link building should feel earned and contextual, not manipulated.
- Using exact-match anchor text too often.
- Chasing links from irrelevant websites just for authority signals.
- Ignoring whether a linking page is indexed.
- Expecting one backlink to transform rankings on its own.
- Prioritising quantity over placement quality.
- Forcing links into content where they do not naturally fit.
Avoiding these mistakes helps keep your backlink profile cleaner and your SEO work more sustainable. If you are unsure whether a planned placement looks natural, it is usually better to simplify the anchor or choose a different page.
Conclusion
Editorial link building works best when it is relevant, contextual, and user-focused. Dofollow links can support ranking signals, nofollow links can still add value, and anchor text should always feel natural rather than engineered. Together, these elements help create a backlink profile that looks more trustworthy and performs better over time.
For website owners, bloggers, agencies, and businesses, the goal is not to collect links for their own sake. The goal is to earn the right links from the right pages with the right language. That approach is safer, easier to maintain, and far more aligned with long-term SEO improvement. For more learning support, Backlink Works can be a useful reference point when you are planning your next backlink strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between editorial and non-editorial backlinks?
Editorial backlinks are placed within content because they genuinely support the topic and have been approved by the publisher. Non-editorial links are often added in less selective places, such as user-generated content or unrelated placements. Editorial links are usually preferred because they tend to look more natural and contextually relevant.
Are nofollow links useless for SEO?
No, nofollow links are not useless. They may not pass ranking signals in the same way as dofollow links, but they can still drive traffic, build brand visibility, and support a natural backlink profile. A healthy link profile often includes both types rather than only one.
How much should I optimise anchor text?
Anchor text should be descriptive, but not over-optimised. Use branded, partial-match, and natural phrases so the profile looks varied. If too many links use the same keyword-rich anchor, it can look artificial. The safest rule is to match the anchor to the sentence and the page’s purpose.
Why does backlink indexing matter?
Backlink indexing matters because search engines need to crawl and discover the page that contains your link before it can contribute fully. If a referring page is not indexed, the backlink may be less visible in your reporting and potentially less useful for SEO. Indexed, accessible pages are generally better link targets.
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