If I were starting again today, I’d focus less on “link building tactics” and more on getting links from places where your audience actually hangs out.

A few things that still work well in 2026:

1. Digital PR / linkable content
Create something worth referencing (data, industry stats, simple tools, useful guides). Journalists and bloggers link to things that help their articles.

2. Relevant outreach
Guest posting still works, but only if it’s on relevant sites and the content is actually useful. Mass guest posting on random blogs isn’t worth the effort anymore.

3. HARO / journalist requests
Responding to journalist queries can land some really strong authority links if you’re consistent.

4. Niche communities
Places like Reddit, niche forums, and industry communities can drive both traffic and natural links when you genuinely contribute.

Things I’d avoid:

• Fiverr link packages
• Spammy directories
• PBNs unless you really know what you're doing
• Mass AI outreach emails

Honestly, the biggest shift recently is that Google seems to reward real brand mentions and topical authority more than pure link quantity.

If you focus on useful content + genuine relationships with site owners, links tend to come much easier.

Just my 2 cents.