If you’re new to SEO, you’ve probably already heard that backlinks matter — a lot. But when you actually sit down to figure out how to get backlinks from guest posting for beginners, things get confusing fast. Should you buy them? Ask for them? Build a hundred fake accounts and hope for the best?
Honestly, none of that. The safest and most reliable way for a beginner to build backlinks is guest posting, and that’s exactly what we’re going to walk through here. Agencies like BoostingFirm build entire strategies around this because it works — quietly, consistently, and without putting your site at risk.
So let’s get into how to get backlinks from guest posting for beginners, without the fluff.
What Guest Posting Actually Means
In simple terms, guest posting is writing an article for someone else’s website. You get to share your knowledge with their audience, and in return, they usually let you link back to your own site — either inside the article or in your author bio.
That’s it. No tricks, no automation. Just real content on a real website, written by you.
For someone just starting out, this matters more than it sounds. Paid links and shortcuts can get your site penalized. Guest posts don’t carry that risk when you do them properly, because a human editor actually reviews what goes up.
Why This Works So Well If Your Site Is New
Here’s the thing about new websites — Google doesn’t trust them yet. Not because anything’s wrong with them, but because trust takes time to earn, and backlinks basically build that trust. Every link from a decent site is like someone vouching for you.
A few reasons guest posting specifically works well:
- You borrow some of the audience and trust another site already has
- People discover your brand who never would’ve found you otherwise
- You start building real relationships with other site owners, not just links
- Your domain authority and domain rating slowly climb
Moz’s guide on backlinks explains why relevant, trustworthy links still carry so much weight with search engines, even now, if you want to go deeper.
Okay, Here’s How to Get Backlinks from Guest Posting for Beginners
1. Find websites that make sense for you
Don’t overthink this part. Look at blogs and sites already covering topics close to yours. Searching something like “write for us” plus your niche is a good starting point, or just check where your competitors have already guest posted — chances are those sites accept guest writers.
One good link beats ten weak ones. Always.
2. Actually check the site before pitching
People skip this step way too often. Before you reach out, ask yourself: does this site post regularly, or has it clearly been abandoned? Does it look like it gets real visitors, or does it feel spammy? Is it even relevant to what you do?
A link from the wrong site can hurt more than help — so don’t skip this.
3. Send a pitch that doesn’t sound copy-pasted
Site owners get flooded with generic “I’d love to write for you!” emails every single day. Keep yours short, mention the site by name, suggest a topic or two that would genuinely fit their audience, and say briefly why you’re the right person to write it.
If your pitch could be sent to fifty different sites without changing a word, rewrite it.
4. Write something worth reading
Once you’re in, don’t just churn out 800 words built around your link. Write something the reader actually gets value from. Editors notice the difference — and so do readers, which means better chances of shares and repeat opportunities.
5. Place your link where it makes sense
Usually this is either naturally inside the body text, linking to something relevant on your site, or in your author bio at the end. Either way — it should feel like it belongs there, not like it was bolted on.
6. Keep an eye on what happens after
Once the post is live, check back occasionally. Look at whether the link is still active, whether it’s sending any real traffic your way, and whether your target page is slowly climbing in rankings. This tells you which types of guest posts are actually worth repeating.
Mistakes Beginners Tend to Make
- Going for volume instead of quality — a handful of strong links beats a pile of weak ones
- Using the exact same anchor text every single time (looks unnatural, avoid it)
- Ignoring relevance just because a site said yes
- Sending pitches so generic they get ignored on sight
So, How Many Backlinks Do You Actually Need?
Nobody can give you an exact number — and if someone does, they’re guessing. What actually matters is consistency. A few solid backlinks every month, built steadily over time, will always beat a sudden burst of links followed by nothing for six months.
Wrapping Up How to Get Backlinks from Guest Posting for Beginners
At this point you know how to get backlinks from guest posting for beginners — the real version, not the shortcut version. It takes more time than buying links, sure, but it’s safer, and it actually lasts.
If all this outreach and writing sounds like more than you want to handle on your own, that’s fine too.
Read more about our white label guest posting services for agencies →