Links from other websites are still one of the clearest signals Google uses to judge whether a site is trusted and worth ranking. But the kind of link building that used to work, bulk guest posts, paid networks and directory blasts, now ranges from useless to risky. What works is slower and more human: being mentioned by organisations, publications and partners that are relevant to you, because you gave them a reason.
Brighton is a good place to do this. The city has a dense network of independent businesses, festivals, community groups, universities, local media and business networks, all of which link to each other. Most local firms never ask.
Who it is for
- Businesses with good pages that still sit on page two, where the sites above simply have more authority.
- New businesses and new domains that have almost no links at all.
- Shops and brands that want coverage in gift guides, round-ups and industry press.
- B2B and tech firms whose expertise can earn citations in trade publications and industry blogs.
- Local service firms that need local prominence for local SEO.
Where good Brighton links come from
| Source | Examples of how links happen |
|---|---|
| Partners and suppliers | Stockist lists, "where to buy" pages, supplier case studies, venue partner pages |
| Events and festivals | Sponsorship pages, Fringe venues and participants, event listings, trail and open studios guides |
| Community and charity | Supporting a local charity, sports club or school with something real, not just a logo swap |
| Local and Sussex media | News stories, expert comment, features on new openings or local data |
| Business networks | Member directories and spotlights from chambers, trade associations and co-working spaces |
| Universities | Placements, research partnerships, careers and alumni features |
| Industry publications | Expert comment, guest articles with genuine value, data studies, awards you actually entered |
What is included, step by step
- Link audit. What links you have, which ones matter, any risky patterns, and broken links pointing at pages that no longer exist.
- Competitor gap. Who links to the businesses ranking above you, and which of those sources are realistic for you.
- Quick wins. Reclaiming unlinked mentions, fixing broken inbound links with redirects, and asking partners who already know you.
- Linkable assets. Pages worth linking to: local guides, original data, tools, or expert resources, built with content strategy.
- Outreach. Personal, relevant pitches to journalists, bloggers and organisations. No templates sent to thousands.
- Digital PR. Story ideas, press releases where they fit, and responses to journalist requests in your field.
- Reporting. Every link earned, where it came from and what it points at.
Simple test for any link: would you want it if Google didn't exist? A mention on a local festival page, a partner's stockist list or a trade publication brings real people and real credibility. A link on a site nobody reads does neither.
Links we avoid
- Paid links that pass ranking value without being marked as sponsored.
- Private blog networks and link farms.
- Bulk guest posts on sites that publish anything for a fee.
- Hundreds of low-quality directories.
- Link exchanges at scale.
- Comment and forum spam.
These can work for a while, then stop working or trigger a manual action from Google. Cleaning up afterwards costs more than doing it properly in the first place.
A realistic first three months
For a typical Brighton business, month one is mostly audit, quick wins and relationships you already have: suppliers, stockists, venues, clients and associations. Month two usually brings the first piece of content built to earn links, such as a useful local guide or some original data, plus the start of outreach. By month three, coverage starts arriving more steadily and we can see which angles journalists and site owners respond to.
We keep a shared log of every outreach target and outcome, so you can see the work, not just the results. If an angle isn't landing, we change it rather than sending more of the same.
What we need from you
Link building goes faster with a little help. Tell us about partners, events you take part in and anything newsworthy, such as a new opening, a milestone or an unusual project. If you can give a quick quote or opinion when a journalist asks, those requests often turn into links within days.
How long it takes
Quick wins such as reclaimed mentions and partner links can land in the first month. Outreach and digital PR usually take two to three months to build momentum, because relationships and good stories take time. The ranking effect builds gradually after links are found and recrawled. We think of link building as a steady programme of three months or more rather than a one-off.
What it costs, and what drives the cost
- Competition: how much authority the sites above you have.
- Approach: local partnership work costs less than national digital PR campaigns.
- Assets needed: whether we need to create a guide, data study or tool first.
- Your involvement: expert comments and stories go faster when you can respond quickly.
We agree a monthly scope after looking at the gap, and we report every link, so you can see what you are paying for. We don't promise a set number of links per month, because that number tends to push quality down.
Common link building mistakes
- Chasing domain authority scores rather than relevance.
- Pointing every link at the homepage when service pages need the help.
- Using the exact same keyword-heavy anchor text again and again.
- Forgetting existing relationships: your suppliers, clients and venues.
- Stopping after one month and expecting the effect to last.
How we measure it
We track links earned and their relevance, referral visits from those links, rankings and clicks for the pages the links support, and brand mentions. For local businesses we also watch map visibility, because local prominence feeds the map results.
Related services and reading
Links work best when the site is in good shape (see technical SEO) and has pages worth linking to (see content strategy). For businesses in Kemptown and other neighbourhoods, local events and community links often matter most. Our post on Google Business Profile basics explains how links and mentions feed into the map.