Link building - earning backlinks from other websites on purpose - remains one of the three main ranking factors in Google. For US businesses aiming for top positions in Google.com, a quality backlink profile is a basic requirement for competing in most niches.
The US link building market has changed a lot since 2023: Google's spam updates and its site reputation abuse policy cut the value of paid guest posts on big media sites, AI-generated content flooded low-quality blogs, and digital PR became the most reliable way to earn links from real publications. For US pages, relevant link sources include both national publications and local and industry sites that carry authority for the whole domain.
Backlink evaluation basics for Google
Google evaluates links by several parameters:
Domain Rating (DR) / Authority Score: The overall authority of the linking domain. A link from TechCrunch (DR 90+) carries far more value than a link from an unknown blog (DR 5).
Topical relevance: A link from a resource in your niche matters more than a link from an unrelated site with a high DR.
Geographic relevance: US sites and sites with a US audience - local news, city business journals, state associations - send geographic signals for ranking in Google.
Language relevance for en-us: An English-language US resource linking to your en-us pages adds a language relevance signal.
Link placement: A contextual link inside the body of an article is much stronger than a link in the footer or sidebar.
How to check a site's backlinks
You can check backlinks for free in Google Search Console: the "Links" report shows the sites that link to you and the pages that get the most links. This is Google's own data, but without any quality score for the linking sites.
Paid tools - SE Ranking, Ahrefs, Semrush - show the backlink profile in more detail: the authority of each linking site, anchors, and when links appeared or were lost. Look at three things: the topics of the linking sites, the share of exact-match anchors (too many is an over-optimization signal) and sudden link spikes you did not order.
The US link landscape
US media and business portals
Tech and business publications: TechCrunch, The Verge, Fast Company - leading tech and digital media with a US business and startup audience. Coverage there earns authoritative links with real editorial review.
Business publications: Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Insider - a B2B audience with broad reach across US business.
Marketing and digital: Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, MarketingProfs - specialized resources on SEO, marketing and ecommerce.
News outlets and wires: AP, Reuters, USA Today - maximum reach, a national audience. Links from these outlets are rare but carry very high authority.
Regional portals: city business journals and local news sites in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and other metros - for businesses with a local presence.
How the link landscape changed after 2023
- Google's site reputation abuse policy (2024) removed much of the value of paid "sponsored" sections on big media sites.
- AI-generated content flooded low-quality blogs, so link quality has to be checked more carefully than before.
- Expired domains with history became a target for PBN operators - potential linking sites need closer vetting than ever.
- Digital PR and original data gained weight - journalists and AI answers both cite sources with unique numbers.
US business directories
- Dun & Bradstreet - a business data and credit directory, relevant for B2B
- Amazon and Etsy - for ecommerce
- Yelp and local business directories - for local businesses
- Industry directories of professional associations
Effective link building methods for Google
Digital PR through US media
Original research: Unique data about your US market, industry benchmarks, comparison studies - Search Engine Land, Forbes, Inc. and trade publications actively look for this kind of material. One study with original data can earn 10-30 editorial links from several US publications.
Timely case studies: "How a mid-size US retailer kept its rankings through a Google core update" - a genuinely publishable case for trade media. Concrete numbers, dates and business results are what US editors want to see.
Expert commentary: US journalists look for industry experts to quote. Building relationships with 2-3 journalists in your field, or answering requests on platforms like Qwoted and Featured, is a long-term source of regular authoritative mentions with links.
Guest contributions
Search Engine Journal, MarketingProfs, Entrepreneur and industry trade blogs publish bylined articles from outside experts. Requirements:
- Real expertise and concrete value for readers
- Original content that has not been published before
- Fit with the publication's editorial policy
For the US market: if your expertise covers a specific industry or region - for example, home services in Texas or B2B manufacturing in the Midwest - it is a rare and sought-after angle for trade publications.
US industry associations
- CompTIA - for IT and digital companies
- National Retail Federation - for ecommerce
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce and local chambers - for local and national businesses
- State and industry trade associations - for businesses in a specific field
Association memberships - listings, partner content, event participation - earn legitimate links from topically and geographically relevant sites.
Lost link recovery
Over the years, a noticeable share of any site's links becomes "lost":
- Check the links to your domain in Ahrefs - especially to old URLs (if the site structure has changed).
- Find authoritative links pointing to pages that no longer exist (404) and set up 301 redirects.
- Find closed resources your site linked to or that linked to you, and rebuild the "chain" through current sites.
Broken Link Building
- Use Ahrefs to find authoritative sites in your niche with a large number of broken outbound links.
- Figure out what content those dead pages had.
- Create up-to-date content on the same topic.
- Reach out to the sites linking to the dead resources and offer your page as a replacement.
Partner links
US companies you work with - clients, partners, technology vendors - are a source of natural links through "Our partners", "Clients" and "Recommended" sections. If your clients or partners have authoritative websites, offer to publish a case study on their site or ask to be listed as a vendor.
Technical aspects of links for en-us
Language specifics
- Links from English-language US sites → en-us pages: The strongest language and market signals for the en-us version.
- Links from any reputable sites → the domain: Raise the overall Domain Rating, which helps every version of the site.
- International links: Raise overall authority but are less specific for Google.com.
Preserving link equity during restructuring
If the URL structure of your site has changed, check that every old URL has a 301 redirect to the matching new page. Links pointing to 404 pages pass no authority. This matters most for US sites that migrated platforms, for example from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress or Shopify.
What to avoid in link building for the US market
PBNs and link schemes: A direct violation of Google's rules with a risk of penalties. More in the guide PBN in SEO: why it is risky.
Spammy directories: Mass submission to hundreds of directories with no editorial review has no SEO effect.
Irrelevant links: Links from sites that have nothing to do with your niche or the US market do not help and can hurt the profile.
Sudden mass growth: Hundreds of links in a week is an abnormal pattern for Google's algorithms.
Links, mentions and AI answers
For GEO, brand mentions matter as much as links. AI search names companies that authoritative sources write about more often: trade publications, reviews, "best of" roundups, expert commentary. That is why the digital PR and guest contributions from this guide work twice - for rankings in Google and for presence in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI answers.
How YoSiteUp builds a backlink profile for US clients
Current profile audit: Analysis of existing backlinks, finding toxic and outdated links, spotting "lost" links after URL changes.
Niche strategy: Identifying the specific US publications, associations and directories where a link is realistic for a given business.
Digital PR outreach: Creating publishable content and professional outreach to editors of US media.
Transparent reporting: A table of new links with specific URLs, Domain Rating, anchors and profile dynamics - every month.
Links are included in all GEO SEO marketing plans: 2, 3 or 10 per month - with a report on each one.
Frequently asked questions
How many backlinks do you need to rank in Google? It depends on how competitive the niche is. In low-competition niches, 20-50 quality links get you to the first page. In highly competitive ones (real estate, finance, insurance, legal), the leaders have thousands of links. Check the top 5 for your target phrase in Ahrefs to see the real threshold.
Do separate language versions need separate links? Ideally, yes. Links from Spanish-language US sites to es-us pages, for example, send strong language signals. But any reputable US links raise the authority of the whole domain, which helps every version.
How fast does link building show results? Google usually picks up new links within 2-8 weeks. A noticeable effect on rankings comes after 2-4 months of systematic work. Steady organic traffic growth from Google takes 6-12 months.
Should you buy links from link sellers? Many vendors sell link packages - most often these are PBNs or spammy directories. Before signing, ask for specific examples of past placements. If you get vague answers or "we cannot disclose" - that is a red flag.
