If you run an online business, you want your website to rank at the top of search results. For that, you do SEO and build backlinks.
But not all backlinks can help your site reach the top. You need backlinks from authority websites. These are the links that search engines trust the most and give the highest value.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to get authority backlinks that boost your rankings, improve your website’s trust, and drive real results.
Let’s get started.
Did You Know?
Backlinks take time to show results. Most experts say it takes 1 to 6 months, with the average being 3 months, to see improvements in search rankings.
- What Are High Authority Backlinks?
- How Does Google Identify High-Authority Backlinks?
- 5 Ways to Earn Authority Backlinks in 2025
- How Are Authority Backlinks Different from Regular Backlinks?
- Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Authority Links
- How to Measure the Success of Your Authority Backlinks
- Best Tools for Building and Tracking Backlinks
- Success Story: How Outreach Monks Build Authority Backlinks
- Conclusion
- FAQs on Authority Backlinks
What Are High Authority Backlinks?
Authority backlinks are links from trusted websites that have a strong reputation. These websites usually score high in Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR), often above 70.
When a trusted site puts a link to yours, search engines will judge your website as reliable and relevant content. This positively influences your search rankings and ensures building trust with your followers. The more authority backlinks for you, the better your ability to rank higher in search engine results.
Important Note
Don’t judge a website’s authority by DR or DA alone. These scores can be misleading. Some high-DA sites may be low quality or spammy.
In smaller industries, a DA of 40 or 50 might be high authority since there are fewer strong websites in that space. A niche such as handmade crafts or regional tourism is less stringent compared to a niche such as technology or finance, where the competition is much stiffer.
To identify truly valuable sites:
- Check the Traffic: Does the site get real visitors?
- Look at the Content: Is it useful, updated, and relevant?
- Trustworthiness: Is the site well-regarded in its industry?
Focus on these factors to build high-quality backlinks that genuinely help your rankings and SEO.
How Does Google Identify High-Authority Backlinks?
Google uses a few simple checks to decide if a backlink is high authority. Here’s what matters:
- Trustworthy Websites: Google values links from trusted and well-known websites. These sites have a good reputation and are recognized as reliable sources.
- Relevant Content: The link must fit naturally into the content. Google checks if the site linking to you talks about topics related to your business. For example, a recipe blog linking to a catering delivery site makes sense, but a car blog linking to it doesn’t.
- Website Traffic: Websites that have real visitors and active engagement are seen as more valuable. A backlink from these sites adds more authority.
- Natural Link Placement: The link should look like it belongs in the content. Google ignores links placed in spammy, irrelevant, or forced ways.
- Strong Site Authority: Websites with high Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR) often pass more value. However, DA or DR isn’t everything. A low-quality site with a high score won’t help much. Always check the site’s content and activity.
Google favors backlinks from trusted, relevant, and active websites. Focus on earning links that provide real value and avoid shortcuts. One strong link from a trusted site will always be better than ten weak ones.
5 Ways to Earn Authority Backlinks in 2025
Here are five proven link building strategies you can use to get quality links from trusted, high-authority websites.
1) Guest Posting on Authority Websites
Write a high-quality article for an authority website, and they’ll link back to your site. That’s guest posting.
To get these links, focus on delivering real value. Authority sites won’t accept generic or poorly written content. Your article needs to stand out with useful information, unique ideas, and solid research.
Here’s how to do it right:
- Find websites that match your industry and have good traffic.
- Pitch content ideas that solve problems or answer questions their audience cares about.
- Write clear, detailed content that adds value to the site and its readers.
Guest posting works best when you think long-term. One well-written guest post on a trusted site can bring you a strong backlink, new readers, and even more websites linking to your content.
Don’t take shortcuts—poor outreach and weak content won’t work. Focus on writing something worth publishing, and you’ll earn backlinks that improve your authority and SEO.
Below is an example of a guest post we did on Manifest (DR-82)
2) Consider Link Exchanges
Exchange links with relevant, trusted websites to earn authority backlinks. You link to their site, and they link back to yours—it’s that simple.
Most websites with an SEO team understand the value of backlinks and are open to a fair exchange if your content is relevant and high quality.
How to do it the right way:
- Reach out to websites in your industry that have strong authority.
- Offer a balanced exchange—link to them from your site or secure a link for them through a guest post on another site.
- Always keep it natural and make sure the links provide value to the reader.
