Not long ago, a Reddit user summed up in two sentences the great wall that thousands of SEO consultants and brands around the world are hitting:
"How are you getting backlinks now that Google has officially said that random, low-quality links are worthless? If I want real, authentic links, I have to pay. I feel stuck with link building."
This dilemma is 100% real. For years, the link building recipe was relatively simple: create content, send hundreds of emails asking for links "in exchange for nothing" (mass outreach) or leave comments and profiles on every open forum.
Today that door has closed. Google's spam filters (such as SpamBrain) and language models directly discard and cancel the strength of links generated automatically or out of context.
So, if the old strategy no longer works and quality links seem unreachable without investment... how do you get out of the stagnation?
The paradox of traditional "Outreach": Why nobody gives away a link anymore
To understand why the author of the Reddit post feels stuck, you have to stand on the other side of the counter.
Think of the owner of a news portal or a blog with a good reputation. Every day they receive between 15 and 50 automatic emails saying something like:
"Hi, I saw your great article about topic X. I wrote a similar guide, could you add a link to my site?"
The site owner knows that their authority costs money, time and effort to maintain. Why would they give away a link —which transfers part of their digital reputation— to a stranger who sent them a template by email? It simply makes no sense.
That is why the "100% free and spontaneous" link became a rarity that only happens when:
- You publish research or a study with unique data that nobody else has.
- You are a super massive brand that already generates news on its own.
- You have a prior relationship or a real commercial alliance with the outlet.
Changing the mindset: From "Link Building" to Digital PR (Public Relations)
The underlying mistake is to keep thinking that the goal is to "get a link". In modern SEO, the goal is to build brand reputation. When the mindset shifts from seeking a hyperlink to seeking media coverage, the options to break the stagnation change drastically.
There are three real ways out of the trap posed by the Reddit user:
1. Create content based on "Data Driven PR" (Own data)
Journalists and editors are not interested in linking to a generic guide on "How to do X". What they look for is data, surveys and statistics.
- Example: If you have a technology company or management software, instead of writing an article titled "Why digitize your business", run a survey of 200 local SMEs and publish a report titled: "68% of local SMEs lost sales in 2026 for not having digital payments".
- The result: Business and economics media will cite your numbers and link to you organically because you are the original source of the news.
2. Understand the value of strategic investment in media (Press Media / PR)
The Reddit user says with resignation: "If I want real links, I have to pay". And the reality is that advertising and media coverage has always been an advertising investment.
The problem is not paying to appear in a media outlet; the problem is paying for "junk" links on farm sites that nobody reads.
When you invest in a publication within a legitimate press portal (such as a national newspaper or a specialized magazine in your sector):
- You are not buying an "SEO trick".
- You are buying editorial visibility, qualified traffic and the validation of a real media outlet.
- You are showing both Google and Artificial Intelligences (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) that your brand is cited in high-trust environments.
3. Diversify with links of real value and practical usefulness
If you cannot afford big press coverage every month, the alternative is to create free tools or resources that people need to use and recommend.
- Online calculators related to your field.
- Downloadable templates (Excel, Notion, PDF) that solve a specific problem.
- Interactive directories or maps of your niche.
When the resource is truly useful, websites do not link to you to do you a favor, but to give a practical solution to their own readers.
The conclusion: How to unlock your strategy
If you feel stuck like the Reddit user, the short answer is: stop looking for low-cost shortcuts that Google will ignore in two months.
Volume link building and mass emails are dead. The present and the future belong to brands that invest in their digital reputation:
- If you are going to create content, let it be with your own data or interactive tools.
- If you are going to invest in publications in media, do it through digital PR platforms or infrastructures (such as SEOfy) that guarantee you real media, native editorial adaptation and presence in sources that feed AI engines.
The stagnation breaks when you understand that a quality link is not an expense on an algorithm, but a lasting investment in the prestige of your business.
