The hardest part of earning backlinks is that most people have no reason to link to a standard blog post. Everyone has a blog. Not everyone has a free tool, a comprehensive dataset, or a guide that doesn't exist anywhere else.

Lead magnets and link magnets are the same concept applied differently. A lead magnet converts visitors into subscribers. A link magnet converts other publishers into linkers. The best ones do both.

For a content-driven site in the SEO or web design space, the highest-performing link magnets tend to be:

Free tools. A tool that solves a specific problem earns links passively. Developers, bloggers, and resource curators link to useful tools without being asked. If you can build something that does one thing well, it will attract more links than 20 articles. A free keyword research tool is a good example — every SEO tutorial that mentions keyword research can justify linking to it.

Original data and research. If you survey your audience, run an experiment, or compile data that doesn't exist anywhere else, other sites will cite you as the source. Original research earns editorial backlinks — the kind that actually moves rankings.

Comprehensive guides. Not "10 quick tips," but the definitive resource on a specific topic. When other writers research the same subject, they find it and reference it. Comprehensive guides earn links for years.

Templates and downloads. A downloadable checklist, spreadsheet, or template earns links from anyone teaching the process your template helps with.

The monthly habit here: review which of your existing pages are most linked-to and understand why. What made someone link to that page? Can you apply that reasoning to pages with fewer links?

When creating new content, ask yourself honestly: would a writer covering this topic reference it? Would someone bookmark it and share it? If the answer is no, it probably won't earn links on its own.

One genuinely useful resource per quarter beats twelve forgettable posts per month.