Backlinks remain crucial for SEO in 2025. They play a vital role in enhancing your website's ranking on Google and increasing its visibility. However, it's essential to note that many businesses continue to struggle with the complexities of backlinks.

The latest report from Buzzstream provides a practical overview of the current state of link building in 2025. This article aims to dissect the report and equip you with actionable insights.

Key Findings

Here are some of the main points from the Buzzstream report:

• Most companies manage link building in-house. But agencies still help.

• Many SEOs struggle with finding the right backlink strategies.

• Only a small percentage of SEO efforts are successful.

• Most SEOs focus on links to blog posts, but not product pages.

• SEOs often have a limited time to demonstrate the effectiveness of their link-building efforts.

• Securing additional funding for link building can be a challenging task.

• Most SEOs believe their link-building budgets will increase.

• Few SEOs have a good system for getting links from AI.

• It's hard to show the value of link building.

Let's look at these findings more closely.

In-House vs. Agencies

The report says that 61% of companies handle link building themselves. But agencies are still helpful. Many companies use both in-house teams and outside agencies. This allows them to obtain links in various areas or countries.

The Link Building Struggle

The report also found that 66% of SEOs struggle to find effective link-building tactics. This means that many people who call themselves "link builders" may not be very skilled at it. If you don't know the best way to get links, it's hard to succeed.

Measuring Success

It's challenging to determine if a link is functioning properly. You're often building many links and making other changes to your website simultaneously. However, over time, acquiring more high-quality links typically leads to increased traffic. If you notice an increase in traffic as you build links, that's a good sign.

Tip: Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to track how your backlinks and traffic are growing together.

Where to Build Links

The report says 68% of SEOs focus on links to blog posts. Only 41% focus on product pages. Building links to blog posts is a safe plan.

If you sell products online, building links to your homepage is a good idea. It's also helpful to build links to your product category pages. However, building links to individual product pages may not be as effective. Google may ignore those links.

Proving Your Worth

Most SEOs have six months or less to demonstrate the effectiveness of their link-building efforts. SEO takes time. But you need to show results to keep your clients happy.

Getting a Budget

Securing additional funding for link building can be challenging. Businesses want to see a return on their investment. If you can't demonstrate the value of your links, they may not be willing to pay more.

The Future of Link Building

The good news is that 56% of SEOs anticipate their link-building budgets will increase in 2025. Links are becoming increasingly important for achieving a high ranking on Google.

AI and Link Building

AI is relatively new, and not many people are yet familiar with using it for link building. Only 11% of SEOs have an exemplary method for acquiring links from AI. However, this number is likely to increase as AI continues to improve.

Showing the Value of Links

It's challenging to demonstrate the value of a single link. But you should be able to show the value of your link-building efforts over time. If you build more links and your traffic increases, that's a clear sign that your efforts are paying off.

Link Building Strategies

The report underscores that only 32% of SEOs have a structured plan for link building, with the rest relying on ad-hoc actions. To ensure success, it's crucial to have a well-defined and strategic plan in place.

Tip: Create a repeatable process for link building. This will help you stay organized and get better results.

Where to Get Links

Most SEOs build links to blog posts and articles. Homepages are also a popular choice. If you sell products online, focus on category pages instead of individual product pages.

Measuring Your Results

It's essential to measure the impact of your link-building efforts. Most leaders want to see quick wins. Track your progress over a period of three to six months. If you're not seeing results by then, your strategy may not be working.

Link Building Budgets

The report says that most companies spend less than $10,000 a month on link building. Many people think that PR is too expensive. It's often better to spend less money consistently over time. This lets you learn what works and then grow your budget.

The primary reason to invest in link building is to increase traffic, improve rankings, and drive more sales.

Conclusion

Link building remains a crucial component of SEO in 2025. However, it's essential to have a solid strategy and measure your results. By following the tips in this article, you can enhance your link-building efforts and achieve better results.

Want to improve your SEO? Contact an expert at New Seas to see how they can help you.