Editorial Link

An editorial link is a backlink a publisher adds voluntarily because your content improves their article, not because you paid or asked for it.

Level: IntermediateRead: 3 minUpdated: 27 Jul 2026By Vera Lindqvist

Key facts

Editorial links are earned, not paid or traded.
They are placed by editorial judgment, not by request.
They often come from relevant, authoritative pages.
They are typically higher value than sponsored or guest post links.
They are commonly earned through linkable assets like original research or tools.

Also called

earned link, organic link, natural link, voluntary link

Use it for

earning trust and organic referrals

Applies to

Google, Bing, and other major search engines

How Editorial Links Differ from Paid and Requested Links

An editorial link is not paid for, traded, or explicitly requested. The publisher adds it because they judge your content valuable for their readers. This makes it fundamentally different from a sponsored link, a guest post link, or a reciprocal link.

The key distinction is editorial discretion. The writer chooses to link without any outside obligation. Search engines like Google treat editorial links as more trustworthy signals because they indicate genuine endorsement. According to Google's spam policies, links that are paid or manipulated can violate guidelines.

Examples of editorial links include citations in news articles, resource pages, and blog posts where the author finds your content independently. They are not disclosed as advertising because they are not advertising. For more on how backlinks work, see how backlink works. To understand what a link is, see what link means.

No payment or exchange involved.
Placed voluntarily by the publisher.
Not disclosed as sponsored content.
Reflects editorial judgment, not a request.

How to Earn Editorial Links Through Digital PR

Earning editorial links requires creating something worth linking to. Common approaches include publishing original research, statistics, tools, or visual assets. Then you pitch these to journalists, bloggers, and editors using digital PR tactics.

Platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Connectively help journalists find expert sources. Responding to relevant queries can earn you a link. Blogger outreach tools like Respona streamline the process of finding and contacting prospects. Broken link building, where you offer your content as a replacement for a dead link, is another method. Use a dead link checker to find opportunities.

For local businesses, earning links from local news, chambers of commerce, or community sites builds relevance. These are local seo links that support local rankings. Even Wikipedia Backlinks can be editorial if you contribute valuable, cited content. The key is to provide genuine value, not to ask for a link directly.

Original research and data sets.
Expert commentary via HARO or similar services.
Infographics and visual assets.
Free tools and calculators.

Why Editorial Links Matter for SEO

Editorial links carry strong authority signals. They come from relevant, trusted sources without any transactional motive. This aligns with Google's goal of rewarding content that earns citations naturally.

Because they are not paid or requested, editorial links are less likely to be devalued by algorithm updates. They often pass more PageRank (the original link value metric) than links from paid placements. However, the quality of the linking page, its topical relevance, and the surrounding context matter more than the label alone.

A link from a high-authority news site with contextual relevance is far more valuable than dozens of low-quality links. For a deeper look at link types, see Backlink Types. Also, learn how external links contribute to SEO in external link.

Carries strong editorial endorsement.
Less likely to be penalized by search engines.
Often comes from authoritative, relevant domains.

Common Mistakes When Pursuing Editorial Links

Many marketers confuse editorial links with guest posts or paid placements. Guest posts often require a request and may be considered a form of link building that requires disclosure. Editorial links are not requested; they are earned.

Another mistake is treating all outreach links as editorial. If you ask a publisher to include a link, even if they agree, it is not editorial unless they add it independently. Search engines can detect patterns of solicited links and may discount them.

Finally, chasing quantity over relevance and context hurts your link profile. A single editorial link from a topically relevant authority is worth more than hundreds of generic links. Focus on creating genuinely useful content that others want to cite.

Guest posts and paid placements are not editorial links.
Outreach links that are requested are not editorial.
Quality and relevance matter more than quantity.

Common mistakes

Confusing editorial links with guest posts or paid placements. This can lead to undisclosed paid links that violate Google’s guidelines and risk penalties.
Treating all outreach links as editorial even when the publisher was asked to include them. Search engines may detect patterns of solicited links and devalue them, reducing their SEO benefit.
Chasing quantity over relevance and context. Low-quality links dilute your link profile and can trigger algorithmic filters, harming your rankings.

Questions

What are the best link building services for earning editorial links?

Services like Respona, BuzzStream, and Pitchbox help with outreach and PR, but they are tools, not guarantees. The best approach is to create a linkable asset (e.g., original research) and pitch it to relevant journalists. No service can earn editorial links without a good story.

What is a link profile?

A link profile is the collection of all backlinks pointing to your website. It includes the number of links, their quality, relevance, anchor text distribution, and the types of domains linking to you. A healthy link profile has a high proportion of editorial and organic links, with few paid or spammy sources.

What is the anchor text of this link a href?

Anchor text is the clickable, visible text of a hyperlink. For editorial links, anchor text is usually natural and descriptive of the linked content, such as the article title or a relevant phrase. Over-optimized anchor text (e.g., exact-match keywords) can signal manipulation to search engines.

Sources

Google Search Central – Spam policies developers.google.com
Ahrefs Glossary – Editorial link ahrefs.com
Google Search Central – SEO Starter Guide developers.google.com
Search Engine Journal searchenginejournal.com
Editorial Links — Backlinkor backlinkor.org

Outbound links are unpaid and nofollow. If one has gone stale, tell me.

Vera Lindqvist

Vera Lindqvist has worked in SEO since 2014 — first in-house at an ecommerce retailer, then freelance for small teams that could not afford an agency. She writes GrowthPedia in her own time and pays for the hosting herself.

Written and maintained by one person. No ads, no affiliates, nothing for sale. Found an error? Tell me and I will log the correction publicly.