Definition
Netlinking refers to all techniques and strategies implemented to obtain inbound links (backlinks) to a website with the goal of improving its authority and positioning in search engines. This practice is a fundamental pillar of off-page SEO and is based on the principle that search engines, particularly Google, consider links as votes of confidence between websites. An effective netlinking strategy combines several approaches: creating linkable content, digital press relations, editorial partnerships, guest posting, and link placement through specialized platforms. The goal is to build a diversified, progressive, and topically coherent link profile, while avoiding penalizable practices like mass purchasing of low-quality links.
Key Points
- Netlinking should prioritize quality and topical relevance over quantity
- A progressive and steady strategy is more effective and less risky than mass acquisition
- Diversifying sources (site types, anchors, target pages) is essential for a natural profile
Practical Examples
Press relations campaign
You publish an original study on industry trends and contact journalists and bloggers to relay the information with a link to your study, generating natural and authoritative backlinks.
Link building platform
You use a platform like LemmiLink to identify relevant publishers in your niche and negotiate editorial link placements in quality articles.
Frequently Asked Questions
The two terms are very close and often used interchangeably. Netlinking is a primarily French term encompassing the entire link acquisition strategy. Link building is the equivalent English term. In practice, there is no significant difference between the two concepts.
Netlinking carries risks only if the practices used violate Google's guidelines: mass purchasing of low-quality links, excessive use of exact-match anchors, use of detectable PBNs. A well-managed, progressive, quality-focused netlinking strategy is not only risk-free but essential for any ambitious SEO project.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07