Earning mentions without buying links
Bought links are a risk and deliver less and less. Mentions you earn, with partners, in local news and in your industry, build authority that stays.
New to this topic? Start with Building authority as a solo business: why a small company can beat a big brand
Why buying is not a good idea
Spend some time on SEO and you will come across them: offers for links on other websites, per link or per package. It sounds like a quick route to authority.
Google is clear about it. Links bought to influence rankings go against its guidelines. Sites that do this at scale can receive a manual action, and links from networks that exist for this purpose are increasingly ignored. You then pay for something that delivers nothing, or worse.
There is a second reason too. AI search engines look at how often and where a business is mentioned to decide whether it is a reliable source. A mention on a site nobody reads and that writes about everything contributes little. A mention in local news or on your trade association's site does.
What makes a good mention
Not every mention is worth the same. A few traits of mentions that count:
| Trait | Why it counts |
|---|---|
| Relevant | The site is about your trade, your region or your customers |
| Actually read | People visit the site who do not come through a link network |
| In context | You are named in a text that is about something, not in a list of a hundred |
| Earned | Someone names you because you have something to offer |
A mention without a link counts as well. AI systems recognise your business name in a text, even when there is no link to your site.
Start with who you already know
The easiest mentions come from people and businesses you already work with:
- Suppliers. Many manufacturers and wholesalers have a page listing certified installers, dealers or partners. Ask whether you can be on it.
- Business partners. A contractor you often hire, an accountant who refers customers to you. A partner page or a joint project is a logical place.
- Trade association. Members are often listed in a searchable directory. Check that your details are correct and complete.
- Customers with their own site. A satisfied business customer is often happy to post a short case or reference.
- Local organisations. Sponsoring the football club or contributing to a neighbourhood event often gets you a mention on their site.
Local media: a story, not a press release
Local news sites and community papers are always looking for stories from the area. A press release about your new website will not make it. A story will.
What makes a story:
- Something new in the area, such as being the first in town to offer a certain service
- A milestone with a human side, such as twenty years on the same street
- A contribution to the neighbourhood, such as a free advice hour or a charity campaign
- An observation about something that is going on, such as what you see in your work of the effects of new rules
Email the editors briefly, with the story in two sentences and a contact person who can be reached.
Make something others want to mention
A strong way to earn mentions is to make something others want to refer to. For a small business it does not need to be big:
- An overview that does not exist yet. All subsidy schemes for making homes more sustainable in your municipality, kept up to date.
- Your own numbers. What you see in your own work, honestly measured. An installer who tracks how much energy older houses save after insulation has something a journalist can quote.
- A practical guide. A checklist customers use before requesting a quote.
Pages like these get shared, linked and used in AI answers, because they answer a question nobody else answers as well. How to write them so AI cites them is covered in writing so AI cites you.
Guest contributions, done right
Writing an article for a trade magazine, an industry site or a partner's blog can be valuable. The difference between a good and a bad guest contribution:
- Good: a professional article for a site your audience actually reads, with a link that fits the content.
- Bad: the same general article on ten sites that accept any article on any topic.
The first builds your name. The second is a disguised form of buying links.
Keep track of what appears about you
Earning mentions is a habit, not a campaign. Keep track of where you are mentioned, which contacts you approached and what was published. A few times a year, check whether links have disappeared or mentions carry outdated details.
If you find a mention of your business name without a link, a friendly request to add one is often enough.
How dGENIX helps
The SEO Engine shows who links to you, which links you gained or lost, which ones are harmful and which links your competitor has that you do not. That last one is a practical list of places where you could be mentioned too. It points out places per industry where you can be listed and keeps track of what is live.
The Authority Engine writes the articles worth referring to, as drafts in your CMS. And with the Deep Research skill you have GENI find out which local media, associations and partners in your region are relevant.
The foundation is in building authority as a solo business. Why automated cold outreach does not work here, you can read in automated cold outreach does not work.
Frequently asked questions
How many mentions do I need?
There is no fixed number. A handful of relevant mentions from sites in your trade and region does more than a hundred random ones. Compare yourself with the businesses ranking above you now, not with an abstract number.
Are nofollow links worthless?
No. They pass on less authority directly, but they bring in visitors, and the mention of your name counts for recognition by search engines and AI systems.
Can I ask a partner for a link?
Yes. A partner who recommends you because you work together is exactly the kind of mention that is earned. It only becomes a problem when money or a favour changes hands purely for the link.
