Link building is absolutely still relevant in 2025, but the game has changed significantly from the volume-focused tactics of 2010-2015. Google's algorithms have become sophisticated enough to evaluate not just whether a link exists, but the topical relevance of the linking site, the authority of the specific page linking to you, and whether the link pattern looks natural or manufactured. What works now is earning links from sites that already rank for topics related to yours. A link from a Canadian business directory with DR 45 that covers your industry will typically outperform a link from a generic high-DR site with no topical overlap. We see this consistently across our portfolio when comparing link impact on rankings. The metrics that matter in 2025: - Domain authority of the linking page (not just the root domain) - Topical relevance between your content and theirs - Traffic the linking page actually receives - Natural anchor text distribution (mostly branded or URL, some topical) - Link velocity that matches your site's growth stage What doesn't work anymore is guest posting on every site that accepts submissions, buying links from PBNs, or chasing pure DA/DR numbers without context. Google's spam detection has gotten much better at identifying these patterns, and we've seen multiple portfolio sites lose rankings after acquiring too many low-relevance links too quickly. At Ottawa SEO, we focus on three channels: digital PR for natural editorial links, strategic partnerships with complementary Canadian businesses, and creating genuinely useful resources that earn links without outreach. The time investment per quality link has gone up, but each link delivers more ranking impact than the spray-and-pray approaches of previous years. The short answer: yes, links still matter immensely, but quality and context have completely replaced quantity as the success metric.