Who should I follow to learn about link building?

If you want to learn link building properly, I'd follow a mix of hands-on link builders, SEO researchers, and digital PR experts. The goal is to learn how to earn relevant, high-quality backlinks - not just how to send thousands of outreach emails.

6 people and resources worth following

1. Julian Goldie

Practical tactics

Good for learning link-building workflows, outreach, scaling campaigns, and AI-assisted SEO. His content is particularly suited to people who want actionable tutorials.

Follow: YouTube · Website

2. Tim Soulo

Good for understanding link quality, backlink analysis, and why some pages attract links while others don't. His beginner's guide is an excellent foundation. Link Building for SEO: The Beginner’s Guide

Follow: Ahrefs link-building guide · X

3. Aleyda Solis

Useful for broader SEO strategy and understanding how link acquisition fits into sustainable organic growth. Follow her alongside specialists who focus exclusively on backlinks.

Follow: Website · X

4. Glen Allsopp

Best for competitive research and in-depth case studies showing how websites grow through content, authority, and organic search. Read his analyses to learn how to investigate successful sites rather than blindly copy tactics.

Follow: Detailed

5. Ross Simmonds

Good for learning content distribution, audience development, and how to make content worth referencing. These skills are especially valuable for earning editorial backlinks.

Follow: Website · X

6. Sam Oh

Best for beginner-friendly video lessons covering prospecting, outreach, backlink fundamentals, and practical SEO execution.

Follow: Ahrefs Academy

Where I'd start

If you're new to link building, I'd learn in this order:

1. Learn the fundamentals: Start with Ahrefs' free SEO course. It includes a dedicated link-building module and outreach lessons. Link Building Tactics for BeginnersAhrefs Academy: Learn how to apply Ahrefs’ tools & data in your Digital Marketing
2. Study real campaigns: Follow Julian Goldie for tactical ideas, but look for examples with measurable results rather than just impressive screenshots.
3. Learn digital PR: Study how original research, useful resources, and expert commentary earn editorial links.
4. Practice prospecting and outreach: Identify relevant websites, personalize pitches, and track which approaches earn genuine links.
5. Understand Google's spam policies: Avoid paid links intended to manipulate rankings, private blog networks, and automated link schemes.

My recommendation: Start with Tim Soulo for fundamentals, Julian Goldie for execution, and Ross Simmonds for content distribution.

One question so I can narrow this down: What kind of link building do you want to learn?

To learn link building effectively, you want to follow practitioners who focus on data-driven, white-hat outreach, digital PR, and modern SEO strategies rather than outdated or spammy tactics.

The top experts, creators, and resources to follow to master link building include:

1. Industry Authorities & SEO Educators

• Brian Dean (Backlinko / Semrush): Though he sold Backlinko, his older guides (like The Skyscraper Technique and The Definitive Guide to Link Building) remain the foundational blueprints for modern outreach and content-driven link acquisition.

• Gael Breton & Mark Webster (Authority Hacker): They offer some of the most practical, no-nonsense training on modern link building, PBN safety, and scaling white-hat outreach processes for affiliate and content sites.

• Nathan Gotch (Gotch SEO): Known for deeply technical, highly structured frameworks on how to build links systematically through email outreach, digital PR, and competitor analysis.

• Matt Diggity: Excellent for testing what actually moves the needle in SEO. He frequently publishes case studies on advanced link building tactics, guest posting, and programmatic SEO.

2. Digital PR & Outreach Specialists (The Modern Way to Link Build)

• Ross Tavendale (Type A Media): A master of Digital PR. Since traditional guest posting has saturated, learning Digital PR (getting links from news sites and major publications via data studies and reactive journalism) is essential. Ross shares great, practical breakdowns on how to do this.

• Andi Jarvis: Frequently shares insights on strategy and organic growth, heavily emphasizing real-world marketing relationships over automated spam.

3. Corporate Channels & Software Blogs

Sometimes the best educators are the teams behind the major tools, as they process billions of data points daily:

• Ahrefs Blog & YouTube Channel: Sam Oh and the rest of the Ahrefs team put out incredible step-by-step video tutorials on broken link building, unlinked brand mentions, and competitor link replication.

• Semrush Blog: They regularly update comprehensive guides on authority metrics, backlink audits, and scalable link-building campaigns.

Where to start?

If you are a beginner, start by looking up Ahrefs' link-building tutorials on YouTube for visual walkthroughs, and read Backlinko's guide on The Skyscraper Technique to understand how to create link-worthy assets.

What specific type of website are you building links for (e.g., a local business, an e-commerce store, or an affiliate content site)? I can point you toward the exact strategies that work best for your niche.

To learn effective, modern link building, you want to follow practitioners who focus on white-hat outreach, digital PR, and content-driven authority rather than spammy shortcuts.

Top authorities, blogs, and resources to follow include:

** Brian Dean** (Founder of Backlinko) – Famous for pioneering actionable, step-by-step link-building frameworks like the Skyscraper Technique. His archives and video guides are masterclasses in creating linkable assets.

Aleyda Solis (International SEO Consultant & Founder of Orainti) – Through her educational roadmap and YouTube series Crawling Mondays , she provides comprehensive breakdowns of modern off-page optimization and link strategy.

Neil Patel – One of the most visible digital marketing educators, offering extensive case studies and beginner-to-advanced guides on earning backlinks through content marketing.

Ann Smarty (Brand Manager at Internet Marketing Ninjas) – Regularly shares practical, day-to-day tactical advice on blogger outreach and organic link acquisition across her platforms and SEO Smarty.

Cyrus Shepard (Founder of Zyppy SEO) – Well known for his deep-dive technical guides on smart outreach, broken link building, and earning links through earned media. Top link-building services in 2026: A strategic, SEO8 Best Link Building Expert Skills You Need to Master in 202659 SEO Link Building Experts To Follow on Twitter

Top Industry Publication Blogs to Follow

• • Ahrefs Blog – Widely regarded as one of the best tactical resources for data-driven link building case studies and reverse-engineering competitor link profiles.

• Moz Blog – Exceptional for foundational learning, beginner link-building guides, and understanding core authority metrics like Domain Authority.

If you want to narrow this down, let me know:

• Are you looking for strategies for a small local business , a SaaS startup , or a large enterprise site?
• Do you prefer learning via video tutorials , podcasts , or written case studies?

Follow Ahrefs for beginner-friendly guides, Matt Diggity for advanced strategies and case studies, and Marie Haynes for how link building intersects with Google’s algorithms and penalties.(editorial.link)

If you want to learn link building, follow practitioners who share real strategies, case studies, and experiments rather than recycled SEO theory. Some of the most respected voices today include Abdullah Mahmud, Charles Floate, Paddy Moogan, Brian Dean, and Aleyda Solis.Top 50 Link Building Experts in 2026 – Industry LeadersBest SEO Experts 2026: The Top 10 | Link Building MasteryTop SEO Experts to Follow in 2026 for Proven Growth Strategies

🔑 Key Link Building Experts to Follow

📌 How to Get Value from Following Them

• Look for case studies: Experts like Paddy Moogan and Glen Allsopp publish detailed breakdowns of campaigns, not just tips.

• Balance theory with practice: Brian Dean and Neil Patel are great for frameworks, but pair them with practitioners like Charles Floate or Abdullah Mahmud for cutting-edge tactics.

• Diversify perspectives: Follow both technical (Kasra Dash, Cyrus Shepard) and PR/content-driven voices (Aleyda Solis, Ann Smarty) to cover all angles of link building.

• Engage with their platforms: Many run newsletters, YouTube channels, or LinkedIn posts where they share experiments and updates.

⚠️ Risks & Challenges

• Outdated tactics: Some link-building advice online is spammy or obsolete. Avoid anyone promising “guaranteed rankings” or selling bulk links.

• Algorithm shifts: Google’s stance on link schemes evolves; experts like Marie Haynes and Lily Ray are worth following for updates on E-E-A-T and quality signals.Best SEO Experts 2026: The Top 10 | Link Building MasteryTop SEO Experts to Follow in 2026 for Proven Growth Strategies

• Echo chambers: Don’t rely on one voice. Cross-check advice across multiple experts to avoid bias.

👉 Would you like me to create a curated “starter list” of their best resources (books, blogs, YouTube channels, newsletters) so you can dive in immediately without sifting through their entire content libraries?