How to Build Backlinks Using LinkedIn Automation

Intro

Backlinks aren’t just essential to SEO. Sure, you get domain authority. However, the real reason you’d want backlinks is to grow your network. If we strip it down, backlinking is about building relationships. You’re reaching out and providing value. This is true no matter the strategy.

When building authentic relationships with peers in your industry, there’s no better platform than LinkedIn. In this article, we’ll show you how to build backlinks using LinkedIn automation that doesn’t compromise authenticity.

LinkedIn Backlink Building Vs. Cold Email Outreach

Cold email outreach lets you reach thousands of web admins. But when your email lands in your prospects’ inboxes, they’ll see a pitch. One that they’ve probably seen a hundred times before. You can personalize emails, and there might be mutual value. However, the process can still feel a bit transactional.

With LinkedIn, you trade volume for more authentic connections. You’ll be nurturing prospects instead of sending a backlink-building pitch. You’re building familiarity over time—whether it’s through thoughtful comments, DMs, or shared content.

Once you've built rapport, you can offer to collaborate on content, contribute a quote, or suggest a relevant post from your site that they can link to. And the best part? You don’t have to choose between personalization and authenticity.

Backlink Building Strategies Using LinkedIn Automation

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The backlink-building process on LinkedIn starts with finding the websites you want to reach out to, finding the web admins on LinkedIn, and starting nurturing. This is easy enough for a handful of prospects. But if you want to link velocity, you’ll need the right LinkedIn automation strategies.

Find a LinkedIn Outreach Automation Tool

There are dozens of LinkedIn automation tools on the market, like La Growth Machine, Expandi, and Lemlist. But one of the cheapest LinkedIn automation tools we found is Botdog. If you want to focus on safe outreach automation, it’s arguably the best bang for the buck.

Reverse Engineer the Backlink Building Process

If you’re using cold email to build backlinks, chances are you’re using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find websites you want to reach out to, then enrich the data to find an email you can add to your list.

On LinkedIn, you can go straight to the source. Use LinkedIn’s advanced filters or Boolean Logic to pinpoint prospects within your industry. If you target C-level prospects or business owners, there’s a high chance they’ll have their own websites.

Before reaching out, check if they’ve written blog content, shared articles, or are actively managing a website. This increases the chance they control or influence backlinks.

Check the Domain Authority and Content of the Sites

Extract the websites from the list you’ve made and add them to a bulk domain authority checker. Go for sites that have at least 30 DA. However, it’s important to note that low DA doesn’t mean low quality.

DA is a third-party metric. Every tool has its way of determining DA. What’s important here is getting backlinks from websites with quality content that’s relevant to yours. This is especially true if the website is within your niche with engaged traffic.

Start Outreach Automation on LinkedIn

Once you have a list of websites and people you want to build backlinks with, it’s time to start automating outreach using your LinkedIn automation tool. Here’s what that looks like using Botdog:

All you need to do is upload the list you built, and Botdog will handle the rest of the automation process. Of course, you can use any LinkedIn automation tool you want, but ensure it mimics human behavior and follows LinkedIn’s guidelines to avoid issues.

Earning Backlinks on LinkedIn: Building Authority + Outreach

As mentioned earlier, when you send invites to prospects, you’re looking to build genuine connections, not pitching a backlink request. Before asking for backlinks, you must establish yourself as an authority in your space.

When you do outreach for backlinks, it’ll be in the form of nurturing. You’re providing value with each backlink request that benefits your prospects and their audience. Here’s what you can do:

Publish High-Quality Content Based on Expertise and Experience

Even if you’re writing about a topic discussed multiple times, you can still offer unique insights based on personal experience. Let’s say you’re writing about “How to Get More Google Reviews.”

It’s been written about a thousand times. But instead of repeating the basics (“ask after appointments,” “send follow-up emails”), you take it in a new direction based on your test:

We noticed patients ignored our follow-up texts asking for Google reviews—until we changed the tone. Instead of the usual ‘We’d love your feedback!’ message, we tested a more emotionally-driven ask:

“Hey {{first name}}, thank you again for trusting us today. If you felt cared for, it would mean the world to us if you left a quick review. It helps other nervous patients feel safe choosing us, too.”

Engage With Your Network Through Content

After publishing, you could either sit and let LinkedIn’s algorithm decide your fate or be proactive and share your content with the people in your network. A simple message like:

“Hey, {{first name}}, I saw you shared a post last week about {{topic}}. We actually wrote an article about {{supporting topic}} that you might be interested in. I’d love if you could give me your thoughts.”

You can scale this through LinkedIn automation. Add the people you want to build backlinks with and create an automated sequence with follow-ups. The sequence can go like this:

1. Initial message: Sharing an article you wrote
2. After 3 days: Follow-up (if no reply)
3. After 5 days (or if you get a positive reply), send a message asking for a backlink

If prospects reply positively, they find value in it—the perfect time to ask for a backlink. But don’t ask for it right away. Let it simmer. Then, try sending a message like:

“Hey, {{first name}} I read an article you wrote about {{topic}}. And I love the insights you had about {{specific part}}. We have information that goes a bit in-depth if you want to use it as a resource. The backlink would also be much appreciated.”

Run Outreach for People Who Like & Share LinkedIn Content

If your LinkedIn content is gaining traction, you have a good number of potential backlink leads you can reach out to. It doesn’t even have to be your content. You can find relevant content for your niche and build a lead list from people who like, share, or comment on the post.

Remember to filter out the list. Ensure that you’re targeting decision-makers, website admins, or business owners. Then, you can add them to an automated sequence campaign (invite + message when they accept).

In your message, you can say something like:

“Hey {{first name}}, I remember seeing your comment on a post last week about {{topic}}. I’m reaching out because we just published an article about {{sub topic}} that you might be interested in.”

Then, depending on their reply, you can adjust how you ask for a backlink. You can be direct, play the long game, or take a more nurturing-oriented approach.

Leverage LinkedIn Polls for Engagement + Lead List Building

Polls are one of the easiest ways to drive engagement on LinkedIn—and they can double as a lead-gen tool for your backlink-building efforts. Let’s say you publish a poll like:

“What’s your biggest struggle with SEO right now?”

• Getting backlinks
• Ranking in local search
• Technical SEO
• Content creation

When people vote, they have a list of names segmented by need. From there, you can start outreach like this:

“Hey {{first name}}, thanks for voting in our SEO poll the other day! Since backlinks came up a lot, we just published this guide on earning backlinks without cold emails. Thought you might find it useful.”

If they respond or engage, that’s your green light to keep the conversation going—and potentially mention your article as a link-worthy resource for their audience.

Pitch Collaborative Content Instead of Asking for a Link

Instead of cold-pitching your blog post and asking for a backlink, flip the script and invite your prospects to contribute to the content.

“Hey {{first name}}, I’m putting together a collaborative post with marketers who’ve found creative ways to earn backlinks. Would love to include a tip or quote from you!”

It’s a win-win. People love to be featured, and once your article goes live, they’re far more likely to share it—and even link to it on their blog or resource page.

Key Takeaways

LinkedIn is the best platform for relationship-based link-building. You’re not just earning backlinks—you’re connecting with real people you want in your professional network. To recap, here are some strategies to build backlinks on LinkedIn:

• Start by providing value, not asking for links. Whether it’s thoughtful comments, engaging content, or DM conversations, warm your prospects before asking.
• Use creative tactics to stand out. Polls, collaborative content, and comment-led outreach can open doors that cold emails usually can’t.
• Always position your content as helpful. Don’t pitch a backlink—offer a resource they can use. If it’s genuinely helpful, the link often follows naturally.