Let’s face it—landing edu backlinks is hard. These are the cleanest, most authoritative links you can get, and you know they’d do wonders for your SEO and credibility. But here’s the thing: it’s not like regular link building. Traditional link-building strategies just don’t work here. Instead, you’re faced with two key challenges that make earning edu backlinks especially difficult.
- Offering Value: Universities only link to resources that benefit their students, faculty, or staff.
- Finding the Right Contact: Identifying who manages university website pages is tricky. Without the right contact, pitches often go to the wrong place or get ignored entirely.
Don’t worry, though—we’re not giving you the same old advice. In this guide, we’ll share 6 proven link-building strategies to create content universities want to link to, along with 5 creative ideas that can complement your efforts. You’ll find real-world examples, practical tips, and easy ways to connect with the right people to boost your chances of success. Let’s dive in!
What are Edu Backlinks?
Edu backlinks are links from educational institutions, typically with .edu domains, which are widely trusted and authoritative. However, the value of these links isn’t tied to the domain extension alone. High-quality links from organizations in the education or non-profit sectors, such as those using .org, also hold significant weight.
The key is the source of the link, not just the TLD. Whether it’s a university, a non-profit educational group, or an academic research page, these links enhance your website’s credibility by associating it with respected institutions in the education field.
Why is it Worth Getting Edu Backlinks
Edu backlinks are highly reputable because universities, colleges, and schools have strict content standards and maintain well-regulated websites, ensuring their backlink profiles are free of spam and low-quality links. As a result, search engines like Google consider these sites to be reliable sources of information.
Edu backlinks are often considered among the purest because they prioritize relevance and quality over quantity. Educational websites typically link only to content that adds genuine value to their students, faculty, or research community—such as scholarships, academic resources, or partnerships. Unlike commercial sites, they don’t sell backlinks and aren’t easily open to collaboration. This only strengthens edu websites’ trustworthiness and makes them exceptionally valuable. That’s exactly why most traditional link-building methods fall short—they work better for commercial prospects.
1. Create Valuable Scholarships or Grants
Offering scholarships and grants is a great way to earn quality backlinks from educational institutions since they often share these opportunities on their websites to help students access funding. While scholarships do require a financial commitment, the outreach makes it more impactful. A single scholarship can lead to backlinks from multiple institutions, which are far more valuable than cheaper, lower-quality links. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Create the Scholarship
First of all, creating a scholarship involves deciding who you want to help, such as students in a specific field or from a certain area, and how much money you’ll award. Next, you set clear eligibility criteria, create an application process (e.g., forms, essays, documents), and promote the opportunity on your website or through schools.
Tying the scholarship to your business—through your industry or location—makes it more meaningful. Set a clear amount, eligibility criteria, and application process. Host all this information on a dedicated page on your website.
Step 2: Reach Out to Universities
To effectively promote your scholarship, start by identifying key contacts at universities, such as scholarship offices, financial aid departments, or program coordinators in relevant fields.
Prepare a detailed informational package that includes all key details—scholarship name, purpose, amount, eligibility, application process, deadline, and a link to apply.
Send a professional email with this information, clearly explaining how the scholarship supports students and aligns with the university’s mission. Follow up within a week with a phone call to ensure it has been reviewed.
Step 3: Get Listed on Multiple Websites
When universities notify their students, they often list the scholarship on their scholarship opportunities page, the news section, or even distribute it through internal student portals. This means you’re not just gaining one backlink but potentially several from trusted edu sites.
Real-world Example
Slater & Zurz, a law firm, offered a $5,000 scholarship for Ohio students pursuing law. Applicants submitted a video about their motivation to study law, creating engagement and aligning with university goals.
Through outreach to 406 universities, they secured 8 dofollow edu backlinks. These links are highly authoritative and, by their impact, are equal to multiple regular backlinks.
2. Offer Free Tools or Software for Students
Sharing free tools or software that are useful for students—especially if it's something your organization already has or can easily create—is an effective way to earn edu backlinks. Schools love sharing resources that help their students, so if your tool is practical and relevant, there’s a good chance they’ll link to it on their website. Here’s how you can make this strategy work:
Step 1: Create a Student-Centric Tool
Develop software, templates, or resources that solve a common problem for students. For example, productivity apps, research tools, resume builders, or free trial access to your premium software are all attractive offerings.
Step 2: Host the Tool on a Dedicated Page
Create a webpage with clear information about the tool, including how it helps students, instructions for use, and any conditions for access.
Step 3: Target Relevant Institutions
Reach out to universities with strong ties to your tool's purpose. For example, if you’re offering a coding platform, contact computer science departments.
Step 4: Earn Backlinks
Universities often list free resources for their students on dedicated resource pages, newsletters, or student portals. This allows you to earn multiple backlinks from authoritative edu sites.
Real-world Example
Resume Genius offers a variety of free resume templates and resources that are beneficial for students and job seekers. These tools are designed to assist individuals in creating professional resumes, which can be particularly useful for those entering the job market. Educational institutions often recommend such resources to their students, providing links on their resource pages or career services. This approach helped Resume Genius score 11,000 FOLLOW backlinks, including high-value edu backlinks.
3. Sponsor University Events or Competitions for Edu Backlinks
Sponsoring university events or competitions is a smart way to earn high-quality edu backlinks while building goodwill within academic communities. Here’s a practical step-by-step guide to make it work:
Step 1: Identify Relevant Events
Start by researching universities in your area (or aligned with your industry). Look for conferences, competitions, or events that align with your business—even if the connection isn’t direct.
Step 2: Make the Initial Pitch
Reach out to the event organizer or the university department running the event. Keep it simple and friendly:
- Introduce your business and express interest in sponsoring.
- Ask for details about sponsorship opportunities, mentioning you’d like to contribute with a specific amount or resource.
Step 3: Confirm Backlink Opportunities
As you discuss sponsorship options, ensure the package includes a backlink to your website. This could be on event pages, press releases, or any materials promoting the event. Clarify the visibility your sponsorship will provide and confirm the backlink as part of the agreement.
Step 4: Maintain a Connection
Build relationships with these institutions for future opportunities. A one-time sponsorship could turn into an ongoing partnership, helping you secure more backlinks over time.
Real-world Example
Sponsoring university events is an effective strategy for businesses to gain valuable edu backlinks. For instance, Midland University offers various sponsorship levels for businesses, including Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Friend, and Supporter tiers. Sponsors at the Platinum and Gold levels receive their business logo on the university's website, complete with a backlink, while others(Silver, Bronze, Friend, and Supporter) get their business name listed.
4. Provide Internship or Job Opportunities
Offering internships or job opportunities tailored to specific universities or faculties is a fantastic way to build relationships and earn edu backlinks. Here’s how to effectively implement this strategy:
Step 1: Identify Target Universities and Faculties
Choose universities or faculties that align with your business’s industry. For example, target marketing or sales departments if you’re in a related field. Avoid unrelated areas, like medical faculties if your industry has no relation to the field.
Step 2: Craft a Customized Pitch
Write a personalized email to the university’s career center or relevant department. Highlight the specific internship or job opportunities you’re offering and emphasize how they are designed with their students in mind. Mention any specialties their programs offer that align with your opportunity to clarify why their students would be a great fit.
Step 3: Offer Student-Friendly Opportunities
Provide paid internships or unique job roles that stand out and appeal to students. Include clear benefits like skill-building, mentorship, or industry exposure. The more specific and engaging the opportunity, the more likely universities will share it on their platforms.
Step 4: Encourage News Section Placement
When reaching out, make sure that the internship or job posting is included in the university’s news or opportunities section. Tailor your position description to make it feel exclusive for their students to increase the likelihood of publication and backlink inclusion.
Customizing your approach and ensuring a strong connection between your business and the university or faculty is key to making this strategy successful. By emphasizing how your opportunity aligns with their students’ career paths, you increase the chances of earning a backlink and gaining exposure.
Real-world Example
Florida State University’s Career Center includes links to businesses offering internships directly on its resource page, such as Search Internships. This way, companies featured here gain authoritative edu backlinks.
5. Digital PR to Gain Edu Backlinks
Digital PR is an effective strategy for earning .edu backlinks by creating university-focused campaigns that are both relevant and unique. The goal is to develop content that showcases something exceptional about the universities, encouraging them to share it. Here’s how to execute it:
Step 1: Create Unique, University-Centered Content
Focus on ranking or highlighting universities based on specific achievements, like the number of graduates who become CEOs, entrepreneurs, or celebrities. The more unique and data-driven the content, the better your chances of gaining attention.
Step 2: Target the Right Universities
Choose universities that would take pride in the achievements you’re spotlighting, such as those with high numbers of notable graduates. Tailor your content to align with their strengths and values.
Step 3: Personalized Outreach
Contact the universities directly with your content. Highlight how it reflects positively on them and suggest that they share it on their website or news section. A personalized approach increases the likelihood of being featured.
By crafting campaigns that celebrate university accomplishments, you create a win-win scenario: the universities gain recognition, and you secure valuable edu backlinks.
Real-world Example
A practical example of leveraging Digital PR to secure .edu backlinks is the collaboration between the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Money Magazine. In June 2016, Money Magazine compiled a list highlighting universities that produced the most Fortune 500 CEOs, using data from the educational backgrounds of the recently released Fortune 500. The University of Wisconsin–Madison was featured in this list, which was then showcased on the university's Office of Business Engagement website(screenshot below).
6. Guest Posting
Guest posting is a popular link-building strategy where you write and publish content on someone else’s website, in exchange for a backlink to your site.
However, when it comes to edu backlinks, guest posting can be a bit trickier. While it's common to secure guest posts on blogs or websites within your industry, or even in broader educational industry, educational institutions—like universities and colleges—rarely allow guest posts because their primary focus is to serve students, faculty, and the academic community, not promote commercial interests.
Real-world Example
As we mentioned above, securing edu backlinks through guest posting is rare, but we found a unique opportunity with EDUCAUSE, which allows guest contributions. To succeed, it’s crucial to align with their contributor guidelines. Content should focus on higher education topics, such as teaching strategies or educational technology, and must be original, research-driven, and professionally written. Articles should avoid self-promotion and include proper citations to ensure credibility. By following these guidelines, you can increase your chances of securing an edu backlink from EDUCAUSE.
Additional Strategies for Edu Backlinks
With the five main strategies covered, let’s explore a few more creative ideas on how to get backlinks from edu sites. These additional approaches might take a bit more effort, but edu backlinks are worth it, as they’re incredibly authoritative and can have a much bigger impact on your search rankings than regular links. Here’s how to go the extra mile.
Interview Faculty Members
Interviewing faculty members involves creating high-quality content by featuring conversations with distinguished professors or researchers and sharing their insights on your platform. This strategy works best if you have a reputable and authoritative blog or platform that universities see as credible. By interviewing faculty members, you can create high-value content that universities are willing to feature on their websites with a backlink. Here’s what you can do to leverage this strategy:
Step 1: Target Reputable Faculty Members
Reach out to professors or researchers who are well-known in their field or have achieved significant recognition. Their reputation adds credibility to the interview and makes it more likely the university will share it.
Step 2: Focus on Relevant and Meaningful Topics
Structure the interview around topics tied to the faculty member’s expertise, such as recent research, industry contributions, or academic achievements. Choose subjects that reflect positively on both the faculty member and the university.
Step 3: Reach Out to the University
After publishing, contact the university’s media or PR team to share the content. Highlight how the interview spotlights their faculty’s achievements and represents the university positively. This increases the likelihood they’ll feature it on their news or media page with a backlink to your site.
Host Webinars or Workshops for Students and Faculty
This strategy works well for established businesses with expertise in their field. Hosting educational webinars or workshops for university students or faculty positions you as a valuable resource and encourages universities to promote your event, often with a backlink to your platform. Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Choose a Topic that Showcases Your Expertise
Focus on a topic directly related to your industry that aligns with the academic interests of the university. For example, a digital marketing firm might offer a workshop on social media strategies for career growth.
Step 2: Customize the Event for the University
Tailor your session to meet the needs of the university’s students or faculty. Mention how the workshop is designed specifically with their academic focus or professional goals in mind.
Step 3: Collaborate with the University for Promotion
Work with the university’s event or PR team to promote the session. Suggest adding the event to their official calendar or news section with a link to your website or registration page.
Step 4: Follow Up and Build a Partnership
After the event, thank the university for their collaboration and explore potential future opportunities. This keeps the relationship open for ongoing engagement and additional backlinks.
Collaborate on Research Projects or Whitepapers
If your organization is well-known and established, partnering with universities on research projects or whitepapers can effectively earn edu backlinks. Universities often showcase such collaborations on their websites, linking back to your platform. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Find Universities or Departments in Your Field
Identify academic institutions and departments whose focus aligns with your industry. For example, a renewable energy company might partner with an environmental science department.
Step 2: Pitch a Collaborative Research Idea
Present a research concept or whitepaper idea that benefits both your business and the university. The topic should address current challenges or trends in the field, making it valuable to both academic and industry audiences.
Step 3: Leverage Your Expertise
Contribute specialized knowledge, industry data, or resources to the project. This positions your organization as a credible and valuable partner in the collaboration.
Step 4: Ensure Prominent Placement
Work with the university to publish the whitepaper or research findings on their official website, ideally in a section highlighting collaborations or academic achievements. Secure a backlink to your website as a credited contributor.
Get Featured on Alumni Pages and Directories
Getting featured on alumni pages or directories is a strategy with a limited scope, as it works best if your business is founded or led by graduates of a specific university. Many universities maintain alumni directories or highlight notable alumni achievements on their websites, making this a potential opportunity for an edu backlink. Here’s how to approach this:
Step 1: Identify Relevant Universities
Focus on universities where you or your company’s leadership team graduated. This strategy typically applies if the CEO or founder is an alumnus.
Step 2: Leverage Notable Achievements
Highlight achievements tied to your business or leadership that the university would be proud to share. This could include industry recognition, innovation, or significant contributions.
Step 3: Contact the Alumni Office
Reach out to the university’s alumni relations or PR team. Share details about your business and explain why it’s relevant to feature in their directory or alumni spotlight.
Step 4: Secure a Backlink
If featured, ensure that the university includes a link to your business’s website as part of the profile or mention.
Offer Discounts to Faculty and Students
Offering exclusive discounts to faculty and students is an excellent way to build goodwill with universities and potentially earn backlinks from their official websites. However, this strategy works best if your business is already established and reputable, as universities are more likely to share promotions from credible companies. How to Execute:
Step 1: Research Current Discounts
Use search queries like site:.edu + “student discounts” or site:.edu + “faculty discounts” to find universities already offering similar discounts.
Step 2: Create a Compelling Offer
Ensure your product or service is something students and faculty use regularly, such as food delivery, tech products, or professional services.
Step 3: Contact the Right Channels
Reach out to university resource managers or webmaster teams, highlighting the benefits of your offer for their audience.
Step 4: Start Locally
Begin with universities in your area to build credibility and expand outward as you gain success.
Edu Webpages Most Likely to Link to Your Content
- Financial Aid and Scholarship Pages: Universities link to external scholarships or grants relevant to their students.
- Resource Sections for Students and Faculty: Pages featuring tools, guides, or services that benefit the university community.
- University Department Pages: Departments link to content aligned with their field, like internships, research, or industry resources.
- Events and Workshops Pages: Universities promote relevant events or workshops, often linking to the organizer.
- Research and Publication Directories: Academic directories link to collaborative research, whitepapers, or data contributions.
Finding Prospects Made Easy with Linkee AI
Securing edu backlinks can do wonders for your credibility, but finding the right opportunities can feel like a full-time job.
That’s where Linkee comes in. The tool simplifies the process, delivering top edu link opportunities straight away. No endless searching or guesswork—just quality prospects ready to help boost your authority.
Save time and focus on building a strong edu backlink profile that delivers real results.
Maria Harutyunyan is the co-founder at Loopex Digital, one of the fast-growing SEO agencies in the world. She grew the agency to a 7-figure from the ground up in 3 years. Outside of Loopex Digital, Harutyunyan is a keynote speaker and SEO coach. She is the founder of the first SEO academy, an off-line training program in Yerevan, Armenia.
