Guide to Link Building in Japan – Updated for 2025

As a Link Building agency in Japan, we often receive many requests from clients to build links to their websites. In the last few years, we have tried a variety of techniques. In this article, we discuss various Link Building techniques in Japan. We will share how Link Building is different from western cultures. We will also share what techniques work best and what failed for us over the last decade.

Algorithmically, using backlinks to evaluate sites is not a perfect science. Interestingly enough, Google admitted that it has tried removing backlinks from its algorithms. Unfortunately, there is no better method. As imperfect as Google link evaluation algorithms are, Link Building is still considered by SEO experts as one of the top 3 ranking factors for SEO.

Is Japanese Link Building Like the US or Europe?

In a word, “yes.” The same “Penguin” algorithms from Google that track links work almost the same in Japanese as they do in other languages. However, there are business, cultural, and sometimes legal differences between Japan and the West. Your approaches may vary, and we’ll cover some of those below.

Elements of Google Backlinks

Below are common elements of high-quality backlinks. This applies to Japan as well as the rest of the online world.

1. What matters are good quality links on the page
2. Backlinks need to come from a high-authority site
3. Backlinks need to be relevant

Let’s do a quick review of each of these.

#1 Good Quality Links On the Page

The position of the backlink on the page matters a lot. The highest quality backlinks are in content links that are relevant to your topic. Being mentioned in the top two or three paragraphs is important. Links hidden in footers or sidebars don’t work nearly as much as in content links.

#2 Backlinks Should Be from High-Authority Sites

Getting a backlink from a high-authority site is significantly more valuable than one from an unknown or untrusted source. Site authority is typically measured in two ways:

1. The number of backlinks the site has.
2. The number of branded searches the site receives.

Authority sites are often reliable sources respected by experts in their industries.

Examples of high-authority sites:

• In the U.S.: The New York Times, The New England Journal of Medicine.
• In Japan: Nikkei, Toyo Keizai, Yahoo Japan News, Huffington Post Japan, ITMedia, MSN, Infoseek, among others.

Do note that smaller high-authority sites exist within specific niches and can be just as valuable for targeted Link Building efforts.

#3 Backlinks Must Be Relevant

A backlink must be relevant to both the content it appears in and your overall site. Relevance is one of the most underrated factors when evaluating backlinks. While most SEO tools, such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, effectively report links to your site, they often fail to evaluate relevance. (One exception is Majestic SEO’s Topical Trust Flow.)

Google traditionally uses the “anchor text” of a link as a clue for measuring relevance. For example:

• Does the anchor text align with the primary keywords of the page it links to?
• Does the surrounding topic match the content on the linked page?

While anchor text still matters, it doesn’t carry as much weight as it did in 2011. Today, “page relevance” or “site relevance” matters far more. 

Ultimately, what’s crucial is maintaining a relevant and high-quality Link Profile.

A Brief History of Link Building in Japan

When doing link audits for more mature companies in Japan, we often find old or outdated techniques that worked before Google released the Penguin Algorithm in 2012.

Surprisingly, some SEO companies still employ these techniques today. These days, Google’s algorithms are smart enough to ignore gratuitous backlinks. And in some cases, you could receive a Google Penalty.

The latest Google Algorithm update related to backlinks is known as the  December 2022 Link Spam update, which “neutralizes” the impact of unnatural links on search results by both mechanical and manual reviews. A few of the latest link spam updates were intended to negate the value of unnatural links rather than penalize the site by taking down the rankings.

However, it doesn’t mean that you are safe after building many backlinks using black hat techniques because you’ve already been “penalized” for having spent time on something totally invalid. Also, you can be penalized by upcoming updates anytime in the future.

What is Link Building Like in Japan?

It’s sad to say that after providing Link Building services as part of the holistic SEO strategy for more than four years, we haven’t met any link builders or Link Building agencies in Japan who really practice white-hat techniques or build links in creative ways.

Instead, many of them just ask for a backlink directly, offering money, or build hundreds or thousands of PBNs called “satellite sites” and simply give links back from these sites. Some reasons may be a lack of experienced personnel and low cost-effectiveness, especially in the case of agencies. Link Building in Japan is challenging and costly.

Link Building Techniques That Don’t Work

Based on our experience, the techniques below either don’t work at all or only provide minimal gains.

Directory Registration

It used to be that you could rank by just entering your site in a number of free or paid link directories. One such directory was JOY (Japanese Yellow Pages) or Portalnet.info. As these sites no longer have value many of them are being decommissioned.

Paid Submissions

There also used to be paid submission sites like Submit! You paid them a small fee, and, voila, you could rank. But these have become directory links.

Link Trading/Reciprocal Links

Link trading is a simple concept: “I’ll link to your website if you link to mine.” The idea is that both parties benefit from each other’s links. Google has said that reciprocal links aren’t necessarily bad. For instance, they can be part of PR announcements when two companies form a partnership. However, if this technique is overused, it can lead to a Google penalty.

We occasionally allow link trading, but only after carefully evaluating the target site. If the site’s content is relevant to yours, a link from your site to theirs may be seen as natural. Some websites still maintain “link exchange” lists (called Sogo link lists in Japanese).

While these can provide quick, easy backlinks, most of them are irrelevant to your site. After the latest link spam update, Google can easily detect these reciprocal links, which add little value. In fact, they may even result in a penalty, so they are not worth pursuing.

Fewer sites are built specifically for automatic reciprocal link exchanges today than a decade ago, like the examples mentioned in this article (Japanese).

However, link exchanges are still common in Japan. Many Japanese marketers, site owners, and even editors of online media continue to ask for them. We are often asked for reciprocal links but try to avoid them as much as possible. Instead, we recommend offering alternative value, such as a social media post or a link from a partner site, to secure a link to your site.

Buying Old Domains for Links

One tactic some people use is buying an old website with lots of backlinks and redirecting those links to their own site.

We tried a similar approach for a client. The client had originally built a website as a travel agent but later pivoted to a site focused on overseas study. The travel agent site had many backlinks—some of them spammy and others legitimate. We thought it would be a good idea to merge the two sites by redirecting all the backlinks from the old travel agent site to the new

overseas study site. However, after setting up the redirects, we saw no improvement at all.

Many of these techniques were effectively shut down when Yahoo adopted Google as its search engine in Japan and later with the release of the Penguin algorithm in 2012. Additionally, Japan-specific updates in 2017 further diminished the effectiveness of such strategies. Still, remnants of these tactics can sometimes be found on the Japanese web.

How is Link Building in Japan Different?

While Google’s algorithms are mostly the same from language to language, the market in Japan has some significant differences. That person you reach out to may give you an unexpected response.

Keep in mind that the Japanese business world is a “relationship-based” business culture.

Meanwhile, business cultures in the U.S. and Europe are more Task-oriented. These concepts and many more are discussed in the book, “When Cultures Collide,” by Richard D Lewis. This applies to Link Building, PR, content promotion, or any type of outreach activity.

Use of Honorific Japanese Language

If you’re a link builder in the U.S. working with a U.S. audience, starting an outreach email with “Dear Sir or Madam…” might seem odd. However, in Japan, politeness is a must in any business interaction. Using perfect honorific business language, or “keigo,” is essential. An email without the proper keigo can be seen as disrespectful, leading to it being ignored, discarded, or even offending the recipient.

That’s why it’s important to have a native Japanese speaker write or proofread your outreach emails before sending them. Non-native speakers or young Japanese speakers without business experience may struggle to use the right tone, and machine translation software often fails to capture the nuances of keigo.

Japan’s New Stealth Marketing Laws

Japan’s strict Stealth Marketing Laws, effective from October 1, 2023, are designed to protect consumers from misleading advertising. Under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, businesses must clearly disclose paid partnerships and sponsored content to ensure biased promotions do not mislead consumers.

The law targets situations where businesses promote products without revealing they are advertisements. For example, if a company gives products to influencers or consumers to promote on social media without disclosing the sponsorship, it can mislead people into thinking the content is an honest review. Influencers or users paid to promote products must also clearly label their content as sponsored.

To comply with the law and avoid penalties, businesses must prioritize transparency by clearly marking any sponsored content, including influencer collaborations or paid links.  Failure to comply could result in penalties, including fines or other administrative actions.

This impacts Link Building in a big way. So when providing paid placements, including links, many Japanese sites have a “PR” or “Advertising” (広告) moniker at the top of their article indicating that there are paid placements on the page. This can cause frustration for companies that want to build links and not be associated with paying a fee.

Japan’s Privacy Laws

Japan has its own privacy laws similar to the GDPR in Europe. The Act on the Protection of Personal Information applies to all businesses. Under this law, any information that can identify an individual is considered personal data and must be protected. For example, a surname alone is not protected, but an email address is. You are legally required to obtain permission before collecting personal data and must explain how the data will be used.

As a digital marketer in Japan, you should also be aware of the Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail, which outlines the obligations for opting in or out and requires disclosure of the email sender. From our experience, Japan’s privacy laws are stricter than those in the U.S. and align closely with the GDPR.

You can contact publishers, bloggers, and influencers as long as their contact information is publicly available. However, exercise caution when using email finder tools like Hunter.io, which provide assumed email addresses that are not publicly disclosed.

Lastly, we are not legal experts, so this information should not be considered legal advice. If you need assistance, consult a Japanese lawyer.

Company Outreach May Require Multiple Channels

Due to stricter privacy regulations, reaching the right person on your first outreach can be challenging. Typically, you should contact them through their company email or contact form, following the company’s guidelines. This often results in lower response rates.

To improve results, we use a multi-channel approach. For example, we might start by sending an outreach message through the contact form, and if there’s no response, follow up via social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. We’ve found that social media often yields better results, but this depends on your business, industry, and the specific site you’re reaching out to.

Negotiations Are Longer

In Japan, decisions are often made by consensus, which can mean longer negotiations—sometimes two to ten times longer than in Western companies. This also applies to Link Building discussions. It’s often helpful to arrange a call to introduce yourself, clarify your offer, and explain your goals. Be prepared to budget extra time for this process. However, for smaller sites run by individuals, decisions can happen more quickly.

Even ‘Competitors’ Can Be Well-Connected

In some smaller, well-established industries, many companies that appear to be competitors may actually be closely connected. A seemingly neutral “ratings site” could be a front for a competitor. Sometimes, one company may own several competitors, or there may be hidden business relationships. In Japan, business connections are not always publicly documented, so it’s essential to approach outreach carefully.

Major News Sites Have Tight Control

In Western markets, major news sites typically have strict control over their content and are unlikely to offer Dofollow backlinks. This trend has been observed in large media outlets like Forbes, which have stopped providing Dofollow or even Nofollow links in recent years.

The same applies in Japan. While you may get featured on major media outlets like Yahoo or ITMedia, they are unlikely to link back to your site or will only provide Nofollow links. However, we still recommend reaching out to major news sites using PR techniques for:

• Brand Mentions: Getting featured can provide powerful brand mentions, adding trust to your brand and showcasing your expertise.
• SEO Value: Google considers brand mentions and citations valuable for SEO, even if they don’t result in a Dofollow link. Google has acknowledged that Nofollow links can still contribute to SEO ranking as a “hint.”
• Secondary Links: If major news outlets don’t provide backlinks, smaller sites may pick up the story and provide Dofollow backlinks. These “secondary” sites can often provide good “link juice.”

Not All Techniques Work for Every Industry

We’ve built links across many industries and niches, and one thing we’ve learned is that techniques that work in one industry may not be effective in another. It’s important to allocate time for testing and refining your outreach strategies to find what works best for your specific niche.

What Link Building Techniques Work in Japan Today?

You could try a range of Link Building techniques. Some are easier to implement than others, and some are more black hats and gray hats, while others are clearly white hats.

The diagram below gives a good overview of where the most common Link Building techniques rank.

Technique #1 – Rank in Comparison Articles

Use SEO tools to find out which sites link to your competitors but don’t yet link to you. Often, you will find comparison articles that don’t mention your service. Reach out to them, and make it really easy for them to include you.

In one case, we not only provided the text and backlink, but we also used their CMS to publish content on their behalf. We essentially did all the work for them. Start by searching for “commercial intent” keywords.

Technique #2 – Enroll in Associations and Vendor Directories

It is helpful to register for associations and other vendor directories. Most of these directories do not yield value. However, we have seen noticeable improvements for associations that have high authority, limited entry, and high relevance. Some of the more savvy industry associations have built high-authority sites that often rank for niche searches.

Technique #3 – Create Shareable and Linkable Content

Just like other countries, websites in Japan see a lot of value in infographics, especially if the data is exciting. However, linkable content can be YouTube videos, interesting stories, charts of interesting data, or even images.

Below is an infographic that received considerable attention in our client’s niche. It ranks the total market for Fashion EC sites country by country.

Technique #5 – Offer Tips, a Service or Fix

One technique is known as broken Link Building, where you find broken links on a prospect’s website and offer a better link to your site.

Another similar technique is to offer a set of tips to the webmaster on how they can improve their website or improve traffic to their site. Offering a little free Digital Marketing advice goes a long way. Once again, thinking with a WIN/WIN mindset goes a long way in Japan.

Technique #6 – Offer Updated Info or Content

This is a variation of the technique above. The web has been around for about 20 to 30 years, and there is already a significant amount of outdated information or content. You can often find links pointing to this outdated content. By providing a link to updated content, they are likely to link back to your site. WIN/WIN strikes again

Technique #7 – Share With Your Audiences and Followers

It is always wise to promote content via social networks in Japan and the rest of the world. Promotion of content leads to more backlinks. In Japan, Twitter is by far the most popular social network, but Instagram and Facebook should also be considered. LinkedIn is not so popular at this time but is slowly gaining popularity.

Sharing content in your newsletter can also help distribute it. If you have already built a mailing list and you think the content is helpful and relevant for your subscribers, go ahead and share it with them. Some of them may share your content on their SNS or even blog about it, which will generate a backlink.

Email is the oldest but still the most effective marketing channel, with an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. Building backlinks to your site is also helpful. Finally, try to build subscribers on LINE, the most popular chat platform in Japan, like WhatsApp and Messenger. Recently, we have seen more bloggers and influencers building subscribers on LINE instead of email.

Technique #8 – Submit Guest Posts

Guest posting is not very common in Japan, making it a unique opportunity. Cultural factors play a role in this. Many companies are not open to flexible negotiations and prefer formal agreements, and there is often stricter editorial control. However, this lack of competition can work in your favor.

While most traditional media sites may see guest posting as unusual and ignore it, there are always niches where more flexible and innovative people see value in the idea. We once received a call from the CEO of an online media company who said, “This is the first time I’ve received such a proposal, but it’s actually a great idea!”

Unfortunately, in 2020, Google labeled guest posts as “unnatural links,” and like many techniques, they may lose value in the future.

Technique #9 – Sponsor Posts or Content Partnerships

We often receive requests to post content for free, which is commonly known as sponsored content or paid guest posts. This type of paid content is quite common in Japan, with many companies using it to promote their services or products. When negotiating with potential partners, it’s important to ensure that you can get a Dofollow link from the content.

While Google has a negative view of building links through guest posts, it may still be worth considering if the target site meets these criteria:

• It is relevant to your business or product
• It has good domain authority

Additionally, pricing is important. We’ve found that some sites are worth partnering with because they have content syndication networks to help promote your content. For example, a $500 guest post may result in 5 backlinks and even other types of content, like videos, repurposed for social media platforms.

Note that the publication fee for such posts varies depending on the site size and business, but the minimum cost is usually around $100.

Technique #10 – Publish Expert/Influencer Roundups

How would you feel if you were considered an “influencer” or “expert” in your niche and asked to get interviewed? Many of you would feel good, respected, and proud of yourself. Expert or influencer roundups leverage this psychological effect.

You invite influencers to share their thoughts and insights on industry-specific questions, like next year’s trends. Then, you create content that includes their answers along with a nice introduction to each influencer.

Influencers often have a blog or a large number of followers on social media. If they share content there, not only does it become a perfect backlink, but it is also a really effective way to get high exposure in your niche, which can generate more links from other websites.

Technique #11 – Offer a Coupon or Free Product

The basic principle of Link Building is to provide some value to the target site, which in return deserves a link. If you have something you can offer instead of getting linked, like a discount coupon or a free account for your service, do not hesitate to do that.

For example, in some B2C products or service providers, like interior design EC, offering a free product has significantly increased response rates and link placement rates.

Technique #12 – Run Surveys

Surveys are an excellent technique for building links in Japan. There are a number of local and international survey platforms in Japan. Some are generally targeting all consumers.  Other survey platforms offer a “Panel” that allows you to target your specific audience. You can use them to ask questions of customers in your niche. By rolling up the data and presenting it in an easily digestible format, your article can often get many links. The best part is that you own the data, so the links come to your site and not someone else.

Technique #13 – Collaborate with Influencers

Whether you’re targeting a blogger, affiliate site, or YouTuber, finding the right influencer is crucial for obtaining high-quality backlinks or mentions. In Japan, marketers often emphasize the “WIN/WIN” concept, so approaching influencers with this mindset can lead to successful outcomes.

While many influencers are motivated by financial incentives, which can sometimes result in paid promotions, these individuals may not be the best sources for high-quality backlinks. Instead, focus on influencers who are passionate about their topics, engage their audiences, and are less driven by money. These are the best influencers to target, as backlinks or mentions from them hold more value than those from paid affiliate sites.

Link Building in the Future

To quote hockey great Wayne Gretsky, you want to skate to where the puck is going, not where it is now. So, you want to pick strategies that will get you backlinks now and in the future. Google is methodically stamping out most black-hat techniques and will continue to do so. Just like most email spamming techniques have been neutralized.

So as you build links for your website in Japan, you need to take into account the state of the future. Here is where we see things going.

Effective Content

Even with the explosion of AI, writing compelling content is still effective in 2025 and will likely continue to be so for the next decade. More than anything else, you need to use compelling content to build links. As the Google algorithm becomes smarter, it is best to utilize Link Building techniques that work now and for the years to come. While you can get links to your home page and some product pages, you need quality content to attract valuable links.

Movement from Link Building to “Digital PR”

At Zo Digital Japan, we refer to our team as “Digital PR Specialists” instead of “Link Builders.” The fact is, PR work is conceptually the same as before. However, the battleground has changed. The magazine and TV pitches of yesterday are being replaced with smart marketers who use advanced SEO tools to find quality backlinks and referral traffic.

Our Digital PR team focuses on creating “linkable content” and reaching out to prospects who would benefit from it. This approach results in high-quality, genuine links. We’ve moved away from sending mass emails. Instead, we send targeted emails with “WIN-WIN” proposals that provide value to both our prospects and ourselves.

Link Building in Japan has also changed. Today, it requires diverse strategies and skills. It’s no longer just about sending emails and hoping for the best. We now need to approach it from different angles to create more creative solutions.

Not Just Links Anymore

We believe Google’s Penguin algorithms have moved well beyond just the evaluation of links. Other possible external ranking factors include:

1. Brand or product mentions, especially User Generated Content (UGC)
2. Social Media Metrics (Shares, Likes, Followers, Subscribers etc)
3. Video Metrics (Subscribers, Views, etc)
4. Podcasts

If Google or other search engines see a large growth in DoFollow links, but not a corresponding growth in these other external metrics, they will likely not value your links accordingly.

About Zo Digital Japan

We are a “white-hat” Link Building agency. We believe that the best way to accumulate quality backlinks is to create great content that provides a unique viewpoint and then reach out and promote that content. If you are interested in building more links to your Japanese website, be sure to contact us. For more information about our Link Building and SEO Services page.