Resource Page Link Building

Resource page link building is the practice of finding web pages that list helpful links on a topic and asking the owner to add your content. It works best when you have a genuinely useful page that fits the list and would help that site’s visitors.

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

What a resource page is

A resource page is a curated list of links to useful websites, guides or tools. Universities, councils, charities, libraries, professional bodies and hobby sites often maintain them, with titles such as “useful links”, “further reading” or “resources for parents”. Because these pages exist to point people elsewhere, a relevant addition is often welcome.

Not every list is worth targeting. The best resource pages are maintained by real organisations, focus on one subject and link to a manageable number of carefully chosen sites. Pages that accept any submission, or charge for inclusion, behave more like low-quality directories.

Why it matters for SEO

Resource pages offer editorial backlinks from sites that are often trusted and on topic. A single good placement can also send steady referral traffic from people who are actively looking for help. For local businesses, community and council resource lists can be a useful part of local link building.

How to do it

  1. Have something worth listing: resource pages link to helpful content, not sales pages. Guides, checklists, tools and linkable assets work best.
  2. Find relevant pages: search Google with operators such as intitle:resources "your topic", inurl:links "your topic" or "useful links" "your topic".
  3. Check quality: make sure the page is maintained, relevant and on a real site with visitors. Avoid pages listing hundreds of unrelated links.
  4. Find the right contact: look for the page owner or web editor rather than a general inbox where possible.
  5. Pitch briefly: mention the page by name, explain what your resource covers and why it would help their readers.
  6. Help them maintain the page: if you spot broken links on it, mention them. This overlaps with broken link building and gives the owner a reason to update the page.

Example outreach

A short, honest email works best: “Hi Sam, I found your page of resources for new allotment holders. We publish a free month-by-month planting calendar for UK gardens that might suit your readers. One of the links in your soil section also seems to be broken. Thanks for keeping such a useful list.”

Common mistakes

  • Pitching commercial pages that do not match what the resource page links to.
  • Targeting low-quality link lists, which can resemble the old directory submissions that Google discounts.
  • Offering money for inclusion, which turns the placement into paid links.
  • Sending the same template to hundreds of sites without reading the pages.
  • Forgetting to keep your own resource up to date once it is listed.

Key Takeaways

  • Resource pages are curated lists of helpful links on a topic.
  • They often come from trusted sites such as universities, charities and councils.
  • Pitch helpful content, not sales pages.
  • Search operators make relevant resource pages easier to find.
  • Pointing out broken links can make owners more receptive.
  • Avoid low-quality link lists and never pay for inclusion.

Related Terms

Not sure how your own site measures up? Request a free SEO review, or keep learning in the SEO Encyclopedia.