With North America’s CBD market valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2023 and growing fast, competition is getting tougher. That means learning how to build backlinks for CBD site growth is no longer optional. Strong links can help CBD websites gain visibility, build trust, and improve rankings. In this guide, we will cover the best tactics, where to get links, what to avoid, and how to build smarter in a competitive market.
Why Link Building Is Harder for CBD Brands?
CBD link building is harder because this niche faces more limits than most others.
❌ Many websites do not accept CBD content at all.
❌ Editors often avoid CBD because of legal and brand concerns.
❌ Google checks CBD content more closely than regular topics.
❌ Trust matters more, so weak links usually do not help.
❌ There are fewer strong, relevant sites to get links from.
❌ Paid promotion is limited, so earning links takes more effort.
❌ The space is crowded, so average content gets ignored.
| What’s Looking Better This Year?This year, more publishers are open to CBD-related content, giving brands more opportunities to earn quality links. Google is also rewarding useful, detailed content more than thin pages. And with so much copy-paste AI content out there, original insights are more likely to stand out. |
Sites That Won’t Accept CBD Content
Before chasing CBD guest posts or pitching a website for CBD link building, know this thing–some are usually closed, some are worth testing, and some may work only if your product and content meet strict rules.
That is why CBD authority links usually come from niche blogs, smaller publishers, podcasts, and industry sites, not from the biggest platforms first. Refer to the table to know where advertising is possible.
| Category | Platform | Reality Check |
| Usually not worth targeting | Amazon | Amazon restricts CBD product listings, so it is not a realistic platform for most CBD promotion or outreach. |
| Usually not worth targeting | Large mainstream platforms in general | Many big platforms avoid CBD because of compliance, legal, and brand-risk concerns. That is why they often look attractive but do not turn into practical wins. |
| Worth a try | Smaller niche blogs | These are often better for CBD guest posts because decisions are made by site owners or editors, not by a blanket platform rule. This makes outreach easier than pitching giant platforms. |
| Worth a try | Independent wellness sites | These sites can still help you earn relevant CBD authority links, especially when the content is educational and well-written. |
| Worth a try | Podcasts and creator-led websites | These are often more open to CBD-adjacent topics, interviews, and expert content than large ad platforms. |
| Can work, but with restrictions | Google Ads | Google allows only certain topical, hemp-derived CBD products with THC limits, certification, and location restrictions. |
| Can work, but with restrictions | Meta | Meta allows some legally permissible CBD ads in the US, but advertisers need LegitScript certification and approval. |
| Can work, but with restrictions | TikTok | TikTok may allow some hemp oil and topical CBD cosmetic products in certain markets, but ingestible hemp is not allowed, and extra restrictions apply. |
| IMPORTANT:Do not build your whole outreach plan around the biggest platforms. For most brands, CBD backlinks service efforts work better when they start with smaller relevant sites, then test restricted platforms only when the product type and compliance setup clearly fit. |
Why Domain Authority Matters More In Restricted Niches?
In most industries, a site can still grow through ads, marketplaces, influencer campaigns, and easy publisher access even if its authority is average. CBD does not get that luxury. In a restricted niche, many growth channels are blocked, limited, or harder to access, making Domain Authority far more important.
✔️ The Move!
If paid visibility is harder to get, SEO carries more weight. So, focus on CBD SEO. A stronger domain gives your site a better shot at ranking for competitive CBD keywords.
| The Bigger Problem 😞 A low-authority CBD site does not just struggle with rankings. It can also struggle to get replies, approvals, and quality backlinks. |
How To Build Backlinks For CBD Site Growth? Use These 6 TACTICS
If you are searching for ‘how to build backlinks for CBD site growth’ online, then without wasting time, stick to the 6 tactics.
1. Practice Niche Guest Posting
This is still one of the most practical ways to build CBD guest posts and get relevant links back to your site.
Look for:
- Small wellness blogs
- Hemp and cannabis sites
- Alternative health websites
- Lifestyle blogs that publish educational content
- Sites that already mention CBD, hemp, THC, or cannabinoids.
| The Reddit Way to Find CBD Sites! |
| A Reddit discussion on how people actually find CBD businesses shared a few smart ideas that also work well for finding websites, partners, and outreach opportunities in this space. “A lot of CBD operators already get burned by cold pitches, so inbound usually works better than outbound here.” “Show concrete outcomes like leads, lifts, or examples of categories where advertisers actually win.” “Honestly nothing beats showing actual results over talking big because people can sniff out hype a mile away.” “Reach out directly to brands on LinkedIn. Most CBD companies struggle with advertising restrictions and want alternatives.” |
👉🏻 Our observation!
Do not just build a list and send the same pitch everywhere. Look at who is already active, where CBD brands are already spending time, and which sites already seem open to CBD-related content.
2. Resource Page Link Building
Some websites maintain pages listing useful CBD resources, guides, tools, legal explainers, or educational articles. If your content genuinely helps readers, these pages can turn into strong backlinks.
Good pages to target:
- “Best CBD resources”
- “Hemp industry resources”
- “CBD legal guide” pages
What type of content can you do link/content insertion in?
- State law guides
- Research-backed blogs
- Helpful glossary pages
- Beginner-friendly explainers
| Find Resource Pages Fast! |
| Type in this operator in Google: “keyword” + (inurl: resources OR inurl: links OR inurl:useful-links OR intitle: resources OR intitle: links) |
👉🏻 Sounds too technical? That’s where we, aka CBD Marketing Solutions, step in—handling everything from keyword research and CBD link building to content optimization, so your CBD brand grows smoothly from start to finish.
3. HARO for Editorial Links
Journalist requests that platforms can help you earn some of the hardest links to get, which are editorial mentions from media and publisher sites. HARO is currently active and taking source signups.
How to use this tactic?
- Reply only to queries you truly match
- Lead with expertise, not promotion
- Keep answers short and usable
- Add one strong credential
- Point journalists to a useful page on your site only when relevant
What do you actually gain from this?
- These links are often more trusted.
- They can lift brand credibility fast.
- They help you earn stronger CBD authority links.
| Hear It From Reddit Users: Is HARO Link Building Worth It?Insights from this Reddit HARO link-building thread are mixed. Some users say, “I’ve gotten over 50 backlinks,” but others highlight the grind—“sending a ton of emails” and “50+ queries to maybe get 2–3 links.” Quality can vary too, with “no-follow backlink” and “fresh (<20 DA)” mentions. |
| Takeaway:HARO works for high-quality backlinks, but it’s time-heavy and inconsistent—best used alongside other link-building strategies, not as the main one. |
4. Testimonial Link Building
This tactic works because you already have the relationship. Instead of chasing a new site, you turn a company you already use into a backlink opportunity.
A more relevant example for you to understand!
Say you work with a third-party lab for your COAs. If you share that their reports are clear, accurate, and easy for your customers to understand, that testimonial could be featured on their partner or trusted brands page with a link back to your site.
Good places to look for:
- Lab testing providers
- Packaging companies
- Compliance tools
- CBD-friendly service vendors
- Developers or e-commerce partners
| Quick Pitch Idea! Try a line like this in your email: |
| “We have been using your service for our CBD brand and would be happy to share a short testimonial if you feature customer feedback on your site.” |
5. Podcast Guest Appearances
Appearing on a podcast as a CBD brand owner can help build trust and get your name in front of a targeted audience after the episode goes live.
Why does this work for CBD?
Many podcast hosts are more open to educational conversations about CBD than large publishers are. That makes podcasts a good place to discuss trends, compliance, consumer behavior, product categories, or brand-building in the space.
What can you talk about?
- CBD advertising restrictions
- What makes CBD marketing different?
- Consumer buying behavior
- How is the market changing?
- Lessons from building a CBD brand
- Mistakes new CBD brands make
Where the link insertion usually happens:
- Episode pages
- Show notes
- Guest bio sections
- Newsletter recaps
- YouTube descriptions, if the podcast is also published there
6. Unlinked Brand Mention Reclamation
Sometimes a site mentions your brand, founder, product, survey, or quote, but forgets to add a link. Instead of starting a fresh outreach campaign, you simply ask them to turn that mention into a clickable link.
Why does this work well?
- The hard part is already done
- You are not introducing your brand for the first time
- The ask is simple
- Reply rates are often better than cold outreach
What to look for?
- Brand name mentions
- Founder mentions
- Product mentions
- Quotes from interviews
- Mentions in list posts or roundups
- References to your research or content
How to do it?
- Search for your brand online
- Find pages that mention you without linking
- Reach out politely
- Ask them to add the most relevant link
| Turn Mentions Into Easy Backlinks!‘Unlinked Brand Mention Reclamation’ is one of the lowest-effort backlink tactics. You can easily use it to turn that existing mention into a link. |
How to Vet a Backlink Placement Before You Publish?
Vetting means checking a site before you place a link on it. In CBD, this matters even more because a single weak placement can waste money, deliver no real value, or tie your brand to spam.
DA/DR Thresholds, Traffic Checks, Relevance Filters
Before you say yes to any backlink, run it through these three quick filters.
1. Start with DR or DA
Use DR or DA as your first screen, not your final decision. DR is Ahrefs’ backlink-authority metric, scored on a 0 to 100 logarithmic scale, so jumping from 20 to 30 is much easier than jumping from 70 to 80.
| The sweet spot is usually DR 30 to 60. |
❌ If a site is below DR 20, slow down.
2. Check the traffic trend, not just the DR
A decent DR alone is not enough. DR can be inflated when a site picks up lots of low-quality links, so always check whether the site has real search visibility.
Look at:
- Whether traffic is stable, rising, or collapsing
- Whether pages are actually ranking, not just the homepage
- If the graph looks dead, erratic, or artificially pumped, skip it.
- The organic traffic trend line in Ahrefs or Semrush
👉🏻 If your tool knowledge isn’t that strong, don’t worry, contact us! At CBD Marketing Solutions, the team works hands-on with platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console to manage everything from backlink strategy and affiliate marketing to performance tracking. From building authority links to scaling long-term growth, the entire “how to build backlinks for CBD site growth” process is handled end-to-end—so you can stay focused on running your business.
3. Relevance comes before random authority
Even a stronger site is not worth much if it has nothing to do with your niche. In CBD, relevance matters because random backlinks look weaker and provide less value.
Ask:
- Does this site cover CBD, hemp, wellness, supplements, or health-adjacent topics?
- Would a CBD link feel natural here?
- Does the article match the page you want linked?
| A relevant DR 35 site can be more useful than an unrelated DR 70 site. |
4. Check site quality before you publish
Now look at the site like a real reader would.
Check for:
❌ Thin or sloppy content
❌ Obvious AI-generated gibberish
❌ Posts on completely random topics
❌ Too many sponsored posts
❌ No real author identity
❌ No About page or contact details
Real sites usually give you basic trust signals. If there is no About page, no clear purpose, and no editorial quality, that is a warning sign.
FAQs
1. How long does CBD link building take to show results?
CBD link building usually takes time because this niche has fewer easy wins than most others. In many cases, it can take a few months before stronger backlinks start helping rankings, traffic, and visibility in a noticeable way.
2. Should you build links to your homepage or inner pages?
Both can work, but inner pages often give you more room to earn natural links. If you are learning how to build backlinks for CBD site growth, blog posts, legal guides, and educational pages are usually easier to pitch than product pages.
3. Are CBD directory submissions still worth it?
They can help, but only when the directories are relevant and well-maintained. Random CBD directory submissions on weak sites will not do much, but a few good listings on trusted industry directories can still support your overall link profile.
4. How many backlinks does a CBD site actually need?
There is no fixed number, as it depends on your competition, your niche, and the quality of your links. Fewer relevant, trusted backlinks can do more for a CBD site than a large pile of low-quality links.
5. Should you hire a CBD backlinks service or do it yourself?
That depends on your time, budget, and experience. If you already know how to find good sites and write strong pitches, doing it in-house can work, but if outreach keeps going nowhere, a good CBD backlinks service may help you move faster.
