8 Top Link Building Strategies for the Fashion Industry (2026)

One of the most common mistakes many brands make is to take all the “universal” link building advice and apply it to their niche. It can work. But it won’t be nearly as helpful as tailored and truly relevant strategies because every industry is different (obviously).

So, if you’re wondering how to do effective link building for fashion websites and brands, you’re in the right place. Today, we won’t cover all the usual backlink basics. Instead, we’ll focus on strategies that are less cliché and far more useful.

Why Does a Fashion Site Need Link Building Now More Than Ever?

You already know the competition in fashion is intense, trends fade faster than they appear, and cancel culture is very real. So, we won’t state the obvious. 

Long story short: yes, backlinks from fashion sites and quality directories can help you be visible despite all these challenges. 

But today, let’s focus on AI, and how it’s changing the way people find things.

If you’ve heard of LLM SEO, you know that visibility in search has changed. These days, fighting for the first spot in Google might not be the most efficient approach anymore, especially if you want to show up in AI results.

Just look at what sources LLMs choose. Most of them aren’t ranking extremely well. In fact, according to some data, almost 90% of all the pages ChatGPT cites rank in positions 21+, meaning a third page and beyond.

You can even run a small experiment and ask ChatGPT to recommend a tool, service, or anything else. And you’ll see that most suggestions won’t be at the top of search results.

But if the rankings don’t matter that much for LLMs, what does?

This is a very good question. You’ve probably heard this before: AI mostly chooses sources based on brand exposure. And one of the best ways to get that exposure is by getting high-quality backlinks.

Why do links matter for your exposure?

• They improve your domain authority and help make your content more visible.
• The more mentions in credible resources you get, the more trustworthy your brand becomes.
• When people see you “here and there,” they actually remember you.
• You can get referral traffic if the websites that link to you are relevant.

8 Best Strategies to Get Fashion Backlinks in 2026

So, how can you earn more mentions on other fashion blogs and sites? These are some of the top strategies.

1. Be Smart About Your PR Tactics

If you own any brand, you understand the importance of PR. Likely, you’re also already doing some. But PR can be a great addition to your SEO strategy, especially when it comes to link building.

How can you make it work?

• Turn every collection and drop into a PR event.
• Think of everything you do from a journalist’s perspective (Would they find it interesting?).
• Look at the bigger picture: it isn’t just your clothing or accessories. It’s the story that brings it all together.

You can take it anywhere you want from here. Some brands focus on sustainability, others on inclusivity. And some like to add a bit of a controversial and unusual touch. But this doesn’t mean you necessarily have to create hype. Still, it’s definitely an option…

When you have the “mindset” part covered, you can add the technical details. This has to include:

• Building your fashion media list that includes as many related outlets as you can get.
• Perfecting your pitches because every time you release anything, you have to know how to tell a story that hooks immediately.

Sure, when it comes to PR, you can’t really control the quality or even quantity of backlinks you get. News spreads fast, and anyone can repost it. But this is rather a good thing, as it helps you make your backlink profile more natural. And search engines love that.

2. Create News

This next tip is connected to the previous one. The more newsworthy things you do, the easier it will be to end up in the media. This, in turn, will help you increase link velocity (how quickly you’re earning new backlinks).

You might say that it’s easy to create news when you’re Kim Kardashian or Hailey Bieber. Sure, being a huge influencer definitely helps. But even if you don’t have a multi-million audience, you can still do things that attract attention.

Besides, both fashion bloggers and regular people are always looking for something new and fresh. So, your task is to find your differentiation points and communicate them well.

These are also some practical things you can do:

• Whether it’s on your site or social media, create content that attracts links and is useful. For example, outfit formulas for different occasions, the wardrobe staples everyone needs, etc.
• Turn your communication into a magazine-like content (only more relatable). Avoid just selling. Instead, talk about some fashion news, trends, and anything related to your brand, and give some value.

3. Do Guest Posting, Give Interviews, and Write Columns

This is one of the most controllable ways of getting backlinks. Because generally speaking, if you are consistent, getting publications on other fashion sites isn’t that complicated. Plus, most guest posting partnerships mean dofollow links by default, which are more powerful for SEO.

The idea of all these tactics, whether it’s guest posting, interviews, or columns, is to write content and publish it on someone else’s web page.

But how can you do that?

• When it comes to writing a column, you can reach out to some media you actually like and offer to write for them monthly with some unique ideas. If you’re a small brand, don’t go for Vogue, though. Choose something more doable to start.
• As for the interviews, you can start by exchanging interviews with other brands. For example, if you’re a clothing brand, find a shoe brand you like and consider interviewing each other in a way that will be interesting for your customers and followers.
• And lastly, guest blogging. For this, just search for fashion blogs that accept guest posts online and create quality content where you share and discuss your own useful insights.

4. Collaborate With Fashion Bloggers

This tip is quite mainstream. But we’ve added it here to encourage you to go beyond the “usual” tactics. The most obvious solution here is to get a paid partnership with an influencer on socials. Still, you can do much more than that:

• Get brand ambassadors for a deeper connection if you have a blogger who is a good fit.
• Offer some bloggers to model for you and create a joint photoshoot (another great newsworthy thing).
• Sponsor their newsletter or host an event with them and invite their audience there.
• Create a product in collaboration with a creator.
• Get your product featured on their wishlists, gift guides, and other selections.

The last one is extremely popular in the fashion niche. And it can work no matter how big or small the influencer is. So, even if you have a very limited budget, don’t postpone using this tactic. There are also micro-influencers who still have a very trusting audience.

As for the co-branded product, you can also partner with artists or even NGOs, not just creators. And this doesn’t have to be anything huge like Nike’s collaboration with Travis Scott.

If you think about it, there aren’t that many brands that can afford to partner with superstars. So, it’s okay if you aren’t there yet.

These days, launching collections with some smaller fashion bloggers is getting more and more popular. So, if there is a TikToker or an Instagram creator who feels like a good fit for your brand, why not try to create some product or line with them?

5. Partner With Other Brands

Organizing a pop-up or collab with another brand is a newsworthy thing by default. It basically helps you get more visibility and new customers who haven’t even considered buying from you before.

As usual, start small first. Even at the local scale, you can attract more eyes to your brand. And if you are growing consistently, eventually, you can also try to work with some worldwide brands.

And FYI, you aren’t limited only to other fashion brands. You can collaborate with pretty much any other brand, even when there is no clear connection. 

Here is, for example, how Kate Spade created a drop with Heinz:

And this is a collaboration of Crocs and Pop-Tarts:

While ketchup and pastries have nothing to do with fashion, these joint drops look creative and fresh. So, you can both keep your partnerships relevant or just have fun, depending on your audience. The good thing is that the possibilities are nearly endless.

6. Attend Fashion Events

Fashion events are a big thing for your visibility (including your visibility in search engines). And no, we aren’t talking just about fashion weeks. 

No matter what your scale is, you can find some shows, fairs, or markets that work for you. Even a local event can give you some coverage and help you earn more links, which is exactly what we need.

The main idea is to stay active and stay open to opportunities. You can:

• Check the things that are going on locally. 
• Subscribe to some pages that post fashion events around the world.
• Grow your network to actually get invited to some shows.
• Do everything we’ve already mentioned above for visibility because the more visible you are, the more opportunities you’ll get.

7. Consider Selling at Multi-Brand Stores and on Marketplaces

This strategy usually takes longer than the others on this list because these types of partnership negotiations can last for months. But this is a tactic that no one really thinks about in terms of SEO for fashion. 

Still, let’s take a closer look. Typically, when any marketplace or multi-brand store adds a new brand, they would:

• Share the news on their social media, mentioning you.
• Add some mentions of your brands and links to your website.
• Maybe even create a publication for the News section on their web page when you join.
• Maybe write some press releases (or you could do that).
• Promote your seasonal offers.

So, yes, of course, this strategy is more about sales, exposure, brand growth, etc. But it’s also about backlinks, extremely relevant backlinks. Because any search engine would see this as white hat link building. And this is the best scenario.

Besides, if we go back to the AI visibility, being associated with other big names is a great signal to LLMs to mention you and suggest your brand.

8. Promote Your Founder’s Personal Brand

Is it just us, or is everyone lately talking about personal brands? Well, in the AI era, it makes more sense than ever. After all, no matter how digital we go, people need people. 

So, when your brand’s founder is active online and creates a community around them, it will simplify all the tactics we’ve mentioned above.

Think about it. Will they be more likely to:

• Get invited to interviews or asked to write a column?
• Appear in news sections?
• Get great collaborations with brands and bloggers?
• Receive invitations to fashion events?
• Get offers to sell their brand in marketplaces and multi-brand stores?

Exactly. So, as much as you can, focus on your founder’s image, and you’ll get much more than just fashion backlinks. You’ll get the actual visibility across different channels.

Bottom Line

Link building for fashion websites is a very creative topic that has tons of opportunities. This whole guide was about expanding your vision and looking at your SEO strategies from a different angle.

Yet, if after reading all this, you understand that you don’t have time for this, you can simply find fashion websites on Serpzilla. And for those who want even less involvement, there is always an option to outsource your link building entirely (agency, freelancers, etc.). 

Whatever you choose, try to do at least something. Because once you’re “idle” while everyone else is moving forward, you’re actually moving backward. And that’s not where you want to be.