How to Get a Backlink from The New York Times

Why a New York Times backlink is valuable and what it costs

A link from The New York Times signals editorial validation and can drive referral traffic and visibility. The Times reported strong subscriber growth in 2024, noting an increase in digital subscribers; this scale underpins its influence. For audience and traffic context see SimilarWeb’s nytimes.com profile: SimilarWeb — nytimes.com.

Premium publisher placements are not inexpensive. T Brand Studio and comparable branded-content packages are marketed as full-service offerings; public reporting and marketplace commentary place campaign costs in high ranges, often starting in the tens of thousands. For T Brand Studio product information see The New York Times marketing pages: The New York Times — T Brand Studio.

Editorial links from the Times may be labeled or managed according to publisher policy; the editorial benefit is real, but direct ranking impact depends on link attributes and search-engine interpretation.

Editorial links, paid placements, and compliance

Search engines have explicit rules about paid links. Google’s webmaster guidance states that buying or selling links that pass PageRank violates guidelines; see Google’s guidance on link schemes: Google — Link Schemes. Publishers typically disclose sponsored arrangements and may apply rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" to outbound links.

We recommend any paid media strategy be declared and aligned with publisher policy and search-engine guidance. Attempts to circumvent disclosure risk manual or algorithmic action.

The expired-domain + 301 redirect alternative: mechanics and rationale

The method we offer follows four steps:

• Locate an expired domain that previously received relevant editorial links, ideally from top-tier sites such as nytimes.com.
• Vet the domain’s backlink profile, archive history, and spam signals.
• Acquire the domain and implement a server-side 301 redirect to a topical destination on your site.
• Monitor crawl behavior and performance metrics for changes.

Google documents how redirects are handled and how they can influence canonical signals; see Google’s redirect guidance: Google — Redirects. Practitioners also discuss 301 redirects and PageRank transfer in technical primers: Search Engine Journal — 301 Redirects and PageRank.

Risks, audit controls, and measurable checks

• Verify the original referring link attribute. If a Times link used rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored", the original link likely did not pass PageRank and a redirect will not retroactively create follow equity.
• Audit the domain’s backlink graph (Ahrefs, Majestic, Moz) for spammy root domains and unnatural anchor-text patterns.
• Check Internet Archive snapshots for topical match and prior content.
• Avoid domains with manual-action histories or obvious “bad neighborhood” signals; review Google’s spam policies: Google — Search Spam Policies.
• Keep redirects 1:1 where possible and monitor via server logs and Search Console for re-crawl and status.

Cost comparison and practical economics

• Official branded campaigns and T Brand Studio engagements are commonly priced in the five- to six-figure range depending on scope; reporting places ranges from about $50,000 upward for production-heavy campaigns. See The New York Times T Brand Studio page for service context: T Brand Studio.
• Agency-driven PR placements and relationship-based mentions often cost thousands to tens of thousands, with outcomes and link attributes varying.
• Our expired-domain acquisition + 301 setup service is priced at $150 per domain. That fee covers domain research, vetting, acquisition, and server-side 301 configuration only; it does not include content creation, outreach, or editorial guarantees.

Practical steps we execute (actionable)

• Check the nytimes.com linking URL and capture a cached copy.
• Run backlink and anchor-text audits across multiple tools.
• Inspect Internet Archive snapshots for topical continuity.
• Confirm WHOIS and prior owners to rule out pattern flipping.
• Acquire and configure server-side 301s (no JavaScript redirects), validate with HTTP status and monitor re-crawl.
• Measure referral traffic, index status, and organic movement over a 90–180 day window.

Final Considerations

A New York Times editorial link is a selective asset: audience scale, subscriber base, and editorial standards make official placement a high-bar, high-cost activity. For teams that need a cost-controlled experiment, acquiring a well-vetted expired domain and implementing a clean 301 redirect is a practical alternative when the domain’s historic links are favorable and follow-style. Respect Google’s guidance on paid links and redirects and maintain transparency in paid relationships: Google — Link Schemes, Google — Redirects.

This is where we come in: we provide disciplined domain research, backlink vetting, acquisition, and server-side 301 setup for $150 per domain. Our deliverable is an auditable record of vetting and the technical redirect—no editorial promises, no content production—so you can test redirected link signals at scale with predictable cost and clear metrics. If you want our standard vetting checklist or a sample candidate report, we will provide the exact data we use to reduce risk and support decision-making.