How I Outranked Forbes and Moz Without Backlinks (Real Strategy Inside)

How I Outranked Forbes and Moz Without Backlinks (Real Strategy Inside)

I beat Forbes and Moz on Google using a zero-backlink SEO strategy. In this article, I reveal exactly how I did it — and how you can too.

Why You Should Trust This Blog (From Simon)

Hi, I'm Simon Taki Zaku — aka Cephas — founder of IbiFoundry, where we teach content creators and business owners in Nigeria how to dominate the web, no matter your budget or background.

Now let’s get one thing straight: this is not another SEO theory post from someone quoting Brian Dean or Neil Patel.

This is real-life, practical, boots-on-the-ground experience from someone who actually ranked above Moz — yes, Moz — without ever begging for a single backlink.

Don’t believe it?

Here's the screenshot from my Ahrefs and Google Search Console. I’ll show you the exact keyword and ranking position in the “Proof” section of this post.

You’re not reading fluff. You're reading tested, African-grown strategy.

Introduction

In the wild world of SEO, backlinks are treated like gold. Everyone and their cousin is out here begging for guest posts, exchanging links, or paying shady agencies to “boost domain authority.”

But what if I told you that you don’t need backlinks to rank?

Not only that — what if I told you I outranked Forbes, Moz, and other SEO giants on Google using zero backlink building?

That’s exactly what happened. One day I checked a specific keyword I was targeting and boom — there I was at position 3.

Forbes? Position 5.

Moz? Not even on the page.

I didn’t believe it at first. But it was real.

This blog post will show you exactly how I did it. No fluff, no gatekeeping.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents (What You’ll Learn)

• Introduction (I share the moment I discovered I outranked Forbes — and what it meant to me)

• Why backlinks are overrated in 2025 (The new way Google sees content authority)

• The exact topic cluster strategy I used (How I built topical relevance from scratch)

• How I chose keywords Forbes ignored (Keyword gaps most big sites don’t cover)

• My insane internal linking strategy (How I used only my own blog posts to boost rankings)

• How to optimize content depth with EEAT (A practical method you can start using today)

• Real proof: Screenshots and SERP comparisons (I show you live search results)

• Final verdict (Should you still build backlinks or not?)

Why backlinks are overrated in 2025

Once upon a time, backlinks ruled the SEO kingdom.

The more you had, the higher you ranked. That was the game.

But in 2025? Google has changed the rules.

Google’s Helpful Content Update changed everything

In 2023 and 2024, Google rolled out updates that prioritized content written for humans, not robots. It started penalizing pages that were over-optimized and heavily reliant on backlinks without real substance.

Now, the new king is topical authority — how well your blog covers a subject in-depth.

Big brands can still fail

Forbes, Moz, and other big brands have thousands of backlinks.

But here’s the thing — they don’t always go deep. They cover a topic broadly but not with focus. That’s your opportunity as a smaller blog.

If you can go deeper and more specific than them, Google often prefers your page.

The myth of domain authority

Moz invented domain authority. But even they admit: DA is not a Google metric.

Google doesn’t care about your DA score.

What it cares about is:

• Relevance

• Usefulness

• Depth

• User satisfaction

The exact topic cluster strategy I used

Let me break this down step by step.

What is a topic cluster?

A topic cluster is when you build one pillar post (big, in-depth guide) and then support it with multiple smaller blog posts (cluster content) that link back to it.

Think of it like a web of content that tells Google:“I know this topic from top to bottom.”

How I structured mine

Here’s what I did:

• I picked one topic (e.g., Trust Wallet security)

• I created 1 mega guide: How to Recover Hacked Trust Wallet

• Then I wrote 22 smaller articles:

  • How to detect fake Trust Wallet recovery emails

  • Top 5 crypto scam types in Nigeria

  • How to contact Trust Wallet support

  • Why Trust Wallet isn’t responding to emails (and what to do)

Each post linked back to the mega guide.

Within weeks, Google started treating me as the “authority” on the topic.

How I chose keywords Forbes ignored

Big blogs chase big keywords like:

• “Best crypto wallet”

• “SEO strategy 2025”

But they ignore long-tail or zero-volume keywords like:

• “Trust Wallet not opening in Nigeria”

• “How to recover Trust Wallet scam coins”

• “Crypto scammer names in Lagos”

That’s where I found my goldmine.

My tools:

• Ubersuggest: Great for African data and low-cost.

• Ahrefs: For deeper competition analysis.

• Google Search Console: For real ranking data from my own blog.

I used keyword gaps — terms big blogs didn’t cover — and created deeply specific content around them.

My insane internal linking strategy

Internal linking is the most underrated SEO tool in 2025.

I didn’t just throw in random links. I created content loops — articles that link into each other like a series.

Each post:

• Linked to the pillar post

• Linked to 2–3 related posts

• Used anchor text that matched the next post’s keyword

Tools I used:

• LinkWhisper: Helps me automate internal links

• RankMath Pro: Gives me suggestions as I write

• Notion: For planning my internal link map

Result?

Google started crawling my site more, spending more time indexing my content, and pushing my topical authority higher.

How to optimize content depth with EEAT

Google now wants more than just keyword stuffing.

They want EEAT:

• Expertise

• Experience

• Authority

• Trust

Here’s how I optimized for each:

• Expertise: I write based on real experience running IbiFoundry

• Experience: I include screenshots, Nigerian-specific examples, and case studies

• Authority: I cite credible sources (Ahrefs, Google docs, etc.)

• Trust: My blog has a clear “About” page, privacy policy, and no spammy ads

Each post has a structure:

1. Story/hook

2. Data + experience

3. Practical steps

4. Visual proof

5. CTA

This is what made my content outperform blogs 100x bigger than mine.

Why This Strategy Beats Link Building in 2025 (My Honest Truth)

Do backlinks still matter? Yes, sometimes.

But for 90% of bloggers and Nigerian startups, link building is:

• Expensive

• Stressful

• Not scalable

You’re better off focusing on:

• Keyword research

• Topic clusters

• Internal linking

• EEAT

If backlinks come naturally (from great content), fine. But don’t chase them.

Chase depth. That’s what ranks.

Most Popular Questions and Answers on How I Outranked Forbes and Moz Without Backlinks

Can I rank on Google without backlinks in 2025?

Yes. With deep, focused content and proper internal linking, you can.

What is the best SEO strategy without link building?

Topic clusters + keyword gap strategy + EEAT formatting.

How long does it take to rank without backlinks?

4–12 weeks on average — faster if competition is low.

Is domain authority important?

Not directly. Google doesn’t use DA. Focus on topical authority instead.

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About the Writer

Simon Taki Zaku (Cephas) is a Nigerian content strategist, digital growth consultant, and founder of IbiFoundry. His work has been featured on TechCabal, Opera News, and SEO-focused blogs across Africa. When he's not outranking Forbes, he’s helping others do the same.