Did you know that 72% of SEO experts say backlinks are important for better search engine rankings? If you want your website to rank higher but don’t have the time or resources for link building, outsourced link building could be the solution.
In this article, I’ll explain how to outsource link building to increase your website’s authority and visibility without doing all the work yourself. I’ll cover everything you need to know, from picking the right agency to setting goals and avoiding common mistakes. Ready to boost your SEO? Let’s dive in!
Why Outsource Link Building for Higher SEO Rankings?
Understanding how to outsource link building is a smart way to save time, money, and avoid stress. Outsourced link building allows you to tap into expert knowledge and proven strategies to boost your website’s authority. SEO agencies often employ a combination of content marketing, digital PR, and guest posting to build high-quality backlinks that drive authority, improve SEO rankings, and strengthen your overall backlink profile. This approach helps boost your site’s visibility and increases its chances of ranking higher in search results.
More than 60% of businesses hire agencies or contractors for their link building, making it a popular way to improve SEO without the hassle of doing it in-house. This widespread adoption highlights the effectiveness and efficiency of outsourcing link building. Let’s explore the key reasons behind this trend:
- Access to Experts: Wouldn’t you want a pro handling your link building? Link building agencies specialize in getting high-quality links. They have the insider knowledge and connections to help you get the best links that can really catch Google’s attention.
- Saves Time and Effort: Let’s be real, building good links takes a lot of time and effort. By outsourcing, you free up your time to focus on running your business. Link building services can also adjust their work based on your needs, giving you more flexibility.
- Cost-Effective: Hiring an in-house SEO team is expensive. Outsourcing lets you get expert help without spending too much. You only pay for what you need, when you need it.
- Reduced Risk of Penalties: We’ve all heard stories about websites getting hit with penalties for bad link building. A good agency will use safe (white-hat) tactics that align with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, ensuring your site stays in Google’s favor. This is crucial, as Google’s Penguin Algorithm targets websites with manipulative or spammy link-building practices, leading to penalties.
- Better Rankings: In the end, outsourcing link building is all about improving your rankings. High-quality links from trusted websites can give your rankings a big boost because Google’s ranking algorithm rewards sites that follow SEO best practices, especially when it comes to earning backlinks from high Domain Authority sources. Outsourcing to an agency that understands these practices ensures you’re building a strong and effective backlink profile. And when you rank higher, more people visit your site, bringing in more potential customers.
Why Backlinks Matter for SEO
Backlinks play a critical role in determining your site’s SEO performance. High-quality backlinks signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and authoritative, which can improve your rankings significantly. By earning backlinks from high Domain Authority sites, you’re not only improving your site’s visibility but also strengthening your backlink profile, which is essential for long-term success in SEO.
Key Benefits of Outsourcing Link Building for SEO
Expertise: Link-building agencies are specialists in the field. They know the best strategies and techniques to create high-quality backlinks that can significantly boost your website’s search engine ranking.
Saves Time: Building a strong link profile is time-consuming. Outsourced link building allows your team to focus on other core tasks while experts manage the complex process. This means that you get the benefits of professional link-building services without the time investment.
SEO agencies specialize in various strategies like digital PR, guest posting, and content marketing to build strong, natural backlinks that enhance your website’s authority and rankings. According to a study by SEMrush, link-building outreach efforts take up 65% of a marketer’s time, which you can reclaim by outsourcing.
Established Connections: Reputable link-building agencies have relationships with websites, bloggers, and influencers. This helps them secure high-quality backlinks faster and more efficiently than if you were starting from scratch.
Diverse Techniques: Professional agencies use a variety of proven, safe link-building methods such as guest blogging, broken link building, digital PR, and content-based links. This variety ensures your website’s backlink profile looks natural and strong.
Scalability: By outsourcing, you can quickly scale up the number of quality backlinks to your site, improving your backlink profile and enhancing SEO results. Experienced agencies know how to secure high DA links with the right anchor text, ensuring that these links pass valuable link equity to your site. This ultimately leads to higher organic traffic and better rankings, giving you a competitive edge.
Cost-Effective: While you’ll pay for the service, outsourcing is typically more affordable than hiring a full-time, in-house link builder. This is especially true if you only need link-building support for a specific project or time period.
Detailed Reporting: Most agencies provide regular, detailed reports on the links they’ve built. This allows you to track progress and measure the effectiveness of the link-building strategy.
Ethical Practices: Ethical link building focuses on long-term success by following search engine guidelines. With Google regularly updating its algorithms to detect manipulative practices, sticking to white-hat methods is the best way to avoid penalties and ensure sustainable growth
Mastering Link Building Basics Before Outsourcing
Before diving into outsourced link building, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of backlinks and how they directly affect your SEO performance. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it simple!
How Do Search Engines Use Links?
Links act as ‘votes,’ signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and authoritative. The more high-quality links pointing to your page, the better your chances of ranking higher.
Did you know? A Moz study found that 99.2% of top-ranking pages have at least one external link, proving just how crucial backlinks are.
Different Types of Links
Not all links are created equal. Here are the main types you should know about:
- Editorial Links: These are natural links earned when other websites choose to link to your content.
- Guest Post Links: A common tactic used by SEO agencies in content marketing strategies. It involves writing valuable content for other websites that includes a link back to yours. Combined with digital PR, guest posting can build a diverse and high-quality backlink profile.
- Directory Links: Acquired by submitting your site to online directories or listings.
Editorial links hold the most value, followed by high-quality guest posts. Directory links, while still useful, tend to have less impact.
White Hat vs. Black Hat Link Building
Now, let’s talk about tactics. There are two main types:
- White Hat: White hat link building follows Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, focusing on creating great content that earns links organically. These guidelines, supported by updates like the Penguin Algorithm, ensure that your site avoids penalties and long-term damage. This is the safe and sustainable way to build links.
- Black Hat: Black hat tactics like buying links or using automated link spam may offer short-term gains but pose a high risk of penalties. Google’s algorithm updates continually evolve to catch such manipulative practices, leading to severe penalties that can drastically harm your rankings. It’s best to steer clear of these risky methods.
Our advice? Stick to white hat methods to avoid penalties.
Understanding Domain Authority and Link Juice
Domain Authority (DA) is a score that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs offer similar metrics, often called Domain Score (SEMrush) or Domain Rating (Ahrefs), that serve the same purpose. These scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating more authority and a better chance of ranking well.
When building links, getting a backlink from a high Domain Authority (DA) site is important because it gives your website more “link juice” or SEO value. High DA sites pass this value on to your site, especially when they use relevant anchor text (the clickable text in a link). This helps improve your site’s backlink profile, making it stronger. The stronger your backlinks, the more authority and visibility your website gains, leading to better rankings and more traffic.
For example, a link from a site with a DA of 80 or higher will give your site a bigger SEO boost than a link from a site with a DA of 20 or 30.
In simple terms, links from high DA websites are worth more and can help your site rank higher in search engine results, making them a key part of any successful SEO strategy.
When Should You Start Link Building?
Link building is a powerful strategy for improving your site’s visibility, but it should only begin after your on-page SEO is strong.
1. Prioritize On-Page Optimization First
- High-Quality Content is Essential: Before diving into link building, make sure your website offers structured, valuable content that your audience will appreciate. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and ensuring easy navigation.
- Perfect Your Technical SEO: A technically sound website lays the groundwork for successful link building. Ensure your site is fast-loading, mobile-friendly, has clean URL structures, and includes an updated XML sitemap. Without these, even great links might not yield results.
2. Start Link Building After Your On-Page SEO is Solid
- Build on a Strong Foundation: Once your on-page SEO is well-optimized, it’s time to focus on link building. A polished website with strong SEO will attract more high-quality links, which can improve your rankings faster.
- Attract Links Naturally: When you’ve developed great content, you’re more likely to gain natural backlinks from people who find it useful. This kind of organic link building can be even more valuable than outreach efforts.
3. Approach Link Building Gradually
- Start with Outreach: Begin by reaching out to websites, bloggers, and influencers in your niche. Offer guest posts, collaborative opportunities, or content sharing to build connections and links.
- Track Your Progress: As you acquire backlinks, monitor their impact on your site’s rankings and organic traffic growth. Pay attention to how links from high Domain Authority sites, with relevant anchor text, enhance your backlink profile and contribute to better organic traffic and visibility over time. Effective link building is an ongoing process, and continuous evaluation helps you focus on what delivers the best results.
How to Outsource Link Building for Maximum SEO Impact
Now that we’ve covered why outsourcing link building is important, let’s dive into how to outsource link building effectively to maximize your SEO results. It may seem tricky, but don’t worry – with the right approach, you can handle it like a pro!
First, remember that link building takes time. You won’t see results overnight, but outsourcing can speed up the process, especially when agencies use industry-leading tools like BuzzStream or Pitchbox. These platforms streamline outreach, manage campaigns, and help secure high-quality backlinks, making your link-building strategy more efficient and effective.
According to a survey by Aira, 49% of marketers saw results from link building within 1 to 3 months. So, when done correctly, it can be a powerful way to improve your rankings.
Let’s break it down step by step:
1. Understand the Fundamentals of Link Building
Before you start reaching out to link building agencies, it’s crucial to get a handle on the basics. You don’t need to be an SEO wizard, but knowing these key concepts will help you communicate with agencies and understand what they’re offering:
- Domain Authority: This is like a website’s report card. The higher the score, the more likely it is to rank well in search results. Links from high domain authority sites are like gold dust for your SEO when you outsource link building.
- Page Authority: Similar to domain authority, but for individual pages. A high page authority link can give your rankings a nice little boost.
- Follow vs. No-follow Links: Follow links pass on some of that sweet, sweet link juice, while no-follow links don’t directly impact rankings. But don’t write off no-follow links entirely – they can still drive traffic and add diversity to your link profile.
- Anchor Text: This is the clickable text in a hyperlink. It’s important, but you just need to be careful not to overdo it with exact match keywords. That’s a red flag for Google!
Understanding these concepts will help you have more productive conversations with potential link building partners. You’ll be able to ask the right questions and better evaluate the quality of their work when outsourcing link building.
2. Set Clear Goals
Alright, time to get specific. What exactly do you want to achieve with your outsourced link building efforts? Are you looking to:
- Boost your domain authority?
- Improve rankings for specific keywords?
- Drive more organic search traffic?
- Build brand visibility and credibility?
When setting your link-building goals, make sure they follow the SMART approach: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, a well-crafted link-building strategy should focus not just on acquiring links from high DA websites but also on using relevant anchor text to strengthen your backlink profile. This approach ensures a better transfer of link equity, which can drive organic traffic growth and improve your rankings
. Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing:
- “I want to increase the number of backlinks from domains with a Domain Authority of 50+ by 25% over the next 3 months through outsourced link building.”
- “My goal is to improve organic traffic by 30% over the next six months by outsourcing link building efforts.”
- “I aim to rank on the first page of Google for 5 targeted keywords within the next year through a combination of on-page SEO and outsourced link building.”
Having clear goals will help you and your chosen link building agency stay on the same page and work towards tangible results.
3. Establish a Realistic Budget
Now, let’s talk money. Quality link building isn’t cheap, and if someone’s offering you hundreds of links for peanuts, run for the hills! That’s a surefire way to end up with spammy links that’ll do more harm than good.
When setting your budget for outsourcing link building, consider:
- How competitive is your industry? If you’re in a cutthroat niche, you might need to invest more in link building services.
- What’s the current authority of your website? Building authority from scratch takes more effort (and budget) than maintaining it.
- What are your goals and timeline? Aggressive goals on a short timeline will require a bigger investment in outsourced link building.
- What quality and scale of links are you expecting? High-authority links from top-tier sites come at a premium.
Many businesses spend between $500 and $5,000+ per month to outsource link building. The cost can vary based on the tools agencies use, like BuzzStream or Pitchbox, which help with outreach and securing high-quality backlinks. These tools make the process more efficient. It’s important to be clear with link-building agencies about your budget and the tools they use, so you know you’re getting the best value for your money
A good SEO outsourcing agency will offer various services such as guest posting, digital PR, and content marketing to find a link building solution that fits your needs and your wallet.
4. Choose the Right Agency
When considering outsourced link building, it’s crucial to choose the right agency. Don’t just go with the first agency you find. Take time to research and find the one that fits your needs. Here’s what to look for:
- Proven Results: Ask for case studies and client testimonials related to their link building services. Better yet, check out the agency’s own backlink profile. If they can’t build quality links for themselves, how can they do it for you?
- Transparency: The best link building agencies are open books. They should be happy to walk you through their link building processes, costs, and contracts. If something seems vague or they’re being cagey about their methods, that’s a red flag.
- Reporting and Communication: Ask to see a sample link building report. You want to know how they’ll keep you in the loop about progress and results of your outsourced link building efforts. Also, make sure you’ll have a main point of contact. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re shouting into the void when you have questions or concerns about your link building campaign.
Watch out for these red flags when looking to outsource link building:
- Promises of overnight results or guaranteed placements on specific sites
- Lack of case studies or vague examples of past link building work
- Agencies that dodge questions about their link building methodology
- Pricing that seems too good to be true (because it probably is)
Remember, you’re looking for a link building partner, not just a service provider. The right agency will feel like an extension of your team, invested in your link building success.
5. Ask Important Questions About Outsourcing Link Building
When talking to potential link building agencies, don’t hesitate to ask detailed questions. Here are some good ones to start with:
- What types of links do you focus on? (For example, guest posts, editorial links, or resource links). Also, ask how they ensure these links improve your backlink profile, by securing high DA links with relevant anchor text, which can boost your organic traffic and search engine rankings.
- How do you check if a site is good and relevant before getting a link from it?
- What measurements do you use to see how effective the links are?
- How do you stay updated with Google’s changes that affect link building?
- What do you need from me to make the link building campaign successful?
- How often will you update me on the progress and results of the link building?
The answers will help you understand if the agency is skilled and a good fit for what you need.
6. Track Link Building Progress to Improve SEO Performance
Once you’ve chosen a link building agency and kicked off your campaign, your job isn’t done. Stay involved and keep a close eye on progress. You can also use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to track your link profile and rankings.
Expect regular reports from your link-building agency covering: New links built, including metrics like Domain Authority and traffic. Agencies often use tools like BuzzStream or Pitchbox to track outreach efforts and provide detailed insights into the performance of your backlink profile.
Make sure you receive regular reports from your agency, which should include:
- New links built, including metrics like domain authority and traffic
- Keyword ranking improvements resulting from the link building efforts
- Organic traffic growth attributed to the outsourced link building
- Plans for ongoing link building strategies
Choosing the Right Link Building Service
When it comes to selecting a link building service, you have plenty of options to choose from, each with its own advantages. To help you make the best decision for your business, let’s take a look at the key factors you should consider.
Understand the Different Types of Link Building Services
Not all link building services are the same, and it’s important to pick one that fits your budget, goals, and how involved you want to be in the process. Here are three of the most common types of services available:
Managed Link Building Services
Managed services handle everything for you. From finding opportunities to securing high-quality links, they take care of the entire process. This type of service is ideal if you want a hands-off approach and prefer to leave the technicalities to experts. The trade-off? Managed services tend to cost more because they’re providing a full-service package. But, for many businesses, the convenience and results make it worth the investment.
Per-Link Services
If you prefer more control and flexibility, per-link services might be the way to go. With this option, you can purchase individual guest posts, niche edits, or specific types of links, choosing exactly what you need. This is great if you’re on a budget or want to target particular links at your own pace. However, this approach typically requires more involvement on your end. You’ll need to actively manage the strategy, decide which links to prioritize, and monitor results. It’s a more cost-effective option, but you’ll need to dedicate time to get the most out of it.
White Label Link Building Services
If you’re running an agency or working with clients under your own brand, white label services are a great solution. With white label link building, the service provider handles the outreach and link building, but all the work is done under your brand name.
Your clients will see the results as if you’re the one doing the work. This is perfect for agencies that need to scale quickly without hiring more in-house staff. It lets you offer high-quality link building services while focusing on other areas of your business.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Service
Choosing the right link building service requires careful evaluation. Here are the key factors you should take into account to ensure you’re partnering with the right team for your needs:
Link Quality
One of the most critical aspects of any link building service is the quality of the links they can secure. When reviewing a provider, ask to see samples or case studies. Are they demonstrating a focus on securing high-quality, relevant links from trusted websites? The value of your links directly impacts your SEO performance, so you want to make sure the provider prioritizes relevance and authority over quantity.
Transparency
A good link building service will be open about their methods and strategies. Ask them to explain how they acquire links and if they’re willing to provide detailed reports showing where your links come from. Transparency is key—if they’re not clear about their methods, you might be at risk of harmful practices like buying low-quality or spammy links.
Communication
Effective communication is crucial when working with a service provider. Do they respond promptly to your inquiries? Are they setting clear expectations about timelines and deliverables?
A reliable provider will offer dedicated support, ensuring you’re kept in the loop throughout the link building process. Again, if communication feels spotty from the start, that could be a red flag.
Industry Experience
Not all link building is the same. If the provider has worked successfully with websites in your industry, that’s a big plus. Having experience in your specific niche means they’ll likely have the right connections and know where to secure relevant links. Ask if they’ve had success in your vertical and request references or examples of their work.
Pricing
While it’s tempting to choose the most affordable option, be cautious of pricing that seems too good to be true. Quality link building is an investment, and suspiciously cheap services often cut corners by using low-quality links or risky tactics. On the other hand, you don’t want to overpay for basic services. Look for competitive rates that align with the value and expertise they’re offering.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
While evaluating potential link building partners, there are some clear warning signs you should be aware of. If you come across any of these, it’s best to proceed with caution—or walk away entirely.
Guaranteed Link Volume or DA Increases
If a service provider guarantees that you’ll receive a specific number of links or that your Domain Authority (DA) will increase by a certain amount within a set timeframe, that’s a major red flag. SEO results, especially in link building, can’t be guaranteed with precision. Providers making these promises are likely engaging in questionable practices.
“PR” Styled Links that Are Paid or Sponsored
Be wary of any provider offering what they call “PR” links, but that are actually just paid placements or sponsored content. These types of links may not provide the value you’re looking for and could even put your site at risk if they violate Google’s guidelines. Make sure the provider clarifies how they secure these links.
Heavy Use of Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
Private Blog Networks (PBNs) are networks of websites created specifically to build backlinks. While they may seem like an easy way to get links, PBNs are risky and often flagged by Google as a violation of its guidelines. Providers who rely heavily on PBNs for backlinks can potentially lead your site to penalties or a drop in rankings. Always ask about their link sources.
Long-Term Contracts or Large Upfront Deposits
Some providers may lock you into long-term contracts or require large upfront payments before you’ve seen any results. This can be risky, especially if you’re unsure about the quality of their work. A good provider will be flexible and transparent with their terms, allowing you to assess their work before committing long-term.
Inability to Provide Samples or References
Any reputable link building service should be able to provide examples of their past work or client references. If they can’t—or if they avoid the request altogether—that’s a huge red flag. Always request samples or speak to former clients to ensure the provider can deliver on their promises.
Which Service Is Right for You?
When answering this question, the best link building service for you will depend on your unique needs. Here’s how to decide:
- If you lack time and want experts to handle everything, managed services will be your best bet. You’ll pay more, but the peace of mind and hands-off approach may be worth it.
- If you prefer flexibility and want more control over where your links come from, consider per-link services. They allow you to focus on individual needs, though you’ll need to stay more involved in the process.
- If you run an agency or need to scale quickly without hiring more staff, white label services can help. This allows you to provide top-tier link building under your own branding, making you look good in front of your clients.
Taking the time to understand your business goals, how much involvement you want, and what budget you’re working with will help guide you toward the right option.
The Hidden Pitfalls of In-House Link Building
Managing link building in-house may seem appealing, but it comes with several hidden challenges. Here are the main drawbacks businesses should be aware of:
Difficulty in Finding Qualified Team Members
Hiring the right link builders is tough. It’s not easy to find candidates with the expertise you need, and the hiring process can be costly. You might not realize if they’re a good fit until they’ve been working for a while, which can lead to wasted time and resources if they don’t meet expectations.
High Costs
Running an in-house link building team can be expensive. In addition to paying salaries and benefits, you’ll need to invest in training and the necessary SEO tools, which often come with hefty price tags. These costs add up quickly, making it a significant investment for your business.
Slow Skill Development
New in-house teams often face a learning curve. It can take time for them to develop effective link-building strategies that work for your industry. During this period, you might see slower results as they get up to speed and learn how to identify valuable link opportunities.
Scalability Challenges
Scaling your link building efforts with a small in-house team can be difficult. Since outreach success rates are low (around 8.5%), it requires a lot of effort and a high volume of emails to secure quality links. Smaller teams might struggle to keep up, especially during busy periods.
Limited Perspective
An in-house team may become too focused on the company’s internal viewpoint, which can limit creativity and fresh ideas. This narrow approach can prevent them from exploring new strategies and tactics that could improve your link-building results.
Quality Control Issues
Ensuring the quality of backlinks is challenging without the right experience or connections. An inexperienced in-house team might accidentally secure low-quality or irrelevant links, which could hurt your website’s SEO and reputation.
Best Practices for Outsourcing Link Building
Now that we’ve covered the basics of how to outsource link building, let’s dive into some best practices to help you make the most of your link building outsourcing and avoid mistakes along the way:
Make Sure Your Links Are Varied
Just like your investment portfolio, diversity is key when it comes to your link profile. Likewise, a site with good, natural-looking link profile should include a mix of:
- Editorial links from guest posts or contributed articles
- Resource links from related websites or guides
- Attributive links from PR, business listings, or interviews
- Links from trusted, niche-relevant directories
So if you do get a link building agency pushing just one type of link, that’s a red flag. A diverse link profile not only looks more natural to Google but also helps protect you from algorithm changes that might devalue certain types of links.
Focus on Quality and Relevance, Not Quantity
When it comes to links, quality trumps quantity every time. One high-quality, relevant link can be worth more than dozens of low-quality ones. For example, if you run a fitness blog, a link from Men’s Health or Women’s Health would be far more valuable than multiple links from random, unrelated blogs.
Google’s getting smarter every day, and they’re putting more and more emphasis on the relevance of linking sites. Make sure your link building agency understands how to identify and secure opportunities from sites that are closely aligned with your niche and audience.
Work Together on Content for Link Building
Here’s a pro tip: the best link building often involves creating great content. And who knows your business better than you do? By collaborating with your link building agency on content creation, you can dramatically improve the quality and relevance of the content being used to build links.
Here are some ways you can support content creation for link building:
- Share your existing brand assets (photos, videos, graphics, data)
- Offer up original research or proprietary information
- Provide quotes or interviews from your in-house experts
- Fact-check technical or complex topics before they’re published
- Suggest niche-related websites that would be valuable for outreach
This extra effort can really elevate the quality of the content being created on your behalf, leading to better placements and stronger links when outsourcing link building.
Look at the Cost-Per-Link Carefully
When you’re comparing link building agencies, don’t just look at the monthly retainer. Consider the average cost-per-link to get a true picture of value. For example:
- Agency A charges $2000/month and typically builds 8-10 links per month. Their average cost-per-link is $200-$250.
- Agency B charges $3000/month but typically builds 25-30 links per month. Their average cost-per-link is $100-$120.
On the surface, Agency B costs more. But they’re actually providing links at a significantly lower cost-per-link than Agency A – and would likely generate more SEO impact for your money.
Ask link building agencies for a realistic estimate of how many links (and what quality) their monthly retainer would cover, and use that to calculate a cost-per-link. It’s an important factor in your decision-making process when outsourcing link building.
Track Results Holistically
Remember, backlinks don’t exist in a vacuum. Their impact on your organic search rankings is tied to the overall strength and optimization of your website.
So while your outsourced link building can drive great results, don’t expect miracles if your on-page SEO is lacking or your site has underlying technical issues.
We can, however, track improvements holistically by looking at:
- Increases in the number of linking domains over time
- Growth in organic traffic attributed to link building efforts
- Improvements in keyword rankings (not just vanity head terms)
- Engagement metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and pages per session
Work with your link building agency to connect the dots between link building efforts and improvements (or lack thereof) in these areas. Don’t evaluate links as a standalone metric when outsourcing link building.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Outsourcing Link Building
To put this in our own words: Outsourcing link building can deliver great results, but only if you sidestep these common pitfalls:
1.Ignoring the Importance of High-Quality Links
If you use low-quality links, it can hurt your SEO. Google’s Penguin Algorithm is designed to penalize sites that engage in manipulative link-building tactics, which can lead to significant drops in rankings. For example, a study found that over 20% of websites penalized by Google lost 90% of their rankings. This shows how important it is to focus on quality when building links.
2. Failing to Track and Verify Links
Without proper tracking and quality control, you risk paying for links that are low-quality, irrelevant, or never actually placed. Use tools like Ahrefs or your provider’s custom dashboard to monitor link quality and status. Regularly verify that the links are live and meeting your expectations.
3. Letting Quality Slip Over Time
Some services may deliver high-quality links initially to win your business, but standards could decline over time. Perform regular spot checks of new links to ensure consistency in quality. If you notice any decline, raise concerns with your account manager immediately to address the issue.
4. Neglecting to Build a Diverse Link Profile
Relying too heavily on a single type of link, such as guest posts, can raise a red flag to Google. Make sure your link building partner is pursuing a balanced mix of strategies, including earned media coverage, niche edits, thought leadership content, and other tactics to diversify your link profile.
5. Choosing Cheap Services Over Proven Quality
While it’s tempting to go for the cheapest provider, rock-bottom prices often mean corners are being cut in terms of domain authority (DA), relevance, or editorial standards. Don’t hesitate to invest in a quality service—the return on investment in rankings, traffic, and authority will be worth it in the long run.
6. Focusing Only on Link Acquisition
Link building shouldn’t happen in isolation. It’s just one part of a broader SEO and content marketing strategy. Share your target keywords and content assets with your link provider so they can better align their efforts with your overall goals. Regular check-ins will ensure they’re supporting your latest initiatives.
Conclusion
Wow, we’ve talked about a lot when it comes to outsourcing link building, right? Working with a trusted agency for outsourced link building can greatly enhance your SEO by acquiring high-quality backlinks that improve your site’s authority and rankings. This lets you focus on running your business while the experts help boost your site’s authority and rankings.
The key to successfully outsourcing link building is picking the right agency—one that has a proven process, solid strategies, and is open about their work. Treat them as a real partner. Work together on setting goals, creating content, and reviewing progress regularly to get the best results from your outsourced link building.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are strong link profiles. Be patient, stay involved, and trust the process of outsourcing link building. When done right, quality link building can have a major long-term impact on your organic search traffic and revenue.
Got questions about outsourcing link building for your specific situation? Don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re all in this together, and I’m always happy to chat SEO strategy and link building outsourcing.