Advanced research: How to outsource link building

Are you tired of watching your competitors dominate Google SERPs while your pages land on page 2 or even worse?

You know quality backlinks are the key to boosting your search rankings, but building them in-house can be overwhelming or ineffective (if you lack expertise). That’s when you should outsource link building.

Handling off link building campaigns to experts who live and breathe white hat strategies ensures you get high-quality backlinks that skyrocket your website up the SERPs — without you lifting a finger.

In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to nail it, step by step. Let’s dive in.

When (and when not) to outsource link building

Skip outsourcing link building if:

• You just want to build random links and brand mentions for PR or brand awareness.
• You don’t have sufficient outsourcing budget. Most agencies charge $3,000-$15,000 per month for link building (based on your specific requirements).

Outsourcing is the right choice for you when:

• You lack the time, resources, and expertise to build high-quality links.
• Your current link building outreach campaigns receive low reply rates.
• You understand the consequences of building low-quality links through mass campaigns, link exchanges, and link farms. And, don’t want to fall in that trap.
• You have specific target pages to rank and want strategic links to push them up the SERPs. However, these links would take you ages to build by yourself.

If the above points sound relatable, you must outsource your link building project to the experts. Let’s find out how.

How to outsource backlink building like a pro in 6 easy steps

Outsourcing link building seems like an easy solution. You pay an agency or partner and they build the links for you while you enjoy the improved search rankings.

But that’s not the case always.

Follow the steps below to ensure you choose the right agency and link building services to achieve your business goals.

1. Check that your website is ready for building backlinks

If the foundation (your website) isn’t solid, building any number of links will not drive good SEO results. Ensure your site meets the following points for link building to be effective.

Your content already ranks on the SERPs.

When some of your content ranks in the SERPs but struggles to reach the top positions, building authoritative links to those pages can push them higher in search results.

For example, you can move your blog post on page 1 of Google from the second page for a competitive keyword with tactical backlinks.

There is a big DA gap.

If your competitor’s posts continually rank above yours even with competitive content quality and value, it could be because their DA is stronger than yours. Building strategic backlinks can help you bridge the authority gap and elevate your website’s competitiveness in the SERPs.

Your site has a solid SEO foundation.

When your site is already optimized for site speed, content quality, keyword inclusion, and server speed, you can leverage off-page SEO tactics to boost its SEO performance.

This includes building relevant backlinks from high-authority websites to your top content pages.

By signaling Google you have votes of confidence from multiple domains in your niche, you can boost your page rankings and easily outshine your competitors.

Your page has fewer backlinks than the competing posts.

Every page’s backlink profile affects its rankings. Say your higher-ranking competitor’s page has 30 backlinks while yours has only 5. This is a sign you need to add more backlinks to your page to bridge the gap and outrank them.

For example, the top pages ranking for “SaaS link building” have stronger DR and UR (both metrics measure the strength of a site’s backlink profile), and they have a greater number of backlinks than ours.

To outrank them, we need to build more backlinks from multiple high-authority domains to our page and also target related keywords to expand our reach and visibility on the SERPs.

2. Learn about the qualifying factors for new links

Let’s break down what most SEO professionals think about link building. They focus on “high-quality” link building, which includes building links:

• From high DR and high DA websites
• From high-traffic websites
• From relevant niche or industry websites
• Do-follow backlinks

But here are the key factors they often tend to overlook:

• Links from topically-relevant posts
• Natural link placement in high-quality articles
• Targeting indexed articles that are already generating traffic
• Using diverse link placement methods (including guest posting, niche edits, and brand mentions)
• Anchor text variations
• Legitimate websites with proper social proof and regular updates
• Links placed in articles by multiple authors
• Building links for multiple pages at once

Considering both the looked and overlooked qualifying factors when building new links ensures that your acquired links offer long-term SEO benefits and boost your site’s rankings.

3. Consider your link building budget

Outsourcing link building isn’t cheap, especially when you want to build high-quality links. However, the cost is more reasonable than hiring a team of experts, including professionals specializing in:

• Target website research
• Link building outreach
• Link placement negotiation
• SEO friendly content creation
• Backlink audit report creation
• End-to-end process management

Most link building agencies already have a network of publishers and industry websites. It is easier to do link insertions and guest posting.

However, you should find a service that meets your budget and requirements. Instead of monthly campaigns, you can also partner for a set number of backlinks to your most important pages.

Most one-off links cost $100-$500/link depending on the target site’s domain rating whereas fully-managed link building campaigns usually start at $5,000/month (as per industry standards).

4. Choose the right type of link building service

Link building agencies offer various types of services depending on your goals and budget. The three prominent service types are managed plans, per-link plans, and white label backlinks.

Managed link building services

In a managed plan, you pay the agency a monthly fee and allow it to plan and run your entire link building campaign. This is mostly a long-term plan and is more effective in acquiring authoritative links to boost your site authority and search rankings for competitive keywords.

Besides building links, the agency also helps you with content creation, anchor text optimization, contextual linking, and identifying keyword opportunities.

The only downside is that fully managed services don’t come cheap. But compared to having an in-house team, it is fairer.

Per-link services

The per-link plan is a cheaper way to outsource SEO link building. You only choose and pay for the links you want. But you should keep in mind that a link from a higher authority site is more costly than a link from a low authority site.

Although the agency may guide you on anchor text and link placement for the per-link service, you won’t get a comprehensive link building strategy like a managed plan.

White label link building services

If you’re an agency without an in-house link building team or expertise, you can partner with a white label link building agency. They offer custom link building solutions for agencies looking to outsource their clients’ link building campaigns at a lower cost.

5. Outsource link building to an agency or a freelancer

When outsourcing link building, you have two options: Agency and Freelancers

 Although agencies can be 2x-3x costlier but they have individuals with expertise in SEO, content, and link relevance, which helps them deliver links with real SEO value. They focus on results, not just the number of links or the DR of linking sites.

This makes agencies like Marveta a better option for outsourcing your link building campaigns. We source quality links and provide free technical SEO and content optimization consultation, offering a 100% results guarantee.

6. Choose the right link building partner

Whether looking to outsource backlink building to a freelancer or an agency, avoid doing it blindly. Do your due diligence by examining these aspects:

Check for case studies

Case studies are a testament to their link building success. Ensure it lists the strategies used and the results gained.

Most link building agencies and freelancers will showcase the entire website traffic stats as proof. But, you should note that the overall website traffic growth is influenced by multiple factors, not just link building.

So, ask for detailed link building case studies and the links they built for specific pages. Re-check the results using link building tools like Ahrefs or Semrush.

For example, in this case study, we have showcased how we helped Statusbrew rank #3 for their desired keyword, “social media analytics tools,” within three months. We helped them move from position 28 to 3 with our strategic link building approach and content optimization support.

Here are some of the links we build to their pages to provide off-page support:

We can help you build similar links to boost the authority of your top pages and help you move up the SERP positions. Notice the varied anchor text and referring domains.

Check their client reviews

Look for previous clients’ reviews and testimonials to gauge the quality of service the potential link building partner offers. It’s a plus if the reviews are verifiable.

Here are some reviews of Marveta from verified individuals:

Ask for links they have built for their own website

Your link building partner should practice what they preach. Links built for the agency’s site reflect its link building expertise and credibility. You also get insights into the type and quality of links your site would get.

For example, we have built links for Marveta on websites with high DR (70+) through guest posting, interview and roundup participation, and link insertions. Along with our linked brand mentions, we have also acquired links on high-intent, keyword-rich anchor text such as “link building agency.”

See if they do a link building strategy discussion

The best link building agencies will discuss your goals, target audience, and SEO link building needs. If they have a strategy discussion step in their new client onboarding process, it is a good sign.

It shows their commitment to developing unique and customized strategies that are 100% relevant to your business or website. They are more likely to help you achieve successful outcomes.

Check which industries they’ve worked for

A link building service with industry experience, particularly in your niche, is a better fit than a generic white hat link building service.

Those with expertise in your niche will be more equipped to deliver links that align with your needs. They understand the technicalities of your industry and the best places to source quality links to give your website the push it needs to rank higher.

For example, we specialize in B2B and SaaS link building and have built the best SaaS links from websites like:

Ensure they get website approval from you

A good link building agency or freelancer will always seek your approval on referring domains and link placement suggestions before pitching it to the editors or webmasters of the target sites.

Asking for your approval ensures that you have the final say.

Don’t fall for link building service red flags

Many freelancers and even agencies will make big promises to land clients. However, some of these are nearly impossible to meet. You should watch out for these red flags and run away from services that promise:

• White hat link building is work. It takes time to find relevant sites, do outreach, figure out the best link placements, and secure quality links. Any service promising instant results may be using unethical practices like link farming. Such links may backfire on you sooner or later.
• Quality comes with a price. A low-cost service means that the agency or freelancer may be relying on pre-existing link networks or low-value sites.
• Transparency is a non-negotiable factor. If the service is unwilling to furnish you with a portfolio of successful link building examples, that’s a red flag. A reputable service should be upfront about its methodology and results.
• No one can guarantee accurate results in link building. Specific guarantees or promises are a sign that the agency might place your links on link farms or PBN sites.

The benefits of outsourcing your link building efforts

65% of marketers find it challenging to do link building right, which is why they often outsource it to specialized agencies. Outsourcing your campaigns offers numerous benefits, including:

• Gives you access to expertise: Link building isn’t trivial as it requires deep knowledge of algorithm changes, current trends, and productive strategies. Outsourcing allows you to capitalize on the expertise of professional link builders who live and breathe SEO.
• Saves cost: Hiring an in-house team of link builders can be costly, especially if you are managing a single project. The alternative is outsourcing, which has no overhead costs and lets you access a dedicated team equipped with the latest tools and methodologies.
• Is easy to scale: Outsourcing offers the flexibility to scale your link building efforts as your business grows. You may introduce new content clusters or build links to support new landing pages. An agency has the resources to scale your campaigns efficiently.
• Delivers quality results: Outsourcing raises your chances of achieving consistent and quantifiable growth in your site’s DR, DA, and search rankings.
• Saves time: When you outsource link building, you free up time and internal resources and can redirect them to your core business activities.

Conclusion

Outsourcing your link building can be a game changer for your business’ SEO success without weighing down your team. However, you need to partner with the right service to secure high-quality links, save time, and achieve quality and sustainable outcomes.

Let the experts do the heavy lifting and elevate your website’s link profile to support your content ranking goals. You can hire Marveta for building links with real value at the cost of an employee to manage your link building campaigns, end to end. Schedule a call now!