Backlinks are the new digital economy. Each link in your content piece is a confident nod from another site, signaling to Google that your content deserves attention.

This is essentially what Google’s PageRank algorithm did—it created a democratic internet where upvotes (in the form of links) push your website to the front. But to secure these rankings, you need to assemble high-authority backlinks.

Getting through the vast link building world can feel overwhelming.

That is why we have created a link building checklist that breaks down the process into different activities or steps.

We’ve distilled everything into a seven-part ultimate link building checklist for 2024. 

From understanding the basics to mastering advanced tactics, this guide will provide the insights you need to boost your website’s authority and improve your search rankings.

Ultimate Link Building Checklist in 7 Parts

This section provides you with essential backlink management strategies and a comprehensive checklist to boost your website’s authority and visibility like never before.

Let’s get into it.

Part 1: Setting Up Your Link Building Foundation

The key to a successful link insertion campaign lies in leveraging your unique strengths and understanding the landscape of your current link profile.

This step will lay the groundwork and ensure your efforts lead to tangible, impactful results.

1. Identify Your link building Strengths

By aligning your link building plan with your business’s inherent strengths, you make the process more efficient and significantly increase your chances of achieving meaningful results. 

Let’s get into how different business characteristics can guide you in choosing the most effective link building strategies.

Leverage Your Network

If you have: A strong network of business or website owners

Then consider: Link exchanges, guest posts, or adding expert input to other people’s posts.

Having a robust network allows for reciprocal agreements where you can offer something of value in exchange for a backlink. 

For example, in the exchange below, I reached out for a potential link building exchange, which led to a potential collaboration and backlink for my SaaS client.

Showcase Your Expertise

If you have: A high level of expertise in a particular area

Then consider: Writing guest posts on authoritative websites or answering questions on platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out).

By sharing your knowledge through guest posts on reputable sites in your niche, you establish yourself as an authority and earn valuable backlinks.

For example, here is a screenshot of an author bio for Clickass that effectively showcases expertise and builds credibility.

Utilize Your Creative Skills

If you have: Content creation or web design skills

Then consider: Creating content for linkable assets.

Exceptional content and design can attract backlinks naturally. Whether it’s an insightful blog post, an infographic, a comprehensive guide, or an interactive tool, if your content adds value, other sites are more likely to link to it.

Employ Your Sales Acumen

If you have: Strong sales skills

Then consider: Running website outreach campaigns.

Link building often involves outreach, where you pitch other websites to link back to your content. Strong sales skills can be a significant advantage in this context.

Maximize Your PR Connections

If you have: Media contacts or PR expertise

Then consider: PR link building campaigns.

Your PR skills and media contacts can help you get your content featured in news articles, press releases, and other media outlets. The key is to pitch stories or content with a newsworthy angle and significant value to the audience.

Capitalize on Your Brand’s Exposure

If you have: An existing brand with a lot of exposure

Then consider: Unlinked mentions.

A well-known brand is likely to be mentioned across various online platforms. Some of these mentions may not include a link back to your website. Identifying these unlinked mentions and reaching out to request a link can be a straightforward way to gain valuable backlinks.

2. Analyze Your Current Backlink Profile

Understanding where you currently stand can offer invaluable insights into your next steps and enhance your backlink management efforts. Utilizing tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMRush, identify which pages on your website attract the most links. Figure out:

• Your Most Linked-To Content: This reveals what captivates your audience and what can serve as a foundation for future linkable assets.
• Spread the Love: Use these popular pages to distribute link equity throughout your site by adding internal links to other important content.

3. Define Clear Goals for Your link building Campaign

Defining clear goals for your link building campaign is pivotal for several reasons. 

It steers your efforts in the right direction and provides a benchmark against which you can measure your progress and success.

Having well-defined objectives is crucial, whether you aim to enhance your domain authority, increase traffic, or improve rankings for specific keywords. 

Here are a few tips on how to effectively define these goals:

• Start by evaluating your current website status to establish a realistic baseline.
  
• Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives, such as improving domain authority or achieving specific keyword rankings within a defined timeframe.
• Align link building goals with broader business and marketing objectives to ensure strategic coherence.
• Prioritize quality over quantity in link acquisition to focus on gaining high-value backlinks.

4. Identifying Target Pages for Backlinks

Identifying target pages for backlinks involves selecting web pages within your site that you’ll prioritize in your link building efforts.

These pages should be highly relevant, offer valuable information, and align with your SEO goals.

• Start by examining your site’s content to find pages that already rank well or have the potential to attract traffic and engage users.
• Consider the type of content that typically earns backlinks, such as comprehensive guides, original research, or resources that are useful to your audience and relevant to your industry.
• You can also use competitive analysis to uncover what works for others in your niche.

5. Calculate “Minimum Links Requirement”

The “Minimum Links Requirement” refers to the estimated number of backlinks you need to achieve your SEO goals, such as ranking for specific keywords or reaching a certain domain authority. 

Understanding this requirement is crucial as it helps tailor your link building efforts towards measurable objectives. 

To calculate it:

• Analyze the backlink profiles of the top-ranking pages for your targeted keywords using SEO tools.
• Note the average number of backlinks and the quality of these links. This gives you a benchmark for competing effectively in search rankings.

6. Build A Sheet to Keep Track

Simplicity is key. Create a straightforward spreadsheet to log:

• Date of link acquisition
• URL of the linking page
• The targeted page on your site
• Used anchor text
• Domain rating of the linking site

This tracker will become an essential tool in managing and evaluating your link building efforts, giving you a clear overview of your campaign’s success and areas for improvement.

Part 2: Identify Quick Wins

Before diving into the deep end, why not scoop up some quick wins that can set a positive tone for your link building campaign? Here’s how you can do that:

7. Find Relevant (High-Quality) Directories

Your first port of call? High-quality directories that cater to your niche.

Whether it’s a travel-focused directory like TripAdvisor or a SaaS hub like G2, getting listed on these platforms can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility.

Remember, the aim here isn’t just for any backlink but for those contributing to brand awareness, possibly funneling traffic or sales your way.

Stick to directories recognized for their quality, or you’ll end up diluting your brand’s online presence.

8. Find Forums and Communities

Next, explore forum backlinks opportunities relevant to your industry. 

From Reddit threads to specialized online communities, the potential for garnering attention is vast. 

While many of these links are nofollow, the real win is the relevant, engaged traffic they can bring to your door.

9. Discover “Best Of” Lists

There’s a good chance your niche has “best of” lists floating around the internet. Finding these and adding your site can secure a spot in the limelight, enhancing visibility and credibility.

This method requires some outreach, but landing on a curated list can be a significant win for your link profile.

Example: As a part of our strategy for a hypothetical client, Timely, we conducted a backlink analysis for their competitor Clockify.

By analyzing these backlinks, we identified several “best of” articles where Clockify is featured. Here is a screenshot showing this analysis, highlighting their inclusion in various “best of” articles.

This demonstrates how being featured on these lists can significantly boost your backlink profile and we aim to achieve similar placements for Timely.

10. Search for Unlinked Brand Mentions

An often overlooked link building plan is to search for unlinked mentions of your brand. 

Tools like Mention or setting up Google Alerts for your brand name can unveil these hidden gems.

Reaching out to these sites and requesting they turn the mention into a link can accumulate backlinks with minimal effort.

In addition to these tools, Ahrefs Alerts can be particularly effective in tracking brand mentions.

Here’s how to set up and use alerts feature to track brand mentions:

Open the Alerts settings from the “More” section in Ahrefs top menu.

Select the radio button for the site you want to add the alert for and adjust the settings as needed. Adjust the mode, language, domain rating, traffic, and the frequency at which you want the data.

11. Set Up Google Alerts

To stay ahead of the game, set up Google Alerts for your brand, products, or any relevant keywords.

This tool ensures you’re instantly informed of mentions across the web, allowing you to act swiftly in capitalizing on new link opportunities.

Part 3: Finding Backlink Opportunities

The right high-value backlinks can catapult your website’s authority, driving your SEO strategy towards unprecedented success. Here’s how you can identify and secure these lucrative link opportunities.

12. Identify Relevant Niches

Start by pinpointing niches that align with your business.

For example, if you’re a SaaS company providing project management tools, links from tech blogs, software review sites, and productivity-focused websites are more valuable than those from unrelated sectors.

Relevance is key here as it ensures the links contribute positively to your site’s perceived authority and relevance in your specific field.

By targeting relevant niches, you enhance the value of your backlinks, making them more impactful for your SEO strategy.

For more insights on targeting specific niches, check out our guide on niche SEO.

13. Find Websites in These Niches for Guest Posting

Once you’ve identified your niche, seek out websites within it that accept guest posts.

Using a tool like Ahrefs’ Content Explorer, search with terms like your niche keyword + intitle: “write for us” or + intitle: “guest post”.

Filter results to avoid duplication and target sites with the right Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR). This ensures they align with your site’s needs in terms of authority and relevance.

14. Uncover Your Competitors’ Backlinks

Understanding where your competitors are getting their backlinks from can provide a roadmap for your own link building efforts.

Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs allow you to peek into your competitors’ link profiles, revealing opportunities they’ve capitalized on that you might also pursue.

Look for patterns or recurring sources in their backlinks and consider how you can also engage with these sources.

All you need to do is, simply sign up for your preferred tool, plug your competitor’s domain or URL into Site Explorer, and then go to the Backlinks report.

You’ll see all their backlinks. For instance, in the below screenshot, you can see 190,000+ backlinks for Omnisend.

You can use filters to narrow down the data, such as domain rating, traffic, dofollow/nofollow, and backlink type.

15. Find Broken Links That Need Updating

Scour relevant sites for broken links that you can replace with content from your website. This not only aids the site owner but also secures a backlink for you.

Use tools like Ahrefs to find broken outbound links on websites in your niche, then reach out to suggest your content as a replacement.

Part 4: Perform Website Quality Checks

Ensuring the quality of websites from which you’re considering acquiring backlinks is crucial for safeguarding your site’s reputation and SEO health in the long term. Here’s how to perform thorough quality checks:

16. Ensure Site Relevance

The relevance of a site to your niche cannot be overstressed. A link from a site closely related to your industry carries more weight and is more likely to drive targeted, valuable traffic to your site.

For example, suppose you’re in the email marketing industry.

In that case, securing a backlink from a site focusing on email marketing strategies is significantly more beneficial than a link from a general news site.

Here’s a backlink related to Email Signature feature from a blog about email marketing campaigns:

Consider a backlink Newoldstamp received related to “sales funnels” from a blog focused on eCommerce referral programs.

Although both topics pertain broadly to marketing, the mismatch between the source blog’s specific focus and the linked page’s content might not provide highly targeted traffic or enhance SEO as effectively as a more relevant source would.

17. Check the Backlink Blacklist

Before moving forward, verify that the site isn’t listed on the Backlink Blacklist. This comprehensive database maintained by LinksThatRank features over 60,000 domains flagged for unsafe link building practices.

Source

A site listed here could negatively impact your standings with Google, undoing much of your SEO effort. Utilize this free tool to screen potential link sources, ensuring they haven’t been blacklisted for unethical practices.

18. Make Sure The Site Has Organic Search Traffic

A site’s organic search traffic is a testament to its SEO health and the quality of its content. Sites with steady, relevant traffic are viewed more favorably by search engines and can pass more value through their links.

19. Check The Site Is Not A Link Farm

Link farming sites are established solely for link building and offer little to no valuable content. Be wary of them.

These are easily identified by their high volume of outbound links relative to content quality and relevance. Engaging with such sites can harm your SEO efforts. 

Look for signs of genuine engagement and content geared towards real users.

For example, sudden changes in Domain Rating (DR) can indicate the presence of a link farm.

Such spikes typically showcase artificial link building, which can lead to search engine penalties.

Always ensure that the sites you engage with have consistent and natural growth in their backlink count.

20. Evaluate Content Quality and Relevance

The quality and relevance of the site’s content to your niche are paramount. High-quality, relevant content indicates that the site is a credible source within your industry, making a backlink from such a source more valuable.

21. Screen for Suspicious Outbound Links

Inspect the site for outbound links to ensure they don’t lead to suspicious or irrelevant sites. This could indicate a lack of editorial standards or involvement in questionable SEO practices, both red flags for potential link partners.

22. Confirm the Site Ranks for Relevant Keywords

Lastly, check if the site ranks well for keywords relevant to your niche. This indicates that search engines regard the site as a credible source of information within your industry, enhancing the value of its backlinks.

Example: Assume our site is Monitask, a productivity management tool designed for remote teams to monitor work hours and project progress. And consider the competitor is Toggl, a time-tracking software mostly used by freelancers. 

By targeting backlinks from sites that rank well for relevant keywords, you ensure that your link-building efforts are effective and aligned with your business goals.

Source

The above screenshot from Ahrefs provides a detailed view of Toggl.com’s backlink strategy, highlighting the most impactful referring pages that focus on backlinks related to productivity tools.

Notably, these backlinks drive high rankings for specific keywords, showcasing their strategic importance in Toggl’s SEO success.

Part 5: Outreach Checks for Link Building

Outreach is the linchpin of your link building campaign. This stage turns your preparation into potential partnerships, making the difference between a link earned and an opportunity missed.

Here’s how to ace your outreach:

23. Choose the Right Person for Outreach

Identifying the right contact within a target site is crucial. You’re looking for individuals with the authority to decide content and backlinks.

Depending on the site’s size, this could be the editor, site owner, or content manager. Getting this right significantly increases your chances of a positive response.

24. Choosing the Right Outreach Method

While email remains the gold standard for outreach due to its professionalism and convenience, don’t overlook the power of social media platforms.

This is especially true for contacts you may already have a rapport with on LinkedIn or Twitter. The key is to choose the method that aligns with your target’s preferred communication style.

Recently, we conducted a LinkedIn outreach campaign targeting industry experts and influencers. By leveraging personalized messages, I was able to achieve a higher response rate and secured valuable backlinks.

LinkedIn Outreach: 

Response From Editor:

Finding Contact Information

Employ tools like Hunter.io to automate the search for email addresses.

Source

Hunter can seamlessly integrate with your Google Sheets, pulling first names, last names, and domain names from your list to find corresponding email addresses.

Tools like Mailmeteor’s Email Permutator can also help generate possible email combinations based on available information, increasing your chances of finding the correct email address.

If some prospects are missing details, prioritize quality over quantity by focusing on those with complete information to ensure your outreach is as targeted and efficient as possible.

Consider the insights shared by Antonio Gabric on LinkedIn as he explains useful strategies for finding email addresses, here:

25. Crafting Personalized Outreach Messages

The cornerstone of effective outreach is personalization.

Beyond addressing the recipient by name, tailor your message to reflect knowledge of their site and how your content can add value to them.

Your value proposition should be clear: why should they care about what you’re offering?

This could range from offering unique insights to proposing content that fills a gap on their site.

The following image from Ahrefs shows our content gap analysis for Goco, pinpointing potential areas where our client can provide in-depth, valuable content.

This strategic data informs our outreach, ensuring our message highlights how our content uniquely benefits their publication.

We crafted a tailored outreach message to Goco upon identifying these content opportunities. The editor’s positive response to our proposal underscores the success of our approach, confirming a direct alignment with their content needs.

Here’s a reply from their Editor:

26. Include a Value Proposition

Your outreach message must articulate a compelling value proposition to convince people to give backlinks to you. Drawing insights from Antonio Gabric’s recent suggestions, here’s how to make your next cold outreach campaign successful:

• Write Short Emails: Avoid fluff and get straight to the point. Busy professionals appreciate brevity.
• Provide Value First: Always offer something valuable in return, ensuring a mutual benefit from the backlink relationship. Think beyond the typical skyscraper method.
• Relevant Websites: Ensure that the websites where you propose to add links are highly relevant to your recipient’s niche. This relevance adds value to both parties.
• Spice Up Your Offer: Enhance your proposition by including mentions on social media or in newsletters. This added exposure can make your offer more appealing.
• Focus on Win-Win Solutions: Always aim for a win-win scenario. Present a partnership opportunity that benefits both parties. For instance, why build just one link if you can create a mutually beneficial relationship resulting in multiple backlinks?

Here’s a screenshot from a recent outreach campaign where we offered a value exchange to a content marketing person from a SaaS company.

This approach demonstrated how our proposal would benefit their site, ensuring a mutually beneficial relationship.

27. Sending Emails & Following Up on Outreach Efforts

Once your messages are crafted, it’s time to send them. Using outreach tools like Mailshake, Buzzstream, or Pitchbox can streamline this process, allowing you to manage and personalize your emails at scale.

Remember, the follow-up is as important as the initial email. If you haven’t received a response within a week or two, sending a polite follow-up can sometimes turn a no or a non-response into a yes.

Your patience and persistence and a respectful approach can lead to fruitful collaborations that bolster your site’s SEO and brand visibility.

Part 6: Content Creation for Link Building

The soul of your link building endeavor lies in creating high-quality, link-worthy content.

Whether it’s through insightful articles, innovative infographics, or compelling case studies, excellence in content is non-negotiable.

Adapting your content to suit various platforms and formats is key to broadening its appeal. Tailoring your message to fit the unique context of each potential backlink source—from blogs and forums to social media channels—can significantly increase its linking potential.

Finally, ensure that your content meticulously adheres to the target site’s guidelines and preferences. This means aligning with their thematic concerns, style, and quality standards. 

By doing so, you not only respect the integrity of the hosting site but also increase the likelihood of your content being enthusiastically received and linked to.

Part 7: Final Quality Control Check

Crossing the finish line of your link building campaign doesn’t mean it’s time to relax just yet.

A final quality control check ensures that all your hard work pays off, cementing the strength and effectiveness of each link you’ve secured. Here’s how to conduct this crucial review:

28. Anchor Text Verification

Ensure the anchor text from each live link remains consistent with what was decided during the content creation stage.

Any discrepancies could affect the link’s SEO value and relevance to your targeted keywords.

29. Ensuring Backlink Quality: DoFollow vs NoFollow

Verify the nature of your backlinks. While NoFollow links have their place in a diversified link profile, DoFollow links are essential for passing SEO value to your site. Ensure your crucial backlinks haven’t been tagged as NoFollow unintentionally.

Here’s an example of a do-follow link:

<a href=”https://clearout.io/”>Clearout</a>

Here’s an example of a nofollow backlink:

<a href=”https://brilliantlifeshop.com/” target=”_blank” title=”Brilliant Life Shop” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Brilliant Life Shop</a>

30. UGC or Sponsored Tags

Check that your links are not tagged as “UGC” (User Generated Content) or “Sponsored” unless appropriate. These tags can significantly diminish the SEO value passed to your site.

31. Link Placement Position

The position of your link on the page matters. Links placed ‘above the fold’ are more likely to be clicked on by visitors and potentially valued higher by search engines.

Ensure your link isn’t buried below the fold or lost in a sea of content.

Here’s an example in the following screenshot, the anchor text “employee recognition software” which is positioned at the bottom of the article, right before the “Conclusion” section.

This placement is not ideal as it minimizes visibility and potential engagement.

Ideally, the link should have been positioned in the middle of the content where the same anchor text is mentioned, but surprisingly, no link was placed there.

See this:

By positioning your links strategically within the content, you can enhance their visibility and effectiveness, leading to better referral traffic and improved search engine rankings.

32. Indexability Check

Lastly, ensure the page your link is on can be indexed by search engines. A link on a non-indexable page (via a “noindex” tag, for instance) won’t contribute to your site’s SEO performance.

Use tools like Google’s “site:search” to confirm the page appears in search results.

For Example:

Here’s a screenshot showing a successful indexability check for a guest post written for a client. The post appears in Google search results, confirming it is indexable and can contribute to SEO performance.

In Conclusion

Navigating the world of link building need not be a solo journey. With the right strategies and a detailed link building checklist in hand, you’re ready to elevate your SaaS website’s visibility and drive substantial organic traffic.

If you’re ready to take your link building efforts to the next level, consider leveraging our ultimate link building checklist.

It covers everything from identifying relevant niches to crafting personalized outreach messages and ensuring indexability.

Thinking about outsourcing your link building? 

Let’s discuss effective strategies tailored to your SaaS business. 

Schedule a call with me today to unlock your site’s potential for exponential growth and visibility.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your link building strategy with expert guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the key components of a successful link building campaign in 2024?

A successful link building campaign in 2024 hinges on high-quality, relevant content, strategic outreach, meticulous site selection, and constant monitoring and adaptation.

Integrating these elements into your link building checklist ensures a robust foundation for enhancing your site’s authority and visibility.

2. How do SEO professionals measure the effectiveness of their link building efforts?

SEO professionals gauge link building effectiveness through metrics such as increased organic traffic, improved search engine rankings, and the quality and relevance of acquired backlinks.

Monitoring these indicators helps in fine-tuning strategies for optimal results.

3. What are some advanced link building strategies that can be utilized in 2024?

Advanced strategies include leveraging AI for prospecting and personalization, tapping into unexploited niches via HARO, executing competitor backlink analysis for opportunity spotting, and fostering relationships for reciprocal content marketing.

These approaches demand creativity, precision, and a keen eye for evolving SEO trends.

4. What are some of the biggest mistakes people make while building links?

Common pitfalls include prioritizing quantity over quality, neglecting the relevance of link sources, overlooking the power of personalization in outreach efforts, and failing to track and analyze the impact of links.

Avoiding these mistakes is crucial for a successful link building campaign.