Your presence here indicates that you have done your homework in understanding the importance of link building for gaining authority, visibility, and growth.

Let’s assume that you’ve done the math and figured that taking on such a gargantuan task is not your cup of tea. You’d rather resort to link building outsourcing and have a professional take over such a responsibility.

Honestly, that’s a smart call.

What’s even smarter is that you’ve landed here for a no-nonsense guide on all-things link building outsourcing! 

So, without wasting any more time, let me walk you through how you can enjoy professional link building services minus any headaches.

What is Link Building Outsourcing?

Before getting into the definition of link building outsourcing, let’s brush up on your knowledge of link building first. 

Link building is the process of earning hyperlinks from other websites to your own. Such a strategy boosts the authority of your website and funnels organic traffic your way. 

This definition is, of course, extremely oversimplified but just enough so that you get the gist. Clearly, it is a highly meticulous task that requires expertise, which is why people go for link building outsourcing, that is, outsourcing the task of link building to seasoned professionals!

5 Signs You Need to Outsource Link Building

A common issue with fledgling startups and SMBs is that they do not realize how great a problem is until it is too big to overcome. 

The same applies to link building.

If you do link building by yourself,  there are some critical factors which contributes to failure of link building like:

1. Missing expertise in outreach
2. Creating substandard content which no one wants to link
3. Lesser possibility of scaling up because of no active link building network
etc… 

This leads to slower organic growth and often forced you to buy low value addition links which is of no use.

If such a frustrating experience resonates with you, here are a few signs that may indicate that you are going down this path and need professional link building services ASAP:

1. You Do Not Consider Yourself to be an Expert

You cannot be a jack of all trades, least of all an “expert”. And that’s perfectly okay if you wish to throw in the towel just because you feel like you do not have it in you. After all, if everyone was a link-building expert, I would be out of business! 

Moreover, nearly 63% of businesses hire link building agencies and freelancers for the task – regardless of their level of expertise. So you wouldn’t be an outlier. If anything, it would be wiser to get the experts involved right from the initial stages to minimize rework.

2. You Are Unable to Hunt for Links Manually

Alright, I know what you’re thinking – “how difficult can it be to build links? At least, let me give it a try.”

Sure, you can go ahead with the DIY approach, but the journey won’t be easy and the time it will take might not necessarily amount to anything fruitful.

In fact, 65% of digital marketing experts consider link building to be the toughest part of SEO! And these are practiced professionals we are talking about here! If they can have such a rough time, one can only imagine how difficult and overwhelming it can get for anybody.

3. Your Link Building Efforts Are Not Yielding Results

Let’s assume that you have successfully managed to create and implement a solid link building strategy. You have written guest blogs, actively contributed to social media sites, and established a canonical internal linking structure.

Everything looks great on paper until you analyze their performance… only to be highly disappointed. You still find broken links peppered across your website, see not much improvement in your SERP rankings, and no increase in your domain authority.

As frustrating as it is, it is a sign that you might seriously consider link building outsourcing.

4. You Are Unable to Focus on Your Core Business

As a business owner, you might already have a lot on your plate. With every business process demanding your attention, the last thing you want is to be distracted by the complicated web of link building!

The situation won’t improve much even if you do invest in tools or platforms that can help with link building. As they say, a tool is only as good as the person using it, which would further burden you with the task of maximizing its value. Not to mention that Google’s algorithm changes almost every month!

So, spare yourself the pain and get a hold of agencies for link building outsourcing.

5. You Want Bankable and Consistent Results

Nailing link building by fluke may just be a one-off event. Perhaps you hit the jackpot with a link from a website with a high DA or maybe you picked the right no-follow/do-follow link format.

Either way, it was pure luck. What you want is a form of success that can be replicated time and again. The results must be consistent and repeatable.

For this reason, you require effective link building services based on a solid strategy that only a seasoned expert can provide. 

7 Steps to Select the Right Link Building Agency

By this point, you may be convinced that link building outsourcing is right for you (or not). As such, the next course of action would be to find an appropriate link building company that you can trust with your website (and your money).

Here is a seven-step guide for choosing the right link building agency:

1. Define Goals And Objectives

As with any digital marketing endeavor, you will have to start by clearly defining the goals and objectives of the link building activities.

You already know the broader goal – higher search engine ranking, improved credibility, access to organic traffic, greater authority, etc.

However, it’s recommended to dig deeper and break it down into SMART goals. SMART is a mnemonic for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound, which is used to make results more tangible within the realms of practicality.

Let’s take a real-world example. RevenueGrid wants to boost organic traffic. They have the pillar content ready – an elaborate guide for sales pipeline management in CRM.

After researching the keyword volume and relevance, “sales pipeline management” appears to be the best opportunity for the content to rank in the top 10 options in the SERP.

Further study may highlight how you need links from 49 websites to achieve the goal.

Now, here’s what this goal would look like in SMART format: To acquire 49 links from high DA websites within the next 12-14 months to rank the target page in the top 10 results for the focus keyword “sales pipeline management.”

Just like that, a vague desire has become a concrete goal!

2. Allocate a Monthly Link Building Budget

Next, let’s discuss a crucial consideration that comes to play while availing any service – cost.

Since link building is an ongoing process, it is best to set aside a recurring budget for the expenses involved, preferably a monthly budget.

To get a near-accurate estimate for such an amount, you will have to research online and request quotes to get an idea of the base price.

However, do note that link building price varies based on different factors such as:

• Your industry and business vertical.
• Number of links required per month.
• Whether links required are from high or low domain authority sites.
• Short-term and long-term link building goals.
• Whether link builders will also draft content.

You will also notice a variation in the quote of one link building agency from the other.

If you are of the opinion that the cost of link building outsourcing is too steep, consider the fact that the link building company will take charge of outreach, content creation, suitable anchor text selection and placement position. As such, you are getting the whole package, and the return would be impressive.

But if you are still on the fence, you can reel in the costs by building fewer links, committing to long-term engagement, and saving on SEO tools.

3. Consider Link Building Outsourcing Models

One of the greatest USPs of link building outsourcing is that you can pick from an assortment of models of engagement. Allow me to elaborate on some common options available.

a) Freelance

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Freelancers are basically independent, self-employed experts working on a contract or project basis. They are typically engaged to replace a junior-level full-time link builder as they are more cost-effective.

You can seek their help for one-time jobs or get started with link building. However, finding, vetting, and hiring freelancers can be quite a headache.

b) Consultants

Consultants are essential freelancers who have risen up the ranks to become a brand of their own. They possess greater expertise and are often hired in senior positions.

They help with long-term strategy building and perceive link building in a more holistic manner by connecting the dots between sitemaps, content plans, outreach, etc.

c) Agency

An agency is a collection of professionals that work together to deliver desired results. Depending on the nature of the agency, they may help you purely with link building or diversify their offerings to subsume a range of related services from revamping an old website, planning content calendars, and much more. 

4.  Review Various Link Building Plans

While researching diverse outsourcing models, you may have noticed that consultants and agencies offer tiered link building plans. These plans may be bundled on the basis of different categories such as domain authority of the backlinking website, whether it belongs to your niche or not and more.

For instance, Loganix has the following link building plan for high-traffic, niche sites:

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On the other hand, LinkBuilder.io has below mentioned link building plan:

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It is important to analyze the various link building plans as they will affect the price you will have to pay for the results. It also establishes realistic expectations that you can have for the plan you choose.

At the same time, you will be shielded from nasty surprises when the link building agency of your choice forwards you an invoice for their efforts.

5. Understand the Link Building Agency’s Workflow

Hiring an agency, consultant, or freelancer is as good as augmenting your existing staff. As such, it is imperative that they are a cultural fit for your organization so that you can get the most out of this association. 

While considering the workplace culture fit, you need to understand that different businesses have varying modus operandi.

You want one that aligns with your functioning so that you can work together to realize your goals. For this reason, you should try and understand the link building agency’s workflow to know how they can add value to your organization (or otherwise).

For instance, say you are a wholly digitized company with access to a few top-notch SEO tools. However, you choose a link building company that offers a manual link building service.

Clearly, you will have a lot of untapped potential in your hands.

Most businesses openly share their workflow on their website. For example, here’s one from LinkBuilder.io:

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So, all you need to do is study it to see whether it fits your requirements or functioning.

6. Request Portfolios And Testimonials

By this point, you may have already narrowed down your list of link building companies to a select few. Now comes the true test of their mettle – the results that they have delivered in the past and what their customers have to say about them. 

Anyone offering professional link building services and serious about staying in business would have maintained a portfolio of their previous jobs. Typically, they will present this information in the form of case studies, like so:

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And so:

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Such tangible results add credibility to their claim of being a reliable link building agency.

At the same time, you can also look into what customers have to say about the effectiveness of the link building services.

For Freelancers, you can always find reviews on the platform offering their services.

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As for consultants and agencies, you can check out the “Testimonial” section of their website or simply run a Google search of their names. If they are worth their salt, they will have a Google My Business page rich with details, including reviews.

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It will give you an idea of what you can expect, as a customer, while availing of their professional link building services.

7. Choose Your Link Building Company

This is the final stage of the link building outsource cycle. This is where you will work out the negotiations, iron out the terms and conditions of engagement, and formulate a contract.

If the link building service provider offers a trial period, give it a spin to gain experience of what you can expect. Once you are truly satisfied with your choice, you can sign the dotted line and start with the onboarding process.

That’s not all. Have a review process in place where you will closely monitor the link building outsourcing progress and performance.

Match them with your baseline expectations and have a talk with the service provider if they are underperforming.

5 Red Flags of an Unscrupulous Link Building Company

By now, you have a solid idea of how to find the best link building agency offering effective services.

However, not all that glitters is gold. The industry is dotted with malicious players who want to make a quick buck than actually abide by the core tenets of SEO.

Here are a few red flags that can alert you about fly-by-night link building companies:

1. Superfast Turnaround Time for Results

Nobody can accurately predict how long it will take for your link building efforts to drive results.

However, if the link building company is giving an estimate in weeks or just a couple of months, then it is time to rethink the decision to proceed with them.

About 51% of marketers believe that it takes around three months for link building efforts to yield results.

Other sources peg this duration between 3-12 months, depending on multiple factors. Anything short of that is just an overpromise!

2. Making Unrealistic Promises

Speaking of overpromises, is the link building agency making you an offer that is too good to be true? Then it is probably untrue!

The link building outsourcing industry is hyper-competitive, which is why businesses may make unrealistic and unsustainable claims. You would want someone who can practically, honestly, and transparently inform you on how things will play out.

3. Agencies Justifying Black Hat SEO Practices

Has your link building company remotely suggested purchasing links or link farming? Then you should immediately press the eject button on the idea of working with them!

What they are talking about are Black Hat SEO practices. Forget about results. You will invite the wrath of search engines that will punish you with anonymity!

4. Companies Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality

Ask yourself, what would you prefer – 4-5 links from sketchy websites or one link from a reputed publication? Obviously, the latter.

It is no rocket science that the impact of a single high quality link on the SEO, traffic, and trustworthiness of your page would greatly eclipse the total contribution of the 4-5 links. In short, effective link building services prioritize quality over quantity. 

5. Overly Flexible Pricing Or Highly Cheap Services

As I have mentioned already, professional link building services are not cheap. That’s not to say that you will be paying through your nose. If anything, the results will justify the link building price.

However, if you were to come across a link building service provider who is going out of their way to accommodate your budget then perhaps it is not because they are friendly!

A reliable link building agency will adhere to at least the industry rates.

Conclusion

As someone who has been mastering link building, let me give you one nugget of advice – it is not easy. Pitching to websites for guest blogs, deciding content topics, finalizing anchors, content writing, follow ups till publication – there is a lot happening behind the scenes. So the idea of link building outsourcing is an excellent way to throw money at the problem and get it done efficiently!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the link building process?

Link building is a process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites for your domain. It helps establish domain authority and gain organic traffic. As such, it is one of the primary strategies employed under off-page SEO.

Is link building still relevant to SEO?

Yes! Link building continues to stay relevant from an SEO standpoint as it can help you gain authority, earn traffic, and increase profitability. It conforms to the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) principles of Google’s search algorithms.

What is the best link building strategy?

Guest blogging is thought to be the most effective link building strategy. Other highly effective link building strategies include outreach, link reclamation, broken link building, content repurposing, and community site link building.

What is included in a link building package?

Link building plans typically include high-quality permanent links from high-authority, relevant websites. The link building service provider may also offer guarantees on the safety, authenticity, and relevance of the link. Additionally, you may get other bundled services like on-page SEO audit or content writing too.