Link building for SEO? Absolutely!
Backlinks (inbound links) are one of the three vital Google ranking factors.
Bing also explicitly states that webmasters should “plan to build links both internally and externally, in an organic manner.”
Going by Bing’s definition, organic links are links that content creators place on relevant sites that will drive real users to your site.
Relevant websites are those that share your target audience.
If you have a small team or run your business alone, you might consider hiring content creators to run your link-building campaigns.
These experts offer link-building services like broken link building, guest posting, and outreach marketing.
But because most link-building companies either underdeliver or use black-hat link-building strategies that they market as white-hat link-building, you’ll find this guide super helpful.
I’ll share the best SEO link-building services, how they work, and much more. In the end, you should be able to know what services you should be employing and the worst link-building strategies that should be avoided at all cost.
Let’s get to it!
The best link-building services
To preface, the best link building services should always be done in-house.
That’s because you’ll want someone who can understand your goals and objectives entirely and be able to manage and run your whole content, SEO and link acquisition strategy.
The issue here is that it can be expensive to hire dedicated roles in-house. This doesn’t even include all the software that you’d need to be paying for – which is why the best way I’ve found is to hire independent consultants that you can hire on a contract basis to help manage and run these campaigns.
You get the best of both worlds by not having to commit to a full time salary for multiple roles, having a dedicated consultant who is in your business working for you, and also being able to leverage their skills and network.
But for your benefit, I’ve recommended a few agencies whose services you may benefit from
👋 Jessica here – I’m a freelance Content Marketer offering all the below link building services! I specialise it turning blogs into lead generating channels – which includes quality link building. Find out more on how we can work together here.
| Link Building Service | Recommended Company | Pricing (starts from/average) |
|---|---|---|
| Content Marketing Services | WebFX | $1,375 |
| Guest Posting Services | LinksThatRank | $1,497 |
| DFY Link-building services | PageOnePower | $550 |
| Podcast booking services | PodcastGuests | $10 |
| HARO | HARO | $19 (there’s a free version) |
1. Content Marketing Services
Content marketing services for link-building involve publishing unique content on your blog that others will want to link to naturally. That’s how you get the beloved editorial links.
Creating linkable assets is the most organic link-building tactic. But this approach also takes the longest to see results.
The idea here is to create content optimized for specific keywords/terms that align with your company goals. Besides getting backlinks, the campaign should grow your website’s domain authority and traffic in the long run.
Unfortunately, most SEO agencies create mediocre content that no one would want to link to. In fact, I’ve been able to write better content in less than 3 hours with the aid of AI writing tools.
That’s why you may prefer to work with a talented content creator instead of an agency that might end up assigning your blog posts to an inexperienced freelance writer.
Nonetheless, here’s my top recommendation for content marketing services.
WebFX (rated 4.9/5.0 on g2)
WebFX is a full-service digital marketing agency with proven results – increased traffic, domain authority, search engine ranking, and leads.
I couldn’t find a negative review of this company. And most reviewers praise their customer service and professionalism.
But what strikes me most is that they take the time to understand your brand and industry and create original content – according to the reviewers on G2.
For link-building, check out their SEO services. They’ll assign an account manager who’ll work with you to create a custom link-building strategy, follow up on results, and address your questions. But they also have a content marketing package.
Pricing
Their SEO services starts at $1,800 per month that includes:
- 3 content assets
- Dedicated Content Marketing expert
- Online project management schedule
- Rich Media Citations
💬The Bottom Line
Content marketing services are expensive for small businesses, but you get what you pay for. If you use an agency that delivers like WebFX, you’ll grow your website’s DA, traffic, and search rankings. And while at it, you’ll tailor your link-building campaign to generate leads and increase conversions.
2. Guest Post Services
Guest posting services do everything from finding relevant websites, creating the posts, and publishing them. But while guest posting is a white-hat link-building strategy, be wary of agencies that post your article on a site from Private Blog Networks (more on this later) or guest post farms.
When choosing a guest posting service, consider the following:
- Their quality control process – they should have this documented
- Avoid services that will share a list of websites before you place an order
- Go for a service that blacklists websites with “write for us” pages – no need to pay for such a link
- Place your link on websites with over 500 organic search traffic – because Google trusts them enough to direct internet users to the websites
- Avoid cheap guest posting services because they’re likely using shortcuts
Now here’s my recommendation for guest posting services.
LinksThatRank
LinksThatRank pride themselves on the strictest quality control process for guest posting. It’s a 23-point checklist that ensures you get high quality backlinks.
After placing your order on the site, they’ll review your requirements, look for a link placement, create the blog post and publish it.
The seo link-building service guarantees that:
- They’ll publish your post in a website that’s relevant to your niche (at least 80 Domain Rating)
- The website will have at least 500 organic visitors
- The website will not be on their blacklist of PBNs, guest post farms and other link sales
- The’ll not publish on websites with “write for us” pages
- They’ll write a high-quality 1,000 words post with internal links, external links and images
LinksThatRank have a quick turnaround time (less than 21 days) and quality assurance. But you can’t preapprove a website before they publish.
Pricing
LinksThatRank pricing is in monthly packages:
- Bronze (6 links) – $1,497
- Silver (13 links) – $2,997
- Gold (22 links) – $4,997
Single links pricing depend on the backlink’s Domain Rating (i.e., the website you publish your guest post).
- For DR 20 to 34 – $177 per link
- For DR 35 to 49 – $247 per link
- For DR 50 to 80 – $327 per link
💬The Bottom Line
Guest posting services take care of the entire outreach, but be wary of agencies that are guest post brokers. They typically have a list of sites where you can publish the post even before they know your brand and what you do. That’s why I recommend LinksThatRank for their strict quality control process.
3. Done-For-You link-building service
A link-building agency will create a custom strategy, run the campaign, publish the articles, track the results and adjust as necessary. You can do this with an in-house team (a much better option), but if you need to scale up, then an agency will help.
Besides utilizing various link-building tactics, most link-building agencies have relationships that you can take advantage of.
Here’s my recommendation that assures you of a manual outreach.
PageOnePower (rated 4.5/5 on yelp)
PageOnePower is a reputable link-building company (with a matching price tag). Their custom link-building services include:
- Guest posting
- Unlinked mentions
- Resource link-building
- Broken link-building
- Outreach link-building
Each of the backlink you get will have:
- Moz DA 30+
- Majestic Citation Flow 20+
To create your custom link-building campaign, you’ll have a strategy call with a project manager where you’ll discuss your current marketing and link-building efforts, your unique selling point, goals and, key performance indicators and more.
Once the campaign kicks off, you’ll receive ongoing SEO performance reports and quarterly reviews.
Pricing
Custom – depends on your needs. You can expect to pay about $550 per link.
💬The Bottom Line
Guest posting services take care of the entire outreach, but be wary of agencies that are guest post brokers. They typically have a list of sites where you can publish the post even before they know your brand and what you do. That’s why I recommend LinksThatRank for their strict quality control process.
4. Podcast booking service
Being a podcast guest is not just a chance to get links, you also showcase your brand and authority.
Podcast booking agencies will book you to be an expert guest on a niche podcast for a monthly retainer. While these are good, it’s hard to find one that delivers an interview that brings in traffic.
So instead of an agency, I’ll recommend PodcastGuests – a subscription service that works like HARO (Help A Reporter Out).
PodcastGuests
PodcastGuests connects podcasters with expert guests and vice versa.
You simply sign up as an expert, and fill in your profile. You’ll then join their directory of experts.
After that, you’ll receive 2 emails every week with 10 guest opportunities. If you find a good match, you’ll fill out a simple form which will be sent to the podcaster; then they’ll contact you.
Pricing
Their subscription has two packages:
- Basic – $10 per month, billed annually
- Premium – $29 per month, billed annually
💬The Bottom Line
With podcasting, you don’t rely on an SEO agency to speak for your brand; you do it yourself. And if you use PodcastGuests, it’s so much cheaper than any link-building agency.
5. Help A Reporter Out
HARO is a platform where journalists seek quotes (or first-hand information) from industry experts. It could be a journalist doing a case study or some other research for a Forbes article.
To use HARO for link building, head over to the website and sign up as a source. You’ll then receive two (or three) emails every day from Monday to Friday.
Each email has over 50 queries from reporters, organized according to niches. If you find a suitable question, simply reply to the HARO email stated on the query.
If the reporter likes your reply, they’ll add it to their post and link to your website.
You can read my in-depth guide on how to get links from HARO here.
Pricing
HARO has a free and paid subscription.
You can rely solely on the free (Basic) subscription for your link-building efforts.
But if you want text alerts and more targeted queries, you can subscribe to the Standard package at $19 per month.
💬The Bottom Line
HARO is probably the cheapest link-building service. But you could spend days before you get a relevant query. However, when you find one, it could give you the traffic spike you yearn for.
I’ll now quickly run through the link-building services that you should avoid and why.
The worst link building services
- Private Blog Networks – after Google’s Penguin algorithm update, these will lower your search engine rankings.
- Cheap Fiver gigs – mostly freelancers taking shortcuts
- The Hoth– they have a track record of delivering low-quality links
- Paid guest posts – they violate Google webmaster guidelines, so they could penalize your site
- Press releases – no need because Google ignores links in press releases because they’re unnatural links
- Links from directories – more often than not, they’re spammy links
- Web 2.0 link building (links from profiles and subdomains e.g., posting your link on social sites like Tumblr or classified sites) – they have zero SEO value.
Final verdict
Editorial backlinks (e.g., linking to a study or other original/high-quality content) make the best backlink profile. If an agency or independent consultant can give you natural links, their link-building service is worth the price.
Overall, my best backlink-building service (for their 11-year-old track record) is PageOnePower. If their high price tag is discouraging, consider having an in-house team (a little less expensive but time-consuming) or hiring an independent consultant like me to help work with you to make sure you hit your business goals.
You can find out more on how to work with me here.
If you want to go DIY, check out my detailed guide on affordable SEO tools.
Good Luck!
Jessica La
