Outsourcing Link Building: A Way to Scale?

I've been involved in link building and SEO for over 16 years. I started by working in agencies, moved on to managing my own websites with the Amazon Affiliate program, and eventually established my own company.

Over the years, I've spent a considerable amount of money on various experiments and tests. Unfortunately, a significant portion of that money ended up being wasted.

I shared the details of this case in this LinkedIn post to highlight the pitfalls of ineffective link-building strategies.

This article aims to protect you from similar budget drains and wasteful spending.

📌 Key points covered:

By understanding these points, you can make informed decisions that will help you achieve better results without wasting your budget.

🔍 What Is Outsourced Link Building?

Outsourced link building implies hiring professionals to handle your backlinks and improve your site's ranking. These experts know SEO inside and out, helping your site get noticed by Google.

I’m sure that one of the key advantages of outsourcing link building is the convenience it offers. Professional agencies and contractors have well-established processes for getting high-quality backlinks.

To learn more, read my article, 'Hiring a Link-Building Specialist: What You Need to Know and How to Do It Right.’

This means you can avoid the lengthy and complex setup involved in creating a link-building strategy from scratch. At my company, Editorial.link, we provide clients with an estimated timeline for obtaining their initial set of links, usually completing this within 30 days.

By the way, our recent survey revealed that only 31.1% of respondents choose to outsource their link building, while a substantial 68.9% prefer to manage it in-house.

This trend is largely influenced by the respondents, many of whom are agency owners and freelance experts specializing in link-building services.

This data highlights the wealth of expertise available to businesses that decide to outsource, making it a viable option for those looking to optimize their SEO efforts efficiently.

If you're a business thinking about outsourcing, knowing the time you’ll save and the expert insights you'll gain can truly transform your strategy. At Editorial.Link, we streamline the link-building process, using our expertise to achieve fast and effective results.

🚀 Best Time to Delegate Your Link Building to a Third Party

If you find yourself in any of the following situations, it may be the right time to consider outsourcing.

1. You want to scale your link building efforts

As your business grows, so does the need for a more comprehensive link-building strategy. Outsourcing allows you to tap into a pool of experts who can significantly enhance your efforts and improve your search engine rankings.

If you're currently acquiring 10-15 high-quality backlinks per month but aim to double or triple that number, outsourcing is a strategic move.

According to our survey, 23% of respondents said that one link builder can create 10-15 links per month. However, scaling up to build more links requires substantial effort and expertise, with 54% of SEO specialists typically building between 5 and 20 high-quality backlinks monthly.

Professional link-building teams have the resources and networks needed for effective scaling, including established relationships with journalists and experience across various niches.

2. Looking for a budget-friendly option?

Hiring a full-time, in-house link builder can eat into your budget. That's why it makes more sense to delegate the job to an experienced team. In certain situations, this can be much more beneficial.

Working with a specialized agency eliminates all those overhead costs and only pays for the services you need.

Plus, delegating your link-building efforts gives you faster results.

Agencies already have the right tools, systems, and people ready to go. So instead of waiting months for an in-house team to ramp up, you can start benefiting from their expertise right away.

3. You’re lacking resources

When your internal resources are stretched thin, outsourcing can actually be an effective solution. This is especially true for SEO agencies managing multiple clients and needing to scale their link-building efforts without compromising quality.

By outsourcing to a professional link-building agency, you gain access to experienced teams who can secure high-quality backlinks from top-tier websites.

For example, one of our clients, Sitechecker, struggled to obtain a link from HubSpot using their in-house team. However, by partnering with my agency, Editorial.Link, we successfully secured them a link in a popular HubSpot article.

Fact is, link-building agencies not only bring the necessary expertise but also maintain relationships with high-authority websites, allowing them to acquire valuable backlinks more efficiently than less experienced in-house teams.

4. You’re in a specific niche

When choosing an agency, make sure they’ve already had success in your industry. It’s always a smart move to check their reviews and portfolio to see if they’re the right fit.

Thus, if you need links for the software development industry, go with a team that has experience and case studies to back it up. That way, you know they have the right connections and know-how to get the job done right.

5. You need to focus on other core business activities

Outsourcing link building to experts allows your team to focus on other business activities like product development, customer service, and overall marketing strategy. This way, you ensure it gets the attention it deserves without pulling resources from your core operations.

6. You require faster results

Outsourced link-building services can deliver quicker results thanks to their established processes and extensive networks. If you need to boost your search engine rankings swiftly, an experienced link-building agency can speed up the process.

7. You aim to diversify your link profile

Professional link builders can help diversify your backlink profile, which is key to avoiding penalties and boosting SEO performance. They can secure links from various sources, ensuring natural and organic growth in your link profile.

✔️ Steps to Get Started with Subcontract Link Building

If you’re ready to start outsourcing link building, here’s how to make sure you do it right.

Step 1: Get your website ready for link building

Before you reach out to a link-building agency, make sure your website is fully prepped to handle and benefit from those new backlinks.

First, you’ll want to optimize your on-page SEO.

This means your metadata, headings, and content should be aligned with the keywords you’re targeting. Think title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and even the alt texts on your images.

Also, don’t forget about content. Running a blog that regularly features high-quality content will not only attract more links but will also strengthen your internal linking and establish authority in your niche. This content can take different forms (e.g., blog posts, infographics, videos, or research papers).

Then improve your tech SEO.

Make sure your site loads quickly. Google has pointed out that 53% of mobile visitors will leave if a page takes longer than three seconds to load.

You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify where speed issues are and fix them.

Then, confirm that all your pages are indexed properly. Tools like Google Search Console can help you make sure your site is accessible to search engines and ready to be crawled.

Don’t forget about the basics: mobile-friendliness, internal linking, and fixing those broken links. Your site needs to not only look good on all devices but function smoothly, too. This has a huge impact on both user experience and your SEO performance.

Beyond that, make sure you’ve got a proper sitemap and robots.txt file in place. These help Google crawl your site more efficiently.

Additionally, ensure all your redirects are set up correctly, and broken links are fixed. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Screaming Frog SEO Spider can help you spot and resolve these issues quickly.

Internal links are just as important. They pass authority across your site and guide users to what they need. Get this right, and it’ll improve both user engagement and search rankings.

Finally, if your content isn’t ranking in the top 100, it’s time for a tweak. Analyze your competitors, optimize your keywords, and double-check your content quality.

I’ve seen companies in the SaaS and IT space push out hundreds of articles that still don’t rank well—and often, the problem isn’t backlinks but poorly optimized content.

Step 2: Define your link-building goals

Before choosing your link-building partner, get clear on what you want.

Is it better rankings for specific keywords? Higher domain authority? Maybe you plan to build brand credibility or network with industry leaders.

Whatever the goals, having them set from the start will shape your strategy.

Step 3: Choose link building strategies that match your goals

I’ve tested plenty of link-building strategies and even asked 16+ SEO specialists to find out which ones deliver. Based on that, here are some of the most effective strategies for 2024.

Broken Link Building

This involves finding broken links on websites and offering your content as a replacement. By helping site owners fix dead links, you can earn valuable backlinks. They improve their site, and you get a relevant backlink. Everybody benefits!

Digital PR Link Building

With digital PR, you create newsworthy content and pitch it to journalists and media outlets. This is how you secure links from authoritative websites. Besides backlinks, it also increases your brand’s exposure across the web.

Linkable Assets

Create high-quality content that’s designed to attract links naturally—think in-depth guides, infographics, or tools. These assets become go-to resources for other websites, making them more likely to link back to you. The better the resource, the more links it attracts.

Unlinked Mentions

Find mentions of your brand or product that aren’t linked and offer the site owners to turn them into backlinks. This is one of the simplest strategies. After all, the mention is already there—you just need to secure the link.

Link Insertion

Reach out to websites with relevant content and offer to add a link to your site within their existing articles. This way, you can earn contextual backlinks without having to create new content.

Step 4: Budget wisely

The next step is to evaluate your budget.

Outsourcing link building can be costly, especially if you prioritize quality. However, there are various services available at different price points to fit different budgets.

📍Editorial.Link Plans:

You can also contact our team for a personalized quote tailored to your specific needs. This flexibility ensures that no matter your budget, you can find a plan that works for you.

How Much Does It Cost to Build Links In-House?

If you plan to invest $7,000 in link building, aiming for 15-20 high-quality backlinks per month, consider the costs involved in hiring a link-building specialist and the expected output.

In the United States, the estimated total pay for a Link Building Specialist is $62,284 per year, with an average salary of $51,094 annually, according to Glassdoor​. However, this can exceed $90,000 for more experienced professionals. This translates to a significant monthly expense.

A full-time link builder typically generates 10-15 backlinks per month. Considering their salary and the additional costs for research, content creation, and outreach, the cost per link can range from $300 to $730.

Consider additional expenses for link-building tools. For example, in my last case, we paid more than $42,000 (!) for an Ahrefs subscription. You'll also need to factor in costs for onboarding, and supervising. What about taxes and other overheads?

With these high expenses, what if outsourcing is a more cost-effective solution?

How Much Does It Cost to Delegate Link Building?

Outsourcing link building can be more cost-effective.

The average monthly retainer for link-building services is about $10,000, with affordable packages starting at $5,000 per month. These packages usually promise 15 to 30 links per month. The best thing is - you only pay for the results.

If your vendor fails to deliver the agreed number of links, these are typically rolled over to the next month, ensuring you get value for your money​.

Find a Trusted Link Building Partner

Understanding the outsourcing process is essential before selecting an agency or freelancer.

Look for indicators of reliability and be wary of potential red flags.

Freelancers

You can find freelancers on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and similar websites. These platforms are useful because they show authentic reviews from previous clients.

While each site has its pros and cons, the main advantage is cost—freelancers are usually much cheaper than agencies.

However, there are downsides. Many freelancers on Upwork or Fiverr use black hat tactics, offering high-quality links at very low prices.

Can you really get quality backlinks for $5-$10? For me, that's a red flag 🚩

Link building agency

Agencies offer a variety of services, from ongoing link-building strategies to placing individual links. The biggest advantage of working with an agency is the expertise they bring to the table.

That said, be careful—not all agencies deliver top-notch results. To ensure you're making the right choice, always check reviews on trusted platforms like Clutch or G2.

At Editorial.Link, we’re proud to have over 65 positive reviews on Clutch, highlighting our commitment to quality.

Of course, the downside can be the cost.

Hiring a link-building agency isn't cheap, especially with comprehensive packages. For example, we charge $3,500 for 10 editorial links and $6,000 for 20.

While it’s not the cheapest option, you're paying for links that work and a process that’s clear and reliable.

What to Consider When Subcontract Link Building

Here’s a list of my quick tips for outsourcing link building:

✔️ Case Studies: Review the case studies provided by the agency. If they have examples that match your niche, it's a good sign they have the relevant expertise. Use SEO tools to verify the authenticity of these case studies.

✔️ Testimonials: Look for reviews on platforms like Clutch or G2. Additionally, you can find the agency's clients on LinkedIn and ask them directly about their experience and results.

✔️ Agency's Own Links: Pay attention to the links an agency builds for itself. This isn't always a definitive factor, but it's worth noting.

Red flags to watch out for:

Final Steps: Delegated Your Link Building

If you're ready to start, look for potential companies to outsource your link building to.

Contact them to learn how they can help improve your website’s authority, increase traffic, and build your online brand.