This post is an update to our guide on outsourcing link building, which was published back in 2024. While that guide still holds water today, we’ve made this one more streamlined to make it easier to understand.
As an SEO service, we often stress how crucial proper link building is in promoting brands and businesses. It might sound like you need to build your own link building capability in-house, but that isn’t always possible. In more cases than you may think, businesses don’t have the expertise, tools, or time to do it themselves.
That’s where the likes of NO-BS Marketplace come in. We do SEO so you don’t have to.
But before you start looking for an outside professional, you need to know a couple of key things. If you aren’t careful with your choice of link building service, your business can be blamed for the service’s mistakes. And as we’ve established countless times already, the Big G won’t show mercy for anyone who tries fooling it.
To Outsource or Not to Outsource
You can take the steps here in any order, but the first step will always be to ask yourself:
“Do I even need to outsource link building?”
It’s like that adage that says, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” As much as we want an answer set in stone, businesses—like their owners and staff—vary. Even two startups in the same industry that offer the same products and services can differ in their digital marketing needs.
To answer this question, you’ll need to ask yourself several more questions. Fortunately, this cheat sheet can help guide you to a sound decision.
*Based on U.S. data from ZipRecruiter. Actual salary may vary.
Asking yourself these questions is also an exercise in tempering expectations. Outsourcing link building to professionals may be less costly, but don’t expect them to be on the same wavelength or even share the same work culture as your company. Collaboration doesn’t need any of those, only the willingness to work together amid both parties’ differences.
Shortlisting Your Candidates
If you’re convinced that outsourcing link building is ideal, the next step is to scour the Web for candidates. There’s a lot to choose from, given that most SEO agencies (like yours truly) aren’t restricted to offering their services to their home countries or regions.
A while back, I discussed the things an SEO firm shouldn’t do to avoid being called a scam. While I wrote that for SEO firms, it’s also a useful guide for businesses looking for one. For a brief recap, steer clear of agencies that:
Guarantee good results: There are no guarantees in SEO. Anyone who claims with confidence that they can get your website to the top of search results for dirt cheap doesn’t know what they’re talking about—or worse.
Abuse cold emailing: Cold emailing by itself isn’t unethical. But when you get a lot of such emails to the point of flooding your inbox, that’s a sign to cross out that firm. They’re less likely to be serious about delivering good results.
Lack transparency: Given that much of SEO is technical, agencies are obligated to explain the process to clients in a language they can understand. Hiding behind alibis like “SEO is too technical” only gives people reason for suspicion.
Once you’ve trimmed out the unwanted fat, gauge the remaining candidates based on their approach to link building. By now, you should be aware that link building is undergoing a major change driven by the rise of AI. While old practices such as guest posting will still be relevant for now, a good link builder must always look forward.
To that end, ask them: “How do you create linkable assets?”
We’re not talking about mere guest articles here. We’re talking about infographics, original research, online tools, and even content with coined terms. Essentially, content that’ll get people to share or, better yet, journalists to write a story about them.
Asking for Guarantees
“Wait, didn’t you just say that there are no guarantees in SEO?”
Yes, I did. We’re not asking for that here, though, but guarantees of deliverables.
Even if there’s no way to reliably get the exact results you need, you still want to achieve minimums. For that, talk about the specifics of your link building campaign with the link builder of your choice. Don’t worry if you have no idea about the exact minimums; finding those out is the agency’s job.
Near the end of your meeting, make sure to request a copy of a Statement of Work (SOW). According to marketing expert Alex Berman, an SOW should ideally be provided within 24 hours while the details of the meeting are still fresh. He also stated that it must contain all seven of the following sections, complete with specifics:
The campaign’s overview and objectives
The agency’s scope of work
Expected deliverables (e.g., documents)
A timeline of relevant tasks
Payment information and terms
Conditions for acceptance and revisions
Work not included in the agency’s scope
Don’t hesitate to raise any concerns with the SOW. If changes are necessary, the agency should inform you of their pros and cons via email. In fact, receiving written confirmation for revisions is crucial for transparency. The last thing you want to happen is to be blamed for content violations you yourself didn’t commit.
Keep a copy of the SOW (as well as other contract documents) and all your back-and-forth with the link building service.
Constant Monitoring
It takes a while for link building to yield noticeable results. Nevertheless, it pays to keep a close eye on the numbers to see if your decision to outsource is bearing fruit.
Measuring success in link building is made easy thanks to SEO analytics platforms, which integrate all you need in one interface. Of the dozens available, many in the SEO industry consider the Big Three to be Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush. But because they also have some of the priciest plans, having at least one of these should be enough.
But for all their wide range of features, they largely track metrics using third-party data. If you want search data straight from Google, Google Search Console (GSC) is the only tool that lets you do that. To ensure accuracy, I recommend using GSC (it’s free) on top of your chosen Big Three platform for comparing data.
If money is really tight, you can opt for the lesser-known tools. However, keep in mind that many of these aren’t as feature-rich as the Big Three. That said, they’re good as a stopgap until you can afford more advanced analytics.
You’re Now Ready to Outsource
Congratulations on getting this far! Now you’re ready to leave link building to professionals who won’t leave you hanging when push comes to shove. Or if you decide to do it yourself, that’s fine too.