Backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors for SEO in 2023. By building quality backlinks to your site, you can increase domain authority, rankings, and organic traffic. Many businesses and site owners want to learn how to sell backlinks as a service.
Providing backlink packages and outreach services allows you to generate recurring revenue while helping sites rank higher in search. However, there are right and wrong ways to sell backlinks that could get you penalized by Google. This guide will teach you how to properly and ethically sell backlinks in 2023.
What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?
A backlink is any link from an external site or page that points back to a page on your site. Backlinks serve multiple purposes:
- They signal to Google that other sites find your content valuable for their audience. Higher quality sites linking to you increase your authority and rankings.
- Backlinks drive direct referral traffic to your site. Visitors may find your content through links on other pages and sites.
- The anchor text used in backlinks (the words clicked for the link) help indicate what the target page is about. This improves content indexing.
As a best practice, Google wants sites to earn backlinks organically because other site owners find their content useful to share with others. Buying backlinks or building artificial link schemes can get you penalized.
Alexa what are quality backlinks?
Quality backlinks have the following characteristics:
- They come from reputable, high-authority websites related to your niche. The higher the domain authority of the site linking to you, the more value the link has.
- The content surrounding the backlink provides good context about your site. It should explain why you are worth linking to.
- Backlinks use varied, natural looking anchor text instead of over-optimized keywords. A mix of branded, URL, and relevant phrases for anchors is ideal.
- Links come from sites with quality content, engaged visitors and decent traffic, not empty shell sites specifically built for links.
The overall diversity and authenticity of backlinks matter when it comes to value. Earning links naturally from sites that actually find your content helpful for their audience is the best approach.
How To Ethically Sell Backlinks as a Service
If done properly, you can offer backlink packages and outreach to webmasters in your niche without resorting to manipulative tactics or link schemes banned by Google. Here are some ethical tips on how to sell backlinks as a service:
Research Link Earning Opportunities
Start by researching sites, webmasters, and publishers in your niche that might benefit from your content and be interested in backlinks. Identify sites accepting contributor posts, sites with blogs accepting guest posts, sites looking for content partners, and webmasters open to exchanging links.
Focus on reaching out to sites where links would occur organically through features they already offer rather than blasting sites trying to force placements.
Create Valuable, Link-Worthy Content
The key is creating content assets and resources so useful, sites will want to link because their audiences will benefit. Target informational, educational pieces solving problems instead of self-serving product pitches.
For example, create:
- Data-driven list posts and guides
- Research studies and surveys
- Tools or resources sites may want to share
- Interviews with industry experts
The better your content, the more interest you will generate to earn links naturally.
Be Transparent
When reaching out to site owners about potential link opportunities, be transparent that you create resources webmasters can link to if they find your content valuable.
Don’t use tactics like scraped, deceptive emails, undisclosed paid posts, or link insertions without permission. These manipulative link building tactics can harm a site’s reputation.
Provide Backlink Reporting
For paid backlink packages, provide reporting on links earned including:
- Domain authority/traffic numbers of sites earned
- Examples of pages your links were placed
- Anchor text variety data
This level of transparency builds trust and shows you employ white hat link building tactics.
Diversify Link Building Strategies
A robust link building approach shouldn’t just rely on one tactic like paid guest posting and artificial link insertions. Make sure to build organic earned links through:
- Viral content that spreads naturally
- Brand mentions
- Industry link exchanges
- Profile link building
- Local SEO citations
This diversification looks more natural and reduces over-optimization risks. Monitor your backlink profile for unhealthy trends and overuse of keywords.
Link Building Outreach Templates and Best Practices
When connecting with site owners and bloggers for link opportunities, you need effective templates. Here are some best practices for quality link building outreach:
Personalize Every Email
No spammy, mass-template outreach. Take time to research sites and write customized emails explaining why your content aligns well with their audience. Use their name.
Keep Emails Concise
Get to the point quickly. Share your content idea tailored to them and be transparent you create such resources to earn natural links/exposure from sites that find your work valuable.
Follow-Up Politely
Don’t harass site owners who don’t respond. Send one follow-up email in case they missed your initial outreach but don’t bombard them.
Example Link Outreach Template
Here is an example personalized email template for link building outreach:
Subject: Contributor Opportunity for [Website Name]
Hi [Name],
I wanted to introduce myself. I’m [your name], an [industry] blogger over at [your site]. First, let me say I really enjoy the informative articles at [their site] that [reference specifics].
As part of our content initiatives this year, we create long-form listicles and guides related to [topic] to help brands increase [goal].
For example, I’m attaching a recent post on the [headline] that’s over 5,000 words filled with research, experts interviews, and data.
I was hoping it may be a good fit to cross-promote on [their site]. We know list and guide posts tend to perform very well because of the extensive info provided.
If interested, we are open to contributing this as a guest post with a bio backlink. I’d be happy to send over past samples of guest posts on sites like [examples].
Let me know if you would like to brainstorm opportunities to work together further!
Best, [Your name] [Site]
This covers the key points in a natural way – explain who you are, customized compliments, attach shareable content, and be upfront about link goals.
Top Link Prospects to Target By Niche
Running targeted outreach campaigns focused on key niches and websites generates the best results. As you conduct research into sites you can pitch guest posts and link inserts to, keep targeting these site types:
Blog/News Sites: Many niche blogs and online magazines accept contributor posts. These sites also often have resources pages where you can request adding your tools/content.
Industry Associations: Educational resources providing value to their members earns links from syndicated listings while establishing your brand as a thought leader.
SaaS/Tools: If relevant, connect your tool or content assets to related software platforms looking to enrich their offerings. Some may showcase your resources prominently with links back to your site.
Online Communities: Getting featured by online forums and communities brings targeted referral traffic along with coveted links signaling expertise. Interact and prove your credibility first before requesting.
Local Sites: Small, locally focused publications often accept contributed posts as they welcome free content. Include geo-optimized local pages targeting these sites.
Government Organizations: Surprisingly, public-sector sites are often open to non-commercial linkage opportunities such as interviews, resources, and stats content.
Conduct outreach in waves segmented by categories, personalizing emails demonstrating how you can add value to organizations in that niche specifically.
5 Common Backlinks You Can Sell Sites
As part of an outreach and guest posting service, focus on pitching these specific types of links and page placements to generate recurring business with reporting clients want to see:
1. Resource Listings
Almost every niche site showcases tools, apps, calculators and other link-worthy resources to enrich their content value. Pitch relevant assets to be featured on these pages.
2. Blog Contributor Posts
One of the most common opportunities is guest blogging. Be upfront these links back to your site and offer unique, high-value posts.
3. Interviews
Conduct Q&As with industry experts relevant to each niche and then pitch the pieces to relevant sites, interviewing site owners themselves when possible.
4. Link Insertions
Some webmasters of existing evergreen posts may allow you to update old posts by inserting new stats from your own research reports – a subtle, ethical way to add relevant links.
5. Link/Badge Exchanges
Propose adding website badges linking to each other’s brands. This mutual exchange helps signal online relationships and boosts awareness for both sites.
Constantly expand your outreach list with competitive research into who link prospects are showcasing. Reach out referencing those placements as social proof when pitching your own link-worthy assets.
Alexa what are some link building tactics to avoid?
Here are some common link building tactics that are considered manipulative or deceptive and should be avoided:
- Article Spinning: Creating duplicate content by spinning existing articles and guest posting across sites will likely trigger spam penalties.
- Link Networks: Networks involving sites specifically built to sell links between each other violates Google’s policies.
- Widget Comment Spam: Repeatedly posting unrelated comments on blogs with website and link mentions is easily detected as spam behavior.
- Private Blog Networks (PBNs): Networks of sites only existing to inflate rankings should be avoided or risk manual penalties if discovered.
- Scrape-Based Emails: Impersonal outreach tactics like email scraping hurts sender reputations and has high spam likelihood.
- Link Schemes: Any pattern of unnatural, artificial links such as linking domains in concentric circles or other predictable shapes.
- Irrelevant Links & Placements: Links and content seen as irrelevant to page topics reduces flow metrics like dwell time and increases bounce rates.
The best approach is to avoid shortcuts and easy manipulation tactics. Put your time into creating assets delivering real value so sites are motivated to link through quality content.
Link Selling Pricing Models
When selling backlinks packages, there are two main pricing models:
Pay Per Link
With pay per link pricing, customers pay an agreed upon rate for each placed backlink. A minimum number are usually guaranteed for a campaign.
For example, offer packages with pricing tiers like:
- 10 placements / links: $500
- 25 placements / links: $1,000
- 50 placements / links: $1,500
This model is easy to track and report results on based on links achieved.
Retainer Pricing
Retainer contracts involve charging a fixed, recurring amount each month for continuous link building and reporting. This may be the preferred approach for larger brands wanting outsourced teams.
Typical retainer contracts span 6-12 months with a minimum level of links expected each month. The monthly fees can vary greatly based on level of content and outreach intensity.
Many agencies price retainers between $1,000-$10,000 per month. Offering bronze, silver and gold tiers gives brands options.
Backlinks Sales and Promotion Ideas
Let’s explore tactics to effectively market and sell backlink services:
SEO Agency Partnerships
Agencies without link building teams in-house pay for Results-Based SEO specialists and automated tools to report on placements achieved. Signing reseller partnerships allows access to wider agency client bases.
SEO Tools Integrations
Major SEO platforms like Ahrefs, SEMRush, and Moz can drive large referral numbers through integrating your link data into their link index databases.
Paid Ads Campaigns Target webmasters, agencies, and brands searching for guest posting, link building, SEO and other commercial terms using LinkedIn, Google, Bing and Facebook paid ads.
Churn Past Clients It’s much less expensive to retain and upsell past happy clients than acquire new ones through cold outreach. Offer special loyalty discounts.
Conference Sponsorships Events draw motivated brands ready to invest in marketing initiatives. Sponsor backlink conference tracks to capture high-intent sales prospects.
Webinars/Webcasts Position your team as thought leaders through hosting educational webinars on link building. Promote backlink packages to sign-ups.
Content Marketing Publish link building case studies, interviews,TEMPLATES and guides on your site and then promote that high-value content through both paid and organic tactics.
Tools Content Promotion If relevant, create free SEO tools, calculators and resources sites may be interested in linking to organically while reinforcing your brand’s visibility.
Key Takeaways and Conclusion
Link building remains crucial for off-page SEO authority signals. There are ethical ways agencies can sell backlink packages without resorting to deceptive tactics violating Google’s quality guidelines.
Remember these key takeaways when exploring how to sell backlinks as a service:
- Conduct personalized outreach with transparency around link goals
- Create truly useful, engaging resources sites want to organically link to
- Prioritize earning links from reputable, high authority sites through quality content
- Offer pricing models based on placements achieved or ongoing monthly retainers
- Report detailed link data including domain authority and contextual relevancy
- Avoid manipulative link tactics like private networks and irrelevant placements
- Diversify link building efforts beyond just guest posting campaigns
By keeping link building 100% white hat through valuable resources, site owners are motivated to showcase your content assets if benefiting their audiences. Building long-term relationships wins over quick scheme fixes eventually penalized.
The demand from brands and agencies to outsource link building for higher rankings will only increase over time. Develop effective processes, templates and outreach techniques as explored in this guide to sell backlinks ethically at scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you get paid to build links?
Yes, many brands and agencies hire specialist link builders or entire teams. Offer managed services with defined pricing packages and routinely report on placements achieved across a network of targeted domains.
2. How much should I charge for links?
Typical pricing models involve either pay-per-link rates around $100+ or monthly retainer fees ranging $1,000 – $5,000+ based on volume/authority assurances and level of content created. Consider tiers.
3. What are examples of sites accepting guest posts?
Industry blogs, news sites, niche communities, tools directories, online magazines, small local sites and government associations often accept contributed posts in exchange for bylined links and author bios.
4. Can I offer a link building guarantee?
Given quality content and outreach, you can guarantee minimum placements per campaign or month. However, avoid unrealistic 100% link approval guarantees that encourage fake or low-quality links.
5. How many links per month are realistic?
Depending on authority criteria, qualify traffic and diverse anchor text requirements, realistic monthly link goals likely range from 25-100 placements. Be transparent if sites ever remove links.
6. Should I ask for payment upfront or after placements?
Many sellers require 25-50% upfront contracts before beginning outreach campaigns to cover initial labor costs. Collect remaining fees as milestones are hit to balance both needs.
7. What are trust signals I can offer buyers?
Provide past samples, case studies, testimonials, money-back guarantees, and post-campaign link reporting including URL, contextual relevance, domain authority and placement duration.
8. What tools help manage link building campaigns?
Link tracking software like Pitchbox, Buzzstream, and PitchMe help organize prospect contact info and record/report status for both manual and automated outreach.
9. How do I promote my link building services?
Content marketing, SEO conference sponsorships, PPC ads, agency partnerships, webinars, churning past clients, tools integrations and content promotions offer various marketing channels.
10. Can I resell other provider’s links/placements?
While arbitrage business models exist, validate undisclosed subcontractors uphold similar ethical standards around content quality and transparency to avoid legal issues or reputation damage.
11. What is a typical link builder salary?
According to Payscale, the average base link builder salary in the US is approximately $42,000. However, senior roles at agencies can earn $80,000+ between base and performance bonuses.
12. Should my outreach identify my company?
Leading with company branding right away before demonstrating value can prompt spam assumptions. Establish relevance first, benefit second and company details last. Follow-up emails can disclose further.
13. What makes a quality link prospect list?
Ideal prospects have sufficient authority metrics (DA 20+), moderately related content, and get decent organic traffic and engagement. Niche blogs, sites with resources pages, associations and communities tend to convert best.
14. Is guest posting still effective in 2023?
Guest posting remains a viable link building tactic when done ethically through quality content solving user problems rather than self-serving pitches. Avoid over-optimization and focus on contextual alignment.
15. What are signs of a bad link you should reject?
Irrelevant content, over-optimized anchors, pages with thin content created specifically for ads/links and domains with clear link scheme patterns or history of penalties should raise red flags to avoid.
16. How do I track landed link placements?
Link tracking software lets you monitor placements achieved over time with alerts for removed links to replace. Routinely check site indexes to confirm page indexations.
17. Can I automate any part of the outreach process?
Many providers offer email sequencing and newsjacking identification to scale initial reachouts. However, personalized, relevant follow-up threading usually requires manual oversight to convert placements.
18. What is an average link building campaign size?
Typical initial link building campaigns range from 25 to 50 placements, though monthly retainers often start at 50+ links delivered on an ongoing basis. Larger corporate programs can exceed 500+ links over 6-12 month periods.
19. How long do backlinks usually last?
Quality links with contextual relevance often remain for 12-24 months from reputable sites before any purge risks. However, confirm placements monthly and replace broken links that get removed.
20. Is outreach via social media effective?
Social networking can be very effective for personalized, transparent link building outreach when contacts are open to messaging. Research first to validate professional usage before attempting any pitches.