Link building is the work of earning or acquiring links from other websites to pages on your own site. A managed campaign shouldn't begin with “how many links can we place?” It should begin with the page that needs support, the audience it serves and a defensible reason another publisher would reference it.
The six-stage campaign
1. Select the target page
Start with a page-level objective: a service page that is outranked by credible competitors, a useful guide that deserves wider citation, or a data asset that can become the source behind a story. If the target page is thin, confusing or technically inaccessible, fix that before any pitching starts.
2. Review the competitive gap
Competitor backlink tools can show which publications already cite the pages and brands ranking in your market. Copying every link isn't the goal. The aim is to understand the types of evidence, stories and sources publishers already use, then identify an angle your business can add credibly.
3. Create an editorial reason
Strong campaigns normally use one of four inputs:
- Original data or analysis.
- A survey with a clear methodology.
- Fast expert commentary on a current story.
- A useful resource, tool or reference page.
The link should support the article. If the link is the only reason the article exists, it's an engineered placement.
4. Research and pitch journalists
Pitching works best when the story matches the journalist's beat and audience. A short, relevant pitch to a writer who already covers the subject is more defensible than one generic release sent to a large list. A good pitch also respects the limits: the publisher controls the headline, wording, link and final decision.
5. Verify and report the placement
Once coverage is live, record:
- The publication and exact article URL.
- The target page and surrounding context.
- The link attribute as published.
- The campaign or source that earned the coverage.
- The publication's authority and relevance at the time of review.
A link doesn't become better because a report calls it “dofollow” or “high authority”. The client should be able to open the article and assess the evidence directly.
6. Measure the target page over time
Track the page's Search Console impressions, clicks and query positions, relevant referral traffic, new referring domains and conversions. Avoid attributing every movement to one link: search performance changes for many reasons, and third-party DA or DR movement isn't the same as a Google ranking result.
What Google treats as link spam
Google's official policy includes buying or selling links for ranking purposes, excessive link exchanges, automated link creation, low-quality directory links and optimised links in paid or large-scale guest-post campaigns. The policy also explains that paid links used for advertising should be qualified with rel="sponsored" or nofollow.
This doesn't mean brands can't hire an agency to do PR. The agency fee pays for research, story development and pitching; a journalist still makes the editorial decision. The safer question is whether the coverage has a reason to exist beyond passing ranking credit.
How our campaign cycles work
SEO Backlinks sells three month-to-month plans. Each monthly payment buys a campaign batch of five, ten or twenty placements, with a target delivery window of up to 45 days after briefing. Publisher delays can move a placement into the next period; we continue work until the agreed batch is complete. Only live, verified placements count.
We don't advertise a fixed DA or DR range. Publications must have real readerships, and readership, editorial standards, context and available authority metrics are reviewed before a placement is approved. Placements are not rented and are intended to remain live, subject to publisher control.
Sources
- Google Search Central, link-spam policies: official policy page, reviewed 12 July 2026.
- Google Search Central, qualifying outbound links: official guidance, reviewed 12 July 2026.
- Google Search Console: official page for page and query performance measurement, reviewed 12 July 2026.
Related
FAQs
How long does link building take?
It depends on the format and publisher. Reactive commentary can land quickly; original research takes longer. SEO Backlinks targets completion of each agreed campaign batch within 45 days of the campaign starting.
How many backlinks do I need?
There is no universal number. The right volume depends on the pages you want to strengthen, competitors, existing authority and the quality of available publications. Relevance and editorial context matter more than chasing a raw total.
Are all paid links against Google's rules?
Paying for advertising is allowed when the relationship is disclosed and links are qualified appropriately. Buying links that pass ranking credit, or using large-scale link schemes to manipulate rankings, is what Google's link-spam policy targets.
Does link building guarantee rankings?
No. Links can support discovery, authority and relevance, but rankings also depend on page quality, technical SEO, internal links, intent and competitors.