Link building:
earned mentions, not a link farm invoice
A fast way to lose rankings permanently is a manual action for a paid link scheme. We build links the slower, durable way: real directories, real partnerships, guest content placed because it is useful, and digital PR around results you actually have.
Where the money leaks today
A business with zero link-building activity plateaus in rankings against competitors with similar content but more domain authority, and the instinct to fix this fast often leads to a cheap paid link package that works for a few months and then triggers a manual action that erases the gains and more. The actually durable path, earning links through relevance and real PR, gets skipped because it is slower and harder to put a simple price on.
A related trap: a business with a genuinely good product but no original data, tool or research of its own has very little to pitch a journalist or another site, and tries to compensate with volume outreach for generic guest posts, which earns low-relevance links slowly and at real cost in time with little lasting SEO value.
What we do
We start with an audit: what links you already have, whether any are toxic enough to need a disavow, and what digital assets you have that are genuinely citable (data, tools, case studies, original research). From there we run directory and citation building relevant to your real industry, pitch guest content where there is a genuine editorial fit, and build digital PR angles around real results, never a fabricated statistic. Every link is disclosed in the monthly report with its source and relevance, not reported as an opaque count.
Where no citable asset exists yet, building one (even something modest, like an original survey of your own customer base or a useful free calculator) is often the actual first step, before any outreach begins, since outreach without something genuinely worth citing converts at a fraction of the rate.
What we need from you
Whatever original data, case studies or tools you already have that could support a PR angle, and a point of contact who can approve outreach messaging before we pitch journalists or site owners on your behalf. Share any existing relationships with journalists, partners or industry sites you already have, since a warm introduction converts to a link far more reliably than cold outreach, and we would rather use what already exists than start from zero. Approval turnaround on outreach messaging matters too, since a slow sign-off process can cost a time-sensitive placement.
How we measure
Links earned by relevance tier (directory, guest post, PR placement, partnership), referring domain authority, and referral traffic and conversions from the links that send real visitors, not just the raw count. Every link in the monthly report carries its referring domain’s relevance to your industry, not just its generic authority score, since a highly relevant link from a smaller site often helps more than a high-authority link from somewhere unrelated.
Price and timeline
| Option | Price | What it covers | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch or audit | from $1,200 | Link audit, disavow list if needed, first outreach wave | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Monthly management | from $800 / month | Ongoing outreach, digital PR angles, monthly reporting | monthly, no lock-in |
| Full control, handover to your team | from $2,000 | Audit, first wave and an outreach playbook handed to your own team | 4 weeks |
Related
Digital PR works best when it has somewhere substantial to point to; a strong content hub or a genuinely useful tool gives a pitch far more to work with than a generic company page, which is why we often recommend building the citable asset first and running outreach against it second, rather than the reverse. Reputation monitoring is the natural companion once links and mentions start arriving, since not every piece of coverage is positive and someone should be watching for the ones that need a response. Pair this with content hubs and topic clusters to create the citable material a PR angle needs, and with reputation SEO when mentions need monitoring as well as building. Full service: SEO and content. For the brand side of outreach materials, see brand, creatives and social media. The same honesty-first approach runs our own SEO case study. Get in touch and we will tell you honestly whether your current assets support a strong program.
FAQ
How much does link building cost?
From $800 a month for a focused outreach program, scaled to $1,500 to $2,500 for more aggressive digital PR with paid distribution of a data story.
How many links can we expect?
This varies by niche and how much genuinely citable material (data, tools, original research) you have; we tell you honestly in the first month whether your current assets support a strong program or need building first.
Do you buy links?
No. Paid link schemes risk a manual action that can erase years of ranking gains overnight; we build relevance and earn placements instead, which is slower but does not carry that risk.
How long until link building affects rankings?
Individual links can help within weeks for competitive terms; the cumulative authority effect of a sustained program is usually visible over 3 to 6 months.
What do you need from us?
Whatever original data, tools or results you have that are genuinely citable, and approval on outreach angles before we start pitching journalists or site owners on your behalf.