Outsource link building

Link building without the headache

The digital marketing landscape constantly evolves, but backlinks continue to remain as one of the most powerful ranking factors for SEO. While it’s possible to build links yourself, the process is fraught with challenges, from identifying quality opportunities to negotiating with publishers and tracking results.

Challenges with buying links yourself

Manual publisher outreach

is time-consuming and inefficient. Hours spent researching sites, crafting personalized pitches, and following up with publishers could be better invested in your core business activities.

Technical expertise requirement

creates a steep learning curve. Effective link building demands specialized knowledge of anchor text ratios, domain authority metrics, and contextual relevance that most businesses simply don’t possess.

Sorting through link sellers

is frustrating and risky. The backlink marketplace is filled with low-quality providers offering “cheap” links that could actually harm your site’s reputation and rankings.
Advantages of outsourcing

Focus on strategy

We handle the heavy lifting. Your time is valuable. Let us manage the tedious aspects of link building while you concentrate on what matters most: your business growth and overall SEO strategy.

Transparent reporting

Track your progress with confidence. No black boxes or mystery metrics. We provide clear, comprehensive reports showing exactly what links were built, where they appear, and how they’re performing.

Expert-curated link packages

Our specialists know exactly which links will drive the most impact for your specific niche and goals, ensuring every dollar of your budget delivers maximum ROI.

Easy process

How we work

Impactful Strategies

We ignore vanity metrics and superficial analysis, concentrating solely on the indicators that drive real SEO success and business growth.

Testing & Experimentation

The digital landscape constantly evolves, and so do we. We continuously test different strategies to identify what works best specifically for your industry and target audience.

We Don’t Guess, We Measure

Our methodology is data-driven at its core. Every decision, from target sites to link distribution, is backed by comprehensive analysis and measurable outcomes.

Link building strategy on autopilot

Dedicated Account Manager

Tired of juggling publisher relationships and tracking scattered link placements? Our dedicated account managers eliminate these headaches while focusing exclusively on metrics that drive actual SERP movement. No more vanity stats.

Watch your rankings climb while your publisher negotiations, link performance monitoring, and backlink profile optimization are handled by your personal link strategist.

Your Link Building Journey

Transform your digital presence with our 4-step process

1. Discovery interview

The dedicated account manager contacts you to understand your budget parameters, needs, objectives and target market focus

2. Competitor Analysis

The manager performs comprehensive research including keyword analysis, competitor backlink profile review and opportunity identification

3. Strategic Planning

We deliver a customized 6-12 month roadmap, covering recommended link building packages and expected outcomes

4. Implementation & Monitoring

You’re finally ready for your articles to be created for publishers. Sit back and relax, while our team monitors link health and takes action if necessary

What is link building and why is it important?

Link building is the strategic process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own, serving as the backbone of effective SEO. In today’s competitive digital landscape, quality backlinks remain one of Google’s top ranking factors and a critical differentiator between websites that languish on page two and those that capture valuable organic traffic.

Definition and Core Concepts

Link building functions as a fundamental pillar of search engine optimization by establishing credibility and authority in the eyes of search engines. When reputable websites link to your content, search engines interpret these as votes of confidence in your expertise and value.

 

  • Authority transfer:
    Each link passes authority, strengthening your domain’s trustworthiness
  • Discovery and Indexation:
    Backlinks help search engines discover and crawl your content.
  • Referral Traffic:
    Quality links drive targeted visitors already interested in your industry.

How link building impacts rankings

The correlation between high-quality backlinks and superior rankings has been consistently verified through numerous industry studies. Search engines analyze not just the quantity but the quality, relevance, and context of links pointing to your website. Websites with strong, natural backlink profiles consistently outperform competitors with weak or artificial link patterns.

While content quality forms the foundation of SEO success, even exceptional content struggles to rank without proper link signals. Link building amplifies your content’s reach and authority, creating a compounding effect that accelerates ranking improvements across your entire domain. The strategic acquisition of relevant, authoritative links remains one of the most reliable methods to improve visibility for competitive keywords.

Qualities of a good link

Not all backlinks deliver equal value, and understanding the characteristics that define high-quality links is essential for effective link building campaigns.

 

  • Relevance: Links from websites in your industry carry more weight than unrelated sources
  • Authority: Links from established sites transfer more value than low-quality domains
  • Placement: Links within relevant content outperform those in footers or sidebars
The most valuable backlinks come from websites that would naturally reference your content as a valuable resource, regardless of outreach efforts. These earned endorsements reflect genuine recognition of your expertise and create sustainable improvements in search visibility that algorithmic updates are unlikely to penalize.

For a fraction of what other SEO tools cost, I get instant, detailed competitor insights for all my clients. It's become my go-to solution for quick yet thorough competitive analysis

Kasper Petersen, DC Digital

eye10

Discover Eye10

To stay on top you need to keep track of the challengers for your throne. With Eye10, you can stay ahead of the competition by analyzing competitors, accessing technical insights, and backlink monitoring.

Additionally, Eye10 features a keyword planner you can use to find more relevant keywords.

Competitor research

Compare againts your competitors

On-page SEO

Get technical insigts to improve

Rank checker

Monitor your ranking

Backlink monitor

Keep track of your ranking

Why outsource your link building?

At Search Royals, we’ve developed a systematic, transparent approach to link building that consistently delivers results. Our process eliminates guesswork and black-box tactics that leave clients uncertain about what they’re paying for or what results to expect. Instead, we follow a proven methodology that ensures every link we acquire contributes meaningful value to your SEO performance.

Strategy development

Delegating your link building efforts to specialists allows you to leverage proven expertise while maintaining focus on your core business activities. Many in-house marketing teams struggle with consistent link acquisition due to the specialized knowledge and publisher relationships required to achieve meaningful results.
Link building is arguably one of the most time-consuming aspects of SEO, requiring significant ongoing investment in research, outreach, and relationship management to generate worthwhile outcomes.

 

  • Elimination of prospecting:
    Professional link builders maintain vetted publisher databases, saving countless hours identifying relevant websites.

 

  • Streamlined communication:
    Experienced outreach specialists handle all publisher negotiations, follow-ups, and content approvals.

     

  • Reduced learning curve:
    Avoid the months of trial and error typically needed to develop effective link building processes.

Access to specialized expertise

Quality link building requires a unique combination of skills that many businesses find difficult to develop and maintain internally. Professional link builders possess deep knowledge of search engine algorithms, content development best practices, and relationship management techniques optimized through years of dedicated focus.

While general marketing staff often lack the specialized perspective needed to identify valuable link opportunities, dedicated link building specialists understand the nuances that separate effective strategies from wasteful tactics. This expertise allows them to identify the most impactful opportunities for your specific niche and website authority level, rather than pursuing generic approaches that yield diminishing returns.

Moreover, established link building partners maintain relationships with quality publishers across diverse industries, providing access to opportunities that would be nearly impossible to develop independently. These connections, built over years of mutually beneficial collaborations, allow for more reliable placement and higher editorial acceptance rates than cold outreach from unknown entities.

Cost-effectiveness compared to in-house

Building an effective in-house link building operation requires significantly more investment than many businesses initially anticipate, especially when accounting for all associated costs.

 

  • Reduced personnel costs:
    Avoid expenses for hiring, training, benefits, and management of specialized staff 
  • No tool investment:
    Save on expensive SEO software subscriptions and prospecting tools
  • Elimination of content costs:
    Quality link building often requires content creation, which is typically included in outsourced services.
The true cost advantage of outsourcing becomes apparent when considering the optimization of resources against results. Professional link builders distribute costs across multiple clients, allowing them to invest in premium tools, train specialized personnel, and develop processes that would be financially impractical for a single business to sustain independently.

Data over theory

What actually works in link building

Working with an evidence-based approach is key to the Search Royals DNA. To challenge ourselves and our convictions, we conducted the Nordics’ largest Link Building Case Study and tested four link strategies so you don’t have to.

2 year experiment

€13.500 spent on links

4 different sites

4 different link types

When should you outsource link building

While many businesses can benefit from professional link building services, certain indicators suggest your organization might be particularly well-positioned to gain from external expertise. Understanding these signals helps ensure you invest in outsourced link building at the optimal time for maximum impact.
When your website content already demonstrates ranking potential but struggles to break into top positions, strategic link building often provides the critical push needed to overcome this common plateau.

 

  • Keyword positions 11-30:
    Pages ranking on page two or three typically have content quality and relevance signals but lack sufficient authority
  • Fluctuating rankings:
    Positions that regularly move up and down often indicate borderline authority that targeted links can stabilize
  • Industry content gaps:
    Your unique insights deserve visibility that only strategic link building can provide.

How link building impacts rankings

Search ranking positions often directly correlate with the number and quality of links pointing to specific pages. When SERP analysis reveals your competitors consistently maintain stronger page-level link profiles, targeted link building provides the most direct path to competitive parity.

 

  • Disproportionate link gaps:
    When top results have significantly more referring domains than your content.
  • Authority mismatch:
    Competitors with comparable content but stronger link profiles consistently outrank you
  • Link velocity differences:
    Your competitors continue acquiring fresh links while your profile remains static.

The correlation between page-level links and rankings becomes especially pronounced in competitive industries where content quality has reached relative parity. When everyone produces comprehensive, well-optimized content, link signals often become the deciding factor in determining which pages earn top positions and capture valuable click-through traffic.

 

Sustainable Rankings

Backlinks help your own rankings instead of “renting” visibility through paid ads. A strong backlink profile keeps you at the top long-term.

Cheaper in the long run
Organic rankings mean you don’t have to rely on expensive PPC campaigns to stay visible. Get more traffic without constantly increasing your ad spend.
Increased traffic & authority
Higher rankings lead to more clicks, more leads, and more sales, all while building your website’s authority and trust in your industry

How to prepare for outsourcing link building

Achieving optimal results from your link building investment requires proper preparation. Before engaging a link building partner, taking specific steps to ensure your website foundation and expectations are properly aligned will maximize the effectiveness of your outsourced campaign.

Before investing in external links, your website must provide a solid foundation that can effectively leverage new authority signals and convert increased traffic into meaningful business outcomes.

 

  • Technical SEO fundamentals:
    Resolve crawlability issues, indexation problems, and mobile usability errors that could undermine link building benefits.

 

  • Content quality assessment:
    Ensure landing pages have comprehensive, valuable content worth linking to

     

  • Conversion optimization:
    Verify that increased traffic can be effectively captured through optimized user journeys

Understand the basics of link building

While outsourcing eliminates the need to master link building execution, maintaining a foundational understanding of key concepts helps you become a more effective partner in the process and evaluate results appropriately.

Educated clients typically achieve better outcomes because they can provide more relevant input, understand strategic recommendations, and maintain realistic expectations throughout the campaign. Familiarizing yourself with concepts like domain authority, contextual relevance, anchor text distribution, and link velocity enables more productive collaboration with your link building partner.

This knowledge also serves as protection against potential misinformation or questionable practices. The link building industry still contains providers using outdated or risky tactics, and basic understanding helps you distinguish between legitimate strategies and approaches that might create future liabilities for your website.

Set clear link building goals

Link building exists to support broader business objectives, not merely to accumulate links. Defining specific, measurable goals aligned with your overall marketing strategy ensures your investment delivers meaningful return.

 

  • Ranking improvements:
    Identify specific keyword targets and desired position improvements. 
  • Traffic targets:
    Set realistic organic traffic growth expectations for specific timeframes.
  • Authority milestones:
    Define domain authority improvements relative to competitive benchmarks.

Determine Your Budget

Establishing an appropriate link building budget requires understanding how various factors influence both cost and quality in the link building ecosystem.

What Goes into the Cost of Link Building?

Professional link building combines multiple specialized activities including opportunity research, publisher vetting, outreach management, content development, and placement negotiation. Each component requires specific expertise and contributes to the overall investment required for quality results.
The true value proposition of professional link building lies not merely in acquiring links, but in managing the complex processes that ensure these links deliver lasting value while minimizing potential risks. Unlike commodity link purchasing, proper link building creates sustainable assets through relationship-building and content value.

Average Price Ranges for Quality Links

Quality link building services typically operate within predictable price ranges based on target website authority, industry competitiveness, and placement parameters. While costs vary significantly based on these factors, understanding reasonable expectations helps prevent budget misalignment.

Legitimate link building services focusing on editorial placements from real publications generally start at meaningful minimum investments. The investment scales proportionally with the authority level of target websites, with highly competitive niches requiring correspondingly higher budgets to achieve comparable results.

Beware of Cheap Link Building Services

The substantial gap between professional link building costs and budget services often reflects fundamental differences in methodology and risk profile rather than merely efficiency variations.

 

  • Private blog networks:
    Artificially created websites designed solely for link placement. 
  • Non-indexed content:
    Links placed on pages excluded from search engines.
  • Automation-based approaches:
    Mass outreach with minimal quality control.
The apparent cost savings from budget providers typically evaporate when considering long-term performance and sustainability. While initial investments may appear higher with quality-focused services, the lasting value and risk mitigation they provide delivers superior return when measured against meaningful business outcomes.

How to Choose the Right Link Building Partner

Selecting the optimal link building partner represents a critical decision that will significantly impact your SEO results and overall marketing ROI. With diverse options ranging from individual freelancers to specialized agencies, understanding the strengths and limitations of each approach helps ensure alignment with your specific needs.

Link Building Freelancers vs. Agencies

The link building service landscape offers multiple implementation models, each with distinct advantages and potential drawbacks that should influence your selection process.

Pros and Cons of Working with Freelancers

Individual link building specialists can provide certain advantages for businesses with specific needs and appropriate expectations.

 

  • Cost flexibility:
    Often operate with lower overhead, potentially offering more competitive rates
  • Direct communication:
    Work directly with the person performing the service without intermediaries
  • Specialized focus:
    Some freelancers develop expertise in specific niches or tactics
The freelance model also introduces potential challenges that should be carefully considered, particularly regarding capacity limitations, process consistency, and contingency planning. Individual providers naturally face constraints in scalability and may lack the comprehensive quality control systems found in more structured environments. Additionally, service continuity becomes vulnerable to individual availability, potentially creating disruptions during periods of illness or vacation.

Analyze Their Link Building Strategies

Different link building providers employ varying approaches, each with distinct implications for quality, sustainability, and risk profile. Understanding these strategic differences helps ensure alignment with your risk tolerance and long-term objectives.

 

  • Content-driven vs. relationship-based:
    Some focus primarily on content value while others leverage publisher relationships
  • Quality vs. quantity orientation:
    Approaches emphasizing fewer high-impact placements versus higher volume at moderate authority.
  • Niche specialization:
    Some providers develop expertise in specific industries with unique publisher relationships.

Compare Pricing and Services

Effective comparison requires understanding exactly what each provider includes in their service packages and how their pricing structure aligns with their delivery model.

Look beyond base pricing to understand specifically what deliverables are guaranteed, what additional services are included, and what potential variables might affect final costs. Quality providers typically offer transparent pricing models with clear explanations of what influences costs and how investments translate to specific outcomes.

The most valuable partnerships balance reasonable costs with quality standards that ensure sustainable results. Rather than focusing exclusively on per-link costs, evaluate the comprehensive value proposition including relationship development, content quality, placement relevance, and the long-term impact these factors will have on your website’s authority and ranking potential.

faq

Need answers

If you happen to have any questions that aren’t answered here, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Why should I consider outsourcing my link building?

We’ve seen firsthand that link building is one of the most specialized and time-consuming aspects of SEO. When we founded Search Royals, we recognized that most businesses struggle with three critical challenges that make outsourcing link building particularly valuable:

First, publisher relationships require significant time and expertise to develop. Through our platform, we’ve cultivated connections with quality publishers across 50+ niches and 100+ countries—relationships that would take years to build internally. These established partnerships give you immediate access to relevant, authoritative websites without the months of outreach and rejection that typically comes with starting from scratch.

Second, effective link building demands specialized knowledge that’s constantly evolving. Our team focuses exclusively on link building strategies, staying current with algorithm changes and best practices. As we state on our website, “We prioritize depth of expertise over breadth of services,” allowing us to master this complex discipline while you focus on your core business.

Third, quality control presents significant challenges for in-house teams. Our vetting process ensures every publisher meets strict quality standards for traffic, content, and search engine standing. Through our transparent marketplace, you can see exactly what you’re getting before investing—eliminating the uncertainty that typically plagues link building efforts.

Additionally, our data-driven approach leverages insights from extensive testing. As outlined in our case study section, we’ve conducted “a 2-year experiment across 4 different sites testing various link types” to determine what actually works. This research informs every campaign we manage, delivering more predictable results than typical trial-and-error approaches.

Most importantly, outsourcing to Search Royals provides the transparency missing from most link building efforts. Our platform gives you complete visibility into publisher metrics, placement quality, and performance data. As our founder Mohammad Dahhan explains, we built our company specifically “to bring complete transparency to link building and create a marketplace you can actually trust.”

How do I prepare my website before outsourcing link building?

Before investing in outsourced link building, we always advise our clients to ensure their foundation is solid. Based on our experience working with hundreds of websites, here are the key preparations we recommend before starting your link building campaign with us:

First, ensure your technical SEO fundamentals are in order. Through our discovery process, we often identify issues that could undermine link building efforts, including:

  • Site speed optimization (crucial for both rankings and conversions)
  • Mobile responsiveness across all key templates
  • Proper indexation without duplicate content issues
  • Clean URL structures that support topical relevance
  • Schema markup to enhance SERP visibility

Second, audit your content quality and topical relevance. Our strategic planning phase works best when you have:

  • Comprehensive, authoritative content for your main keywords
  • Clear topical clusters that demonstrate expertise in your niche
  • Content that actually provides value to readers (Google increasingly evaluates engagement metrics)
  • Properly formatted pages with clear headers, visuals, and structural elements

Third, establish proper analytics and tracking. Our implementation and monitoring process relies on:

  • Accurate Google Analytics setup with proper goal tracking
  • Google Search Console connected and verified
  • Baseline rankings recorded for target keywords
  • Conversion tracking to measure actual business impact

Fourth, clarify your business objectives and KPIs. Our most successful clients come to us with:

  • Specific goals beyond just “more traffic”
  • Clear understanding of their target audience
  • Defined priority pages and keywords
  • Realistic expectations about timeframes

We’ve built our four-step methodology to help identify these elements if they’re not already in place, but the more prepared you are, the faster we can move to actual link building. As we state on our website, “We strive to create actionable strategies for growing business alongside organic rankings” rather than pursuing links in isolation.

During our initial discovery interview, we’ll help evaluate these areas and make specific recommendations before launching your campaign. This preparation ensures your investment in our services delivers maximum impact on both rankings and business results.

What red flags should I watch for when choosing a link building partner?

After years in the SEO industry, we’ve identified several critical warning signs that indicate a link building provider may not deliver the quality and results you deserve. At Search Royals, we built our business specifically to address these common industry problems:

First, beware of any provider unwilling to show you exactly where your links will be placed before you pay. Our entire platform is built around transparency—you can browse our publisher marketplace, see domain metrics, and evaluate potential placements before committing. As we state on our website, we provide “complete transparency in link building” because we’ve seen too many clients burned by “black box” services.

Second, question providers offering suspiciously low prices. Quality link building requires proper investments in content creation, publisher relationships, and strategic planning. While our subscription model offers excellent value through volume discounts (25% with Royal, 30% with Imperial), we’re transparent that quality links themselves represent a meaningful investment. As our site explains, we deliver “premium quality, competitive price” without cutting corners.

Third, be skeptical of guaranteed rankings or overnight results. Our data-driven approach acknowledges that quality link building delivers results over months, not days. When providers promise immediate rankings, they’re often using risky techniques that deliver short-term gains but long-term penalties. Instead, we focus on “transparent performance” with realistic timeframes.

Fourth, question agencies that can’t explain their methodology clearly. Our four-step process (Discovery, Analysis, Planning, Implementation) is clearly detailed on our website because we believe clients deserve to understand exactly how their campaigns are being managed. Vague explanations often mask questionable techniques.

Fifth, be wary of providers without case studies or specific examples. On our website, we highlight our “data over theory” approach with detailed case studies showing real results from our methods. Agencies unable to provide concrete examples of their work often lack the experience or results to back their claims.

As our founder Mohammad Dadkhah explains, we built Search Royals specifically “to bring complete transparency to link building” after seeing how “black box SEO services left clients unsure about what they were paying for or what results to expect.” By watching for these red flags, you can avoid the common pitfalls that undermine many link building campaigns.

How long before I see results from outsourced link building?

We’ve built our entire approach around transparency, which extends to setting realistic expectations about timeframes. Based on our extensive experience and data from hundreds of campaigns, here’s what our clients typically experience when working with Search Royals:

For most websites, the impact of quality link building follows this general timeline:

Initial indexing and recognition: 2-4 weeks During this phase, search engines discover and process your new backlinks. While you might not see ranking changes yet, our backlink monitor confirms the links are being indexed properly.

Early ranking fluctuations: 1-3 months This is when you’ll begin seeing movement for your target keywords. Some terms may show quick improvements, especially long-tail keywords with less competition. Our rank checker tool helps track these initial changes.

Sustainable ranking improvements: 3-6 months This is where consistent, quality link building really begins to show its value. With our strategic approach, you’ll see more stable ranking improvements across a wider range of keywords as your domain authority strengthens.

Compounding returns: 6+ months Continued link building creates a snowball effect, with each new quality link building upon the foundation established by previous efforts. This is when many clients see their best ROI.

Several factors influence this timeline:

Your website’s existing authority. Established domains with strong backlink profiles often see faster results than newer sites. During our discovery interview, we assess your starting position to set appropriate expectations.

Your competition level. Highly competitive niches require more extensive link building. Our competitor analysis phase identifies exactly what you’re up against.

Your technical foundation. Sites with strong technical SEO and quality content respond better to link building. Our strategic planning ensures your foundation supports our link building efforts.

Link quality and relevance. We focus exclusively on contextual links from relevant, authoritative sites because our testing shows these deliver faster and more sustainable results than lower-quality alternatives.

As we emphasize on our website, we believe in “data over theory” and “transparent performance.” While we can’t guarantee specific timeframes (no ethical agency can), our structured methodology and continuous monitoring ensure you’ll have complete visibility into your campaign’s progress at every stage.

What's the difference between hiring freelancers versus agencies?

Based on our extensive experience in the link building industry, we’ve identified several critical differences between freelancers and specialized agencies like Search Royals that significantly impact your results:

First, quality control systems make a substantial difference. As an established agency, we’ve developed rigorous vetting processes for publishers and content that individual freelancers simply can’t match. Our marketplace only includes websites that meet strict criteria for traffic, content quality, and search engine standing—eliminating the quality inconsistency that often plagues freelance work.

Second, resource depth provides stability and scalability. While freelancers often work alone or with minimal support, our agency brings a dedicated team with specialized roles. Your dedicated account manager is backed by content specialists, outreach experts, and technical analysts. As we highlight on our site, this team approach ensures “We help you leverage online results to grow your SEO goals” regardless of campaign size or complexity.

Third, accountability structures differ significantly. Freelancers typically offer limited reporting and transparency, while our platform provides complete visibility into every aspect of your campaign. You can see exactly which publishers are being targeted, the specific metrics of each site, and real-time performance data. This transparency is fundamental to our approach—as we say, “Real link building requires clarity on every link order.”

Fourth, relationship networks represent years of development. While freelancers must build connections from scratch for each client, we’ve already established partnerships with quality publishers across 50+ niches and 100+ countries. These existing relationships mean faster placements and better quality control than typically possible with freelance approaches.

Fifth, methodology sophistication reflects organizational maturity. Our four-step process (Discovery Interview, Competitor Analysis, Strategic Planning, Implementation & Monitoring) represents years of refinement based on data and client feedback. This structured approach delivers more predictable results than the variable methods employed by most freelancers.

While freelancers may offer lower initial costs, our experience shows that agencies like Search Royals typically deliver superior value through quality consistency, strategic guidance, and established processes that minimize risk while maximizing results.