The Truth About Outsourcing Link Building

A Candid Conversation on Link Building

A couple of months back, I was chatting with a friend who also works in digital marketing. We started discussing link building, and before I knew it, I had spent half an hour outlining a comprehensive link-building strategy for his business. He was nodding along, clearly interested, and even mentioned that he’d love to hire us—ironically, the opposite of the point I was trying to make about effective SEO strategies.

That conversation got me thinking: Is link building really that difficult, that tedious, or just plain complicated? Why do so many website owners and marketing professionals seem to dread it?

Since we started offering link building services, I’ve had countless conversations with SEO agency owners and site owners, helping them navigate the link building process. While I anticipated many of their concerns, some of their questions took me by surprise.

Being the SEO strategy nerd that I am, I decided to compile everything I learned into this article. Outsourcing can significantly enhance a company’s SEO strategies by providing access to expert link building services, making it easier to compete more effectively in their markets.

Is Link Building Really That Difficult?

To answer this question properly, I walked across the hall and had a chat with our professional link building agency team. They were in the middle of researching the application of big data in medical research (I didn’t even ask), and our discussion came as a welcome distraction.

After an hour of animated debate, I walked away with several key insights: These challenges can significantly impact a company’s overall SEO strategies.

1. Building High-Quality Links Takes Time

This was the first thing we all agreed upon—link building efforts are time-consuming. If you want to secure high-quality backlinks, you need to put in real effort.

On average, one high-quality link requires:

• Two hours of research

• Three hours of content creation

• One hour of communication and outreach

That’s a total of six hours per valuable backlink. Multiply that by how many links you need to build, and you’ll see why link building has become a popular option for many businesses. This time-consuming process can significantly impact a company’s SEO strategies, making outsourcing an attractive solution to enhance their efforts.

2. Link Building Requires Communication Skills

Not everyone is cut out for effective link building. I know technical SEO experts who can optimize a site like a magician but struggle to compose a simple outreach email.

To be a great link builder, you need:

• A knack for persuasion

• The ability to build rapport with site owners

• A clear understanding of link building purposes

Communication skills are crucial for successful SEO strategies, as they enable effective outreach and relationship building.

Being a link building specialist means having the patience to handle the endless back-and-forth emails required to secure placements on authoritative websites.

3. It’s a Stressful Process

Here’s a harsh truth: outsourced link building efforts often depend on website owners who may or may not keep their word. You could spend hours setting up a guest post, only for it to be delayed—or worse, ignored altogether.

When building links, you only control part of the process. The rest depends on link building agencies, bloggers, and webmasters. A certain level of fatalism helps when things don’t go as planned. This stress can significantly impact a company’s SEO strategies, making it harder to compete effectively in their markets.

4. Some Days, Link Building Just Doesn’t Work

There are days when nobody replies to your outreach emails, when every email you send gets ignored, and when your SEO efforts feel pointless. These challenges can significantly impact a company’s SEO strategies.

But here’s the thing: even the best professional link builders have dry spells. The key is to tweak your link building campaigns, refine your approach, and push through.

5. High-Quality Content is the Best Link-Building Tool

If there’s one thing that consistently works, it’s content creation. A well-researched, expertly crafted piece of content can open doors to authoritative websites. High-quality content is crucial for successful SEO strategies.

But creating high-quality content takes time, resources, and an excessive amount of caffeine. In the end, though, the results are worth it.

Do You Really Need to Build Links?

The short answer: Yes.

The good news? You don’t have to build them yourself.

Most SEO agencies and digital marketing firms recognize the value of quality link building, but maintaining an in-house team can be expensive. Hiring a link building specialist or an in-house SEO team comes with high overhead costs.

Instead, many businesses choose to outsource their link building to a reputable link building agency.

Here’s why:

• Scalability – A link building partner can help businesses expand their link building efforts without hiring a full in-house SEO team.

• Cost-Effectiveness – When you calculate link building costs, outsourcing link building is often more affordable than maintaining an in-house team.

• Access to Experts – A professional link building agency has link builders with years of experience securing quality backlinks.

If your SEO strategy relies on organic traffic, then building links is essential. Effective link building is a crucial part of successful SEO strategies, enabling businesses to compete more effectively in their markets. The key is finding a link building partner who can deliver high-quality backlinks while staying within your budget.

What is Outsourced Link Building?

Definition of Outsourced Link Building

Outsourced link building is the process of hiring an external agency or freelancer to build high-quality backlinks to your website as part of a comprehensive link building strategy. This can include activities such as guest posting, resource link building, and broken link building. By outsourcing link building, businesses can free up internal resources to focus on core activities and gain access to advanced tools and technologies.

How it fits into your SEO plans

Outsourced link building is an essential component of a comprehensive SEO strategy. It helps to increase the authority and credibility of a website, which can lead to improved search engine rankings and increased organic traffic. By outsourcing link building, businesses can ensure that their website is optimized for search engines and that they are building high-quality backlinks that will drive long-term results.

Outsourcing Link Building: The Smart Approach

My Personal Experience with Link Building Outsourcing

When I first started my agency, I did all the link building myself.

At first, this was manageable, but as the client list grew, it became overwhelming. Even after hiring a second person, we still couldn’t scale effectively.

That’s when we decided to outsource link building to a professional link building agency. This allowed us to:

• Scale our business

• Take on more clients

• Focus on other aspects of SEO strategy

Outsourcing link building can significantly enhance a company’s SEO strategies by providing access to expert link building services.

Today, we offer white label link building services to agencies struggling with the same challenges we once faced.

Components that Influence Link-Building Expenses

The cost of outsourced link building can vary widely depending on the agency, the scope of the project, and the level of quality desired. Some common pricing models for link building include hourly rates, project-based pricing, and retainer fees. The cost of link building can also be influenced by the complexity of the project, the number of links required, and the level of expertise needed to complete the project.

Avoiding Spammy Links and Their Consequences

When outsourcing link building, it’s essential to avoid spammy links and their consequences. Spammy links can harm a website’s credibility and lead to penalties from search engines. To avoid spammy links, businesses should work with reputable link building agencies that follow ethical practices and focus on acquiring links from authoritative and relevant sites. It’s also essential to regularly review and adjust the link building strategy to ensure that it remains effective and aligned with business goals.

By outsourcing link building, businesses can ensure that they are building high-quality backlinks that will drive long-term results and improve their search engine rankings. However, it’s essential to choose a reputable agency and to regularly review and adjust the link building strategy to ensure that it remains effective and aligned with business goals.

Choosing the Right Link Building Partner

If you’re considering outsourcing link building, here’s what to look for in a reputable link building agency:

1. A track record of success – Avoid agencies using spammy links, link farms, or private blog networks.

2. Clear communication – A good agency will keep you updated on their link building efforts.

3. Diverse link building strategies – From guest posts to broken link building, the best agencies use multiple tactics.

Building high-quality links requires expertise, patience, and persistence. By outsourcing link building, you can focus on SEO strategy while professionals handle the hard work. Choosing the right partner is crucial for successful SEO strategies, as it can significantly enhance your company’s efforts and allow you to compete more effectively in your market.

Final Thoughts: The Benefits of Outsourcing Link Building

The truth about outsourcing link building is that it can be the best decision for your business—if you do it right. Outsourcing link building can significantly enhance a company’s SEO strategies by providing access to expert link building services.

A comprehensive link-building strategy involves more than just building links—it requires:

• Finding relevant links

• Avoiding low-quality links

• Securing high-quality backlinks

• Understanding link building costs

Whether you choose to hire an in-house link builder or outsource your link building, the ultimate goal is the same: gain access to high-quality backlinks and improve search rankings.

Take the time to evaluate your SEO efforts and determine whether an in-house team or outsourced link building efforts best suit your needs. Whatever you choose, remember that link building is a long-term investment in your website’s authority and organic traffic.