Build Links
Design a targeted link acquisition campaign using asset mapping, prospect
scoring, and outreach sequence design.
Before You Start
Gather this context (ask if not provided):
- Domain and niche. What site needs links? What industry?
- Current backlink profile. Any idea of current referring domains count, domain rating/authority?
- Linkable assets. Does the site have: original research, tools, data, infographics, comprehensive guides?
- Budget and resources. Can the team invest in content creation, outreach tools, or PR?
- Constraints. Industries with strict link building ethics (finance, health) need extra caution.
Domain Profile Diagnosis
Before choosing a strategy, diagnose which dimension of authority is weakest. This
determines where link building effort will have the most impact:
| Dimension |
What it measures |
Signs of weakness |
| Citation |
Inbound references from quality sources |
Few referring domains, low-authority linkers, no editorial links |
| Identity |
Brand recognition and entity coherence |
No branded search volume, no knowledge panel, inconsistent NAP |
| Trust |
Legitimacy and manipulation absence |
Spammy backlink profile, no HTTPS, thin content, manual actions |
| Eminence |
Visibility and industry standing |
Low organic traffic, no SERP features, no media mentions |
Strategy by Weakness
- Citation weakness (few referring domains) → Prioritize volume: guest posts, resource page outreach, broken link building
- Identity weakness (brand not recognized) → Prioritize brand mentions: PR, Wikipedia/Wikidata, industry directories, podcast appearances
- Trust weakness (spammy profile) → Prioritize cleanup first (disavow toxic links), then earn editorial links from authoritative publishers
- Eminence weakness (no industry presence) → Prioritize thought leadership: original research, conference speaking, expert commentary for journalists
Most sites have 1-2 weak dimensions. Diagnose before prescribing.
Link Building Strategies (Ranked by Effectiveness)
Tier 1: High Authority, Scalable
Original Research & Data
- Publish original data, surveys, studies, or industry reports
- Journalists and bloggers cite original data naturally
- Works because: nobody else has this data
- Example: "We analyzed 10,000 pages and found that..."
Free Tools & Calculators
- Build a genuinely useful tool related to your niche
- People link to tools they use and recommend
- Works because: ongoing utility = ongoing links
- Example: ROI calculator, audit tool, template generator
Comprehensive Guides (10x Content)
- Create the definitive resource on a topic
- Must be genuinely better than everything else on page 1
- Works because: people link to the best resource
- Update regularly to maintain link-worthiness
Tier 2: Targeted, Relationship-Based
Guest Posting (Quality)
- Write for relevant, authoritative publications in your niche
- Focus on sites your audience actually reads, not just DA
- 1 link on a relevant, authoritative site > 10 links on generic blogs
- Pitch unique angles, not rehashed content
Resource Page Link Building
- Find pages that curate links to resources in your niche
- Search:
[topic] + "resources", [topic] + "useful links", [topic] + "tools"
- Offer your genuinely useful content for inclusion
Broken Link Building
- Find broken outbound links on relevant sites
- Create or identify your content that replaces the dead resource
- Contact the site: "I noticed a broken link, here's a working alternative"
Tier 3: Community & PR
Journalist Query Platforms (Connectively, Qwoted, Featured)
- Monitor journalist query platforms for relevant source requests
- Provide expert quotes with credentials
- Fast response time is critical (within hours)
Community Participation
- Contribute genuinely to communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups)
- Share expertise, not links — links come naturally when people discover your content
- Build reputation first, then content gets shared organically
Digital PR
- Newsjack trending topics with data or expert commentary
- Create content tied to seasonal events or industry milestones
- Pitch to journalists with data-backed angles
Link Quality Score (LQS)
Score each link prospect (or existing backlink) across 6 factors. Rate each 1-5:
Factor 1: Domain Authority (25% weight)
| Score |
DR/DA Range |
Examples |
| 5 |
DR 70+ |
Major publications, NYTimes, BBC |
| 4 |
DR 50-69 |
Industry publications, established blogs |
| 3 |
DR 30-49 |
Mid-tier blogs, growing companies |
| 2 |
DR 15-29 |
Small blogs, newer companies |
| 1 |
DR <15 |
New or thin sites |
Factor 2: Topical Relevance (25% weight)
| Score |
Relevance Level |
| 5 |
Exact match — same niche, same subtopic |
| 4 |
Closely related — same industry, adjacent topic |
| 3 |
Broadly related — same general field |
| 2 |
Tangentially related |
| 1 |
Unrelated |
Factor 3: Traffic to Linking Page (15% weight)
| Score |
Monthly Traffic |
| 5 |
10,000+ |
| 4 |
1,000-9,999 |
| 3 |
100-999 |
| 2 |
10-99 |
| 1 |
<10 |
Factor 4: Link Position (15% weight)
| Score |
Position |
| 5 |
In-content, editorial mention |
| 4 |
In-content, contextual resources section |
| 3 |
Author bio or about section |
| 2 |
Sidebar or dedicated links section |
| 1 |
Footer, sitewide, or hidden |
Factor 5: Anchor Text Quality (10% weight)
| Score |
Anchor Type |
| 5 |
Descriptive, natural language |
| 4 |
Partial keyword match, natural |
| 3 |
Brand name |
| 2 |
Naked URL |
| 1 |
Generic ("click here", "read more") |
Factor 6: Follow Status (10% weight)
| Score |
Status |
| 5 |
Dofollow, editorial |
| 4 |
Dofollow, non-editorial |
| 3 |
Sponsored (rel="sponsored") |
| 2 |
UGC (rel="ugc") |
| 1 |
Nofollow |
Calculating LQS
LQS = (Authority x 0.25) + (Relevance x 0.25) + (Traffic x 0.15)
+ (Position x 0.15) + (Anchor x 0.10) + (Follow x 0.10)
| LQS Range |
Rating |
Action |
| 4.0-5.0 |
Premium link |
High priority — pursue aggressively |
| 2.5-3.9 |
Acceptable link |
Worth pursuing if outreach effort is low |
| 1.0-2.4 |
Low quality |
Skip — or review for risk if it's an existing backlink |
Link Profile Health Benchmarks
Use these to assess the overall backlink profile:
| Metric |
Healthy |
Warning |
Critical |
| Dofollow ratio |
60-80% |
>90% |
>95% |
| Exact match anchor % |
<15% |
15-25% |
>25% |
| Brand anchor % |
25-45% |
<15% |
<5% |
| Toxic link % |
<5% |
5-10% |
>10% |
| Average linking DR |
25+ |
15-25 |
<15 |
Outreach Template Framework
Do NOT use generic templates. Personalize every email. But here's the structure:
First Touch
- Personal hook — reference something specific about their content (a post you liked, a point you agree with)
- Value proposition — what you're offering (not asking for)
- The asset — link to your content with a one-sentence description
- Soft ask — "thought you might find this useful for your readers" (not "can you link to me?")
Follow-Up (5-7 days later)
- Brief, adds new value (new data point, related resource)
- One follow-up maximum. Two is acceptable if the first was missed. Three is spam.
What NOT to Do
- Mass-send identical emails
- Lead with "I'd like a backlink"
- Offer to pay for links (violates Google guidelines)
- Use fake compliments or AI-generated personalization that's obviously generic
- Send more than 2 follow-ups
Campaign Tracking
Track outreach in a simple table:
| Prospect |
URL |
Score |
Strategy |
Status |
Date Sent |
Response |
Link Live? |
| ... |
... |
8/10 |
Guest post |
Pitched |
[date] |
Interested |
Pending |
| ... |
... |
7/10 |
Broken link |
Sent |
[date] |
No reply |
— |
Benchmarks:
- Response rate: 5-15% is normal for cold outreach
- Conversion (response → link): 20-40% of responses
- Overall: expect 1-5 links per 100 outreach emails
- Quality campaigns with great assets: 10-20 links per 100 emails
Output Format
Link Building Campaign: [domain]
Current Profile Assessment
- Estimated referring domains: [count]
- Profile quality: [strong/average/weak]
- Notable gaps: [what's missing — e.g., no links from industry publications]
Strategy Selection
Based on available assets and resources:
- Primary strategy: [which tier and tactic]
- Secondary strategy: [backup approach]
- Rationale: [why these fit this site]
Linkable Assets
- Existing assets to promote: [list]
- Assets to create: [list with brief descriptions]
Prospect List
| Prospect |
Score |
Strategy |
Contact |
Notes |
| ... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
Outreach Plan
- Timeline: [weekly/monthly cadence]
- Volume: [emails per week]
- Follow-up schedule: [when]
Success Metrics
- Target new referring domains: [per month]
- Target domain authority increase: [over 6 months]
Pro Tip: Use the free Domain Authority Checker
to assess your current authority baseline and prospect domains. SEOJuice MCP users can run
/seojuice:backlink-audit to see which domains link to you, identify lost links worth
recovering, and assess link quality — list_backlinks finds recently lost backlinks
for broken link building.
