Link Builder Diary Entry #1: The Truth About Hiring Link Builders – From Someone Who’s Seen It All

Today, I had another one of those conversations that reminded me why I started this diary series. A business owner reached out, completely confused about link building prices. “Why do some Link Builders charge $100 for a backlink while others charge $500?” they asked. After nine years of specializing in quality backlink building, I wish I could say this was a rare question.

But here’s the thing – it’s not. In fact, I get these questions multiple times every week. And I get it. If you’re not deep in the SEO trenches, how are you supposed to know what makes one link builder different from another? There’s no standardized process, no universal quality metrics, and frankly, a lot of smoke and mirrors in our industry.

Let me give you some perspective on why I’m uniquely positioned to talk about this. Every day – and I mean every single day – I receive over 150 messages on LinkedIn and email from “backlink experts” pitching their services and opportunities. I actually open these messages (yes, all of them). Why? Because I’m always hunting for that elusive 2%.

You see, after interviewing and reviewing the work of over 2,000 self-proclaimed “backlink specialists,” I’ve discovered something shocking: only about 2% of them would be safe to hire. That’s not a typo. Two percent. I’ve personally hired and fired over 200 Link Builders through various freelancer platforms, and this experience has given me a front-row seat to the good, the bad, and the ugly of our industry.

Here’s what most people don’t realize about backlink building – there are really only a few legitimate ways to do it:

  1. The Earned Links Approach This is the holy grail – having such interesting content or products that people naturally want to link to you. It sounds simple, but it requires:
  • Creating genuinely share-worthy content
  • Conducting strategic outreach to industry websites
  • Managing complex email automation campaigns
  • Building relationships with countless webmasters
  • Having the creativity to find unique angles for your content

It’s the hardest path, but also the most rewarding. The catch? It needs significant resources and usually multiple hires to do it right.

  1. The Delegation Route
    This is where you hire someone to handle that first approach. But here’s where it gets tricky – who do you trust?
  2. The Connected Expert Path
    This is what I consider the sweet spot. Finding a link builder with established industry connections who doesn’t need to rely solely on cold outreach. It’s scalable, predictable, and when you find the right person, wonderfully transparent. These are the professionals who know how to keep the well from running dry.
  3. The Press Release Strategy
    While not always successful, a well-executed press release can land you some high-authority backlinks. The key word here is “well-executed” – it needs to tell a story worth sharing.

After examining dozens of backlink marketplaces and hundreds of freelancer profiles, I’ve seen pricing structures that would make your head spin. But here’s what I’ve learned: price often has little correlation with quality. I’ve seen $500 links that weren’t worth $50, and $300 links that were absolute gems.

This is why I maintain connections with some of the most respected websites and names in our industry. When you’ve been in the game as long as I have (I’m proud to say Link Builders is considered one of the OGs still actively building links daily), you learn who’s who. The owners of the biggest backlink companies in the world – both service providers and software developers – know our reputation for consistency and quality.

In future entries, I’ll break down exactly what to look for when hiring a link builder, share some war stories from my years of vetting thousands of “experts,” and give you the inside scoop on what really makes a backlink valuable. Because at the end of the day, this industry needs more transparency, and that’s exactly what I aim to provide.

Stay tuned, fellow link builders and business owners. This is just the beginning.

[Editor’s note: This is the first entry in our “Diaries of a Link Builder” series, where we share real insights from the trenches of link building.]

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