7 Powerful Link Building Services That Actually Work
Building high-quality backlinks is crucial for boosting your website’s authority and organic search rankings. However, effective link building can be extremely time-consuming and challenging. That’s why many businesses turn to professional link building services to handle this critical SEO task.
As an SEO expert at IncRev, I’ve tested dozens of link building providers over the years. Most of them were disappointing, but I’ve identified 7 types of services that can actually deliver real results:
1. Featured Source Platforms
Services like Featured connect subject matter experts with journalists and publishers looking for quotes and insights for their content. If you’re selected as a source, you can often get a valuable backlink to your site.
Pros:
- Potential for extremely high-quality links from major publications
- Very affordable (some platforms are even free)
- White hat approach with no risk of Google penalties
Cons:
- Requires consistent effort to respond to queries quickly
- No guarantee of getting featured
- Most links point to your homepage rather than deeper pages
2. Digital PR Services
Digital PR agencies focus on getting your company mentioned in online media outlets through newsworthy stories, studies, and pitches.
Pros:
- Potential for extremely authoritative links
- Professionals handle all the outreach and pitching
- Leverage existing media relationships
Cons:
- Often expensive compared to other options
- No guarantees of coverage
- Not all mentions include links
3. Content Marketing Agencies
These agencies create high-quality, linkable content for your site to naturally attract backlinks.
Pros:
- Extremely white hat approach
- Content provides additional SEO and traffic benefits
- Can work very well for attracting natural links
Cons:
- Doesn’t include active link building outreach
- Can be expensive for high-quality content
- Results take time as content gains traction
4. Blogger Outreach Services
These providers handle manual outreach to bloggers and site owners to secure guest posts and other link placements.
Pros:
- Focused solely on acquiring backlinks
- Only pay for successful placements
- Can get contextual links on relevant sites
Cons:
- Quality can vary between providers
- Risk of links from low-quality PBN sites
- Requires your own linkable content
5. Full-Service SEO Agencies
Comprehensive SEO agencies handle all aspects of search optimization, including link building as part of the broader strategy.
Pros:
- Holistic approach aligns link building with overall SEO
- Handles all the details for you
- Can leverage multiple link building tactics
Cons:
- Quality varies widely between agencies
- Often expensive
- Only a portion of budget goes to link building
6. Guest Posting Services
These providers handle the entire guest posting process from finding opportunities to writing and publishing posts with your backlink.
Pros:
- Can get contextual links on relevant sites
- Hands-off process for you
- Only pay for successful placements
Cons:
- Risk of low-quality placements
- Not scalable for large numbers of links
- Google discourages large-scale guest posting
7. Visual Content Creation
These services create infographics, data visualizations, and other linkable visual assets to attract backlinks.
Pros:
- Can attract many natural backlinks
- One-time cost for ongoing link potential
- Provides additional content marketing value
Cons:
- Hit-or-miss results
- Often doesn’t include promotion
- Requires your own outreach efforts
Link Building Services to Avoid
While the above services can be effective when used properly, there are several types of link building services you should avoid at all costs:
- Cheap Fiverr gigs offering hundreds of links
- Private blog networks (PBNs)
- Paid guest post links on low-quality sites
- “Push button” link building software
- Press release distribution solely for links
- Negative SEO services targeting competitors
These tactics violate Google’s guidelines and can result in manual penalties. They simply aren’t worth the risk.
Choosing the Right Link Building Service
When evaluating potential link building providers, keep these key factors in mind:
- Focus on quality over quantity of links
- Ensure they use white hat tactics only
- Look for transparency in their processes
- Check examples of links they’ve built previously
- Consider your budget and ROI expectations
- Align the service with your overall SEO strategy
At IncRev, we take a holistic approach to link building as part of our comprehensive SEO services. We leverage multiple ethical tactics to build high-quality, relevant backlinks that boost your site’s authority and rankings.
Remember that effective, sustainable link building takes time. Be wary of any service promising hundreds of links or guaranteed rankings in a short timeframe. Focus on steadily building your link profile with reputable sources in your niche.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are paid links ever okay?
While Google discourages buying links, some forms of paid promotion (like sponsored content) can be acceptable if properly disclosed. However, buying links solely for SEO purposes violates Google’s guidelines.
How many links do I need to rank?
There’s no magic number. Focus on getting high-quality, relevant links rather than hitting an arbitrary quantity. Even a handful of authoritative links can significantly boost rankings.
How long does link building take to impact rankings?
It varies, but you’ll typically start seeing results within 3-6 months of consistent link building efforts. Major improvements often take 6-12 months or more.
Should I disavow bad links?
Only disavow links if you have a manual penalty or strong evidence of negative SEO attacks. For most sites, it’s better to focus on building good links rather than worrying about bad ones.
What’s a good domain authority to target for backlinks?
While higher is generally better, relevance matters more than raw domain authority. A link from a niche-relevant DA 30 site can be more valuable than an irrelevant DA 80 link.
