As competition in the digital world rises, there’s an increasing pressure to rank higher and earn better traffic to set yourself apart. Link building has emerged as a popular way to accomplish all that and much more.
If you want to enter the big leagues, it’s important to take your link building strategy to the next level. That’s where outsourcing comes in! Whether you’re outsourcing work to an in-house marketing team, link marketplaces, or a professional agency, outsourced link building can be a goldmine of untapped potential.
Not sure how to outsource link building? We have just the solution for you! Read on to get started with outsourcing and learn how to achieve consistency, growth, and success through this strategy.
Three Ways to Outsource Link Building
It may come as a surprise to some but there are multiple ways to outsource link building, depending on your requirements and skill level.
HIRE AN IN-HOUSE TEAM
One way to outsource link building responsibilities is by creating an in-house team. This entails hiring professionals to fill different roles needed for a successful link building operation. You also have the option of hiring freelancers from all around the world to be a part of your team.
Here are some roles that make up a holistic link building team:
Content Creator: Link building goes hand in hand with quality content. You need a good content creator to post blogs, articles, and other link-worthy content, keeping your website updated.
Link Building Expert: This might be a no-brainer but a link building expert deserves a spot on your team. They will be your go-to person for finding new link building opportunities through different tactics like relationship building and outreach.
SEO Analyst: This may be an optional addition to the team but an SEO analyst can help you track your performance on the SERPs, test different techniques, and fine-tune your strategy.
Social Media Marketing Professional: Link building is no longer isolated from social media. Having a social media marketing person on board can help you leverage those likes and followers to grow your website.
HOW TO HIRE FREELANCERS EFFECTIVELY
If you don’t have access to many professionals within your region, hiring freelancers can be an effective way to build a diverse team. From Upwork to Fiverr, there’s no shortage of online platforms that can connect you to qualified freelancers.
But if you’re new to hiring people online, the landscape can be a bit intimidating to navigate. Here are some tips to keep in mind while searching for freelancers on online platforms:
Make the Job Description Count: No matter which platform you start with, you’ll have the chance to convey your expectations and role requirements through a job description. Make sure to be as thorough and detailed as possible. Include links to your business, provide background information and leave nothing out.
Come Up with Screening Questions: On platforms like Upwork, you can ask potential hires a couple of questions before you accept their proposal. Come up with the right screening questions to help you judge the freelancer’s expertise, work ethic, and other requirements. Make sure to enquire about their work experience relating to your project.
Interview the Chosen Candidates: After going through the screening questions, you should be able to shortlist a few promising candidates. Invite them for a video conference on a platform of your choice. This will help you gauge their communication skills, their enthusiasm for the job, and any other requirements.
Test the Finalists: You may think the video call is enough, but a paid task shows you what each candidate is capable of. Freelancers who make it through the interview phase can be given a small paid task to test their skills. This will help you analyse which freelancer provides the best value for money and checks all the boxes for you.
Pros
Gives you a lot of Control: Building an in-house team can give you a lot of control over your link building operation. As opposed to selecting plans from a catalogue or letting an agency handle everything, an in-house team provides more transparency and personalization to meet your specific business needs.
Helps Build a Diverse Team: If you decide to hire freelancers from across the globe, you can access a diverse range of talents and expertise beyond your region. This diverse team may bring a lot of new ideas and innovative strategies to the table.
Can Result In Cost Savings: The ability to hire qualified professionals from all over the world gives you the advantage of geo-arbitrage. This essentially means that you can get top-notch work done at low prices due to the regional wage differences. If done right, hiring an in-house team of freelancers can cost a lot less than you might think.
Cons
Not Ideal for Beginners: To hire the right people, you need to know a thing or two about link building yourself. If you’re just starting out yourself, it can be difficult to steer a new team in the right direction.
The Overhead Costs Can Add Up: While you may be able to hire freelancers for half the price, the overall costs of training, link building tools, and more can quickly add up. This often makes an in-house team heavier on the pocket as compared to a link building agency or marketplace.
VISIT LINK MARKETPLACES
Another simple way of outsourcing link building is by investing in one of the many link building marketplaces on the internet. If you’ve browsed link building opportunities online, you’ve probably come across services like the HOTH, Get Me Links, or Authority Builders.
These services provide a catalogue of discounted packages and prices per link to choose from. They often charge a one-time fee for such packages, giving you the flexibility to stay within your budget and scope.
Pros
Super Fast and Easy: Arguably, this is one of the easiest and fastest ways to build links on the fly. In the link building world, buying from such a marketplace is almost like ordering fast food.
Greater Control: Link marketplaces give customers a ton of control over what kind of links they’re getting. You have the freedom to choose the strength, relevancy, and DA of the links to create the best package for your business.
Highly Accessible: For people who are just looking for a handful of links instead of a full-blown strategy, this can be a highly accessible option.
Cons
It can be Risky: Much like fast food, getting ready-made links is a risk to your website’s health. In reality, getting a link is not easy. If you’re being served links on a platter, that should raise some alarm bells. Most of these vendors are reselling links and using Private Blog Networks. Newsflash: Google doesn’t look favourably upon these practises. In short, buying links from these marketplaces is a bit like playing with fire. You have to determine whether the reward is worth the risk.
Pricier than Other Methods: This may be one of the easiest options but it’s definitely not the cheapest. These marketplaces tend to resell links at a mark-up, increasing the cost per link.
Not a Sustainable Long-term Strategy: If you do decide to engage in this kind of link building, you shouldn’t depend too heavily on it. Buying links from marketplaces will only get you so far. You can’t use these tactics as the entirety of your link building strategy.
Don’t Offer Much Guidance: The link marketplaces are good for you if you already know what you’re looking for. Complete novices might find themselves fumbling around in the dark, looking for some guidance.
HIRE A PROFESSIONAL LINK BUILDING AGENCY
Working with a professional link building agency is another way of outsourcing your link building operations to professionals. Depending on the package or deal you work out with the agencies, they can take full control of your link building efforts from start to finish.
Link building services like OutreachMama do real outreach and relationship building on your behalf to create your link building strategy from the ground up. You also get the option to leverage their relationships that are trusted industry-wide.
Pros
Best Option for Beginners: Link building agencies are great for beginners and people just entering the fold of link building. They are well versed in crafting successful campaigns from scratch. Hence, you don’t need a lot of link building knowledge to consult an agency.
Safest Way to Build Links: The right link building agencies protect your website from being penalized by Google by following all the rules and regulations. They engage in real outreach and relationship building instead of shady shortcuts, making this the safest way to build links.
Leverage Industry Contacts and Expertise: Link building agencies have the tools, expertise, and contacts you might not have as a novice in the industry. By hiring them, you get access to all these valuable resources that can help you grow faster.
Cons
It can be Expensive: This may be quite an expensive option if you don’t have the budget for it. Since the agency takes care of practically everything for you, the cost per link is higher than usual.
Tips for Working with a Link Building Agency
1. Look At Case Studies and Samples
Before you commit to working with a link building agency, always make sure to check their case studies or samples from previous campaigns. If their website is devoid of such examples, it’s always good to ask for past work to gauge their expertise and effectiveness. Two of the most important things to look out for are the quality of their content and the quality of the websites they post on.
2. Get to Know their Process
If the agency is willing to be transparent about its processes from the get-go, that’s a good sign. It’s important to ask questions regarding each step of the process to remove any misunderstandings. You should also establish how you can track progress, check updates and give feedback.
3. Check the Budget and Look for Hidden Costs
One of the first things you should do to vet an agency is to look at their pricing and compare it to your budget. You can discuss your requirements and budget with the vendor to see if they can come up with a plan for you. Apart from the obvious costs, there can be hidden fees for consultation hours, setup, and more. Be sure to discuss all these overhead costs upfront so they don’t come as a surprise to you later.
4. Manage your Expectations
In order to remove any friction in the long run, it’s important to manage your expectations. Sometimes businesses tend to be impatient about seeing results. Link building is a long and laborious process when done right and it certainly can’t bring you overnight success. You might not see results right away but you can certainly see whether the agency is putting in enough effort to get long-term results or not.
5. Maintain a Line of Contact
You should have a dedicated individual to remain in contact with the agency for periodic updates, approvals, and more. This is especially important if you’ve just hired a new agency to handle your link building. In the beginning, the agency is still getting a feel for your business and requires some guidance from you. Sometimes an agency will send a questionnaire to clear all these confusions.
How to Outsource Link Building: Moving Forward
As you grow your business, you will need more sophisticated link building tools and strategies to stay ahead of the curve. On this journey, outsourcing your link building efforts can open up a whole new world of opportunities for you.
From saving valuable time to the birth of innovative ideas, the benefits of outsourcing often outweigh the costs. Whether you build an in-house team, visit link marketplaces or choose an agency, the method of outsourcing depends entirely on you. No matter which strategy you choose, our valuable tips can help you unlock the true potential of outsourcing for your business.
