Let’s be real: Having an in-house team for link building is always better than freelanced options. You can control the quality of the links and can have better results in less time.
However, it can be way too expensive, especially for a startup, to have several people working in an in-house environment for SEO.
Our link building pricing article estimated that it would take at least $14,987 per month to run a team of people for link building, $8,424 if you’re hiring from overseas.
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That’s why sometimes hiring freelancers can be the only option.
There are tons, and I mean tons, of freelancers looking for the next link building client. If you put out a LinkedIn post right now, you’ll get a lot of CVs in your mail.
However, what’s the best way to get a perfect link building candidate?
Here at RankPa, we work with some of the best marketing experts in the city. As a result, we do have a bit of knowledge when it comes to hiring the right people.
With that being said, here’s your ultimate guide to hiring freelance link builders.
The Issues with Hiring Freelancers for Links
To better explain the most common issue with hiring freelancers for link building, have a look at the screenshot below –
This screenshot, fetched from Fiverr, shows a freelancer offering a staggering number of “high authority” backlinks at the lowest possible price.
On top of a cheap rate, they are also offering “super fast delivery.”
With one look, we can easily say that this is the big red flag you will come across when trying to hire link builders.
Anyone offering hundreds of links in a short time is just going to give you a bunch of spam links. Those links will do more harm than good!
With that example out of the way, here are some more pointers about the issues with freelancers working on getting you links:
1. Quality Control
When you hire freelancers for link building, ensuring the quality of the links they acquire can be a big challenge.
Unlike in-house teams or reputable agencies that follow strict guidelines and quality checks, freelancers may not always adhere to the same standards.
This becomes an even bigger issue when you don’t have sufficient knowledge of the SEO world or just a beginner.
This can lead to:
- Low-Quality Links: Freelancers might acquire links by using low-quality websites or private blog networks (PBNs), which can harm your site’s credibility and rankings.
- Irrelevant Links: The links may come from sites irrelevant to your niche, reducing their effectiveness and potentially raising red flags with search engines.
2. Lack of Accountability
Freelancers are independent contractors. Unlike a member of an in-house team, they may not always be available to provide updates or address issues promptly.
Misunderstandings and delays in communication can slow down your link-building efforts and lead to missed opportunities.
Without a dedicated team to monitor progress, the results can be inconsistent, making it difficult to gauge the effectiveness of your link-building strategy.
3. Risk of Penalties
Google and other search engines are continually updating their algorithms to crack down on manipulative link-building practices.
Freelancers, particularly those offering low-cost services, may engage in tactics that can result in penalties, such as:
- Link Schemes: Participating in link schemes or buying links can lead to severe penalties, including deindexing.
- Over-Optimization: Using exact-match anchor text excessively can trigger algorithmic penalties, harming your site’s rankings.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t hire freelance link builders.
Just like there are many people selling cheap, low-quality links for money, there are also respected freelancers who put a lot of effort and work with you to ensure you reach your SEO goals.
And you can differentiate between them during the hiring process. Let’s get down to the tactics of it!
Find Link Building ExpertsWhere to Find Link Building Experts
Freelance link builders are easily available on various online platforms. There, you can get outsourced talents from many countries who work on projects at a much cheaper rate.
If you’re trying to look offline, then there are some limited options as well.
Here are the places you will find link building experts:
Upwork
Arguably the best platform for outsourcing, Upwork can be your first choice to hire link building experts.
You can either post your job offer with the project budget/hourly rate you have in mind or hire from one of their experts.
The best part of using Upwork is that you will, most of the time, find excellent candidates.
However, most of these experts are looking for good pay. Therefore, you will need a good budget to hire people from Upwork.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another well-known freelance platform. However, its services are structured slightly differently than Upwork’s.
Instead of posting a job ad, you will have to select from people advertising themselves.
You will often encounter many “experts” who offer a large number of links with a short turnaround time – as we showed in the example before.
That’s why Upwork is usually better. But it does not mean you can’t find good prospects on Fiverr.
Freelancer
Similar to Upwork, Freelancer allows you to post job ads or offer to hire people directly based on their profile.
However, there are slight differences.
Freelancer’s barrier to entry is not as restricted as Upwork. As a result, you will find a lot more low-quality candidates on Freelancer.
However, compared to Upwork, you will find link builders who will charge a lot less for their work on Freelancer, which isn’t always a good thing, as we described before.
Of course, the biggest network of employed people will have experts who can help with your link projects!
With LinkedIn, you have a detailed view of the profiles of potential candidates.
You can also see how connected they are in the industry, as those connections can be really helpful for securing high quality backlinks.
Forums & Communities
People who are invested in the world of SEO will often engage in online forums and communities.
The advantage of looking here is that you will usually find people who are proven experts and also help newcomers to the industry.
Here are some of the options:
1. Slack Communities
Slack is a communication platform for professionals and could be your next stop for finding link building experts.
Check out our link building Slack communities article for some great selections.
2. Forums
A lot of top link building websites have forums where experts answer questions and provide insights.
While it is easy to find such forums with a simple Google search, the hard part is contacting them and waiting for their response.
3. Reddit
Reddit, while not the best platform on this list for finding freelancers, can still be your choice for connecting with potential hires.
Here are the subreddits you should look into:
- r/seoandbacklinks
- r/linkbuilding
- r/linkaggregators
- r/seo
- r/bigseo
- r/seolinkbuilding
Conferences
If you want a more offline or IRL approach, then the best place to look is at conferences.
SEO conferences take place all over the world, uniting marketing experts and creating opportunities to network and grow.
These conferences can connect you with the brightest minds of the SEO community.
Here are 8 SEO conferences that you should not avoid this year!
Process of Hiring Freelance Link Builders
Now, let’s get into the details.
If you have read through the earlier parts of this article, you already have a good idea of what to look for and where.
In this section, we will explain as thoroughly as possible the process of hiring freelancer link builders in five steps.
1. Write Ad
The first step is deciding on what you are looking for in a candidate and putting them into words.
Here is a job post example that you can use by customizing it a little bit:
| Job Title: Link Building Specialist Job Description: We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Link Building Specialist. As a Link Building Specialist, you will be responsible for developing and implementing effective link building strategies to improve our website’s authority and search engine rankings. Responsibilities: Develop and execute link building strategies to acquire high-quality backlinks.Conduct thorough research to identify potential link building opportunities.Outreach to relevant websites, bloggers, and influencers to establish partnerships and secure backlinks.Create engaging and persuasive outreach content tailored to different audiencesMonitor and analyze the effectiveness of link building campaigns, making necessary adjustments to improve results.Stay up-to-date with industry trends and algorithm updates to ensure best practices in link building.Collaborate with the content team to create link-worthy content and optimize existing content for link building purposes.Maintain accurate records of link building activities and report progress to the team. Requirements: Proven experience as a Link Building Specialist or similar roleStrong understanding of SEO principles and search engine algorithmsExcellent research, analytical, and organizational skillsExceptional communication and outreach skillsAbility to create compelling and tailored outreach contentFamiliarity with link building tools and software (e.g., Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush)Knowledge of different link building techniques and best practicesAbility to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneouslyAttention to detail and a results-oriented mindset Preferred Qualifications: Experience in digital marketing or content marketingUnderstanding of Google Analytics and other SEO toolsFamiliarity website managementStrong network of industry contacts for potential link building opportunities How to Apply: If you are passionate about link building and have a proven track record of successful link building campaigns, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your resume, along with a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and examples of successful link building projects you have worked on. |
Make sure your job post clearly states what your company/website needs.
For example, if you only want someone to perform outreach and guest posts, then you should have a more unique job post.
Usually, a link building specialist will handle more responsibilities on top of guest posting.
2. Post Ad
After making your job ad, it’s time to post it.
You can post the ad on platforms like the ones we mentioned above, including freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr.
You can even post the job offer on LinkedIn and get interested candidates within days.
It’s not unusual to get hundreds of candidates if you post your offer on several platforms. You will have to narrow it down through the vetting process.
3. Vetting
You can’t possibly interview hundreds of candidates without sufficient manpower.
That’s why it’s important to vet potential candidates by reviewing their CVs and profile.
Here are the things to look for:
Experience
Anyone can say they have 5+ years of experience. That’s why you should look for proven track records with past projects they have worked on.
Reviews
Via Upwork
Sites like Freelancer and Upwork have a review system. Check out how well clients have received their work in the past. Too many recent bad reviews can be a red flag.
Case Studies
Many excellent freelancers invest in making portfolios. The quality of the portfolio can tell a lot about the person’s commitment to work.
Case studies are excellent as they can show you how well a candidate’s effort has brought success in the past.
What to Avoid
- Past examples showing poorly written articles
- Candidates proposing a list of websites they can get links from
- Asking for overtly low payment
- Way too fast of a turnaround time
- Any absolute guarantees of securing ## of links in ## weeks
4. Interview
Hopefully, you will be able to narrow down the list of candidates through the vetting process we described.
After that, it’s time to interview the lucky few caught by the net of your thorough search.
Here are some of the questions you should ask your potential link builder:
- Can you secure 50 links for me in 30 days?
This is a trick question. If they answer yes, then you know that they are likely going to get your website tangled with link farms.
Good candidates will explain how it’s not probable to generate that many links while also caring about the quality of the backlinks.
- What tools and software do you use for link building?
Experienced link builders usually use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz.
- What is your most successful strategy for link building?
If they claim that private blog networks (PBNs) are their best strategy, it’s safe to avoid working with the candidate.
While PBNs can sometimes improve your site’s ranking by generating links, they are usually not a good practice.
If outreach and guest posts are their speciality, then it’s a green flag.
- Which industry have you worked in in the past?
Link building can differ in industries.
Securing backlinks for SaaS or similar industries is very hard, and you will need someone experienced in that field if your website is in the same criteria.
- What is your approach to outreach for link building?
This is also an important question.
You don’t want the candidate to send out spam emails. It’s mostly wasted hours.
A more focused approach is always better in this regard.
- How do you measure the success of your link building efforts?
It’s better if the candidate does not measure the success of their efforts via the number of links they secured.
Instead, it should be how their backlinks have brought meaningful improvement to the website’s growth.
5. Trial
Once you get good answers, it’s time to test the candidates.
You can go forward with just one freelancer or put several to work in this step.
The trial period can be a single project or two weeks of work.
In this case, you may ask the freelancer to secure two backlinks for you.
After they have done it, you can check the quality of the links by:
- Checking the domain rating of the websites they got the link from
- Looking at the anchor texts and their placement
- Testing if you are getting any link equity from the backlinks
If you get positive results, it’s safe to say that you’ve found your perfect candidate!
