While it is proven to be the most productive way to improve your SEO game, 65% of marketers still find link building the hardest strategy to crack when it comes to search engine optimisation.
From sourcing placements to creating linkable content, there are plenty of steps to master in a powerful link-building strategy.
In an SEO era where buying backlinks is frowned upon by Google, what can you do when your link-building efforts continue to hit a dead end?
For many teams, the answer lies in outsourcing link building to a trusted white-label agency that already has the relationships and, most importantly, the expertise in place to earn high-quality links the right way.
With 36% of businesses now hiring white-label link-building agencies to build more links, you’re not alone if you’re thinking about outsourcing your next campaign.
However, when you outsource link building, it’s crucial that you stay in the search engine’s good books. This means avoiding black-hat techniques such as buying low-quality links, link schemes (PBNs, link farms), or using private blog networks (PBNs) to artificially boost rankings.
Taking this into account, we’ve put together a guide to outsourcing link building the right way in 2026.
What is Outsourced Link Building?
Outsourced link building is the process of hiring an external link-building partner to build powerful links for your business.
Whether this is a white-label link-building agency or a freelancer, this external partner is responsible for any link-building you choose to outsource.
The right external link-building partner can take the reins for an entire campaign or work alongside your team to secure extra links for your in-house team. The key here is to know when to outsource your link building and what to outsource for the best results.
Outsourcing vs In-House
When it comes to curating and managing a powerful link-building strategy, you have two options to choose from.
If your team is large enough, you may be able to manage a large majority of your link-building efforts in-house. This means that your in-house SEO team will spend time creating and outreaching content to build backlinks on target domains.
However, link building is no easy task. It can take up to six months to see results, and in order to make a dent in your SEO profile, your team must acquire frequent, high-authority backlinks.
This is why more than 60% of marketers outsource their link-building efforts to agencies or contractors.
(Image Source: uSERP)
Here’s a quick overview of the key differences between an outsourced link-building campaign and an in-house link-building campaign:
Outsourced Link-Building Services
- Instead of buying backlinks, you pay an external link-building agency or freelance contractor to build links from other domains to improve your website’s SEO profile.
- Third-party link-builders can manage your entire link-building campaign and scale up strategy using their expertise and connections to high-authority domains within your search market.
- The right link-building partner can manage as much or as little of the link-building campaign as needed, allowing your team to remain in control of the pages you want to build links for, your target domains, and even the anchor text.
In-House Link Building
- Your in-house marketing team controls all aspects of your business’s link profile.
- It is up to your SEO team to hire expert link-builders to build high-quality backlinks for your domain.
- Scaling a link-building campaign up takes more time and effort from your team, and could shift focus away from other core marketing strategies.
There’s no doubt that a powerful link-building strategy is the key to improving your website’s SEO profile, but building high-authority backlinks from scratch requires a set of expert skills that your marketing team may not be equipped with.
If your in-house SEO team is struggling to secure placements in a competitive search market, outsourcing link building is a crucial step to take if you want a high-quality link portfolio.
5 Reasons to Outsource Link Building in 2026
Outsourcing your link building comes with a wide range of benefits for your business.
Aside from driving high-authority backlinks without having to lift a finger, external link-building services can help you build your brand reputation in a noisy search market and save your marketing team money in the long run.
Here are five reasons to outsource link building in 2026:
1. Exclusive Access to High-Authority Domains
The best backlinks are secured by link-building professionals.
With extensive expertise and a long list of contacts across many search markets, they have already built strong relationships with publishers and blog editors, making it twice as easy to secure high-authority backlinks that would be difficult to obtain in-house.
2. Takes Pressure off of Internal Resources
Outsourcing link building reduces the pressure on your team to manage outreach campaigns, build relationships with target domains, and follow up on placements.
With the ability to outsource backlink building, your in-house marketing team can pour more time, money, and resources into other high-priority SEO tasks.
3. Expertise in White-Hat SEO Practices
A reputable third-party link-building agency will always use white-hat techniques.
These are link-building practices that avoid risky black-hat tactics such as buying low-quality backlinks and engaging with link farms and PBNs.
The best white-label link-building agencies stay up to date with search engine guidelines and best practices to avoid domain penalties.
4. Instant Scalability
Third-party link-building agencies have the resources to scale your link-building efforts up or down based on your marketing team’s changing goals and requirements.
While scaling up in-house could be delayed while you onboard new hires, external link-building services can deliver large backlink campaigns within your set timeline without the overhead of hiring or training additional staff.
5. Delivers High Quality Content
A strong white-label link-building partner will always deliver powerful content alongside your links. Link builders are also masters of SEO content, with a strong understanding of keyword research and impactful guest posting.
If you opt for a third-party SEO agency with guest post services, your links will not only be published but also made to stand out within thought-leading content that encourages clicks.
Don’t forget, white label link building agencies are experts in their field. They know exactly how to approach high-authority domains, how to streamline an outreach campaign, and most importantly, how to create content that instantly becomes a linkable asset.
When Should You Outsource Your Link Building?
Choosing to outsource your link building is a strategic decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Before you enlist the help of a third-party link-building service, it’s important to first ensure that your website is ready to be linked out to and that your team has a specific set of goals in place.
(Image Source: SEOBuddy)
If you’re still unsure and have a few link-building questions, the following indicators can help determine whether it’s time to outsource link-building in your next SEO campaign.
You Have a Small In-House Team
If your in-house team is small, building and managing a successful link campaign becomes ten times harder.
Link-building is an activity that requires significant time and resources, which your small team simply doesn’t have.
To combat this, your team either has to hire in-house link-building experts or outsource the service to a reliable link-building partner.
Remember, there’s a lot that goes into hiring in-house experts. Hiring just one link-builder could cost your company at least £30-60K annually. On the higher side, the best in the business could cost double that.
For a company that is just starting out or is unfamiliar with link-building, choosing to outsource link-building could be the key to keeping the budget under £1000 a month.
Better still, when you outsource link building, you can also wave goodbye to guest post creation, subscriptions for link-building aids like Semrush and Ahrefs, and a lengthy research phase. The right link-building agency can perform these tasks for you both efficiently and cost-effectively, allowing you to drive backlinks without the financial stress.
Your Website is Prepared for Link Building
Your company is not ready to start link-building until your website is.
Before you outsource your link-building efforts, ensure that you have implemented the most essential search engine optimisation techniques on your site in preparation for new clicks and an insertion on target domains.
The key here is to first focus on your on-page SEO. Is your content keyword optimised? Is it fast loading? Have you added meta-tags and descriptions?
(Image Source: Vocal Media)
Indexing all of your pages and fixing your broken internal links is also crucial. Remember, the most linkable websites run and publish high-quality, linkable content regularly.
If you can ensure that your domain is technically sound, you’re ready to start outsourcing link building to an SEO agency that can perform the next steps.
You Want to Build Links Quickly
While no backlink profiles are built overnight, outsource link-building agencies are prepared to execute a powerful campaign as soon as you send over your requirements.
With a broad network of contacts across multiple niches, experienced link-building partners can secure domains for link-building within 24 hours.
While it could take your in-house team 2-4 months to place a single link, outsourcing your link-building could result in 30-50 placements per month, offering your company a quicker way to improve your online visibility.
You Want to Scale Your Link Building Strategy
If your company is performing well, you might be ready to scale up your link building. For example, if you’re planning to announce a new product or service and want to raise your visibility in the run-up, scaling up your backlink profile is crucial.
However, a lack of resources makes scaling up your link-building campaign twice as hard.
Choosing to outsource link building to a dedicated agency is key to making campaign scaling effortless. A white-label partner can focus on building specific links for your website and scale the quantity up or down with ease.
You Don’t Want to Risk Your Reputation
To build a powerful link profile, it’s vital to build strong relationships with key industry players.
This process involves outreach to target publishers and website owners to secure link placements on their domains.
However, if your outreach strategy isn’t strong enough, you risk ruining your reputation with potential contacts and valuable domains.
When you outsource link building to a white-label agency, they conduct the outreach on your behalf and will not disclose your brand name in the process.
This ensures that your brand’s industry reputation remains intact. Additionally, most link-building experts already have relationships with your target domains, putting them in a better position to build links for you.
How Much Does It Cost To Outsource Link Building?
The cost of outsourcing link building varies widely across the globe. With key factors such as link quality, the niche, content creation, and agency experience all influencing pricing, your link-building campaign will most likely be priced based on your company’s specific requirements.
To give you a quick rundown, lower-tier links can cost as little as £100-150, while some top-tier, high-authority placements can cost £500-£1000+ for a single placement. These costs are often determined by the domain authority of the target site, the competitiveness of your niche, and the traffic your target website drives.
In most cases, you’ll begin a campaign with your chosen agency or freelancer, often meaning that you’ll purchase a link package. This is a collection of published links on DA/DR-specific domains, available at a fixed or custom price.
Monthly retainers and link-building packages typically start at around £2,000/month and range from £7,000 to £15,000 for premium services.
For example, take a look at some of our link-building packages for an idea of what your monthly budget could translate to:
Key Factors Influencing Cost
As mentioned previously, several factors influence the cost of an outsourced link-building campaign:
- Link Authority: The higher the quality of your target link, the more expensive it will be to obtain. For example, if you’re looking to place links on DR60+ websites, your link-building package will cost significantly more.
- Agency Expertise: If you opt to outsource link building to an experienced SEO agency with proven results, be prepared to pay more for their services.
- Niche/Industry: If you’re hoping to place a link in a competitive niche such as tech or finance, securing high-authority players in this industry is more challenging, often raising the price of the service.
- Additional Services: Do you also want to outsource guest posting, niche edits, and digital PR? Each of these services could raise your initial price point.
While budgets may be tight, it’s always essential to outsource link building to a reputable SEO agency or freelancer.
Beware of suspiciously cheap link packages that offer you a bulk of placements in a short space of time. The best white-label link-building agencies avoid spammy sites and low-quality domains that promise ‘quick returns’.
Working With a Freelancer vs an Agency
When you outsource link building to a white label partner, you must first make a decision on whether your campaign will be best served by a freelancer or a link-building agency.
(Image Source: Freelancermap)
There are pros and cons to hiring both freelancers and agency partners. From a difference in cost to the potential to scale, here are some of the factors to consider before you outsource link building to a third-party service.
Working with Freelancers
Working with freelancers is the most flexible way to outsource link building, but this one-foot-in-the-door approach can leave your team still managing many aspects of the campaign.
Let’s first take a look at some of the key benefits associated with outsourcing link building to a freelancer:
- Cost-effective: There’s no doubt that freelancers charge less per hour or project in comparison to a specialist agency. Freelance link-builders often work by the hour and charge based on what they acquire, rather than promising an exact package.
- Flexible: If you’re planning to outsource link building for the first time, hiring a freelancer to pick up the slack is more flexible than signing a contract with an agency. You’re not locked into any long-term agreements, so you can switch from freelancer to freelancer as and when.
- Cherry-Picked Skills: Most freelancers will specialise in some form of link-building. Whether this is outreach, guest posting, or niche edits, you can cherry-pick skills as needed.
While freelance link-builders offer cheaper rates and flexible business, there are still some disadvantages to consider:
- Limited Scalability: Freelancers are essentially an extended part of your SEO team. One person can only secure so many links, so it’s important to take time to find and vet multiple freelancers for the best chance of meeting your link-building target.
- Not Accountable: If you choose to hire low-cost freelancers to take on your link-building campaign, you take a risk on their ability to produce quality work within the deadline.
- Risk of Black-Hat Tactics: Freelancers are less accountable than a reputable agency, giving them more room to use black-hat tactics without your knowledge to secure fast-track links. Non-organic placements on spammy domains could harm your website’s reputation in the long run.
Working With a Link-Building Agency
Choosing to outsource link-building to an agency is the safest way to build a backlink profile.
With an established reputation and a long list of past results in their pocket, white-label link-building agencies are hard to beat when it comes to campaign quality and long-term SEO success:
- Established Reputation: White label link-building agencies are the crème de la crème of their niche. With years of experience under their belt and a team of specialised link-builders at their disposal, SEO agencies can maximise your campaign success using powerful link-building tools and strategies.
- Scalable: Agencies have dedicated teams of link-builders that can be deployed to tackle your campaign. This makes it much easier to scale up your link-building projects from month to month.
- Accountable: White-label link-building agencies have their own reputations to uphold, making them more accountable throughout the link-building process. Managing your entire campaign, agency partners strive to deliver the highest quality do-follow links for organic SEO growth.
However, it is still important to note that not every link-building campaign is suited to a specialist agency. If you’re looking for ADHOC support or flexibility during the campaign, investing in a link-building package could be a costly mistake:
- Higher Costs: Agencies often charge more for their link-building efforts, which can be hard to navigate for smaller companies and startups. This said, they do offer a higher ROI than freelance alternatives.
- Less Flexible: If you choose to go with a package deal, you may be locked into a fixed fee or a monthly contract that is hard to get out of once work has begun on your LinkedIn profile.
When choosing between a freelancer and an agency for outsourcing link-building, you must consider your budget, your goals, and your scale needs before signing any contracts.
Investing in a link-building agency is the key to a higher success rate, but if you’re new to the link-building game, try starting with a smaller test project before committing to any long-term partnerships.
How to Outsource Link Building in 2026
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to start perfecting your own strategy for outsourcing link building in 2026.
Here are four no-nonsense tips to get you started:
Step 1: Prepare Your Website and Define Your Goals
Before embarking on a link-building journey, you must prepare your in-house team ahead of time to maximise the value of any external links you may build.
Start by auditing your website and any in-house content that could become a linkable asset during your link-building campaign.
Think about creating in-depth guides, publishing original research, and adding free tool pages to your website. If you’re unsure how to get backlinks in the first place, creating resource-driven content is a proven starting point.
This makes the job for your link-building partner even easier, as you’ll be able to share a list of pages that domains will genuinely want to link to.
Next, it’s time to polish up your technical SEO. If you want to outsource link building effectively, your site must be linkable in the first place. Tidy up any broken links, clean up your site structure, and ensure that it loads quickly. Users will bounce before they reach your content if the link is slow to open.
Once any in-house work is completed, use this time to set some SMART goals ahead of outsourcing any link-building.
The key here is to think less about simply ‘getting more links’ and more about specific KPIs and measurable goals.
(Image Source: USERP)
For example, you may want to ‘increase organic traffic by 20%’ or ‘boost conversions by 10%’.
Depending on your specific goals, you’ll create a list of requirements that a link-building partner can work towards.
For instance, if you’re trying to increase your conversion rate for a new line of products, a third-party link-building team will focus on placing backlinks to your product pages on relevant, high-traffic domains.
Step 2: Set a Budget Early
When it comes to budgeting for your link-building campaign, it’s important to establish how much your company is prepared to pay early in the campaign.
Many white-label agencies offer fixed rates and packages that can’t be refunded once operations have begun.
To avoid over-budgeting, base the cost of outsourcing link building on the scale of the campaign, the competitiveness of your search niche, and the DA/DR of the placements you need.
The average monthly allocation for third-party link building in 2026 ranges from £2,000 to £10,000. This is a great starting point for creating your own campaign budget.
To discover what your campaign is likely to cost, research the average price per high-quality link and medium-quality link in your search industry.
For a balanced campaign, include a mix of medium- to high-quality links in your monthly budget.
Step 3: Select the Right White-Label Partner
Once you’ve set your budget, it’s time to find a partner to outsource your link-building efforts to.
The choice between hiring a freelancer and signing with an agency is dependent on your budget and your scale needs.
However, no matter who you choose to outsource link building to, the vetting process remains the same:
- Assess Your Partner’s Expertise: Has your chosen link-building partner worked in the SEO industry for several years? Are they up-to-date on current SEO trends? If you’re outsourcing link building to an agency, take a look at their own backlink profile. Are they placing above other competitors in a keyword search?
- Prioritise Partners Who Use White-Hat Methods: It’s crucial that you only partner with link-building services that build backlinks organically. This includes using ethical practices such as manual outreach, guest posting, and broken link building. Steer away from any agency or freelancer offering quick results for low prices.
- Demand Transparency: While you may outsource link building to a third-party agency or freelancer, you’re still in control of your own campaign. Opt for a partner that is clear about its processes, pricing, and the domains it targets. Better still, if you can find a partner that allows you to pre-approve placements or anchor text, you remain in control of the reins.
- Request References: Choosing a partner to outsource link building should be no different than vetting a candidate for an in-house role. Look for proven results, such as agency case studies or freelancer recommendations that back up your partner’s claims.
While an in-depth vetting process can be lengthy, it is the key to securing the best service for your next link-building campaign.
The best link-building services can improve your SEO profile long-term and don’t risk your reputation in the process.
Step 4: Monitor Your Performance
Once you’ve chosen the right freelancer or agency to outsource link building to, it’s time to kickstart the campaign.
Effective management remains integral to a successful, long-standing partnership. To ensure that your chosen partner hits every mark, set up an in-house monitoring strategy to map your progress along the way.
Start by establishing a clear line of communication between your in-house marketing team and your third-party link builders.
The right link-building partners will engage in regular check-ins, operate on a shared project management board, and send your team monthly progress reports that detail all aspects of your campaign growth.
While reports from your link-building partner are beneficial, we also recommend that you engage in backlink monitoring, too.
Monitor metrics such as:
- Organic traffic growth
- The quality of your referring domains
- Your ranking position for the target keywords
- Leads and conversions generated as a result of a link placement
When you outsource link building, you’re not putting the strategy on the back burner. While an external partner is handling the execution of your link-building campaign, you must remain in control of the overall strategy.
How to Outsource Backlinking with Solvid
Now that you know how to outsource link-building the right way, it’s time to embark on your next campaign.
If you’re looking for a premium link-building agency with over ten years of SEO experience, Solvid is a trusted partner for sustainable, white-hat link acquisition.
To outsource link-building with Solvid, visit our website and take a closer look at our link-building packages designed to fit businesses of every size, from startups to established enterprises.
While it can be daunting to hand over your campaign, the results speak for themselves when it comes to outsourcing link-building. Placing your trust in a team of link-building specialists is the key to building a backlink profile worthy of a top spot within your search industry.
FAQ
What Does It Mean to Outsource Link Building?
Outsourced link building is the process of hiring an external link-building partner to build powerful links for your business. Whether this is a white-label link-building agency or a freelancer, this external partner is responsible for any link-building you choose to outsource.
Is It Safe to Outsource Link Building in 2026?
Yes! It is safe to outsource your link-building efforts in 2026, provided you choose a reputable link-building partner. Partner with an agency that prioritises white-hat techniques, quality placements, and placement relevance, rather than over-promising quick results and bulk, low-quality links.
Should You Outsource Link Building Instead of Keeping It In-House?
If you have a small in-house team and lack resources, outsourcing your link-building efforts could help your business drive powerful results. With exclusive access to high-quality websites and a long list of pre-established relationships, third-party link-builders can secure your business placements with high authority domains in your search industry, while not risking your brand’s reputation.
How Much Does It Cost to Outsource Link Building?
The cost of outsourcing link building varies widely across the globe. With key factors such as link quality, the niche, content creation, and agency experience all influencing pricing, your link-building campaign will most likely be priced based on your company’s specific requirements.
Lower-tier links can cost as little as £100-150, while some top-tier, high-authority placements can cost £500-£1000+ for a single placement.
Monthly retainers and link-building packages typically start at around £ 2,000/month and range from £7-15K for premium services.
What Are the Risks of Outsourcing Link Building to the Wrong Agency?
If you outsource link building to the wrong agency, you risk damaging your SEO profile. Agencies and freelancers that engage in black-hat link-building techniques such as keyword stuffing, using PBNs, and buying low-quality links put your domain at risk of receiving a penalty from Google.
Your brand reputation can be severely affected when linked to poor quality and spammy domains. This leads to poor rankings and reduced authority, leaving your SEO health in a worse state than it was to begin with.
How Do You Choose the Right Partner to Outsource Link Building?
When you outsource link building to a white label partner, you must first decide whether your campaign will be best served by a freelancer or a link-building agency. Freelancers offer more flexibility and are cost-effective for small businesses and startups; however, expert link-building agencies offer more scalability and a greater ROI in the long run.
It’s crucial that you only partner with link-building services that build backlinks organically. This includes using ethical practices such as manual outreach, guest posting, and broken link building. Steer away from any agency or freelancer offering quick results for low prices.
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