How much should you invest in link building to boost your website?

When you understand the real importance of link building to achieve a privileged web page rank, it is normal that many of you wonder how much to invest in link building.

The answer to this question is not simple, as it depends on factors such as the competitiveness of your industry, your objectives, the quality of the links you are looking for, etc.

However, these are aspects that we will break down for you to have a more tangible idea of the reality, and prepare a budget well based to buy backlinks.

How much should you invest in a link building campaign?

This is not an exact science because of the factors mentioned above. And although it is not possible to speak of a universal figure, the less economic limitations you have, the better, logically. But it should also be taken into account that you can start investing from almost any amount.

The fundamental thing is that, whatever the budget you set, you must have clear expectations: the results are not immediate, but a well-planned investment can bring substantial benefits to your online positioning and visibility.

In any case, there are certain factors that influence how much it is recommended to allocate to this strategy, in order to start noticing results.

Factors influencing price

1. Type of keyword

Keyword competitiveness indirectly influences the cost of link building. Why? 

We assume that each project, business or sector is different. But a very common strategy is to buy links when a keyword is resisting to enter the first page or when it is about to climb to the first positions. So it is completely normal to “bet big” on that word to try to position it. 

What would not make sense is to invest budget in an informational word that we have positioned without any problem on the first page and that does not bring us a “direct economic retribution”. 

That is why we identify the type of keyword we are going to position (informational, transactional, commercial…), we work on its on-page positioning, we analyze how much business that keyword is going to generate, and if it resists, then and only then we move on to the links.   

2. Review links from competitors

Analyzing your competitors’ links is a key strategy for determining how much to invest. If your competitors have links from high authority sites, you will need to match and beat their effort.

While it is true that tools like Ahrefs greatly facilitate the process of identifying the backlinks of your competitors, being a monthly payment tool can be an unnecessary expense for SMEs without SEO department or already pay for other similar tools. The good thing is that in Linkatomic you have a function with which to carry out this analysis almost effortlessly.

In the “Media” section, in the “Create a new project” tab, we can indicate our competitors, keywords we are interested in, our sector and the main location of our business.

It is so easy and simple thanks to Linkatomic you will be able to take a look at the links that your competitors have acquired. In addition, we have a function integrated with each project that will show you by affinity the media that we consider most interesting. Why? So that you can not only replicate what your competitors have done, but also find the best way to improve and surpass them. It’s no use being just as good, you have to be better. 

Remember that there is no point in buying links on the spur of the moment. Use a smart strategy that will allow you to rank at the top of Google. Investing in Linkbuilding is a long-term tactic. Unlike Adwords, a link is (usually) permanent, which allows you to make an investment today and enjoy it for a long time. 

3. Type of subject matter

The theme of your website also plays an important role in the budget required. For example, topics with brutal competition, such as the tarot or insurance niche, usually require a higher investment in link building than a more affordable topic.

Does this mean that if my topic is very competitive, I have to spend all my marketing budget on links? No, you don’t have to overreact, either. You just have to use your head and investigate how to make a good linkbuilding campaign that guarantees results, even if it takes a little extra time. 

4. Is it domestic or international?

The geographic scope of the online project in question directly affects the price of link building. In countries like Spain, you can find cheaper options for buying links compared to markets like the Netherlands.

This implies that, if you plan to expand your business internationally, or from the beginning it is associated with a foreign market, you must have a clear price reference before preparing the budget. To do so, access Linkatomic’s “Media” section and use our “country” filter. Sort by the metrics you are most interested in and you will be able to get an idea of the prices for that specific area. 

Is it profitable to invest in link building for small businesses?

Yes, investing in link building can be profitable for small companies, as well as for medium, large, and even personal projects. It requires an initial investment, but the benefits pay off progressively in the long run.

The key is to design a plan according to the resources you have and the realistic goals you want to achieve with this. From thinking about the website you are going to link to, the content to publish and the anchor text, to the URL and type of link, every detail counts.

If you prefer to delegate this task to focus on other aspects of your project, Linkatomic can help you. With our membership service you will save time and you will be able to do Linkbuilding with extra advantages. Make your investment profitable with 0 management cost. 

How do you determine if your investment is generating results?

For the money invested in link building to be just that, an investment that brings return in one way or another, it is essential to measure the results. To do so, it is important to set realistic goals that will allow you to see the positive impact you intend to have with your links. 

Beyond the fact that your objectives have to do with a specific keyword or the improvement of the general positioning of the domain. The most interesting thing is to keep track of the positioning of the URLs to which we buy links and the domain rating or authority. 

An effective way to keep track is through Search Console. Thanks to this free tool that Google makes available to you, you can check the following milestones: 

1. Positioning improvement: Track individual URLs and check for further positional escalations. Generally everything goes hand in hand. So if one URL is not affected and other positions improve, we are doing an effective global strategy. Give it time and keep making adjustments to improve the SEO of what you are really interested in. 
2. Increased traffic: More organic visits are a clear sign that your plan is working. By increasing online visibility and referrals it is normal that traffic increases. It does not have to come directly from the link that we have achieved, but if we do branding actions we will be a new reference for users in the sector. Attracting new eyes to our website. 

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that all linkbuilding actions add up. That is why it is better to invest little by little, slowly but surely, than to spend all your budget on one action and never get links again. 

In addition, you have to constantly check that the on-page actions you are doing are optimal. Make adjustments, review, track and you will see how you improve positions. Effort and consistency are what make your linkbuilding a definitive strategy.