Link building checklist – these three words will either make or break your SEO strategy. Your website’s stuck on page 3 of Google, you’ve written brilliant content, but nobody’s seeing it. Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing – proper link building checklist strategies separate the winners from the losers in SEO. I’ve built thousands of links over the years, and trust me, there’s a right way and a wrong way.
The wrong way? You’ll waste months chasing links that hurt your rankings. The right way? You’ll systematically build authority that Google can’t ignore. Let me walk you through my exact process.
The Complete Link Building Checklist
Building links without a system is like trying to build a house without blueprints. You might get lucky, but you’ll probably waste a lot of time and money.
This checklist isn’t just theory – it’s what I use every single day to build links that actually move the needle.
1. Plan Your Link Building Campaign
Audit Your Current Backlink Profile
Before you start building new links, you need to know where you stand. Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to pull your backlink report.
Look for these red flags: links from sketchy sites, over-optimised anchor text, sudden drops in link velocity, and links from irrelevant industries. I once worked with a client who had 200+ links from gambling sites. They weren’t even in that industry. No wonder their rankings tanked.
Define Goals and KPIs
What does success look like for your link building campaign? Here’s what I track: domain rating increase, keyword ranking improvements, organic traffic growth, and conversion rate from organic traffic.
Pick 2-3 metrics that matter most to your business. Don’t try to track everything – you’ll lose focus.
Select Pages to Prioritise
Not all pages deserve the same link building effort. Focus on pages that target high-value keywords, are already ranking on page 2-3, drive the most conversions, and have the highest business impact.
I typically start with 3-5 pages max. Better to dominate a few keywords than spread yourself thin.
Calculate Link Gaps and Set Up Tracking
Check how many referring domains your competitors have. If you’re targeting “best CRM software” and the top 3 results have 200+ referring domains, you know what you’re up against.
Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns: target website, contact details, outreach status, response rate, link secured, and link quality score. I use Google Sheets because it’s free and everyone can access it.
2. Find Link Opportunities
Analyse Competitors’ Backlinks
This is where most people get it wrong. They copy every single backlink their competitors have. Here’s what actually works: find 3-5 direct competitors, export their backlink profiles, and look for patterns.
Which sites link to multiple competitors? What types of content get the most links? Are there industry publications you’re missing?
Search for Unlinked Brand Mentions
People mention your brand without linking to you all the time. These are the easiest links to get because they already know you exist. Use Google alerts or Mention.com to track brand mentions.
When you find one, reach out with a simple message: “Hi [Name], thanks for mentioning [Brand] in your article. I noticed you didn’t link to our site – would you mind adding one? It would help your readers find us easier.”
Discover Broken Link Opportunities
Find pages in your niche with broken outbound links. Offer your content as a replacement using tools like Check My Links or Ahrefs’ Broken Link Checker.
This works because you’re solving a problem for the website owner. Look for sites that accept guest posts, have good domain authority, target your audience, and publish regularly.
Target “Best Of” Lists and Resources
These lists are goldmines for links. Search for “Best [your industry] tools,” “Top [your industry] blogs,” and “[Your industry] resources.”
Most list owners update their content regularly. If you’re not on there, you’re missing out on easy links.
3. Vet Target Websites
Check Site Quality and Relevance
Would your mum trust this website? If the answer’s no, don’t bother. Look for professional design, regular content updates, proper grammar and spelling, clear about page, and contact information.
Use Moz’s Domain Authority or Ahrefs’ Domain Rating. I typically target sites with DA 20+, but relevance beats authority every time. A DA 15 site in your exact niche is better than a DA 50 general site.
Avoid Spam and Low-Quality Sites
Check if the site appears in Google search results by searching “site:example.com.” If nothing shows up, it’s not indexed. Link farms often have hundreds of outbound links per page, irrelevant content, thin articles, and no real traffic.
Use tools like Semrush’s Backlink Audit to check for spam signals like sudden spikes in backlinks, links from adult/gambling sites, and over-optimised anchor text.
4. Create Link-Worthy Content
Tailor Content to Each Site
Don’t just repurpose your existing content. Study the host site’s writing style, content topics, audience comments, and popular posts. Your content should feel native to their site.
Stop using exact match keywords in every link. Mix it up with brand names, generic terms like “here” or “this resource,” partial match keywords, and URL mentions. Google’s smart enough to understand context.
Make Content Valuable and Comprehensive
Link to 2-3 relevant pages on the host site to show you’ve done your homework. Also include 1-2 external links to authoritative sources – it makes your content more valuable.
Your article should solve a real problem, provide actionable advice, include examples or case studies, and be at least 1,000 words. Quality beats quantity every single time.
5. Outreach Strategy
Find the Right Person
Don’t email [email protected]. Find the actual decision maker: content manager, editor, site owner, or marketing director. Use tools like Hunter.io or LinkedIn to find contact details.
Generic templates get deleted. Your first line should prove you’ve visited their site by mentioning a recent article, commenting on their design, or referencing their about page.
Offer Clear Value
What’s in it for them? High-quality content for free, expertise in their niche, fresh perspective on trending topics, and resources their audience will love.
Most people give up after one email. That’s free link building opportunity you’re missing right there. Here’s my follow-up sequence: initial email, follow-up after 1 week, final follow-up after 2 weeks. Keep it short and add value each time.
6. Final Link Checks
Verify Link Quality
NoFollow links have their place, but they won’t boost your rankings. Check the link source code for rel=”nofollow.” If it’s there, the link won’t pass SEO juice.
Google treats UGC (User Generated Content) and sponsored tags like NoFollow. Unless you specifically agreed to a sponsored post, your link shouldn’t have these tags.
Confirm Proper Implementation
The page should be accessible to search engines, not have noindex tags, load quickly, and work on mobile. Visit the live page and confirm the link is clickable, anchor text is correct, link goes to the right page, and it’s not hidden in a footer.
7. Bonus Link Building Tactics
Use HARO and Podcast Opportunities
Help a Reporter Out (HARO) connects journalists with expert sources. Sign up for your industry categories and respond quickly with useful quotes. You’ll get links from major publications.
Search for podcasts in your niche and pitch yourself as a guest. Most show notes include links to guests’ websites, giving you exposure and potential links.
Leverage Influencer Mentions
Write about industry leaders and let them know. Most will share your content if you’ve written something positive, getting you exposure and potential links.
Find your best content from 2-3 years ago and update it with current statistics, new examples, recent trends, and better formatting. Then promote it like new content.
Why This Actually Works
Most people treat link building like a numbers game. They think more links equals better rankings, but that’s not how Google works anymore.
Google cares about link quality, relevance, and context. This checklist focuses on building relationships, not just links. When you provide value first, links become a natural byproduct.
I’ve seen websites jump from page 3 to page 1 with just 10-15 high-quality links. The key is being strategic about every single link you build. Your link building checklist should be your roadmap to sustainable SEO success, not a quick fix that’ll hurt you later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many backlinks do I need to rank on page 1?
There’s no magic number. I’ve seen pages rank #1 with 5 links and pages stuck on page 2 with 500 links. Quality matters more than quantity – focus on getting links from relevant, authoritative sites in your niche.
2. How long does it take to see results from link building?
Typically 3-6 months for new links to impact your rankings. Google needs time to crawl and process new links. Don’t expect overnight results – link building is a long-term strategy.
3. Should I buy backlinks to speed up the process?
No, absolutely not. Buying links violates Google’s guidelines and can get your site penalised. I’ve seen businesses lose 90% of their organic traffic from buying bad links.
4. What’s the difference between DoFollow and NoFollow links?
DoFollow links pass SEO juice and help your rankings. NoFollow links don’t directly impact rankings but still drive traffic and brand awareness. You want mostly DoFollow links for SEO.
5. How do I know if a website is worth getting a link from?
Check relevance to your industry, domain authority (20+ is decent), regular traffic and engagement, professional design and content, and ensure it’s not penalised by Google. If you wouldn’t trust the site yourself, don’t get a link from it.