Link Building
The acquisition standards.
Authority
Managed Link Building
Most link buying fails on operations rather than tactics. Nobody owns targeting, quality control, or the connection between placements and the pages that need them.
At a glance
- Pillar
- Authority
- Model
- Continuous programme
- Owner
- One senior strategist
- Measured on
- Placements per target page
- Includes
- Rejection
A managed link programme is continuous authority acquisition with a named owner, documented vetting standards, and placements mapped to the specific pages they are meant to support.
Managed Link Building · definitionWhy most link buying fails on operations
A managed programme starts from the pages and terms that need authority, then works backwards to the coverage worth earning. Unowned link buying inverts that.
Targets before tactics
The page decides the placement, not the other way round.
Quality control is the product
Vetting, rejection and cleanup consume more of the work than outreach does.
Continuity compounds
Editor relationships take months to establish and pay out for years. Rotating vendors resets the clock.
How it works
Map target pages
Which pages and terms need external support.
Build the prospect pool
Vetted by readership and relevance, documented.
Outreach continuously
Not campaign-shaped, so relationships persist.
Reject openly
You are paying us to decline opportunities we found.
Report against pages
Placements tied to the page-level outcome.
What is included
01
Target page mapping
Priority pages and terms.
02
Prospecting and vetting
Standardised, documented, auditable.
03
Continuous outreach
Monthly targets, not campaigns.
04
Editorial management
Through to publication.
05
Full disclosure
The complete host and placement list.
06
Cleanup and monitoring
Removal detection and profile hygiene.
How it is measured
Coverage earned against the pages that needed it, reported with the ranking and citation movement that followed.
- Placements against target pages: not just placements in aggregate
- Referring domain growth: net new, relevant, independent
- Rejection rate: opportunities declined on quality grounds
- Ranking movement: on the supported pages and terms
- Profile composition: link type, anchor and source mix over time
Baseline figures · to supply per client
Running this in-house, and why it stalls
| Dimension | In-house effort | RankingBite |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Split across marketing roles | One senior strategist accountable |
| Relationships | Rebuilt with each campaign | Maintained continuously |
| Vetting | Ad hoc | Standardised, documented, auditable |
| Cadence | Campaign-shaped | Continuous, with monthly targets |
| Reporting | Placement list | Placements tied to page-level outcomes |
When to hand it over
A good fit when
- You want authority work run for you, with targets and accountability.
- You have priority pages that need external support.
- You value continuity over the lowest per-placement price.
Not the right service when
- You have a capable in-house outreach team already.
- You need a one-off campaign rather than a programme.
- You want the vendor to buy placements on your behalf.
The programme includes saying no to opportunities you are paying us to find. That is the part that protects the profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in “managed”?
Targeting, prospecting, vetting, outreach, editorial management, placement, reporting and cleanup, plus the decisions about what not to pursue.
Do we approve placements before they go live?
You see the target list and can veto anything. Editorial timing means the publication decides the final date, so we agree standards up front.
Where does press coverage fit in?
Editorial outreach to journalists is how the higher tier of coverage gets earned, and it sits inside this programme rather than beside it. The managed portfolio covers every acquisition route we use, so nothing is bought separately or reported in isolation.
What happens if a month underdelivers?
We report it plainly with the reason, and the shortfall carries into the following cycle. We do not backfill with inventory we would otherwise reject.
Related services
Link Diversity
The constraint applied across it.