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Loopex Digital has prepared this Link Building Checklist to help optimize and grow your website.
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CheckpointsLink Building ChecklistDescriptionColumn 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column 5Column 6Column 7Column 8Column 9Column 10Column 11Column 12Column 13Column 14Column 15Column 16Column 17Column 18Column 19Column 20Column 21Column 22Column 23Column 24
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1. Link Strategy Setup
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Define short- and long-term link building goals (traffic, rankings, authority)Define short- and long-term goals (traffic, rankings, authority) and review them quarterly to keep the link building checklist on track.
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Choose target URLs for link support based on business or content prioritiesSelect high-conversion or page-two URLs so new links benefit pages that need a boost.
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Align link building with keyword strategy and content funnelMap link building to TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU keywords for full-funnel coverage.
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Identify primary KPIs: DR (Domain Rating), RD (Referring Domains), traffic, conversionsTrack DR, referring domains, traffic, and conversions in Ahrefs and GA4 to gauge link building impact.
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Choose preferred link acquisition models: guest posting, skyscraper, resource pages, etcPick acquisition tactics, from guest posts to skyscraper outreach, based on specific link building objectives.
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Segment outreach efforts by strategy Tag each outreach campaign as PR, editorial, or broken-link building to compare performance.
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Map buyer journey stages to linkable content Link awareness assets to TOFU pages and product pages or case studies to BOFU pages.
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Prioritize high-impact assets Prioritize high-CTR or product-led content first for better return on effort.
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2. Link Target Analysis
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Identify top-ranking competitors for each focus keywordUse Ahrefs SERP Overview to list the domains that consistently outrank you: your true link building competitors.
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Analyze competitors’ backlink profiles via Ahrefs, SEMrush, or MozExport competitor backlinks (DR 40+, 300 + traffic) to see what fuels their link building success.
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Use Link Intersect to find domains linking to multiple competitorsRun Link Intersect to spot domains linking to several rivals but not you: prime link building prospects.
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Determine backlink velocity of competitors (link growth rate)Chart competitors’ monthly backlink velocity so you can pace your own link building growth.
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Research linkable asset types that perform well in your nicheNote which assets, case studies, stats hubs, attract links and add them to your link building checklist.
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Determine your backlink gap by keyword or content clusterSize the backlink gap for each keyword cluster in Semrush and set clear link building targets.
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Audit your current backlink profile for toxicity, gaps, and anchor diversityAudit your own backlinks for toxicity, anchor diversity, and gaps to keep link building healthy.
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Segment competitors by niche overlap and link acquisition patternsGroup competitors by niche and tactics so your link building strategy can outmaneuver each cluster.
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3. Linkable Asset Creation
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Create original data-driven reports, case studies, and whitepapersProduce data-rich reports and case studies, the kind of assets link building campaigns love to quote.
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Design shareable visual content Design infographics or flowcharts that make information skimmable and earn natural links.
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Build long-form, comprehensive guides and evergreen how-to contentPublish 2,000-word evergreen guides to anchor future link building efforts.
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Develop unique, value-driven tools, templates, or checklistsBuild calculators, templates, or checklists that naturally attract backlinks.
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Create linkable formats: statistics pages, industry studies, comparison postsLaunch statistics hubs or comparison posts: classic magnets for scalable link building outreach.
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Solve real user problems (informational intent) with unique insightsAddress real pain points with fresh insights so your content earns mentions without heavy link building.
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Optimize internal link structure and connect to related cluster contentInterlink new assets with cluster pages so inbound link equity spreads efficiently.
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Format for skimmability Format content for quick scanning (bullets, short paragraphs) so publishers enjoy linking to it.
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Add embedded media Embed videos and interactive graphs to boost engagement and shareability.
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Include CTAs and social share buttons for promotionAdd share buttons and clear CTAs to spark word-of-mouth and link building momentum.
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4. Technical Link Setup
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Use a dedicated outreach email domain (e.g., links@[yourdomain].com)Send outreach from a dedicated links@ domain to protect your main brand’s email reputation.
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Authenticate your emailConfigure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC so link building emails land in the inbox.
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Set up a custom tracking domain for outreach tools (e.g., Pitchbox)Add a branded tracking domain to Pitchbox or Mailshake for precise link building analytics.
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Warm up your outreach domain (progressively increase email volume)Warm the outreach domain gradually: start with 10–15 emails per day to stay off spam radars.
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Monitor spam reputation using tools like Mail Tester and GlockAppsTest templates weekly with Mail-Tester to safeguard link building deliverability.
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Use email verification tools to reduce bounce rateVerify addresses with ZeroBounce so bounces don’t skew link building metrics.
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Test deliverability and inbox placement before launching campaignsCheck inbox placement before full launch to confirm link building emails hit primary tabs.Check inbox placement before full launch to confirm link building emails hit primary tabs.
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5. Prospecting
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Use advanced Google operators for prospectingUse Google operators like intitle:"write for us" + keyword to uncover ideal link building prospects.
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Automate with tools Automate prospect pulls with Ahrefs Content Explorer or BuzzSumo to scale research.
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Find guest post opportunities using “write for us” or contributor pagesSearch contributor pages to source guest-posting targets for the link building checklist.
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Target curated content Pitch listicle editors to add your resource: a low-friction win for link building outreach.
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Identify resource pages and niche-specific directories for inclusionFind niche resource pages (“useful links”) that welcome new entries.
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Leverage PR platformsAnswer Qwoted or Terkel queries daily for editorial links that boost link building authority.
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Set up alerts for brand, product, or industry keyword mentionsSet Google Alerts for industry terms so you spot fresh pages ripe for link building outreach.
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Check indexability Confirm each prospect is indexed. Non-indexed pages add no value to link building.
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Qualify with metricsFilter for DR 30+ and real traffic so effort goes toward impactful link building sites.
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Avoid spam trapsVet backlink profiles to steer clear of spam traps before pitching.
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6. Outreach Optimization
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Personalize introsReference a recent article or tweet so your link building email feels personal, not templated.
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Reference their work genuinely and offer contextual valueOffer a fresh stat or visual to improve their content and make your link building pitch hard to refuse.
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Focus on collaboration instead of favors or link beggingFrame outreach as collaboration (swap quotes or shares) to lift response rates.
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Include low-friction CTA Use low-pressure CTAs (“Quick thoughts?”) that ease prospects into a link building conversation.
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A/B test subject lines and CTA wording for performanceSplit-test subject lines and CTAs to learn which phrasing drives link building replies.
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Follow-up lightlySend polite follow-ups 3–5 days apart, stopping after three touches.
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Automate but trackSync BuzzStream or Respona so link building emails and metrics live in one place.
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Avoid words that trigger spam filters Strip spam-trigger words and excess punctuation to protect deliverability.
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Track open rate, click-through rate, reply rate, and link acquisition rateLog opens, replies, and acquired links to see which link building emails pay off.
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7. Link Quality Control
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Ensure link is dofollow Check HTML to ensure each acquired backlink is dofollow and passes equity.
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Prioritize editorial placement Aim for in-content editorial links; they carry more weight than footers or sidebars.
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Avoid spam tags Avoid unintended rel="sponsored" or "ugc" tags unless that’s the plan.
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Confirm indexabilityCrawl pages with Screaming Frog to confirm they’re indexable before counting wins in your link building checklist.
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Diversify anchorsTrack anchor diversity so the link profile stays natural.
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Audit outbound linksSkip pages that link out to sketchy sites: bad neighborhoods erode link building gains.
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Avoid dilutionAvoid pages with 50 + outbound links to prevent dilution.
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Check internal linkingEnsure the linking page is well-integrated internally so equity flows properly.
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8. Tracking & Reporting
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Maintain a link logKeep a Google Sheet log of URL, anchor, DR, and date for transparent link building tracking.
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Set up Ahrefs/SEMrush alertsEnable Ahrefs or Semrush alerts to spot new or lost links quickly.
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Track mentionsPair Google Alerts with Brand24 to monitor brand buzz that may feed link building.
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Correlate links with performance Compare rankings and traffic before and after each backlink to measure ROI.
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Calculate ROITie link value to conversions in GA4 to prove link building revenue impact.
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Group by campaign or asset Segment reports by campaign type (PR, skyscraper, guest post) to see what works best.
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9. Maintenance & Scaling
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Reclaim lost linksCheck Ahrefs Lost Backlinks weekly to reclaim valuable links and sustain momentum.
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Convert mentionsTurn unlinked brand mentions into backlinks, a quick win on the link building checklist.
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Protect visuals Run reverse image searches to request attribution for shared graphics.
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Update top contentRefresh link magnets every 3–6 months so they keep attracting links.
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Repurpose top assets Repurpose winning content into webinars or LinkedIn carousels for more link building angles.
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Build partnershipsNurture relationships with publishers to streamline future collaborations.
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Scale with techUse outreach platforms to template and scale link building without losing personalization.
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Outsource wiselyOutsource prospecting or writing to vetted freelancers, but keep editorial control.
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Balance anchorsBalance branded, partial, and generic anchors so the link profile looks organic.
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10. Link Profile Health Monitoring
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Watch link velocityGrow links at a steady pace; sudden bursts can flag your link building as unnatural.
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Diversify sourcesDiversify referring domains and IPs to strengthen link building resilience.
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Disavow bad linksDisavow toxic links promptly to protect your domain.
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Monthly auditsAudit backlinks monthly with tools like Linkody to catch issues early.
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Guard against negative SEOSet alerts for toxic link spikes and act fast against negative-SEO attacks.
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