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1 | Loopex Digital has prepared this Link Building Checklist to help optimize and grow your website. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Checkpoints | Link Building Checklist | Description | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 | Column 7 | Column 8 | Column 9 | Column 10 | Column 11 | Column 12 | Column 13 | Column 14 | Column 15 | Column 16 | Column 17 | Column 18 | Column 19 | Column 20 | Column 21 | Column 22 | Column 23 | Column 24 |
3 | 1. Link Strategy Setup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Choose target URLs for link support based on business or content priorities | Select high-conversion or page-two URLs so new links benefit pages that need a boost. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Align link building with keyword strategy and content funnel | Map link building to TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU keywords for full-funnel coverage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Identify primary KPIs: DR (Domain Rating), RD (Referring Domains), traffic, conversions | Track DR, referring domains, traffic, and conversions in Ahrefs and GA4 to gauge link building impact. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Choose preferred link acquisition models: guest posting, skyscraper, resource pages, etc | Pick acquisition tactics, from guest posts to skyscraper outreach, based on specific link building objectives. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Segment outreach efforts by strategy | Tag each outreach campaign as PR, editorial, or broken-link building to compare performance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Map buyer journey stages to linkable content | Link awareness assets to TOFU pages and product pages or case studies to BOFU pages. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Prioritize high-impact assets | Prioritize high-CTR or product-led content first for better return on effort. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | 2. Link Target Analysis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Identify top-ranking competitors for each focus keyword | Use Ahrefs SERP Overview to list the domains that consistently outrank you: your true link building competitors. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Analyze competitors’ backlink profiles via Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz | Export competitor backlinks (DR 40+, 300 + traffic) to see what fuels their link building success. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Use Link Intersect to find domains linking to multiple competitors | Run Link Intersect to spot domains linking to several rivals but not you: prime link building prospects. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Determine backlink velocity of competitors (link growth rate) | Chart competitors’ monthly backlink velocity so you can pace your own link building growth. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Research linkable asset types that perform well in your niche | Note which assets, case studies, stats hubs, attract links and add them to your link building checklist. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Determine your backlink gap by keyword or content cluster | Size the backlink gap for each keyword cluster in Semrush and set clear link building targets. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Audit your current backlink profile for toxicity, gaps, and anchor diversity | Audit your own backlinks for toxicity, anchor diversity, and gaps to keep link building healthy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Segment competitors by niche overlap and link acquisition patterns | Group competitors by niche and tactics so your link building strategy can outmaneuver each cluster. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | 3. Linkable Asset Creation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Create original data-driven reports, case studies, and whitepapers | Produce data-rich reports and case studies, the kind of assets link building campaigns love to quote. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Design shareable visual content | Design infographics or flowcharts that make information skimmable and earn natural links. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Build long-form, comprehensive guides and evergreen how-to content | Publish 2,000-word evergreen guides to anchor future link building efforts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Develop unique, value-driven tools, templates, or checklists | Build calculators, templates, or checklists that naturally attract backlinks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Create linkable formats: statistics pages, industry studies, comparison posts | Launch statistics hubs or comparison posts: classic magnets for scalable link building outreach. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Solve real user problems (informational intent) with unique insights | Address real pain points with fresh insights so your content earns mentions without heavy link building. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Optimize internal link structure and connect to related cluster content | Interlink new assets with cluster pages so inbound link equity spreads efficiently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | Format for skimmability | Format content for quick scanning (bullets, short paragraphs) so publishers enjoy linking to it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Add embedded media | Embed videos and interactive graphs to boost engagement and shareability. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Include CTAs and social share buttons for promotion | Add share buttons and clear CTAs to spark word-of-mouth and link building momentum. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | 4. Technical Link Setup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
33 | 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Authenticate your email | Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC so link building emails land in the inbox. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Monitor spam reputation using tools like Mail Tester and GlockApps | Test templates weekly with Mail-Tester to safeguard link building deliverability. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Use email verification tools to reduce bounce rate | Verify addresses with ZeroBounce so bounces don’t skew link building metrics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
39 | Test deliverability and inbox placement before launching campaigns | Check 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 | 5. Prospecting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
41 | Use advanced Google operators for prospecting | Use Google operators like intitle:"write for us" + keyword to uncover ideal link building prospects. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
42 | Automate with tools | Automate prospect pulls with Ahrefs Content Explorer or BuzzSumo to scale research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
43 | Find guest post opportunities using “write for us” or contributor pages | Search contributor pages to source guest-posting targets for the link building checklist. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
44 | Target curated content | Pitch listicle editors to add your resource: a low-friction win for link building outreach. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Identify resource pages and niche-specific directories for inclusion | Find niche resource pages (“useful links”) that welcome new entries. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Leverage PR platforms | Answer Qwoted or Terkel queries daily for editorial links that boost link building authority. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
47 | Set up alerts for brand, product, or industry keyword mentions | Set Google Alerts for industry terms so you spot fresh pages ripe for link building outreach. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
48 | Check indexability | Confirm each prospect is indexed. Non-indexed pages add no value to link building. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
49 | Qualify with metrics | Filter for DR 30+ and real traffic so effort goes toward impactful link building sites. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Avoid spam traps | Vet backlink profiles to steer clear of spam traps before pitching. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
51 | 6. Outreach Optimization | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
52 | Personalize intros | Reference a recent article or tweet so your link building email feels personal, not templated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
53 | Reference their work genuinely and offer contextual value | Offer a fresh stat or visual to improve their content and make your link building pitch hard to refuse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
54 | Focus on collaboration instead of favors or link begging | Frame outreach as collaboration (swap quotes or shares) to lift response rates. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Include low-friction CTA | Use low-pressure CTAs (“Quick thoughts?”) that ease prospects into a link building conversation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
56 | A/B test subject lines and CTA wording for performance | Split-test subject lines and CTAs to learn which phrasing drives link building replies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
57 | Follow-up lightly | Send polite follow-ups 3–5 days apart, stopping after three touches. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
58 | Automate but track | Sync BuzzStream or Respona so link building emails and metrics live in one place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | Avoid words that trigger spam filters | Strip spam-trigger words and excess punctuation to protect deliverability. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | Track open rate, click-through rate, reply rate, and link acquisition rate | Log opens, replies, and acquired links to see which link building emails pay off. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
61 | 7. Link Quality Control | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
62 | Ensure link is dofollow | Check HTML to ensure each acquired backlink is dofollow and passes equity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
63 | Prioritize editorial placement | Aim for in-content editorial links; they carry more weight than footers or sidebars. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
64 | Avoid spam tags | Avoid unintended rel="sponsored" or "ugc" tags unless that’s the plan. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
65 | Confirm indexability | Crawl pages with Screaming Frog to confirm they’re indexable before counting wins in your link building checklist. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
66 | Diversify anchors | Track anchor diversity so the link profile stays natural. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
67 | Audit outbound links | Skip pages that link out to sketchy sites: bad neighborhoods erode link building gains. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
68 | Avoid dilution | Avoid pages with 50 + outbound links to prevent dilution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
69 | Check internal linking | Ensure the linking page is well-integrated internally so equity flows properly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
70 | 8. Tracking & Reporting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
71 | Maintain a link log | Keep a Google Sheet log of URL, anchor, DR, and date for transparent link building tracking. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
72 | Set up Ahrefs/SEMrush alerts | Enable Ahrefs or Semrush alerts to spot new or lost links quickly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
73 | Track mentions | Pair Google Alerts with Brand24 to monitor brand buzz that may feed link building. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
74 | Correlate links with performance | Compare rankings and traffic before and after each backlink to measure ROI. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
75 | Calculate ROI | Tie link value to conversions in GA4 to prove link building revenue impact. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
76 | Group by campaign or asset | Segment reports by campaign type (PR, skyscraper, guest post) to see what works best. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
77 | 9. Maintenance & Scaling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
78 | Reclaim lost links | Check Ahrefs Lost Backlinks weekly to reclaim valuable links and sustain momentum. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
79 | Convert mentions | Turn unlinked brand mentions into backlinks, a quick win on the link building checklist. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | Protect visuals | Run reverse image searches to request attribution for shared graphics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
81 | Update top content | Refresh link magnets every 3–6 months so they keep attracting links. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
82 | Repurpose top assets | Repurpose winning content into webinars or LinkedIn carousels for more link building angles. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
83 | Build partnerships | Nurture relationships with publishers to streamline future collaborations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
84 | Scale with tech | Use outreach platforms to template and scale link building without losing personalization. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
85 | Outsource wisely | Outsource prospecting or writing to vetted freelancers, but keep editorial control. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
86 | Balance anchors | Balance branded, partial, and generic anchors so the link profile looks organic. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
87 | 10. Link Profile Health Monitoring | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
88 | Watch link velocity | Grow links at a steady pace; sudden bursts can flag your link building as unnatural. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
89 | Diversify sources | Diversify referring domains and IPs to strengthen link building resilience. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
90 | Disavow bad links | Disavow toxic links promptly to protect your domain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
91 | Monthly audits | Audit backlinks monthly with tools like Linkody to catch issues early. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
92 | Guard against negative SEO | Set alerts for toxic link spikes and act fast against negative-SEO attacks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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