The Ultimate Guide to White-Label Link Building Services
According to Google, the following factors—meaning, relevance, quality, usability, and context—affect page ranking. If a trustworthy website references a particular page, this improves the page’s quality and ultimately helps it rank higher. That’s why if your marketing agency doesn’t offer link-building services as part of SEO strategies, it’s about time you add them to your package.
Yet, what if your employees don’t have time for link-building? In this case, white-label link-building services can help. In this article, we will go over the benefits of outsourcing your link-building activities and offer tips on how to make sure a white-label link-building company you pick delivers top-notch services.
Rebrand and resell top-notch local SEO software to your clients
What Is White-Label Link Building?
White-label link building is a service where a marketing agency outsources its link-building tasks to a third-party provider that acquires backlinks, manages outreach, and monitors the backlinking strategy’s performance while the agency takes credit for the service in the eyes of the client.
Understanding the Importance of White-Label Link Building Services
Here are the main reasons why link-building directly influences how search engines like Google rank websites in search results:
1. Improves Search Engine Rankings
Search engines use backlinks as a way to determine the authority and trustworthiness of a website. When a reputable site links to your client’s website, it’s seen as a vote of confidence.
Also, Google’s search algorithm, including its famous PageRank system, places significant emphasis on the number and quality of backlinks to a site. Websites with more high-quality backlinks generally rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). 
2. Increases Organic Traffic
Backlinks not only help with rankings but also drive direct referral traffic to the site. Link building exposes content to a broader audience, potentially leading to more visitors from different online sources.
3. Supports Content Marketing
Effective link-building often depends on link-building service providers creating high-quality, valuable content, such as unique infographics, that others want to link to.
4. Builds Relationships and Brand Visibility
The process of link-building often involves reaching out to other websites and industry influencers, which can help build relationships within your client’s niche. These relationships can lead to future collaboration opportunities and increase your client’s brand's visibility.
5. Encourages Indexing
Search engines discover new content by crawling web pages. Backlinks from other websites can help search engine bots find and index new marketing content faster, especially if the links come from well-established sites with frequent crawling.
The Benefits of White-Label Link Building Services
Now that we’re on the same page about the importance of link-building, it’s time for a deep dive into some of the compelling reasons why your marketing agency shouldn’t shy away from outsourcing link-building services.
Exploring the Advantages for Your Clients and Your Agency
For digital marketing agencies, one of the biggest advantages of white-label link building is scalability. As the demand for SEO services grows, so does the need for high-quality backlinks. White-label providers can handle the increased workload, allowing agencies to scale up their operations without hiring additional staff or investing in new tools.
Furthermore, white-label link-building providers specialize in this area, ensuring that the links they generate meet the highest standards.
By outsourcing link building, marketing agencies can focus on their core competencies, such as strategy development, client management, and content creation. The white-label provider handles the repetitive, time-consuming tasks associated with link building, allowing the agency to deliver results more efficiently.
One of the key benefits of white-label services is that the agency’s brand identity remains intact. The work done by the third-party provider is branded as the agency's own, ensuring that the client views the agency as the expert and primary service provider.
Why Trust Is Key in Link Building
Trusted link-building providers understand that high-quality backlinks only come from authoritative websites. They also focus on long-term success rather than quick fixes.
Identifying and Avoiding Link-Building Scams
Boosting your agency’s services with the help of white-label link-building can help you secure more customers. Yet, you must ensure you opt for a provider who takes their job seriously. There are many link-building scams you should be aware of. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most prominent ones.
Unrealistic Promises
If a provider guarantees a specific number of backlinks or promises first-page rankings within an unrealistic timeframe, it’s a clear warning sign. SEO, including link building, is a complex and time-consuming process. No legitimate provider can guarantee exact results, as search engine algorithms are always changing.
Low-Quality Links
Some white-label link-building service providers may offer a high volume of links at a low cost, but these links often come from low-quality or irrelevant websites, including link farms and private blog networks (PBNs). Such links do more harm than good, as search engines easily flag them as manipulative.
Lack of Transparency
If a provider is vague about their link-building strategies, this is a significant red flag. Transparency is key to trust; you should always know where your links are coming from.
Choosing a Trustworthy White-Label Link Building Provider
Selecting the right partner ensures that your link-building efforts yield high-quality, sustainable results, while also protecting your brand’s reputation.
Key Metrics to Look for When Selecting a Service
When evaluating potential white-label link-building providers, several key metrics can help you determine whether they are capable of delivering the quality your agency’s clients need.
1. Domain Authority
When selecting a white-label link-building services provider, inquire about the average DA of the sites where they will place the links. A trustworthy provider will be transparent about this and aim to secure links on websites with a DA of 40 or higher.
2. Link Quality
A trustworthy link-building provider should have a clear process for vetting the sites they work with, ensuring that the backlinks come from authoritative and relevant websites.
3. Site Traffic
Site traffic refers to the number of visitors a website receives. Links from websites with high traffic can drive significant referral traffic to your client’s site, in addition to improving SEO. High-traffic sites are also generally more authoritative.
When selecting a white-label link-building services provider, ask them about the typical traffic levels of the sites they target for link-building. Ideally, they should be securing links from sites with a steady flow of organic traffic.
4. Industry Relevance
Ensure that the white-label link-building provider targets websites that are relevant to your client’s industry. They should be able to demonstrate their ability to secure links from industry-specific publications and blogs.
5. Anchor Text Distribution
Proper anchor text distribution is important for SEO. Over-optimization of anchor text with the same keyword can be seen as manipulative by search engines and may result in penalties. A natural, diverse distribution is essential for a healthy backlink profile.
Choose a white-label link-building services provider that understands the importance of anchor text diversity and uses a mix of branded, exact match, partial match, and generic anchor texts.
6. Link Spread
Link spread refers to the distribution of backlinks across various pages of your client’s website, rather than concentrating them on just the homepage or a few pages.
A natural-looking backlink profile has links pointing to various pages of a website, including deep links to internal pages. This approach helps improve the overall authority of the site and its subpages.
Ensure that the white-label link-building provider practices natural link distribution, targeting various pages on your clients’ sites rather than just the homepage.
7. Topical Trust Flow
Topical Trust Flow, a metric from Majestic, measures the trustworthiness of a website based on the relevance of its content within specific topical categories.
Links from websites with a high Topical Trust Flow in relevant categories are more beneficial for your clients’ SEO because they indicate credibility within a specific niche.
8. Spam Score
Spam Score is a metric from Moz that indicates the likelihood of a website being penalized by search engines due to spammy or low-quality practices.
Ensure that the white-label link-building provider actively avoids sites with high spam scores and has a vetting process in place to maintain a clean backlink profile.
9. Social Media Followers
Websites with strong social media followings are often more influential and can drive additional referral traffic through social sharing. A strong social presence also indicates a site’s credibility and reach.
Ask the white-label link-building provider if they consider the social media presence of the sites they target. Links from socially active websites can enhance both traffic and SEO.
10. Ethical Practices
Verify that the white-label link-building services provider adheres to white-hat SEO practices. They should avoid tactics like buying links, using link farms, or engaging in other manipulative strategies. A trustworthy provider will prioritize long-term success over quick, risky gains.
The 5-Step White-Label Link Building Strategy
Here are five steps that a marketing agency should take when outsourcing link-building to a white-label provider.
Step 1: Assess Your Agency's Needs and Goals
Before selecting a white-label link-building services provider, you may want to consider the following:
- Client Demands: What types of link-building services are your clients requesting? Do they need high-quality backlinks, niche-specific links, or a mix of both?
- Budget: Determine your budget for outsourcing link building. Understanding your financial constraints will help you choose a provider that aligns with your budget without compromising on quality.
- Volume: How many links do you need per month? Understanding the volume will help you choose a provider that can scale with your needs.
- Timeline: Are there any deadlines or timeframes that the provider must meet? This is particularly important for time-sensitive campaigns.
Step 2: Research and Shortlist Potential Providers
Once you have defined your needs, start researching potential white-label link-building service providers. Consider the following:
- Reputation: Look for providers with a strong reputation in the industry. Check reviews, testimonials, and case studies to assess their credibility and performance.
- Expertise: Ensure that the white-label link-building services provider specializes in the type of link-building services you need. For example, if you need links in a specific industry, verify that the provider has experience in that niche.
- Transparency: Choose white-label link-building service providers that are transparent about their processes, pricing, and reporting. They should be willing to explain their strategies and provide regular updates on progress.
Step 3: Establish Clear Communication and Expectations
Once you have selected a white-label link-building services provider, establish clear communication channels and set expectations from the start. This includes:
- Defining the terms of the partnership, including deliverables, timelines, and quality standards.
- Agreeing on the frequency and format of progress reports.
- Designating a primary point of contact from both your agency and the provider to ensure seamless communication and quick resolution of any issues.
- Creating a feedback loop to address any concerns or suggestions.
Step 4: Monitor Performance
It is important to continuously monitor the performance of your white-label link-building services outsourcing strategy.
Review the reports provided by the white-label solutions provider. Assess metrics such as the quality of the links, improvements in search rankings, and the impact on organic traffic. Gather feedback from your clients to ensure they are satisfied with the results. If the results do not meet your expectations, discuss potential adjustments with the provider.
Step 5: Adjust Strategies as Needed
If the results do not meet your expectations, discuss potential adjustments with the provider. This might include targeting different websites, changing anchor text strategies, or increasing the volume of links. Other processes that might require tweaking from time to time include communication channels and the scope of the services provided.
Pricing Transparency in White-Label Link Building
With clear pricing, marketing agencies can better understand the value of the white-label link-building services they are receiving and avoid unexpected costs.
There are several pricing models that cater to varying needs:
- Pay-Per-Link Model: Agencies are charged a fixed price for each link that the provider secures. The cost is usually based on factors such as the domain rating (DR) of the linking site, the quality of the content, and the relevance of the link to the client’s industry.
- Subscription-Based Model: Agencies pay a monthly or yearly fee for a set number of links or a comprehensive link-building package. This model often includes a range of services, such as content creation, outreach, and reporting.
- Hybrid Model: Some white-label link-building service providers offer hybrid models that combine elements of both pay-per-link and subscription-based pricing. For example, an agency might pay a base subscription fee for ongoing services and then an additional fee for each link secured.
Understanding Domain Rating (DR) and Pricing Models
Domain Rating (DR) is a metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. 
Real-Time Reporting and Client Communication
There are several different reporting tools that help keep track of the effectiveness of link-building services. Here are some popular options:
- Google Data Studio allows marketing agencies to create customized, real-time reports that pull data from various sources, including Google Analytics and Search Console. Marketing agencies can create dashboards that display key metrics such as backlink profiles, domain authority changes, and traffic improvements.
- Ahrefs provides in-depth data on backlinks, including real-time updates on newly acquired links, lost links, and changes in domain rating.
- SEMrush offers real-time tracking of backlinks, keyword rankings, and overall site health.
How to Keep Your Clients Informed and Satisfied
In addition to real-time reporting, schedule regular updates with your clients. Weekly or biweekly meetings or email summaries can help you discuss the progress of their campaigns, address any concerns, and adjust strategies as needed.
Tailor your reports to each client’s specific needs and goals. Custom reports that highlight the metrics most important to your client will demonstrate that you understand their business and are focused on their success.
Personalized Approach to Link Building
A one-size-fits-all approach to link building rarely yields the best results. Every client has unique needs, goals, and target audiences, which means link-building strategies should be tailored accordingly.
Building High-Quality Links Through Personalized Services
Make sure that your white-label link-building services provider creates high-quality, unique content that is tailored to each of your clients’ industries and audiences. This content could include guest posts, infographics, or whitepapers that provide value and encourage other sites to link back.
Link Building as One Part of a Larger Digital Marketing Strategy
Link building is an integral part of an SEO strategy, and SEO is the foundation of many digital marketing strategies. Boosting SEO results isn’t all link building can do, though. You should consider link building as part of any larger digital marketing strategy.
High-quality backlinks can be a good way to promote a client’s brand. Getting a client featured in a local newspaper or industry publication can boost their reputation. Authoritative links can be part of a social media strategy and a digital PR push.
What Is White-Label Digital Marketing?
You don't have to stop at link building or SEO. You can team up with a white-label digital marketing team for more services, such as reselling white-label website solutions or providing clients with white-label apps.
Pro Tip: Read the ultimate guide to white-label for tips on how to leverage white-labeling in one of the white-label business opportunities.
If your agency has expertise in one area, then use white-label solutions to add complementary services. White-label products and services let you offer more and do more for your clients while your team focuses on what they’re best at.
Here are some examples of white-label services that Vendasta offers in the marketplace on their white-label platform:
Link Your Clients’ Success to Great Link Building Services
These days, Google and other search engines have many indicators of quality content. Links may not be as important as they once were, but link building is still a cornerstone for any good SEO strategy. More than that, link-building can impact your larger digital marketing strategy.
If link building is frustrating your team or it’s taking up inordinate amounts of time, then white-label link-building services could be just what your agency needs.
This article was originally published in February 2023 and was updated in September 2024 to include the latest information and insights.