What’s the cost of link-building?
While this is an extremely common question, it’s not easy to answer. Backlinks can range from $25 to upwards of $5,000 due to a myriad of factors.
What is clear is that backlinks remain a major SEO ranking factor in 2025, and that doesn’t seem like it’s going to change anytime soon.
Even AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity prefer to pull content from trusted domains, and backlinks are how you build that trust.
You may have heard the terms “GEO” aka Generative Engine Optimization being used recently, and while there is debate on whether it’s an entirely different beast than SEO, everyone can agree that backlinks are still what makes up the internet.
Whether you want to reach the top of Google or improve brand visibility on AI tools, high-quality backlinks are a must.
As a refresher, for a backlink to have maximum impact, it must be:
- Relevant to your content (either directly or contextually)
- From a trusted, high-authority domain that generates a lot of traffic
However, relevant, high-quality backlinks aren’t easy to build, nor do they come cheap.
That’s why backlink pricing is a major aspect of the link-building process. Not all backlinks are of equal quality or importance, so they carry different price tags.
At Authority Builders, we provide top-quality editorial backlinks for our clients.
These will have the strongest impact on your search rankings and visibility, which will help you generate more traffic, leads, and sales.
However, less trustworthy providers out there sell spammy, low-grade backlinks that will have no impact on your visibility or rankings. If you aren’t careful, they can even lead to costly manual penalties from Google.
In this guide, we’ll teach you the ins and outs of link-building pricing in 2025, so stick around to learn how to secure the best deal!
Understanding Link-Building Pricing (Factors That Influence Costs)
There are numerous factors that determine the cost of a backlink, the most notable of which is the quality of the domain it hails from.
SEOs use Moz’s Domain Authority (DA) and Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) to judge the quality of a backlink’s domain, both of which are based on a score of 1 – 100, with 100 being the most authoritative.
These are third-party metrics that approximate the formula Google uses to determine domain quality, and they’re typically very accurate.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the difference between DA and DR:
- Domain Authority considers a domain’s backlink profile AND other on-page SEO signals (content quality, keywords, etc.).
- Domain Rating sticks to the quality of a domain’s backlink profile.
We recommend checking both DA and DR before determining if a domain is worth pursuing a backlink.
For buying backlinks, the rule of thumb is the higher the DA score, the higher the price.
That’s because high-DA backlinks will have the most impact on your search rankings. Lower-DA backlinks will have less of an impact but are still important for building a diverse, natural-looking link profile (which is important to Google).
Other factors that impact the price of a link include:
- Relevance to your niche. The more relevant the website is containing one of your backlinks, the more it will positively impact your online visibility. Thus, backlinks from highly relevant websites can cost more.
- Website traffic and engagement. A backlink is more valuable if it comes from a domain that generates lots of traffic and engagement with its users. Since the site sees so much action, it increases the chances that its users will click on your backlink and explore your website, which is referral traffic. In other words, backlinks on popular websites have the chance to boost your traffic numbers. As such, backlinks from these types of sites carry a larger price tag.
- Outreach effort and content quality. The amount of outreach and content creation involved in securing a backlink can also drive up the cost. For instance, it takes a lot of outreach and top-notch content to secure backlinks on big-name websites, so they will cost more. Conversely, building backlinks on lesser-known (but still reputable) websites isn’t as difficult, so they will cost less.
Most importantly, you need to do research to ensure you’re truly getting what you’re paying for, as not all agencies out there are trustworthy.
If you’re paying a high price for a backlink, it should deliver an appropriate ROI through higher rankings, more traffic, and premium editorial placements (i.e., better brand awareness).
Typical backlink pricing ranges
The cost of link-building also depends on whether you buy backlinks or hire an agency to engage in a link-building campaign.
Buying backlinks entails buying either individual links or packs of links from a provider (or providers).
Hiring an agency to build links for you involves recurring costs but steady returns.
Which is better?
It depends on your individual needs and SEO strategy.
For example, you may only need some supplemental backlinks to support your existing profile. In that scenario, it makes more sense to buy individual backlinks.
However, if you need a steady stream of authoritative backlinks coming in to outrank competitors and achieve your goals, hiring an agency to engage in a long-term campaign is the better move.
Not only will you likely see higher quality results, but it will require less effort on your end (i.e., you won’t have to continuously take the time to buy backlinks).
As mentioned previously, backlink pricing ranges depend on relevance, authority, and traffic potential.
Here’s a simple table breaking down the average price ranges for backlinks based on DA score:
| DA 20 – 30 | DA 40 – 50 | DA 60+ |
| $50 – $200 | $200 – $600 | $600 – $4,000+ |
Exact prices will depend on other factors like relevance, traffic, and engagement.
The risks of cheap backlinks and bulk packages
Before we go any further, it’s crucial to reiterate the danger associated with extremely cheap backlinks.
If you see backlinks advertised at ridiculously low prices (like $10 or lower), it’s a sign they’re probably from private blog networks (PBNs). These are networks of dummy websites that only exist to link out to other websites.
PBNs violate Google’s search guidelines, meaning you can receive a manual action if you get caught with PBN links.
You should also be wary of large backlink packages, especially if they’re super cheap. These bundle deals (we’re talking hundreds of backlinks at a time) are almost always from PBNs and link farms, so you should steer clear.
Moreover, you don’t stand to gain anything of value by accruing lots of low-quality backlinks. They won’t positively impact your rankings, so there’s no point in wasting your money.
We suggest that you stick with premium editorial backlinks built by experts.
Authority Builders’ Link-Building Pricing Model
Our pricing tiers are completely transparent, ensuring you have full visibility of your ROI the entire time.
Here are the pricing models associated with each of our link-building products.
ABC Plus
With ABC Plus, you receive a fully custom link-building campaign run by our experts. It’s a hands-off service, so you can sit back and relax while we build high-quality link placements for your website.
We guarantee placement on real sites that generate organic traffic to ensure maximum ROI.
It’s also a cost-saving plan, as ABC Plus runs at a fraction of what other agencies charge for the kinds of links we build.
There are three pricing tiers to choose from:
| Intermediate | Pro | Custom |
| $1,000/mo | $2,000/mo | $3,000+/mo |
| Anchor text analysis | Anchor text analysis | Anchor text analysis |
| Link velocity analysis | Link velocity analysis | Link velocity analysis |
| Authority diagnosis | Authority diagnosis | Authority diagnosis |
| 6 high-traffic, niche-relevant guest posts (DR 20 – 65) | 12 high-traffic, niche-relevant guest posts (DR 20 – 65) | 18+ high-traffic, niche-relevant guest posts (DR 20 – 65) |
These tiers are meant to align with the size of your business and your SEO goals. If you aren’t sure which tier is best for your needs, feel free to schedule an analysis call with our expert team.
ABC Platinum
For SEO professionals and high-authority content publishers in need of some truly top-of-the-line, hard-hitting backlinks, ABC Platinum is the way to go.
It’s a souped-up version of the ABC Plus product, with even higher DA backlinks, competitor analysis, and detailed reporting.
This service provides niche-specific outreach to secure top-tier backlinks with DA scores ranging from 50 to 90. In other words, they’re the types of links your competitors wish they could build!
Here’s a breakdown of the pricing:
| Starter | Intermediate | Pro | Enterprise |
| $3,000/mo | $6,000/mo | $9,000/mo | $12,000/mo |
| Competitor link gap analysis | Competitor link gap analysis | Competitor link gap analysis | Competitor link gap analysis |
| Strategic link planning | Strategic link planning | Strategic link planning | Strategic link planning |
| Detailed link reporting | Detailed link reporting | Detailed link reporting | Detailed link reporting |
| 8 high-authority, custom outreach backlinks (DR 50- 90) | 16 high-authority, custom outreach backlinks (DR 50- 90) | 24 high-authority, custom outreach backlinks (DR 50- 90) | 32+ high-authority, custom outreach backlinks (DR 50- 90) |
Digital PR
Getting featured in expert round-ups on trusted media outlets and online publications is how you establish your brand as a top authority in your field – which is what Digital PR is all about.
These types of editorial placements build credibility with search engines AND your target audience, increasing your ROI as a result.
Not only will you improve your search rankings with links like these, but you’ll also stand to gain referral traffic and more notoriety in your industry.
Here’s what the pricing structure looks like:
| Starter | ||
| $2,750/mo | ||
| 12+ Expert round-ups on top platforms | ||
| Establish authority with strong media exposure | ||
| Minimum 3-month campaign | ||
| 12+ Guaranteed placements per month |
Digital PR Plus
If competition in your niche is especially steep, you can beat the odds with our Digital PR Plus product.
It’s a premium version of our Digital PR service where we guarantee placement on top news websites like GQ Magazine, The Sun, Daily Mail, and others!
These are extremely credible news sites that will provide a dramatic boost in credibility, brand awareness, and search rankings.
Here’s a breakdown of the pricing model:
| Starter PR package | Intermediate PR package | Professional PR package |
| $4,500/mo | $7,000/mo | $11,000/mo |
| Guaranteed minimum links delivered per campaign | Guaranteed minimum links delivered per campaign | Guaranteed minimum links delivered per campaign |
| Get featured in high-quality publications | Get featured in high-quality publications | Get featured in high-quality publications |
| Appear in GQ Magazine, The Sun, Daily Mail, and others! | Appear in GQ Magazine, The Sun, Daily Mail, and others! | Appear in GQ Magazine, The Sun, Daily Mail, and others! |
| 5 – 10 Digital PR Links | 10 – 20 Digital PR Links | 20 – 30 Digital PR Links |
Why High-Quality Links Are Worth the Investment
While the cost savings may be tempting, it’s never worth investing in low-grade links from untrustworthy vendors.
High-quality backlinks may cost you more, but they also deliver a far stronger ROI. For one, authoritative backlinks will actually improve your search rankings and online visibility.
Low-grade backlinks will not, even if you build a gazillion of them.
This is because Google’s algorithm has become extremely adept at identifying backlinks coming from low-quality domains that provide no value to users. As a result, they devalue these types of links, meaning they won’t benefit your SEO or online visibility at all.
So, even if you get a great deal and only spend $20 to get 200 backlinks, you won’t see any returns. You won’t rank higher, nor will you improve your brand visibility or generate any traffic.
Compare that to the ROI that high-quality backlinks can yield, which includes:
- Higher search rankings (which leads to more traffic, leads, and sales)
- Extended online reach and better brand visibility (including on AI tools)
- Boosted authority and credibility with search engines and your user base
- Targeted referral traffic from relevant websites
As a bonus, strong backlinks will continue to provide these benefits well into the future, barring a link breaking or getting taken down.
Once you realize this, the choice becomes simple.
Why would you waste any amount of money on subpar backlinks (that do nothing) when you could spend it on building quality backlinks that will positively impact your bottom line?
As soon as site owners have this ‘a-ha’ moment, they start to make much better decisions for their SEO.
High-quality backlinks: a real-world example of their power
Let’s take a look at an instance where investing in high-quality backlinks yielded a considerable ROI for one of our clients.
Through ABC Plus, a financial planning firm was able to boost its organic traffic by 964%. We also grew their DR from 37 to 50, and we got them ranking for 573% more keywords.
ABC Plus provides clients with consistent guest posts on sites with DR scores ranging from 20 – 65. These types of websites are authoritative, niche-relevant, and generate lots of traffic. Since these websites are trusted by Google, the backlinks spread link equity to the client’s website, in turn boosting their authority as well.
That’s how we were able to achieve a dramatic DR increase of 13 points.
Moreover, the client’s monthly visitors skyrocketed from 2,818 to 31.2k during their tenure on ABC Plus (32 months), which is a gigantic increase.
There’s a strong correlation between a website’s number of referring domains (i.e., the number of other sites linking to you) and organic traffic, as you can see illustrated in the chart above.
More monthly visitors means more prospects that you can convert into customers, which is why backlinks are so good for generating business.
DIY vs. Managed Link-Building: What’s the Real Cost Involved?
Next, let’s examine what it takes to tackle link-building in-house vs. hiring an agency to do it for you.
If you aren’t already set up to build links, there’s a lot of infrastructure you’ll need to invest in.
First, unless you want to overload your existing stuff (which isn’t worth it, trust us), you’ll have to hire new staff specifically to engage in link-building campaigns.
Hiring employees is definitely not cheap, as Indeed estimates that most companies spend anywhere from $4,000 – $20,000 to hire just one employee – and that’s not including their salary.
In particular, you’ll need a link manager (average salary: $80,000) and at least one or two link assistants (average salary: $40,000). The link manager will develop your overall strategy and outline the campaigns. Your assistants will tackle the day-to-day tasks involved with building links, such as:
- Conducting outreach
- Prospecting for relevant link opportunities
- Maintaining and monitoring your backlinks
- Researching outreach prospects
Also, unless your link assistants double as content creators, you’ll need to hire a content writer (average salary: $30,000 – $40,000) to knock out things like guest posts and press releases. You could also hire freelancers to handle content creation, but this will also require an expense (the average guest post price is around $220).
Not only that, but your team will need some tools of the trade.
SEO platforms like Ahrefs and Semrush are must-haves, and so is an outreach platform to manage all your emails. You can also choose to use SEO writing tools like Surfer and Clearscope to ensure your guest posts are fully optimized.
You can expect to spend at least a few grand in software subscriptions solely for link-building.
Let’s do the math to find the total:
1 Link Manager ($80,000 salary plus $4,000 onboarding)
2 Link Assistants ($40,000 salary plus $4,000 onboarding)
1 Content Writer ($30,000 salary plus $4,000 onboarding)
Software subscriptions ($3,000)
Being very generous, it takes around $209,000 to start building backlinks in-house, and that’s not considering things like benefits and additional link costs (like buying backlinks, which is more common than you might think).
Bear in mind that you’ll have to spend this much before building a single backlink.
Costs associated with managed link-building
Now, let’s compare that with how much it costs to hire an agency to handle your link-building for you.
For example, we’ll use the pricing associated with our campaigns:
-
- Managed link-building campaign (ABC Plus): $1,000 – $3,000 per month
- Premium managed link-building campaign (ABC Platinum): $3,000 – $12,000 per month
- Digital PR campaign (Digital PR): $2,750 – $10,000 per month
- Elite-level Digital PR campaign (Digital PR Plus): $4,500 – $11,000 per month
As you can see, it’s far cheaper to work with an agency like ours to build links for you.
Even an entire year’s worth of ABC Platinum ($144,000) is more affordable than getting set up in-house, and you’ll have built 384+ elite-level backlinks for your website (DR 50 – 90).
Choosing the Right Backlink Strategy for You
How do you know which link-building product to choose?
First, you need to understand which type of backlink best suits your website’s current performance and size. For instance, guest posting is a great way to establish authority for brand-new websites.
While it’s also great for businesses of all sizes, it’s especially effective for new sites that don’t have a vast library of content (or relationships with other sites).
If, instead, your site does have an established library of content, digital PR is a great way to spread awareness for your brand (and rack up more views for your existing content).
Your business goals also play a significant role in which strategy you choose, as does your budget.
If you want to dramatically boost your authority and ranking power amongst tough competitors, ABC Platinum and Digital PR Plus will provide the top-notch backlinks you need to get the job done.
Or, if you’re looking to improve your visibility in local markets (and improve foot traffic), Local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization will help you reach your goals.
If you want to see speedy results and build links to core product and service pages, Link Insertions are your top pick.
Along the way, you should strive to achieve a balance of:
- Quality. Authoritative backlinks will have the strongest impact on your rankings and online visibility.
- Quantity. There are times when an abundance of backlinks is required to close a gap between you and your competitors.
- Budget. Going over budget is seldom worth it, so ensure you choose a package that lines up with your available funds.
FAQ About Link-Building Pricing
#1: Why are high-DR backlinks expensive?
High-DR backlinks are the most impactful and are the most difficult to build, which is why they’re on the pricier side. Other price factors include niche relevance and traffic generation (i.e., how much traffic the domain linking back to you receives, in turn granting you the potential for referral traffic).
#2: Are links permanent?
No, backlinks are not permanent, but we guarantee they stay live for 1 year after placing your order. If one of your backlinks is removed or changed to nofollow during that time, reach out to us and we’ll either restore the link or provide you with another one in the same DR range.
#3: How do you acquire backlinks?
All our backlinks are acquired through pure white-hat techniques like outreach, guest posting, and link insertions. Our team of experts excels at generating the perfect types of backlinks based on each client’s needs.
#4: What makes Authority Builders different?
In short, our superior expertise. Our team consists of leading experts in the link-building field, and we’ve been building an extensive link infrastructure since 2016. This enables us to build backlinks of all types in virtually every niche.
#5: Can I get links in my niche?
Absolutely. We’re able to build backlinks for most niches, including grey niches.
Get High-Authority Links Now
Now that you’re well-versed in how link-building pricing works, it’s time to start building the high-authority backlinks you need to achieve your SEO goals.
Are you ready to have our team build high-authority backlinks so that you don’t have to worry about it?
Don’t wait to sign up to enjoy guaranteed results and a strong ROI!
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P.S., Don’t forget to check out our success stories to learn more about what our team can do for you.