Good pages, stuck on page two
Your page answers the search better than the ones above it, and those sites have more references from other sites.
Link Building
Earn the links that move you up the page.
Google ranks the sites that other sites vouch for. We earn those references for you from trade bodies, partners and press, one real placement at a time, and you see every one.
Editorial linksOperation Warm · earlier agency work10
What we measure3/3
- Links earned from relevant sites
- Referral visits those links send
- Rankings of the pages the links support
Get your free SEO audit
No cost and no commitment.
The search problem
A link count tells you very little.
Two sites can have the same number of links and rank far apart. One earned its links from trade bodies, suppliers and local press. The other bought a package, and Google’s systems learned to ignore most of it. Where the buying is heavy, a reviewer at Google can pull pages from results until the links are cleaned up.
We start with the pages and the knowledge you have that deserve a reference, then look for the places where citing you helps the reader. You see every site before we write to it, and every link after it goes live.
In plain terms
What is link building?
Link building is the work of earning links from other websites to yours. Google reads a link as one site vouching for another, so links from relevant, trusted sites remain one of the ways it judges which page deserves to rank. The word “earning” carries the weight. Google’s spam policies name buying links, trading them in bulk and automated link programs as violations.
Honest link building therefore looks a lot like publicity and partnership. You make something useful, such as a guide, a set of figures or a tool, and you tell the people who would want to point their readers at it. When the story is big enough for the press, the work becomes digital PR.
When links are what holds a site back
A new site in an old market
Competitors have ten years of mentions behind them, and you have a launch date.
Links to the wrong pages
Other sites link to your homepage and to old posts, and almost none reach the pages you sell from.
A past you did not choose
A previous agency bought links, and you want to know what you are carrying.
What we do in link building
We review who links to you now, which pages they point at and how those links were earned. We do the same for the three sites that outrank you, and the gap between the lists becomes the plan.
Writers link to what helps their readers, so we build that first. We improve or create the resource a writer would want to reference: original figures, a clear how-to, a calculator, a local guide. It sits on your site and passes its strength to your service pages through internal links.
We list the trade associations, suppliers, partners, local organizations and publications whose readers overlap with your customers. Many of the best links come from relationships a business already has and never thought to ask about.
A person writes each message. We log every site contacted, every reply and every live link with its address, so you can open any of them yourself.
Before you pay anyone for links
How to tell earned links from bought ones.
The link market is full of sellers who promise a number per month, and the number is the warning. A site that will link to anyone who pays will link to everyone who pays, and Google’s systems are built to discount exactly that pattern.
Ask to see three links the seller placed last month, then open them. An earned link sits inside an article about a related subject, on a site with real readers and a named editor. A bought one tends to sit in a post nobody would read, on a site that covers casinos on Monday and roofing on Tuesday.
- 01Ask for live examples, and check that each site has a clear subject and real authors.
- 02Ask how the link was earned. “We have relationships with publishers” usually means a price list.
- 03Turn down any offer of a fixed number of links per month.
- 04Read the words used for the link. A natural link reads like part of a sentence, and a bought one repeats your keyword.
- 05Ask who keeps the outreach emails and the contact list when the contract ends. It should be you.
- 06Where money does change hands for a placement, Google asks that the link be tagged as sponsored.
What you get
Work you can hold.
- A link profile review for your site and three competitors
- One or more reference pages built to be cited
- A source list you approve before outreach begins
- An outreach log with every contact, reply and live link
- A plain read on any risky links you inherited
The readout
How we know it worked.
We record a baseline before we change anything, then read search visibility beside the actions that pay the bills.
- Links earned from relevant sites
- Referral visits those links send
- Rankings of the pages the links support
Pricing
Your investment in being found
Three ways to invest in your business showing up when buyers search. Each package is billed monthly, month to month, and each one includes everything in the one before it.
Foundation
The work every site needs, done properly and kept up every month.
$1,000a month
Month to month
We recommend
Growth
Foundation, plus the pages, articles and links that reach more of your buyers.
$2,500a month
Month to month
Leadership
Growth, plus press outreach, more markets and reporting that follows each lead to revenue.
$5,000a month
Month to month
The price changes only when the scope does, such as a very large catalog, many locations or a move to a new platform, and we agree any change in writing before the work starts.
Questions
Before we start.
Do you buy links or promise a fixed number?
No to both. Google’s policies treat buying links as spam, and a fixed monthly number can only be met by paying for placements. The count we earn varies with the page and the market, and you see every one.
Is buying backlinks safe?
It is a risk with a poor return. Google’s systems are built to ignore links they do not trust, so the money often buys nothing. Where the pattern is heavy, a human reviewer can issue a manual action that removes pages from results until the links are cleaned up.
How long does link building take to affect rankings?
Longer than most people hope. A link has to be found and crawled before it counts, and the effect builds as more arrive. We report each month on links placed and on the rankings of the pages they support, so the trend is visible before the result is.
Should we disavow our bad links?
Usually not. Google says most sites never need the disavow tool, because its systems already ignore links they do not trust. The tool is meant for sites with a manual action for unnatural links, or a strong reason to expect one.
Will we see every link you earn?
Yes. Each live link goes into a shared log with its address, the page it points to and the date. You can open any of them, and the log is yours to keep.
Keep exploring
Find the next useful page.
All SEO servicesExplore the full search program and its specialized services.Digital PRStories and data that earn press coverage.SEO Content WritingGuides and reference pages worth a citation.SEO Blog Writing & StrategyA library that gives other sites something to point at.Local SEOCitations and local mentions for businesses that serve an area.SEO ConsultingA second opinion on the links you have now.
Send us your site and the three competitors you most want to pass. We will show you where their links come from, and which ones you could earn.
- How your buyers search for what you sell
- Who shows up above you today, and why
- Your website, as Google reads it
Prefer email? Write to hello@wearemachina.com
Prefer to talk? Call (831) 230-7787
Editorial linksOperation Warm · earlier agency work10
What we measure3/3
- Links earned from relevant sites
- Referral visits those links send
- Rankings of the pages the links support
Get your free SEO audit
No cost and no commitment.