Link building is the SEO service most likely to cause a client dispute — because "build links" can mean anything from writing guest posts to buying placements from a broker.
The scope ambiguity isn't just a pricing problem. It's a compliance problem. If your scope says "link acquisition" without defining method, exclusions, and quality criteria, you're one junior team member away from a Google penalty and a client lawsuit.
Link building scope needs three things other SEO scopes don't: method definition, quality criteria, and explicit compliance exclusions. Without all three, you're carrying risk you didn't price for.
Who this is for
- SEO agencies offering link building as a standalone or retainer add-on service
- Account managers pricing outreach and digital PR without deep link building knowledge
- Teams where link building methods vary between team members or clients
- Agencies that need to document ethical boundaries for compliance or client contracts
Variables that drive link building scope
| Variable | Impact |
|---|---|
| Method | Guest posting, digital PR, resource link building, broken link building, HARO/Connectively — each has different effort and output |
| Monthly target | 5 links/month vs 20 links/month — fundamentally different resourcing |
| Quality criteria | Domain authority thresholds, relevance requirements, traffic minimums |
| Niche difficulty | B2B SaaS vs local plumber — outreach response rates vary 10x |
| Content requirements | Agency creates assets vs client provides — changes effort significantly |
| Reporting granularity | Links acquired only vs full outreach funnel reporting |
| Competitive intensity | How much link building competitors are doing — sets the baseline |
Link building methods and effort
| Method | Effort per link | Scalability | Quality control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest posting | 4–8 hours (including content) | Medium | High — full editorial control |
| Digital PR | 8–20 hours per campaign | High (bulk placements possible) | Medium — journalist-dependent |
| Resource/skyscraper | 6–12 hours | Low-medium | High — asset quality drives results |
| Broken link building | 2–4 hours | Medium | High — replacing genuine 404s |
| HARO / Connectively | 1–3 hours per response | Low | Low-medium — placement not guaranteed |
| Unlinked mention reclamation | 1–2 hours per link | Low | Very high — brand already mentioned |
| Partnership / co-marketing | 4–10 hours | Low | High — mutual benefit model |
Scope definition
- Link building method(s) in scope (specify: guest posting, digital PR, resource, etc.)
- Monthly link acquisition target ([X] referring domains per month)
- Target quality criteria (see quality criteria section below)
- Campaign duration and minimum commitment ([X] months)
- Content creation responsibility (agency creates / client provides / hybrid)
Quality criteria
Links acquired under this scope must meet ALL of the following:
- Domain authority: Minimum DA [X] (Moz) or DR [X] (Ahrefs)
- Relevance: Topically related to client's industry or adjacent verticals
- Traffic: Linking domain receives organic traffic (not a dead or spam site)
- Editorial: Link placed within editorial content, not sponsored sections, sidebars, or directories
- Index status: Linking page is indexed in Google at time of placement
- Link type: Dofollow unless otherwise agreed (nofollow links reported separately)
- Anchor text: Natural, varied — no exact-match keyword stuffing
Monthly deliverables
- acquired referring domains meeting quality criteria
- Outreach activity report (emails sent, response rate, placement rate)
- Link placement log (URL, domain metrics, anchor text, date)
- Content created for link acquisition (if included)
- Monthly performance summary (new vs lost links, domain authority trend)
Outreach process
- Prospect identification and qualification ([X] prospects per month)
- Personalised outreach (not bulk automated emails)
- Follow-up sequence (up to [X] follow-ups per prospect)
- Relationship management for repeat placement opportunities
- Content briefing and creation (if guest posting)
Compliance exclusions (critical)
The following methods are explicitly excluded from this scope:
- Paid links — no payment for link placement (Google Webmaster Guidelines violation)
- Private blog networks (PBNs) — no links from networks of sites created solely for link building
- Link exchanges — no reciprocal "you link to me, I link to you" arrangements
- Forum/comment spam — no links placed in forums, blog comments, or user-generated content
- Automated outreach — no mass-automated email tools (personalised outreach only)
- Low-quality directories — no submissions to general web directories
- Purchased guest posts — no paying sites to publish content with links (pay-to-play)
- Link schemes — no participation in any arrangement that manipulates PageRank
If any of the above methods are requested by the client, this scope will be paused pending written mutual agreement on method, risk, and liability.
Exclusions (service boundaries)
- On-page SEO or technical SEO work
- Content strategy beyond link acquisition assets
- Social media promotion or distribution
- Paid advertising or sponsored content (separate engagement)
- Link disavow or penalty recovery (separate scope)
- Competitor link analysis beyond prospect identification
- Guaranteed rankings or traffic outcomes from link building
Timeline and ramp-up
- Month 1: Prospect research, content asset creation, initial outreach
- Month 2: First placements expected, outreach pipeline established
- Month 3+: Steady-state delivery against monthly targets
- Ramp-up notice: Link building results are not immediate. Months 1–2 are pipeline-building. Consistent monthly targets apply from Month 3.
Setting realistic expectations
Link building is not instant. Month 1 is prospecting and outreach. Month 2 sees first placements. Consistent monthly delivery starts Month 3. Scope should include a ramp-up notice to prevent Month 1 disputes.
Volume and quality trade off. 20 links/month at DA 20+ is achievable. 20 links/month at DA 50+ in a competitive niche is not. Set quality criteria and volume targets that work together — not in opposition.
Not all links are equal. One link from a genuine industry publication is worth more than 10 from generic blogs. Define quality criteria upfront so the client understands what "a link" means in your scope.
Attrition is normal. Links get removed, pages get deleted, domains expire. Report net link growth, not just acquisitions. Budget 10–15% over-delivery to account for natural attrition.
How RuleDox helps
Link building is the SEO service where scope clarity matters most — method, quality, compliance, and expectations all need to be explicit. Yet most agencies scope it as a line item ("link building: 10 links/month") without the supporting detail.
With RuleDox:
- Method selection drives the scope — guest posting includes content creation sections; digital PR includes campaign planning
- Quality criteria auto-populate — DA thresholds, relevance requirements, and index status checks appear by default
- Compliance exclusions are always included — paid links, PBNs, and link schemes are excluded in every link building scope
- Ramp-up language is standardised — Month 1–2 expectations are set automatically
- Volume and effort align — 5 links/month gets different hours than 20 links/month
FAQ
Should link building be included in the main SEO retainer or scoped separately? Separately, in most cases. Link building has different skills, different timelines, and different risk profiles from technical and on-page SEO. Bundling it makes it harder to pause, adjust, or replace. If the client insists on one scope, make link building a clearly defined section with its own deliverables and exclusions.
How do I handle clients who want guaranteed link counts? Set targets, not guarantees. "Target: 8–12 referring domains per month meeting quality criteria" is honest. "Guaranteed 10 links" creates pressure to compromise quality. If a client demands guarantees, they may not be the right fit for ethical link building.
What if a link gets removed after placement? Natural attrition is normal (5–15% annually). Your scope should specify that links are "acquired" — not "permanent." Report both gross acquisitions and net link growth. If a significant placement is removed within 30 days, offer a replacement as goodwill — but don't guarantee permanence.