Best Link Building Tools (by Use Case) in 2023 – The Ultimate Guide29 min read

Looking for the best link-building tool for your SEO agency? Building links involves a bunch of different tasks, and no one tool does it all. But don’t worry, we’ve got you.

Free link building is essential for improving search engine rankings, and this guide will also cover some free tools to help you get started.

This guide breaks down the top 3-5 tools for each specific job in the entire process:

• Researching opportunities like competitor backlink analysis, unclaimed brand mentions, building broken links, or link inserts.
• Running outreach campaigns—from finding editor emails to sending your pitches.
• Managing contacts with a CRM to handle responses, follow-ups, and vendor management.
• Tracking built links to make sure they don’t disappear or turn into ‘no-follow’ links.
• Guest posting and link exchanges, covering marketplaces, Slack channels, and groups for link placements and exchanges.

When discussing the top tools for each specific job, we will also highlight any free link building tool that can be beneficial for your strategy.

This article will help you find link building tools by use cases—so you can build the perfect link-building stack for your agency!

Best Link Building Tools (by Use Case) in 2024: Summary

• BacklinkManager helps monitor your backlink status, sends alerts for any status changes, checks live DA/PA of link sources, evaluates potential links, provides client reporting on links you’ve built, and manages reciprocal link-building partnerships.
• Ahrefs is great for backlink analysis, competitive research, keyword insights, and content gap analysis.
• Semrush excels in keyword research, competitor strategy, backlink monitoring, and detailed SEO reporting.
• Moz Link Explorer offers a full view of a site’s link profile, helping spot opportunities.
• Majestic is affordable and features the Topical Trust Flow to measure links from trusted websites.
• GSC and Google’s search operators are free but powerful tools for link-building research.
• BuzzStream and RankTracker are ideal for outreach management.
• For guest posting and link exchanges, HARO and SurferSEO AI writer assist with collaboration and content creation.

 

What is link building? Is it legit?

It is the process of getting other websites to link back to yours, often referred to as acquiring outbound links.

Why is link building important?

Link building is crucial for boosting your site’s domain authority, showcasing your expertise, improving page rankings in SERPs, and driving referral traffic.

Even though the impact of backlinks on SEO performance has declined over time, major sites like The Washington Post still actively invest in links, according to their reports:

So, do you need links?
(We’re guessing you already know the answer 😉)

Why do you need link-building tools?

Well, link building software makes the process a lot easier. Here’s why:

• Efficiency: Manually finding link opportunities, tracking links, and analyzing their quality can take forever. Tools help automate that.
• Analysis: They give you insights into your link profile, your competitors’ backlinks, and potential growth opportunities.
• Monitoring: These tools track your backlinks, making sure they stay live and keep passing value. Plus, they’ll alert you to harmful links that could hurt your SEO.
• Scalability: If you’re scaling up, doing it manually is a nightmare. Tools help you manage tons of links across different sites and campaigns. Additionally, these tools streamline your link building activities, improving productivity and tracking your campaign’s progress against competitors.

Let’s be real, you’re not going to find enough opportunities, email addresses, or manage outreach by manually Googling or using Outlook. That’s why you need different tools for each job.

Must-have features of good link-building tools (by use case):

• Researching Link-Building Opportunities:
  • Competitor Backlink Analysis: Find out where your competitors get their links.
  • Unclaimed Brand Mentions: Discover brand mentions without links.
  • Building Broken Links: Spot broken links on other sites and offer your relevant page as a replacement.
  • Link Inserts: Find chances to insert your link into existing content.
• Link-Building Outreach Campaigns:
  • Finding Contact Info: Quickly grab the email addresses of site owners, editors, and journalists.
  • Sending Outreach: Automate personalized outreach emails and track responses directly from the tool.
• Managing Contacts (CRM):
  • Managing Responses: Track who replied and follow up easily.
  • Contact Management: Keep your contacts organized and track all your history with them.
• Monitoring and Tracking Links:
  • Link Monitoring: Get alerts if links are removed or changed to no-follow.
  • Link Tracking: Track performance metrics like referral traffic and how links are affecting your rankings.
• Guest Posting and Link Exchanges:
  • Marketplaces with Links: Access a database of sites that accept guest posts or link exchanges.
  • Community Access: Join forums or groups to find link placement and exchange opportunities.

Remember: Not every tool has all these features, so pick the one that fits your needs and budget.

Best tools for researching Link-Building Opportunities

Before launching link-building campaigns, you need to identify suitable placements. This can be done by analyzing competitors’ links, locating broken links, or using reverse image search. Analyzing a website’s backlink profile is crucial for identifying link-building opportunities and refining your SEO strategy.

Here are the top tools for this purpose:

• Ahrefs: A comprehensive SEO tool with a Content Explorer feature that helps find brand mentions and filter sites that haven’t linked to you.
• Semrush: Offers extensive backlink analysis, providing data on quality backlinks and alerts for removed links. It includes a built-in outreach tool for prospecting and tracking campaigns.
• Moz Link Explorer: Reverse engineer competitors’ backlinks, view their link metrics, and analyze anchor text.
• Majestic: A backlink analysis tool offering metrics on the number of backlinks and referring domains, along with a Topical Trust Flow feature that assesses links from trusted sources.
• Google: Utilize advanced search operators to discover new opportunities for free, refining searches for specific types of links.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a top-notch SEO tool that helps you analyze backlinks, check out your competitors, and keep tabs on your site’s performance in search engine rankings.

Here’s how to make the most of Ahrefs for link building:

1. Create an Account: Sign up for Ahrefs to access a powerful suite of SEO tools.
2. Find Link Prospects: Use the Content Explorer and Link Intersect tools to hunt down potential links from suitable websites in your niche.
3. Analyze Competitors: Check out your competitors’ backlink profiles with Site Explorer to uncover their strategies and valuable opportunities.
4. Building Broken Links: Find broken links on relevant sites using the Broken Link Checker. Create replacement content and reach out to site owners to suggest your link.
5. Guest Posting: Look for guest posting opportunities using the Content Explorer. Pitch unique, high-quality articles that provide real value.
6. Monitor Link Progress: Keep track of your backlinks with the Site Explorer and set up Ahrefs Alerts for new links.
7. Outreach: Find contact info for potential link partners with the email finder, and manage your outreach campaigns directly within Ahrefs.
8. Expand Knowledge: Level up your SEO skills with resources from Ahrefs Academy and Blog.

Pros of Ahrefs

• In-depth backlink analysis
• Solid competitive research tools
• Keyword researching features
• Content gap analysis
• Handy reporting capabilities
• User-friendly interface
• Reasonably priced plans

Cons of Ahrefs

• Subscription can be pricey
• Limited data for free users
• A bit tricky for beginners
• No dedicated social media analytics

Ahrefs pricing

Ahrefs offers flexible pricing plans for different needs:

• Lite: Starting at £79/month – Perfect for small businesses and hobby projects.
• Standard: Starting at £159/month – Great for freelance SEOs and marketing pros.
• Advanced: Starting at £319/month – More tools for in-house marketing teams.
• Enterprise: Starting at £799/month – Ideal for agencies and large businesses.

Each plan comes with a bunch of features, like the SEO Dashboard, Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, and Rank Tracker.

You can pay monthly or annually (and snag two months free with the annual plan). For more info, check out Ahrefs’ pricing page.

SEMrush for link research

SEMrush is a robust digital marketing suite that enhances online visibility. It offers insights for SEO, PPC, social media, and content strategy.

With features for keyword research, competitor analysis, and site audits, SEMrush helps users drive organic traffic and succeed in the digital landscape.

Using SEMrush for Link Audits

SEMrush excels at link audits, letting you analyze your link profile to keep it healthy. Here’s how to perform a link audit:

1. Backlink Analytics: Start with the Backlink Analytics tool to get an overview of your backlink profile, including total backlinks, referring domains, and anchor text distribution.
2. Backlink Audit: Navigate to the “Projects” section to run a Backlink Audit. This identifies potentially harmful or low-quality links that could hurt your rankings.
3. Analyze Toxic Score: Check the toxic scores assigned to each backlink in your audit report. Focus on those with the highest scores for further investigation.
4. Review Link Details: Examine the toxic backlinks’ details, including the referring domain’s authority, anchor text, and link type (follow or nofollow). This info helps decide if a link needs removal or disavowal.
5. Contact Webmasters: Reach out to webmasters of sites with harmful links and request their removal. SEMrush offers email templates to make this easier, or you can craft your own messages.
6. Create a Disavow File: If some harmful links can’t be removed, use SEMrush’s Disavow tool to create a disavow file and submit it to Search Console to ignore those links.
7. Monitor Progress: Regularly review your link profile and update your disavow file as needed. Continuous audits help maintain a healthy link profile and protect your rankings.

Pros of SEMrush

• Comprehensive keyword finding
• Link Analysis
• Organic search opportunity identification
• Competitor analysis for organic strategies
• Keyword ranking tracking
• Backlink monitoring
• Technical SEO issue identification
• Detailed SEO reporting

Cons of SEMrush

• Subscription can be pricey
• Limited data for free users
• Can be challenging for beginners
• No mobile device support

SEMrush pricing

SEMrush offers three plans to suit various user needs:

• Pro: $119.95/month. Ideal for newbies and small teams, includes 5 projects, tracking for 500 keywords, 10,000 results per report, and essential SEO, social, and PPC tools.
• Guru: $229.95/month. Tailored for agencies and mid-sized businesses, includes 15 projects, tracking for 1,500 keywords, 30,000 results per report, plus all Pro features, the Content Marketing Toolkit, historical data, and multi-location tracking.
• Business: $449.95/month. Designed for large agencies and enterprises, offers 40 projects, tracking for 5,000 keywords, 50,000 results per report, and all Guru features, plus Share of Voice, extended limits, API access, and free migration from other tools.

Additional users can be added to each plan for an extra cost.

MOZ link explorer

Moz Link Explorer is a solid tool for finding link opportunities. Here’s how it works:

1. Enter URL: Input the URL of your site or a competitor’s into the search bar.
2. Backlink Profile Overview: Get a snapshot of the link profile, including total backlinks, referring domains, Domain Authority (DA), and Page Authority (PA).
3. Detailed Backlink Analysis: Dive into the backlink data with a list of all links pointing to the site, showing the linking domain’s DA, anchor text, and whether the link is dofollow or nofollow.
4. Competitor Backlink Insights: Analyze competitors to find sites linking to them but not to you—these are your potential targets.
5. Anchor Text Analysis: Understand what keywords your competitors are targeting with their backlinks.
6. Spam Score: Check the Spam Score for each backlink to avoid low-quality links that could hurt your SEO.
7. Link Intersect Tool: Compare link profiles of up to five sites to find linking opportunities you might be missing.
8. Export Data: Easily export all data to a CSV for deeper analysis or team sharing.

In short, Moz Link Explorer gives you a thorough look at a site’s backlinks and helps you spot great link-building opportunities.

MOZ pricing

Considering Moz Pro?

Here’s the pricing breakdown.

All plans offer 24/7 support and a 20% discount for annual subscriptions:

• Standard: $99/month ($79 with annual billing) – Ideal for beginners needing basic SEO tools.
• Medium: $179/month ($143 with annual billing) – The most popular option, packed with features for keyword research.
• Large: $299/month ($239 with annual billing) – Designed for serious businesses and agencies seeking more capabilities.
• Premium: $599/month ($479 with annual billing) – Best for large SEO agencies and in-house teams needing comprehensive tools.

Majestic: an affordable link building tool

Majestic is a budget-friendly link analysis tool packed with features for identifying link-building opportunities.

It provides insights into backlinks, referral domains, and anchor text analysis.

A standout feature is Topical Trust Flow, which measures links from trusted “seed” websites. This metric helps assess the authority of linking sites, aiding in link-building strategies.

While Majestic has a vast link database, its user experience feels a bit outdated compared to competitors. Nonetheless, it offers excellent value for its price, particularly for those on a budget.

Majestic pricing

Majestic offers pricing tiers from $47 to $399 per month, making it accessible for various budgets:

• Lite Plan: Priced at $49.99/month, ideal for individuals or small businesses. Includes 1 million analysis units, 60 detailed reports, and Fresh Index access.
• Pro Plan: At $99.99/month, this plan caters to professionals and agencies. It offers 5 million analysis units, 300 reports, and access to both Fresh and Historic Index data, along with Raw Data Exports and API access.
• API Plan: Starting at $399.99/month, this plan suits users needing advanced data. It includes 100 million analysis units, 950 reports, access to both Fresh and Historic Index data, and extensive API access.
• Custom Plans: For tailored solutions, contact the Majestic sales team for a personalized quote.

Google Search Console

GSC is a free tool that helps monitor and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results. While it’s not designed to be a tool for building links, it provides valuable data to support your efforts:

• External Links Report: Shows which pages are linked from other sites, helping you identify your most attractive content and areas for improvement.
• Internal Links Report: Displays which pages have the most internal links, enabling you to boost the authority of important pages through better internal linking.
• Top Linking Sites: Identifies websites that link to you most frequently, highlighting potential link partners for collaboration.
• Top Linked Pages: Reveals which of your pages attract the most external links, providing insight into successful content types.
• Disavow Links Tool: Allows you to ignore spammy or low-quality backlinks, protecting your site from potential harm.
• Performance Report: While not directly about links, this report shows which pages perform well in search results, as high-ranking pages are likely to attract more backlinks.

While GSC offers useful data, it’s best used alongside other tools and strategies for link success.

FREE: Google advanced search operators as a resource for link-building

Google search operators can improve your searches and give you an advantage in link building.

Here are some useful operators:

• “inurl:” – Finds URLs that contain specific words or phrases.
• “intext:” – Locates pages that mention specific keywords in their content.
• “intitle:” – Searches for keywords only in the titles of pages.

For example, using SEO inurl:resources will show you resource pages about SEO where you can suggest your content to be included.

Now that we’ve covered tools for finding link opportunities, let’s look at ways to find the email addresses of website admins and content editors so you can reach out for your link-building campaigns!

Best link-building tools for finding email addresses & sending outreach campaigns

What are the best tools for finding emails and sending link-building outreach campaigns? Here’s a list that includes free, low-cost, and expensive options:

1. Tool	Key Features	Best For
   Semrush	Built-in outreach, Monitors backlinks, Alerts for removals, Integrates with Gmail and GSC	Comprehensive SEO management
   Respona	Guides link opportunity discovery, Provides verified contact info, Sends personalized emails with LinkedIn profiles	High-quality link opportunities
   Pitchbox	Advanced prospecting tools, Team collaboration features, Collects contact info	Team-based link building efforts
   Buzzstream	Outreach CRM for organization, Tracks conversations and manages campaigns, Chrome extension for email scraping	Organized outreach management
   Hunter.io	Finds and verifies email addresses, Quick data retrieval from multiple sources	Fast and accurate email sourcing

Hunter.io – the best tool for finding email addresses

Hunter.io is essential for outreach, efficiently finding and verifying email addresses. Simply enter a domain, and it provides a list of associated emails, making it easy to contact the right people.

It verifies email deliverability, ensuring you don’t waste time on invalid addresses, and offers a confidence score for prioritizing outreach.

Hunter.io also identifies common email patterns, helping you guess specific addresses.

Additionally, it integrates with various tools like CRM systems and spreadsheets, facilitating seamless data import and export in your link-building process.

Hunter pricing

Apollo – an all-in-one email address finder + email outreach tool

Apollo.io is a powerful tool with a database of 200 million contacts from 10 million companies, perfect for small link-building teams. It ensures accurate emails and mobile contacts, critical for remote work.

Its workflow tool allows custom outreach sequences, A/B testing, automation, and out-of-office detection, integrating with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot.

Pricing ranges from free to $99/month for full access and advanced features.

In short, Apollo.io simplifies contact discovery and outreach in one platform.

Apollo pricing

Apollo.io’s free plan offers unlimited email credits, allowing users to send up to 250 emails daily, ideal for link-building outreach. However, it only supports Gmail addresses. The basic plan starts at $39 per month.

Buzzstream – an extremely robust (but expensive!) link-building platform for email outreach

Buzzstream is a digital PR and outreach platform for marketers and PR professionals.

It helps connect with influencers, manage campaigns, and track results with tools for prospecting, outreach, relationship management, and analytics.

How to Use Buzzstream for Email Outreach:

1. Create an Account: Sign up for Buzzstream to access its outreach and link-building tools.
2. Discover Prospects: Use the Discovery feature to find suitable websites and influencers in your niche.
3. Gather Contact Information: Utilize the Research feature to automatically obtain email addresses and social media profiles.
4. Create Personalized Emails: Craft customized email templates with personalized fields to enhance engagement.
5. Send and Track Emails: Use Buzzstream’s email tools to send and schedule outreach emails while tracking opens, clicks, and follow-ups.
6. Manage Outreach: Keep track of communications, notes, and follow-ups for a comprehensive view of each prospect.
7. Analyze Performance: Leverage the Reporting feature to monitor key metrics like response rates and acquired links to optimize your strategy.
8. Collaborate with Your Team: Use collaboration features to assign tasks and manage workflows with team members.

Pros of Buzzstream

• Automates tedious outreach tasks
• Provides detailed analytics and reporting
• Integrates with popular CRM and email platforms
• Enables team collaboration
• Offers a comprehensive database of influencers

Cons of Buzzstream

• Can be expensive for small businesses
• Limited customization options
• No built-in analytics
• Lacks a mobile app

Buzzstream pricing

BuzzStream offers four pricing plans to meet different business needs:

1. Starter: $24/month for up to 2 users, includes 1,000 contacts, email templates, scheduling, contact discovery, and tracking.
2. Growth: $124/month for 3 users, 25,000 contacts, team template sharing, project reporting, Ahrefs integration.
3. Professional: $299/month for 6 users, 100,000 contacts, advanced analytics, API access, custom features, dedicated account manager.
4. Custom: From $999/month for 15+ users, 300,000+ contacts, tailored solutions, onboarding, and an implementation plan.

All plans include a free trial to test the platform.

Respona: one of the best link building tools for personalised outreach

Respona is an email outreach tool designed to streamline communication and build valuable relationships.

Here’s how to use it effectively as a beginner SEO:

• Find prospects: Use Respona’s App Search to discover websites, influencers, or journalists in your niche and assess their authority.
• Obtain contact info: Respona’s Email Finder helps you find and verify the correct email addresses of your prospects, boosting response chances.
• Personalize emails: Use Respona’s Email Personalization feature to craft tailored messages, incorporating personal details and engaging subject lines.
• Automate outreach: Set up multi-stage email campaigns with Respona’s Automated Email Outreach, using pre-built templates designed for link building

• Monitor performance: Use Respona’s Email Analytics to track open, click-through, and response rates, allowing you to optimize future outreach.
• Collaborate with team: Utilize Respona’s Team Collaboration tools to assign tasks, share notes, and coordinate outreach efforts efficiently across your team.

Respona Pricing

Respona offers two pricing plans:

1. Starter ($99/month): Ideal for in-house teams and SMBs, it includes 1 email account, 5,000 monthly credits, and features like email sequences, pitch analyzer, spam protection, and more.
2. Unlimited ($399/month, billed annually): Designed for agencies, it offers unlimited email accounts, 600,000 yearly credits, and all Starter features, tailored for larger campaigns.

Both plans come with a 14-day free trial and a custom onboarding session for easy setup.

Postaga: link building tool for email outreach

Postaga is an email outreach tool designed to help SEO professionals connect with prospects efficiently.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Identify link building opportunities: Use the Prospect Search to find relevant websites, influencers, or journalists in your niche based on their authority.
2. Find contact info: Automatically locate and verify email addresses with the Contact Finder, improving your chances of a positive response.
3. Personalize outreach: Tailor emails using Email Personalization, customizing messages with personal details and engaging subject lines.
4. Automate campaigns: Set up automated, multi-stage email campaigns with Outreach Automation for consistent follow-ups.
5. Measure performance: Use Campaign Analytics to track open rates, click-throughs, and responses to refine your strategy.
6. Team collaboration: Utilize Team Collaboration tools to assign tasks and align your outreach strategy with team members.
7. Educational resources: Access Postaga’s Blog and Resources for tips and strategies to improve your outreach efforts.

Postaga Pricing

Postaga offers three plans, starting with a 14-day free trial to explore the platform risk-free:

Pro Plan ($84/month):

• Ideal for businesses aiming to boost outreach.
• Includes all campaign types, 2,000 contacts, unlimited campaigns, 10,000 emails, 300 daily emails/user, 5 users, 1 account, 1,000 opportunity searches, SMTP integrations, custom signature, campaign generator, website & content intelligence, upcoming API access, and automated reporting.

Agency Plan ($250/month):

• Suited for managing multiple sites or clients.
• Offers 15,000 contacts, 100,000 emails, 300 daily emails/user, unlimited users, 30 accounts, 15,000 opportunity searches, and all Pro Plan features, with API and automated reporting coming soon.

Free Plan:

• Includes all campaign types, 3 campaigns, 500 emails, 100 daily emails, 1 user, 50 opportunity searches, SMTP integration, custom signature, and API access.

Pitchbox for email outreach

Pitchbox is a comprehensive outreach platform that simplifies the process for both beginners and experienced users.

Here’s how to use it for effective campaigns:

1. Sign up: Get access to Pitchbox’s link-building tools by creating an account.
2. Find link prospects: Use the Prospecting feature to search for relevant keywords, websites, and influencers.
3. Competitor analysis: Analyze your competitors’ links to discover potential opportunities with the Competitive Link Analysis tool.
4. Customize templates: Design personalized email templates to make your outreach stand out.
5. Automate follow-ups: Set up automatic follow-up emails to increase response rates efficiently.
6. Monitor performance: Track your outreach with the Reporting feature to optimize your campaigns based on key metrics.
7. Integrate tools: Sync with Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, or other SEO tools for deeper insights and improved link-building strategies.

What’s also cool about Pitchbox is that again, like Respona – it provides campaign templates tailored specifically to the needs of link-building outreach:

But again, the users complain about similar things as Buzzstream users do: that the tool is too complex, too expensive, and too difficult to use: 

Managing the link-building contacts through a CRM

A CRM is crucial for monitoring the status and quality of backlinks after outreach, ensuring that secured links remain effective and relevant.

Without it, valuable links can become no-follow, lost, or degraded, wasting your efforts and resources.

So, let’s explore the best CRMs for link-building.

BacklinkManager – the best platform for link-building partnerships and CRM for SEO agencies

BacklinkManager is a comprehensive tool for monitoring and analyzing backlinks, allowing users to assess quality, detect malicious links, and track their backlink profile’s progress.

As the first Link Building CRM, it facilitates client, vendor, and freelance link builder management by organizing link-building efforts, streamlining partnerships, and enabling goal setting.

Key features include:

• Client Relationship Management: Monitor links built for specific clients and delegate management to team members for effective tracking.
• Vendor & Freelance Management: Simplify the oversight of link exchanges and guest posting partnerships without multiple tracking sheets.
• Communication Tools: Utilize live chat and comments to communicate directly with link-building partners on specific pages.
• Partnership Scorecard: Automatically track the status of link exchanges and request owed links through live chat for transparency and accountability.

• Link Matchmaking Tool (Coming Soon): BacklinkManager will soon introduce a feature to connect users with link builders for niche-related link exchanges.
• Link Analysis: Comprehensive analysis of link quality.

Plus, it simplifies reporting on your efforts for clients:

PROs of BacklinkManager

• Automates the process of building backlinks
• Helps improve website’s rankings
• Provides detailed reports on backlink performance
• Offers a variety of backlink sources to choose from
• Allows for customization of backlink-building strategies
• Saves time and effort compared to manual backlink building
• Can be used for multiple websites or clients
• Provides ongoing support and updates
• Comprehensive link analysis

Cons of BacklinkManager

• Does not have outreach features

BacklinkManager pricing

Here’s a breakdown:

1. Starter Plan
   • Ideal for: Freelance link builders & bloggers
   • Price: From $39/month (billed annually)
   • Features:
     • 200 Backlinks
     • 3 Users
     • 100 Targets
     • 50 Partnerships
2. Growth Plan
   • Ideal for: Small businesses and boutique agencies
   • Price: From $99/month (billed annually)
   • Features:
     • 1,000 Backlinks
     • 10 Users
     • 300 Targets
     • 100 Partnerships
3. Scale Plan
   • Ideal for: Large agencies and in-house marketing teams
   • Price: From $249/month (billed annually)
   • Features:
     • 5,000 Backlinks
     • 20 Users
     • 500 Targets
     • 250 Partnerships
4. Enterprise Plan
   • Ideal for: Brands, enterprise businesses, and agencies
   • Price: From $499/month (billed annually)
   • Features:
     • 10,000+ Backlinks
     • Unlimited Users
     • 1,000+ Targets
     • 500+ Partnerships

Additional Information

There is a free trial available, which allows management of up to 50 links​.

You can find more details about these plans and the free trial option on the pricing page.

Buzzstream – a sophisticated all-in-one outreach + CRM

BuzzStream is a CRM tool designed for link building outreach, helping users manage campaigns and track conversations across multiple projects.

It centralizes outreach efforts, eliminating the need for spreadsheets and scattered emails.

The Buzzmarker Chrome extension is a key feature that automatically scans websites for email addresses or contact pages, streamlining the prospecting process.

BuzzStream’s Custom Fields feature allows users to organize and tailor campaigns based on specific needs, such as tracking relationship statuses.

However, some users find the tool cumbersome and pricey.

Buzzstream pricing

BuzzStream offers pricing from $24 to $999 per month, making it suitable for various budgets.

RankTracker- Best link building platform for link tracking

Ranktracker is a comprehensive SEO platform used by top brands like RedBull, Apple, and Adidas, designed to enhance website rankings and traffic.

Key features include:

• Keyword Tracking: Monitor keyword rankings and SEO progress.
• Keyword Finder: Discover new keywords to attract more visitors.
• SERP Checker: Research competitors and identify ranking opportunities.
• Web Audit Tool: Conduct thorough audits to fix SEO errors.
• Backlink Checker and Monitor: Analyze and monitor backlinks effectively.

Ranktracker lacks dedicated link partnership and client CRM functionalities.

For those needs, BacklinkManager.io is a great complementary tool focused on managing backlinks and client relationships.

Let’s explore how RankTracker and BacklinkManager can be used together:

Monitoring and tracking links

Why build all the links if you’re not monitoring them?

According to Ahrefs, 8% of links “die” every year due to link rot. Your customers won’t be happy either if they find out that the links you’ve built for them for $$$ have disappeared after only a few weeks.

So you may see link monitoring as a reputation management tool!

Which tools are best for link monitoring though?

I’d mention RankTracker, Ahrefs, SEMrush and BacklinkManager here.

BacklinkManager for link monitoring

 

BacklinkManager is a powerful platform for link monitoring, featuring:

• 24/7 Link Monitoring: Users can check link statuses (do-follow, no-follow, server response) anytime for quick action on mislabeled links.
• Reliable Link Crawler: The platform uses a dependable crawler that conducts a two-factor check on each link for accuracy.
• Link Status Notifications: Users receive instant notifications via in-app alerts or email when a link’s status changes, preventing vendors from removing links unfairly.
• Linkbuilding Management: Users can set link-building goals for target pages, group them by parameters like projects or clients, and track progress easily.
• Link Monitoring by Status: Quick switching between do-follow and no-follow links, with a search bar for specific links.

Overall, BacklinkManager offers comprehensive tools for link monitoring, report generation, goal setting, and sharing interactive dashboards.

BacklinkManager pricing

BacklinkManager offers a free version that allows you to monitor and manage up to 50 backlinks for free.

Here’s a breakdown of paid plans:

Plan Type	Target Audience	Price	Backlinks	Users	Targets	Partnerships	Used By
Starter	Ideal for freelance link builders & bloggers	From $39/month, billed annually	200	3	100	50	uSERPS, Supple, Growth
Growth	Ideal for small businesses and boutique agencies	From $99/month, billed annually	1000	10	300	100	Userpilot, Betway
Scale	Ideal for large agencies and in-house marketing teams	From $249/month, billed annually	5000	20	500	250	AI, Contentify, Primal
Enterprise	Ideal for brands, enterprise businesses, and agencies	From $499/month, billed annually	10,000+	Unlimited	1000+	500+	First Page, OMG

RankTracker for link monitoring

RankTracker offers key features for link monitoring:

• Backlink Checker: Analyzes your backlinks, assessing quantity, quality, and dofollow/nofollow ratios to gauge profile health.
• Backlink Monitor: Tracks real-time status of backlinks, detailing gains and losses over time.
• Competitor Analysis: Monitors competitors’ backlinks to identify new linking opportunities.
• Link Quality Assessment: Evaluates backlink quality with metrics like domain ratings to spot low-quality links.
• Historical Data: Provides records of backlink changes over time for trend analysis.
• Email Alerts: Sends notifications for changes in your backlink profile.

While not as in-depth as dedicated tools, RankTracker is useful for basic backlink monitoring.

RankTracker pricing

Guest posting and link exchanges

Finally, if you got so far – you must be really determined to build links 😉

Let’s look at tools that will help with guest posting and link exchanges!

HARO – for getting linked mentions in big publications

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) connects journalists with experts, making it a valuable resource for guest posting and link exchanges. Journalists post queries when seeking information, and experts can respond. If your response is useful, you may receive a backlink to your site, enhancing your SEO and brand visibility.

To use HARO, sign up and provide details about your expertise. Customize preferences to get daily emails with relevant queries.

Prompt and professional responses increase your chances of being featured.

HARO not only helps with backlinks but also builds relationships with journalists and establishes your authority.

By sharing valuable insights, you position yourself as an expert, reach new audiences, and improve your SEO through quality backlinks.

HARO Pricing

HARO offers free and premium plans.

The free plan lets users respond to queries, while premium plans include features like keyword alerts and early access to media opportunities.

Prices range from $19/month for the Standard plan to $149/month for the Premium plan, with the Standard plan typically being sufficient for most users.

SurferSEO AI writer for generating guest posts on a budget

Guest posting is an effective strategy for building backlinks, establishing authority, and driving traffic. Surfer AI simplifies this process:

• Fast Content Creation: Produce ready-to-rank articles in under 20 minutes, saving time on guest posts.
• Cost-Effective: Offers a solution seven times cheaper than hiring writers, boosting content production.
• SEO Optimization: Automatically enhances articles for search engines with a click.
• Data-Driven Research: Analyzes over 300,000 words online to ensure authoritative content.
• Customizable Outlines: Adjust settings and review outlines before generating content to align with guidelines.
• SEO Features: Generates alt tags and analyzes Google’s “People Also Ask” for keywords.
• Future Enhancements: Soon includes link insertion, citations, and content templates.
• Proven Results: Users report significant organic traffic growth, such as a 3000% increase in 60 days.
• Anti-AI Detection: Features to help content appear human-written and avoid detection.
• Affordable Pricing: Offers various packages to fit different needs and budgets.

In summary, Surfer AI is a comprehensive tool for optimizing your guest posting strategy.

BacklinkManager Link Matchmaking

Conclusion

As we’ve seen from the post above, there are several reasons why you should be using a link building tool.

To provide stellar link building, you need to have the right tool in your stack.

Here’s a table summarising it all:

Tool	Key Features	Best For
BacklinkManager	– Monitors backlink status – Sends alerts for changes – Checks live DA/PA – Evaluate potential links – Client reporting – Manages reciprocal partnerships	Comprehensive backlink management
Ahrefs	– Backlink analysis – Competitive research – Keyword insights – Content gap analysis	In-depth SEO and competitive analysis
Semrush	– Keyword research – Competitor strategy – Backlink monitoring – Detailed SEO Reporting	All-in-one SEO tool
Moz Link Explorer	– Full view of the site’s link profile – Identifies link opportunities	Link profile analysis
Majestic	– Affordable pricing – Topical Trust Flow for measuring trusted links	Budget-friendly backlink analysis
GSC & Google Search Operators	– Free tools for link-building research	Cost-effective research
BuzzStream	– Ideal for outreach management	Organized outreach
RankTracker	– Outreach management tool	Managing outreach campaigns
HARO & SurferSEO AI Writer	– Assists with guest posting and link exchanges	Collaboration and content creation

Hopefully, you’ve found this post helpful in choosing the right link building tool for your SEO agency!