The value of link building has changed massively since the launch of GPT3. While low quality links were already worthless, Google’s AI-driven algorithm changes over the last few years have made mid-tier links a waste of money as well.
To nobody’s surprise, link building pricing, on average, has not changed to reflect this. Businesses continue to invest the majority of their link building budgets into worthless backlinks that won’t help them achieve their KPIs.
In this guide, I want to show you the 5-Point Method uSERP uses to identify, value, and price authority backlink opportunities for our clients.
As the founder of a link building agency built from the ground up to provide exclusively organic backlinks — links that have driven 4x traffic gains, 3x lead increases, 2x MRR growth, and even a unicorn IPO — my business depends on our ability to build links that drive real KPIs and business outcomes, and we’re going to show you exactly how we identify and target those links in this article.
Average link building pricing & why you’re probably overpaying
Let’s look at the average value and pricing of links at different tiers.
| Link Type | Percentage of Industry Backlinks | Average Value In 2020 | Average Value In 2025 | Average Price in 2020 | Average Price In 2025 |
| Low quality backlinks | 45% | 1/10 | 0/10 | $50 | $100 |
| Mid-tier backlinks | 35% | 4/10 | 2/10 | $200 | $300 |
| High quality backlinks | 14% | 7/10 | 8/10 | $600 | $800 |
| Premium backlinks | 1% | 9/10 | 10/10 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
The increase in costs won’t surprise you but the change in link values might.
Mid-tier backlinks cost more and deliver far less value than they used to.
They’ve also joined low quality links in potentially having a negative impact on your SEO, even worse than simply being net neutral.
Inversely, high quality and premium links are having a bigger impact than they used to.
Our average timeline to reach notable client results has dropped from four months down to just two over the last few years, and our longer term clients have continued growing while their competitors’ organic traffic crashes.
Like Hightouch, the second SaaS startup we’ve helped reach a unicorn valuation through SEO. We’ve tripled their organic traffic over the last 12 months, leading to them raising $80M in February 2025, even while many leading SaaS companies have seen their traffic tank and high profile SaaS startups struggle to raise.
Why are our clients winning when so many others are crashing?
It’s the links… and honestly, we got a bit lucky.
When I co-founded uSERP in 2019, we built it from the ground up with the specific goal of being the most cost-effective premium-link builder in the SaaS and B2B spaces.
It was initially created to be the link building arm of an SEO agency, but we quickly realized that top quality links were the single biggest bottleneck in SEO, and that we’d have the biggest impact focusing primarily on offering the best link building services in the world.
We only build links in those top two categories, and we’ve been focused on it for years, allowing us to streamline operations and deliver even premium backlinks well below market-average pricing.
Our link plans offer a mix of high quality and premium links at a STARTING rate of $770 per link, and the cost goes down from there with scale.
If you are tired of being sold worthless SEO services and want to work with an agency that consistently gets market-leading results, schedule a free intro call with our team.
If you want to tackle link building yourself, here’s the 5-point method we’ve developed in-house to gauge the value and pricing of backlinks.
1. Authority of the referring domain
The first step in evaluating any link is to check the domain linking to you. A link from a high-authority site is worth much more than one from a low-quality, irrelevant site.
The higher the referring domain’s authority, the more trust and credibility it can pass on to your site.
For instance, in our work with Remote.com, we helped them acquire links from relevant and reputable sites. And within just a year, its domain ranked for 316.58% more keywords, adding over 74,000 new organic keywords.
Pretty impressive, right?
When checking a domain, look at its Domain Rating (DR) or Domain Authority (DA). A DR 60+ score should be the bare minimum.
But don’t just focus on the numbers. Consider how relevant the site is to your niche and its overall quality.
2. Authority and contextual relevance of the referring page
It’s not just the domain that matters. The actual page where your backlink lives is just as vital.
A link on a high-authority site is only useful if placed on a high-quality page. If it’s buried on a low-quality or irrelevant page, the link won’t help your SEO much.
For instance, in our work with OnBoard, we ensured that backlinks were always placed on relevant or helpful blog post pages. We also took advantage of opportunities to rank for helpful searches, such as a blog post about Robert’s Rules of Order, which is an important topic for our client.
Since working with us, OnBoard has gained 560 referring domains and 893 keywords in the top #3 results.
Make sure that the page your link is on is relevant to your content and adds value for its readers. For example, if you’re in the property management industry, linking to a resource like rental invoices from a relevant blog post can enhance user experience. The more contextually relevant the page, the more likely it is to drive referral traffic and boost your SEO.
3. Exact match and contextual anchor text
The anchor text is the clickable part of the hyperlink. It signals to search engines what your content is about. Well-optimized anchor text is crucial.
Each webpage will have at least one (probably multiple) target keyword. When linking to a webpage, you’ll ideally want the anchor text you use to include that keyword. This is called exact-match anchor text. According to a study by Zyppy SEO, exact-match anchor text drives at least 5x the traffic to webpages as other anchor text.
But overdoing it can hurt you, too.
If you use the same keyword-rich anchor text repeatedly, Google might see it as spammy.
The goal is a natural, diverse anchor text profile that aligns with your content strategy. This helps you rank for a variety of keywords without risking penalties for over-optimization.
For instance, for Beaches of Normandy Tours, we use anchor texts like:
- “Historical museum in Normandy”
- “D-Day and Band of Brothers”
- “Band of Brothers tour”
All of our clients get 24/7 access to a dashboard to see exactly which sites we’re targeting for them — along with anchor texts, site metrics, target pages, and more. No surprises.
4. Contextual relevance of the destination page
Here’s a simple but important point: Each backlink should go to the most relevant page on your site.
For instance, don’t link to your homepage if you’re promoting a particular service. Direct it to that specific service page instead. You want to maximize the value of each backlink.
It’s also important to have quality blog post pages on your website that you can link to. Some of the best sites with high DA scores will only provide do-follow links to blog posts, so you’ll want to ensure you have these.
For instance, when we link build for Brex, we might link to a blog post about cost-reduction strategies (shown below).
5. Relevance to destination site’s backlink gaps
A backlink gap audit is one of the best ways to find new link opportunities. Over half (54%) of organizations build links through backlink analysis and link targeting (Source: Aira). This means examining your competitors’ links to see what you’re missing.
If your competitors are getting backlinks from certain high-quality sites, why shouldn’t you? This analysis can reveal valuable link prospects and help you create a stronger, more competitive backlink profile.
Competitor analysis is key to our SEO strategies when working with clients.
Our client, Nav, faced tough competition from big financial sites like NerdWallet, Forbes, and The Balance. Our competitor analysis helped us identify content gaps and backlink opportunities we could capitalize on.
The result?
Nav ranked #1 for “business credit cards” (one of the toughest keywords), generating $35,000 in weekly revenue.
How to determine the right link building budget for your business
Setting the right link building budget can be tricky. It depends on factors like:
- Your Current SEO Performance: If your site already has some authority, you may not need to spend as much. However, it will cost more.
- Industry Competitiveness: Some industries are more competitive than others, so you may need a bigger budget to get the rankings you want.
- Business Goals: Your link building budget must align with your overall marketing goals and expected ROI.
Remember, link building isn’t a one-time expense. It’s a long-term investment.
Spending money on quality links WILL pay off in the long run. That’s why we recommend setting a budget of at least $10,000 per month.
This will cover costs like:
- Custom outreach to sites with DR scores of 60-90+
- Real-time analytics and Search Console data
- High-quality content creation and publishing
- Full KPI and link tracking dashboard
- Account management
- Routine check-in calls
- Target page strategy
- Anchor text strategy
At uSERP, we help our clients create a personalized link-building strategy based on their business goals and SEO needs. We don’t just “get you links.” We secure QUALITY links and maximize their impact through a strategic approach aligned with your business goals.
We only work with the highest-authority sites to secure quality backlinks and guarantee high-quality links every month.
BOOK A FREE INTRO CALL NOW TO LEARN MORE.
Frequently Asked Questions About Link Building Pricing
Here are some straightforward answers to common questions about the pricing and value of link building.
1. How much does link building cost in 2025?
Link building costs per link can range widely, typically between $50 and $2,500.
But the key to making a smart investment is focusing on high-quality backlinks. These might cost more, but they offer significant SEO value.
For a deeper understanding of pricing structures, revisit our blog section on link building pricing and evaluating link quality. If you’re unsure how to get the most from your budget, consider booking a consultation with uSERP to tailor your strategy.
2. What is the average price per high-quality backlink?
Expect to pay an average of $800 per link for high-quality links and around $1,500 per link for premium links.
This range depends on domain rating, traffic, and niche relevance. Investing in cheap links can harm your rankings, so it’s essential to prioritize value over volume. For a more detailed breakdown of what makes a backlink high-quality, check out our 5-Point Method above.
3. Why do link building prices vary so much?
Pricing varies due to several factors, including the referring domain’s quality, the link acquisition’s complexity, and the content surrounding the link.
Manual outreach to authoritative sites or specialized industries costs more than automated tactics or lower-quality sources.
4. Are expensive backlinks worth the investment?
Yes, high-quality backlinks are worth the investment, especially from reputable, relevant sites. A $1,000 link from an authoritative site that generates organic traffic is far more beneficial than numerous low-quality links.
5. How can I tell if I’m overpaying for link building?
Overpaying for link building usually means investing in low-quality sources that don’t contribute to SEO goals. Instead, evaluate links based on domain authority, relevance, and the page quality where your backlink resides.
If you’re still unsure, revisit our detailed evaluation process above.
Our recommendation? Book a consultation with uSERP to assess your current strategy and avoid wasting resources on ineffective links.
6. What’s the difference between cheap and premium link building services?
Cheap services often rely on spammy tactics, such as link farms or low-quality guest posts, which can negatively impact rankings. Premium services, like the ones offered by uSERP, focus on high-authority domains, relevant websites, and relevant niches, so each link supports long-term SEO growth.
7. How do agencies calculate link building pricing?
Agencies consider several factors when pricing link building services. (E.g., domain authority, niche relevance, content creation, and outreach.)
At uSERP, we take a tailored approach to link building and offer transparent pricing based on your specific needs. Our pricing breakdown in our blog provides more insights into how agencies evaluate link costs.
8. What should my monthly budget for link building be?
Expect to pay a minimum of $10,000 per month on high-quality link building.
Always do your due diligence before choosing a link builder. Review their case studies, reviews, and sites they’ve partnered with.
9. Is link building pricing based on domain authority (DA/DR)?
Domain authority (DA) and domain rating (DR) play a role in pricing. But they’re just one part of the equation. The relevance of the site, its traffic, and the quality of the page hosting your link also factor into the pricing.
Check out our blog’s section on evaluating link quality to better understand how DA and DR influence cost. If you need further clarification, schedule a consultation with uSERP.
10. How can I get quality backlinks without paying high prices?
Focus on creating valuable, shareable content, building relationships with industry influencers, and leveraging guest posting to earn high-quality backlinks naturally. (This can help you attract relevant links.)
