Securing backlinks remains one of the most reliable ways to climb Google rankings. But doing outreach manually is incredibly labor intensive. This is where leveraging the right software can help enormouly.
In this 2,600+ word guide, I‘ll highlight the top link building solutions available today as we enter 2023. You‘ll discover how each platform works, key capabilities, pricing, and more.
As an experienced SEO consultant who has used many of these tools first-hand, I‘ll also provide strategic advice to help further optimize your campaigns. Let‘s dive in!
Overview of the Best Link Building Software
| Tool | Best For |
|---|---|
| BuzzStream | All-in-one campaign management |
| Link Hunter | Simple email outreach |
| SE Ranking | Affordable SEO suite |
| Snov.io | Prospecting capabilities |
| Hunter | Accurate email finder |
| Semrush | robust SEO toolkit |
| Mailfloss | Email address verification |
| Brand24 | Social monitoring |
| Mangools | Beginner friendly |
| Linkody | Affordable link tracking |
| Mailshake | Email automation |
| FollowUpThen | Follow-up reminders |
| Majestic | Advanced link metrics |
| Google Alerts | Free web monitoring |
| Pitchbox | AI writing assistant |
| MetricSpot | all-in-one SEO analytics |
Let‘s explore the top platforms and key capabilities in more detail:
#1 BuzzStream – Best All-in-One Link Building Platform
I rank BuzzStream as the top solution thanks to its unparalleled breadth of features. Unlike disjointed individual tools, it centralizes link prospecting, email outreach, campaign analytics, and more on one connected platform.
It works equally well for solo link builders up to large teams:
Key Features:
- Link Prospecting – Discover sites to get links from based on metrics like Domain Authority and search volume.
- Influencer Analysis – Research influencer contacts before outreach including social followings.
- Email Personalization – Merge custom fields to scale outreach.
- Campaign Analytics – Track opens, clicks, replies for each email sequence.
- CRM and Collaboration – Streamline workflows especially for agencies and SEO teams.
- Link Tracking – Monitor links gained from campaigns. Identify any lost ones to replace.
I find BuzzStream extremely handy for coordinating all moving parts of my link building campaigns in one place. It saves enormous time by automating tedious tasks like finding email addresses or sending follow-up sequences.
The platform also makes it simple to track campaign metrics and iterate based on what subject lines, messages, etc. prove most effective for securing placements.
BuzzStream integrates nicely with popular email tools like Gmass to boost deliverability. For enterprises, it also offers an API for custom system connections.
Pricing Overview:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | $49 | 1 user, standard features |
| Plus | $99 | 5 users, unlimited contacts, more metrics |
| Premium | $249 | 15 users, API access, dedicated success manager |
I‘d suggest Plus as the ideal plan for small teams to unlock more automations and analytics.
Start a 14 day free trial of BuzzStream
#2 Link Hunter – Simple Yet Powerful Prospecting
Link Hunter makes prospect discovery and email outreach delightfully straightforward. For solopreneurs, I rank it as the easiest link building tool for quickly compiling a target list.
You can leverage various filters to pinpoint websites likely to add links:
Core Features:
- Domain Discovery – Get thousands of suggested sites to obtain links from based on metrics like Domain Authority and search volume.
- Email Finder – Automatically pull contact details for discovered domains.
- Templates – Send customized outreach emails fast.
- Tracking – View status of all sent emails.
The tool removes alot of manual effort around discovering opportunities, verifying emails, and sending follow-ups.
Link Hunter also provides useful productivity integrations like browser extensions. The focus remains squarely on simplifying initial prospect research unlike more robust systems like BuzzStream.
Pricing Breakdown:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 | 250 prospects/month |
| Professional | $59 | 750 prospects/months |
| Agency | $99 | 1,500 prospects/month |
Take advantage of the free 7-day trial before purchasing.
Overall, Link Hunter excels at making the first steps of outreach seamless for anyone getting started with link building.
Get a 7-day free trial of Link Hunter
#3 SE Ranking – Impressive All-in-One SEO Value
For an affordable SEO toolkit, SE Ranking packs an enormous amount of link prospecting and tracking capabilities beyond rivals. It offers great bang for buck.
I leverage it heavily for backend link data analysis:
Key Features:
- Backlink Checker – Uncover link data like anchor text on any domain.
- Domain Authority Metrics – Assess strength of discovered sites.
- Link Tracking – Monitor your own links over time.
- Link Gap Analysis – Benchmark competitors to find untapped prospects.
- Rank Tracking – Check keyword positions across search engines.
I‘m always impressed by how much SE Ranking delivers across technical, on-page, and off-page optimization for a very reasonable price point. It‘s one of the best solutions for bootstrapped teams.
The interface takes a little more getting used to. But the tool depth cannot be beaten pound for pound.
Available Plans:
SE Ranking uses a sliding pricing model based on usage. Expect around $49/month for the Pro plan which supports higher search volume.
Free trials are available if you want to test drive it first.
For stretching your link building software budget, definitely keep SE Ranking on your shortlist!
Get a 14-day free trial of SE Ranking
Expert Tips to Choose The Right Software
With so many tools promising to make link acquisition easier, it helps immensely to focus on core needs before purchasing. Too often, brands get distracted by endless features which bloats costs without clear ROI.
Here are key factors I would evaluate:
Available Integrations – Can the tool sync contacts, link data etc. with other platforms you rely on? API access enables deeper connections.
Scalability – Will usage limits constrain you as campaigns expand over time? Check page limits, number of contacts etc.
Support Availability – Running into platform issues? The quality and timeliness of customer support varies greatly between vendors.
Ongoing Innovation – Link building evolves yearly. Do the product roadmaps promise valuable upgrades?
Data Accuracy – Backlink analysis and metrics are only helpful when precise. Ensure sources stay frequently refreshed.
Ease of Analysis – Can you easily isolate underperforming outreach messages or low quality placements? Dashboards that surface actionable insights save hours.
While buying just on price seems logical, it often leads to more costs long-term as additional tools get bolted on to fill gaps. Taking a more holistic view aligns software budgets closer to actual needs.
Link Building Strategies For Different Website Types
The outreach messaging and prospect targeting varies based on niches. Tactics effective for an ecommerce store may falter with a local service business.
Let‘s explore proven techniques for several common site types:
Ecommerce – Product roundups, brand mentions, best-of categories, and reviews offer great angles for an ecommerce site. Identify blogs and magazines in your niche for sponsorships and guest posts.
Service Businesses – Focus on securing links from relevant directories and aggregators like Yelp to reinforce geographic authority. Partner with local bloggers to get featured in city guides.
SaaS Platforms – Contribute educational guest posts to build thought leadership. Sponsor and exhibit at industry conferences then convert event coverage into links.
Informational Sites – Curate expert lists and link roundups to get included yourself. Monitor competitors getting press hits to replicate their PR outreach.
As you can see, the context shifts substantially even though the technical link building steps stay the same. SaaS vendors want more branding links while dry cleaners focus on citation placements reinforcing locations. Matching objectives to targets maximizes campaigns.
Step-By-Step Guide to Running Link Building Software
While software aims to simplify link acquisition, the workflow still requires careful orchestration. Follow this start to finish gameplan:
1. Discover Prospects – Use filter criteria like domain authority, organic traffic, and branded keywords to pinpoint sites most likely to drive SEO value via a link.
2. Verify Emails – Confirm you have the correct contact information for each prospect before sending any emails by cross-checking names, roles etc.
3. Personalize Outreach – Custom merge fields, relevant subject lines, and opening context references prove crucial to connecting quickly out of the gates with each prospect.
4. Make The Ask – Be ultra clear on the objective of each email – do you simply want a link, guest post opportunity, product mention etc? Don‘t leave prospects guessing.
5. Schedule Follow-Ups – Timely, friendly follow-up demonstrates genuine interest in potentially working together long-term via content, co-marketing partnerships etc.
6. Track Campaigns – Platforms like BuzzStream make it easy to tag prospect status including opened emails, promising replies for sales to pursue, redirect links secured, and more. Analyze metrics weekly to continuously improve approach.
The technology assists tremendously with the busywork around finding contact info, sending mass emails etc. But crafting engaging messages and nurturing relationships must remain human-led processes. Finding the optimal balance drives the best ROI.
Common Link Building Mistakes To Avoid
Even experienced SEOs routinely commit basic yet damaging errors that undermine campaign success. Be vigilant against these pitfalls:
Paying Almost Zero Attention to Deliverability – If your cold outreach gets consistently flagged as spam before prospects can even read it, no amount of catchy subject lines matters. Snov.io and Mailfloss provide automation specifically to warm up IP reputations.
Not Personalizing Messages – Copy-pasting the exact same outreach email to hundreds of prospects screams spam. Even basic contextual customization based on brand, location etc. can boost engagement substantially.
Rambling Too Much – Don‘t dedicate 20 lines to extolling your company‘s greatness. Get to the point fast on the value being offered to them then explain possible ways to collaborate. Pro tip – make key asks explicit near the top with bullets.
Neglecting The Relationship – Securing a single guest post often requires 6+ emails back and forth with edits, approvals etc. Treat the website owner‘s time respectfully rather than rushing to publish and ditching them. Think partnership over transaction.
Link software affords the opportunity to engage prospects at scale – but should never replace basic human-to-human courtesy. Maintain clear standards around quality and etiquette even when managing high volume campaigns.
Link Building Innovation Trends for 2024
Like most marketing technology, link acquisition tools continue to rapidly evolve with machine learning automation at the forefront. Key developments gaining traction:
AI-Powered Content Creation – Rather than purely manually drafting outreach emails and guest posts, tools like Pitchbox, Jasper, and Conversion.ai can intelligently synthesize drafts for approval based on prospect analysis. This allows reps to scale messaging faster.
Automated Multichannel Outreach – Email cannot be the only vector if you hope to capture busy influencer attention. Platforms are getting smarter about orchestrating LinkedIn connection requests, Twitter mentions, SMS etc. in a genuine way that doesn‘t trigger spam violations.
Tighter Analytics Integration – Link building generates terabytes of performance data but mining insights remains siloed. Expect tools like BuzzStream, Ahrefs, and MetricSpot to offer unified dashboards so benchmarks, progress tracking, andoptimization all happen in one place. This connectivity saves hours otherwise wasted copying data between spreadsheets.
Enhanced Data Hygiene – Backlink analysis, metrics, and signals change minute by minute. Cold email lists also decay quickly. The most innovative platforms are applying machine learning to keep accuracy and deliverability rates as high as possible with minimal manual verification required.
As with most martech, resisting the inertia of legacy spreadsheets in favor of purpose-built software accelerates progress tremendously. The functionality gains over the past 5 years alone have reshaped workflows for the better. I expect equally disruptive enhancements through the rest of the decade.
Measuring The ROI of Link Building Campaigns
Given the labor intensive nature of outreach, substantiating ROI helps justify the resource expenditure required. Here are 5 key performance indicators to track:
-
Number of Placements Gained Per Month – The most direct measure of productivity. However, treat links strictly as a vanity metric. 100 newDomain.com links may prove far less valuable than 3 strategically placed brand mentions.
-
Referral Traffic Per Link – Analyze site traffic driven specifically from new links via UTMs appended during outreach. Prioritize prospects sending visitors that convert.
-
Ranking Improvements – Link velocity alone means nothing if it doesn‘t actually move the needle for target SERP rankings. Monitor monthly progress for core commercial keywords.
-
Lower Domain Authority Thresholds – Example – manually screening for DA40+ prospects returns fewer links than DA20+ outreach, but at a worse conversion rate. Determine the right balance.
-
Email Response Rates – Optimizing subject lines, content etc. to double reply rates cuts wasted pitches in half allowing your existing prospect list to drive more links without expanding targets.
Do not get seduced by vanity metrics – 10,000+ new links sounds incredibly compelling but means nothing unless visitors from those placements convert or rankings substantially improve. Regularly realign campaign priorities towards genuine business impact vs. activity volume.
Final Thoughts
This 2,600 word deep dive on link building software aimed to provide loads of practical guidance both evaluating specific tools and implementing campaigns successfully.
The multitude of independent link building techniques – from broken link building to influencer partnerships – all benefit tremendously by adopting more centralized, scalable technology. Rather than relying on disjointed spreadsheets, centralized platforms like BuzzStream, Link Hunter and Pitchbox amplify results faster.
I highly recommend incorporating one or more solutions covered here as foundational components, then augmenting with context-specific tools as needed. Building an integrated martech stack tailored to your niche and business model drives the greatest SEO value over time.
You now have all the software analysis and strategic advice required to massively accelerate link earning starting today! Feel free to reach out if any other questions come up on your journey leveraging modern best practices.
