Link building comparisons

Straight comparisons of the choices link building throws up: guest posts vs niche edits, agency vs freelance, digital PR vs link building.

Each one gets the distinction and a short answer, and the questions worth asking before you spend money on either side.

The three that come up most

These are the questions clients ask before they ask about price. Each entry gives the distinction, then the short answer.

Short answer

Guest Posts vs Niche Edits

A guest post is new content you write, placed on someone else's site. A niche edit is a link added into an article that already exists and already ranks. Guest posts give you control of the page and the anchor; niche edits inherit whatever authority the host page has already earned, and land faster because nothing has to be written.

Short answer. Guest posts when you want control and a page built around your topic. Niche edits when the host page already ranks for something adjacent and you want that equity sooner.

Questions to ask before you choose

Which one is faster to land?
Which carries more risk of looking paid?
What does each actually cost?
Which one survives a content refresh on the host site?

Short answer

Agency vs Freelance Link Building

The real difference is not price, it is who makes the judgement call on each prospect. Agencies scale by standardising that decision and delegating it. A freelancer evaluates every site personally, which is slower and does not scale, but means one person is accountable for every placement.

Short answer. Ask either one the same question: who personally decides whether a given site is good enough, and what do they check? The answer tells you more than the price does.

Questions to ask before you choose

Who reviews each prospect, and against what criteria?
Is the work subcontracted, and to whom?
What happens when a placement underperforms?
Can they show you a site they rejected, and say why?

Short answer

Digital PR vs Link Building

Digital PR earns coverage by making something newsworthy, so the links are a by-product and you cannot choose the anchor or the target page. Link building goes directly after the placement, so you control where it points, but it will never produce the brand lift a story landing in the trade press does.

Short answer. Digital PR when you need brand awareness and are willing to lose control of the anchor. Link building when specific pages need to rank and you need that targeting.

Questions to ask before you choose

Which pages actually get the links?
Can you control anchor text?
How predictable is the output per dollar spent?
Which compounds better over a year?

Still not sure which you need?

Tell me what you are trying to rank and I will say plainly which approach fits — including when the answer is that you do not need me.

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