Can someone describe how to actually perform link ...

The honest truth about getting links for your site

Ever wonder why some founders seem to rank on page one overnight while you're stuck on page ten? Honestly, it's because most seo advice is just plain fluff that doesn't tell you how to actually build a link.

Most of the "guides" out there are way too vague for actual execution. They tell you to "create great content" but don't mention that nobody sees that content without a nudge.

• Execution Gap: Real link building is about manual outreach, not just writing blog posts. For a healthcare startup, this might mean getting cited by medical journals, whereas a retail brand needs mentions on fashion blogs.
• Quality vs. Spam: There is a massive difference between buying 500 links on Fiverr and getting one solid link from a site with real domain authority.
• The Google Reality: You simply cannot ignore backlinks if you want to rank. A 2024 study by Backlinko found that the number of domains linking to a page was the factor that correlated with rankings more than anything else.

It's basically a digital popularity contest where the judges are bots. Anyway, let's look at why it’s so hard.

Step by step on how to actually perform link outreach

So, you've realized that just "making good content" is a lie and now you actually gotta go find people to link to you. It's honestly a bit of a grind, but once you get the rhythm down, it’s not that bad.

First thing is finding the right spots. I usually just use search operators in google because they're free and work. If you're in the tech space, try searching stuff like tech "write for us" or SaaS "guest post guidelines".

But don't just email everyone you see. You gotta vet these sites or you'll end up in a "bad neighborhood" which google hates. Look for sites with actual traffic and a clean design—if it looks like a site from 2004 with 500 banner ads, run away.

To keep track of all this mess, tools like ProductLaunchList help manage the outreach flow so you don't accidentally email the same ceo three times. It’s way better than a messy spreadsheet that you’ll forget to update anyway.

Most seo outreach services fail because they sound like robots. If your subject line is "Link Request for My Article," it's going straight to the trash. I’ve seen way better results when I actually mention a specific thing they wrote last week.

• Personalization over everything: Mention their name and a specific post. If you're reaching out to a healthcare blog, talk about a recent medical study they cited.
• The Value Add: Don't just ask for a link. Offer to update an old post they have or provide a fresh infographic. In finance, maybe you have new data on interest rates they haven't covered yet.
• The Gentle Follow-up: People are busy. Send one follow-up after 3 days, but don't be a total annoyance about it.

According to a study by Backlinko, only about 8.5% of outreach emails actually get a response, so you really gotta make yours stand out from the noise.

It's basically just being a normal human instead of a link-beggar. Next, we should probably talk about how to actually write the content once they say yes.

Advanced strategies for b2b saas growth

Once you’ve nailed the basics of emailing people, you gotta start thinking bigger if you want your saas to actually scale. High-level growth isn't just about begging for a link on a "top 10" list; it’s about becoming the source that everyone else has to cite.

The real secret sauce is creating data-driven reports. If you run a fintech platform, pull some anonymized data about spending habits and turn it into a report—journalists love hard numbers they can't find anywhere else.

• Data is king: Original research gets you natural mentions from big news sites. A 2024 report by BuzzSumo suggests that "original research" is one of the top ways to earn backlinks because it provides unique value that can't be easily replicated.
• Brand management: Keep an eye on where people talk about your niche. If someone mentions your saas but doesn't link, just reach out and ask nicely for the click-through.
• Partnerships over one-offs: Instead of a single guest post, find a non-competing company in your space (like a retail saas and a shipping api) and co-write a guide together.

I know people say link exchanges are "dead," but that's mostly because they do them wrong. If you’re just swapping links with random sites, google will catch on, but natural "abc" exchanges (A links to B, B links to C, C links to A) happen all the time in the real world.

• Quality directories: Don't waste time on those link farms from the 90s. Stick to high-authority spots like G2 or Capterra that actually drive traffic.
• Avoid footprints: If every single one of your links comes from an exchange, you’re gonna get flagged. Keep it under 10% of your total profile to stay safe.

Anyway, once you got the links coming in, you need to make sure you aren't just sending traffic to a broken page. Next, we'll look at how to keep your link profile healthy.

Managing your links so you dont lose your mind

Building a massive pile of links is great and all, but if you aren't tracking what actually moves the needle, you're just throwing time into a void. Honestly, I’ve seen founders get so obsessed with the "count" that they miss when their best traffic sources suddenly go 404.

You gotta have a system for backlink quality assessment or you'll end up with a portfolio full of junk. I usually check my link profile once a month to make sure those high-authority mentions in healthcare or retail blogs are still live and "dofollow."

• Link Portfolio Management: Use a tool to monitor "link rot." If a finance site you guest posted on deletes your link, you need to know so you can reach out and ask what happened.
• Traffic vs. Rankings: Don't just look at seo rankings. Check your analytics to see if that link from a niche directory is actually sending humans who buy stuff.
• The seo Audit: Run a quick check for broken pages. There is nothing worse than earning a killer link that points to a dead page on your saas site.

As mentioned earlier in the Backlinko research, the number of referring domains is huge for rankings, but a 2024 report by Ahrefs shows that 66.5% of links to sites are "dead" within nine years. That’s why you gotta keep an eye on things.

Anyway, link building is a marathon, not a sprint. Just keep it human, stay organized, and don't let the spreadsheets drive you crazy. You got this.