What to Prepare Before a Link Building Campaign

A clear brief makes it easier to evaluate whether a link-building proposal fits your business. It also reduces avoidable delays: a provider can assess the right page and publisher only when you explain the audience, the intended destination and what you will approve.

Use this checklist before outreach or placement work begins. It focuses on decisions and records a business can control. It does not imply that links guarantee rankings. For help comparing methods, see how to choose a link-building strategy.

1. Choose a useful destination

List one or more pages that are ready for relevant visitors. Confirm the page explains what you offer, who it is for and what a visitor can do next. If the destination is unclear or out of date, improve it before asking another publisher to send readers there.

Record the canonical URL and any pages you want excluded. Check that a reader can find the destination from your site through a useful internal link path. Do not ask a provider to point links at pages that do not serve the audience.

2. Describe the audience and purpose

Explain who you want to reach and why the page is relevant to them. Include markets, language, subject boundaries and any regulated or sensitive claims that require extra review. If there are genuine customer questions or editorial resources that informed the campaign, summarize them without exposing private customer information.

Define the intended outcome in terms of deliverables first: for example, a reviewed shortlist, outreach activity summary, or live URLs with context. Keep business measures such as enquiries separate from link delivery.

3. Write publisher and placement criteria

Document what qualifies as an acceptable site and page. Criteria may cover topical fit, editorial quality, audience, language, page freshness, transparency, link attributes and prohibited site types. Avoid relying on a single third-party authority score. Ask to review the actual page and surrounding text before approval.

Also decide what is not allowed. Examples include undisclosed paid placements, private networks presented as independent editorial coverage, automated mass submissions, irrelevant directories, or claims of guaranteed ranking results. Review each proposal in context; labels alone do not prove quality or risk.

4. Agree on approval and reporting

Before work starts, decide who approves publishers, content, anchors and final URLs. Agree how the provider will handle a rejected proposal, a changed page, a removed link or a disclosure requirement. Make sure the report includes the live URL, date, destination, anchor text, surrounding context and any relevant disclosure or link attribute.

Use a shared record with a status such as proposed, approved, published, verified, changed or removed. Keep the source URL and notes so a future team member can recheck the placement. Ask how long the provider will monitor the page and what happens when it changes.

Campaign brief checklist

• Target pages are accurate, useful and accessible.
• Audience, market and campaign purpose are clear.
• Acceptable and excluded publisher criteria are written down.
• Review owners and approval points are named.
• Content claims are supportable and disclosures are agreed.
• Deliverables and reporting fields are defined.
• Ranking, traffic and citation guarantees are excluded.
• A process exists for changes, removals and corrections.

After launch: verify delivery, then measure outcomes

Open every reported page and confirm the URL, context and destination. A publisher can change or remove a page, so save the verification date. Separately monitor relevant Search Console queries, visits and enquiries over an appropriate period. Do not attribute changes to a campaign based on timing alone; other site work, seasonality and search updates can also contribute.

When your brief is ready, review Exendia’s link building service and approaches to link building. An enquiry can help clarify scope and fit; it is not a commitment to a particular placement or outcome.

Discuss your next step

Ready to discuss a brief? Review the link building service or contact Exendia with your target pages and publisher criteria.

FAQ

How many target pages should I include?

Start with the few pages that are most relevant and ready for visitors. A concise brief is easier to evaluate than a large list of pages without a clear audience or purpose.

Should I provide anchor text in advance?

You can describe preferred terminology and destinations, but review anchors in context. Natural wording that accurately represents the destination is more useful than rigid exact-match repetition.

What should a provider report after publication?

Ask for the live page URL, date, target URL, surrounding context, anchor text, disclosures and any relevant link attributes. Agree how changes or removals will be recorded.

Does a completed campaign guarantee more traffic?

No. Delivering a link is not the same as earning more search visibility, visits or enquiries. Track each outcome separately and report uncertainty honestly.