Runbook
A first-client runbook for link building, move by move
Eight moves, in order, written for someone who has never run a campaign alone. Print it, tick it, adapt it.
Move by move, from kickoff to report
- 1
Take a starting snapshot
Save clicks, impressions and positions for the target pages from Google Search Console. Add backlink counts from Ahrefs, Semrush or Majestic if you have access.
- 2
Choose two pages
Pick the pages that already convert or could. A service page and one useful guide is a sensible pair.
- 3
Define relevance
Write down three topics a good donor site would cover. This list is your filter for everything that follows.
- 4
Filter the shelf
Use the marketplace filters on niche, language, Domain Rating, traffic and price. Shortlist about ten rows.
- 5
Read each donor
Open the site. Does it look like something real people read? Reject anything thin, odd or off-topic.
- 6
Fill the basket, then show it
Add rows without paying. Send the client the list with prices, then pay from your balance after they agree.
- 7
Pick the content mode
Automatic works from a target URL and keyword. Use your own instructions or a finished article when tone matters.
- 8
Report at the review date
Under ordered links you will see each status. Compare with the starting snapshot and write what moved, what did not and your next step.
Why the order matters
Skipping the snapshot is the classic rookie error. Without it you cannot tell a client what changed, and you cannot defend yourself when someone remembers a different starting point. So start there.
Relevance comes before price. A cheap row that has nothing to do with the client's topic wastes the money, however low the number looks. When in doubt, buy fewer links and keep the reserve for the next round.
If you want a quick sense of cost, the pricing guide works through example sums. Pair the two pages. Your first quote then practically writes itself, and anyone wondering how to do link building step by step can follow both in an afternoon.
Reporting closes the loop. Write it while the details are fresh, keep it to one page, and send it on the day you promised. Clients forgive modest numbers far more easily than silence.
Month-one report, minimum contents
- Starting snapshot and the date it was taken
- List of placements with live dates and target pages
- What moved in Search Console, in plain words
- What did not move, and one honest guess why
- Next batch proposal with a cost
- A reminder of what sits outside the scope
A tracking sheet you can paste into any spreadsheet
Columns are enough. No tools required.
target_page | donor_domain | DR | monthly_traffic | price_usd | ordered_on | live_on | note
/services/roof-repair | example-blog.com | 42 | 8,000 | 18 | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-03 | local topic matchCheck that Google has crawled the target page and that the link is live and dofollow. Then wait for the review date. If you panic and order more links, you will blur whatever signal exists. Our promises page covers what to say meanwhile.
Slips we see in first campaigns
Pointing everything at the homepage is the most common slip. It feels tidy. Yet the pages that earn money usually sit deeper in the site, so spread the effort over two or three of them.
Another is ordering all at once. A burst of eight links in an afternoon looks nothing like the slow way real sites collect mentions, so space the orders over weeks. Patience costs nothing and keeps the report readable.
Last is forgetting the client's calendar. If a sale starts in November 2026, plan the links for September. Placements usually go live within about a day, but crawling takes longer and you want slack. Add a spare week for the unexpected.