Link-building, the strategic process of acquiring links from other websites to your own, is a cornerstone of search engine optimization (SEO) strategies because links are a primary factor that search engines use to determine the quality and relevance of a site.
The goal of link-building is to increase the visibility and authority of a website in search engine results, which then drives more organic traffic to your page.
Successful link-building involves creating valuable content that’s worth linking to, as well as reaching out to relevant websites and influencers in your industry to secure links that benefit both your website’s ranking, and the linking site’s users.
So how exactly can you get these valuable backlinks?
Luckily for us, these tools are meticulously designed to support various facets of link-building campaigns, including but not limited to, backlink research, effective email outreach, content distribution, and fostering meaningful industry relationships.
Our guide introduces you to the top 22 link-building tools available this year, covering both complementary and premium options.
Discover how each tool can transform your link-building efforts, offering a tailored fit for your specific needs in 2024.
1. LinkMiner
Mangools LinkMiner, a component of the Mangools SEO suite, stands out as an essential tool for unearthing high-quality backlink opportunities by examining competitors’ link profiles.
With LinkMiner, you can effortlessly identify links that can potentially enhance your site’s authority and search visibility thanks to its user-friendly interface.
Best features
- Backlink analysis: Delivers detailed insights on the backlink strength and social media presence of each link.
- Advanced filter options: Sorts thousands of backlinks based on attributes like dofollow vs nofollow, link strength, and newly acquired links.
- Competitor link profile comparison: Enables side-by-side comparison of your and your competitors’ backlink profiles.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Massive knowledge hub about all things SEO. | Too easy and simple to use. |
| Cost-effective pricing offering excellent value. | Works for businesses large and small. |
| Many other tools included for a fully comprehensive SEO strategy. | Okay you caught us, there’s no downside to using Mangools! |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Basic: $19.90/month
- Premium: $29.90/month
- Agency: $44.90/month
- Free account with a taste of every juicy tool.
Think we’re biased? Give Mangools a try and see for yourself!
2. URL Profiler
URL Profiler equips SEO professionals and digital marketers with a hefty toolkit for auditing URLs at scale.
This tool brings efficiency to the table by automating data collection, like social metrics, backlink counts, and content quality assessments across numerous URLs simultaneously.
Best features
- Comprehensive audits: Analyzes URLs for a broad spectrum of SEO indicators, including social shares, backlink profiles, on-page metrics, and penalties.
- Content analysis: Provides detailed insights into content quality, readability scores, and keyword usage.
- Bulk processing: Facilitates the processing of thousands of URLs at once, saving time and improving productivity.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Powerful bulk processing capabilities save significant time. | Users need to set up proxies for some serrvices. |
| Integrates with tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Majestic, Copyscape, and more | Some features like Ahrefs require separate subscriptions beyond what URL Profiler offers. |
| Customizable reports that cater to specific project needs. | Integration with certain tools like MozScape and Copyscape necessitates obtaining API keys. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Solo: $19.95/month
- Pro: $39.95/month
- Agency: $64.95/month
- 14 day free trial
3. BacklinkGap
BacklinkGap is a cutting-edge digital marketing tool designed to provide businesses, SEO professionals, and digital marketers with in-depth analysis and insights into backlink profiles.
It aims to help users identify gaps in their backlink strategy compared to competitors, uncovering opportunities to boost their website’s authority and search engine rankings.
Best features
- Competitor analysis: Allows a direct comparison of backlink profiles between your site and 5 of your competitors’.
- Gap identification: Highlights websites linking to competitors but not to you, revealing untapped backlink opportunities.
- Easy-to-navigate interface: Streamlines the process of backlink analysis, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive for spotting backlink opportunities quickly. | May not provide as deep an analysis on individual backlinks. |
| Cheaper and more cost effective than other tools. | |
| Offers actionable insights to improve link-building efforts. |
Pricing (billed annually)
Pricing is based on how many searches you’d like to do per month, and begins at $15.83/month
4. Postaga
Postaga is an AI-driven cold emailing outreach platform that automates and personalizes the link-building process.
Postaga is ideally suited for agencies and marketers looking to automate and personalize their outreach at scale, offering a blend of technology and personalization that can significantly boost link-building efforts.
Best features
- AI-powered outreach campaigns: Automates the discovery of link-building opportunities and the personalization of outreach emails.
- Automated contact finder: Identifies and retrieves the contact information of key decision-makers associated with each link prospect, eliminating the need to manually search for email addresses.
- Skyscraper: Streamlines the process of identifying and reaching out to websites linking to similar, but potentially outdated or less comprehensive content, allowing users to suggest their superior, more updated content as a valuable replacement.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly efficient at scaling outreach campaigns. | Configuration can be time consuming. |
| Integrates with services like Ahrefs, Semrush, Buzz Sumo, and more. | Pricing can be a barrier for small businesses. |
| Streamlines the link-building process significantly. | Automation may diminish link quality. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Pro: $84/month
- Agency: $250/month
5. Respona
Respona combines search and outreach functionalities, making it an all-in-one platform for link-building and PR efforts.
This tool is particularly valuable for marketers and agencies seeking an efficient approach to outreach, combining powerful search capabilities with advanced personalization and campaign management tools.
Best features
- Versatile search features: Finds relevant outreach opportunities across blogs, news sites, and more.
- Personalization at scale: Customizes outreach messages for higher engagement rates.
- Integrated campaign management: Tracks the progress of outreach efforts and responses efficiently.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Automates and simplifies the search and outreach process. | Pricing may be prohibitive for individual marketers. |
| Offers detailed campaign analytics for performance optimization. | Has a learning curve to master all the features. |
| Enhances outreach effectiveness with personalized messaging. | Limited integration with other SEO or link-building tools. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Pro: $399/month
- Unlimited: $799/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing with free demo
- 14 day free trial
6. Pitchbox
Pitchbox is a platform designed to streamline the outreach process for link building and influencer marketing.
It is great for SEO agencies and marketers who conduct large-scale outreach campaigns, offering tools that optimize every stage of the process for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
Best features
- Workflow automation: Streamlines the entire outreach process, improving productivity.
- Prospecting: Offers advanced search capabilities to find relevant influencers and link-building opportunities.
- Bring your own data: Easily upload domains from other SEO tools.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Improves outreach efficiency with automation. | High cost may be a deterrent for small businesses. |
| Full suite of prospecting tools. | Requires time to fully integrate into existing workflows. |
| Customizable outreach campaigns and follow-ups. | Learning curve to master all its features and tools. |
Pricing
- Professional: $495/month
- Enterprise: $1350/month
7. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a full service SEO tool that excels in backlink analysis, offering an extensive database for researching competitor links and identifying link-building opportunities.
Its suite of tools supports a wide range of SEO tasks, making it indispensable for SEO professionals and marketers aiming to elevate their website’s search engine ranking.
Best features
- Extensive backlink index: One of the largest databases of live backlinks for thorough competitor analysis.
- Site explorer: Provides detailed insights into a site’s backlink profile and organic search traffic.
- Content explorer: Identifies content opportunities and linkable assets within your niche.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Complete backlink and SEO analysis tools. | Premium pricing may be prohibitive for some. |
| Real-time data updates for fresh insights. | May require a steep learning curve for new users. |
| Powerful tools for content discovery and keyword research. | Some users wish there were more integration capabilities. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Lite: $83/month
- Standard: $166/month
- Advanced: $333/month
- Enterprise: $833/month
8. Semrush
Semrush is a versatile digital marketing suite that offers an extensive array of tools for SEO, including powerful link-building capabilities.
It enables users to conduct in-depth backlink analysis, track their SEO progress, and uncover valuable insights to outperform their competition.
Best features
- Backlink analytics: Analyzes the backlink profiles of any domain with comprehensive metrics.
- Link building tool: Automates the outreach process and identifies new link-building opportunities.
- Keyword research and site audit: Offers additional tools to support overall SEO strategies.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Wide range of tools for SEO and link-building. | Can be overwhelming for beginners due to its extensive features. |
| Useful competitor analysis and keyword research capabilities. | Some advanced features are locked behind higher-tier plans. |
| Integrated marketing toolkit for a holistic approach to digital marketing. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Pro: $108.33/month
- Guru: $208.33/month
- Business: $416.66/month
- Advanced features require a subscription to Semrush plans, starting at $119.95/month.
9. Buzzstream
Buzzstream is a powerful tool designed to simplify the outreach process for link building and influencer marketing.
It streamlines the management of email campaigns, helping users to efficiently build relationships and earn high-quality backlinks.
Best features
- Discovery and outreach: Identifies potential influencers and automates personalized outreach.
- Campaign management: Tracks email conversations, follow-ups, and link placements in one platform.
- Reporting and analytics: Provides insights into campaign performance and outreach effectiveness.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Facilitates targeted and personalized outreach campaigns | Learning curve for mastering all features. |
| Workspace for collaboration. | Some users have discovered report inaccuracies. |
| Integrates with social media for influencer research. | Some users may require additional tools for complete SEO management. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Free trial on Starter, Growth, and Professional plans
- Starter: $24/month
- Growth: $124/month
- Professional: $299/month
- Custom: Starting at $999/month
10. Hunter
Hunter specializes in finding email addresses associated with any website, making it an excellent tool for link-building outreach.
Its accuracy and speed in identifying contact information makes the process of connecting with site owners and editors easy as pie.
Best features
- Email finder: Quickly locates email addresses associated with a domain.
- Email verification: Confirms the validity of email addresses to improve outreach success.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Free version comes with plenty of tools. | Limited searches in the free plan. |
| Useful for cleaning and verifying email lists. | Focus is mainly on email finding, with fewer outreach features. |
| Integrations with tools like Google Sheets. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Starter: 34 EUR/month
- Growth: 104 EUR/month
- Business: 349 EUR/month
11. HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
HARO connects journalists seeking expert insights for their stories with sources who can provide this type of information, often resulting in high-quality backlinks for experts who contribute. It’s perfect for building authoritative links and increasing brand visibility.
Best features
- Media opportunities: Access to a wide range of journalist inquiries across various industries.
- High-quality backlinks: Opportunities to earn backlinks from reputable media outlets.
- Brand exposure: Increases visibility and positions you or your brand as an industry expert.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Free access to high-quality backlink opportunities. | Highly competitive, making it difficult to get selected. |
| Enhances brand credibility and authority. | Responses require time and effort with no guaranteed placement. |
| Wide range of topics and industries covered. | Premium plans needed for advanced features and alerts. |
Pricing
- Free!
12. Buzzsumo
Buzzsumo serves as a tool for content research and influencer outreach, playing a role in link-building strategies that emphasize content promotion and collaborative partnerships. It helps in pinpointing trending subjects and key influencers for targeted outreach initiatives.
Best features
- Content insights: Analyzes what content performs best for any topic or competitor.
- Influencer identification: Finds key influencers to promote content.
- Alert system: Notifies when your brand or keywords are mentioned online.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Extensive database for content and influencer research. | Some users report lacking customer support. |
| User friendly and easy to navigate. | Lacks backlink authority metrics. |
| Helps in strategizing content-based link building. | Focused more on content and less on direct link building. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Content Creation: $199/month
- PR and Comms: $299/month
- Suite: $499/month
- Enterprise: $999/month
13. Moz Link Explorer
A part of Moz’s suite, Moz Link Explorer is used for examining and improving your link profile, offering detailed insights into backlinks, domain authority, and ranking opportunities.
Best features
- Link analysis: Provides a detailed view of your site’s backlink profile and the quality of links.
- Domain Authority (DA) score: Uses Moz’s DA metric to gauge the potential search engine ranking strength of websites.
- Spam score analysis: Helps identify potentially harmful backlinks that could impact your SEO negatively.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Comes with many other SEO tools. | DA is a proprietary metric that may not always correlate with Google’s ranking. |
| Offers recommendations for link-building opportunities. | Some features are available only on higher-tier plans. |
| Comprehensive link and domain analysis. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- 30 day free trial
- Standard: $79/month
- Medium: $143/month
- Large: $299/month
- Premium: $599/month
14. Majestic
Majestic specializes in backlink analysis, offering one of the largest link intelligence databases to help SEO professionals and marketers understand their site’s backlink profile and identify new link opportunities.
Best features
- Site explorer: Delivers in-depth backlink profiles for any domain.
- Trust flow and citation flow: Proprietary metrics that evaluate the quality and quantity of links.
- Link context: Understands the context around each backlink, including link placement and surrounding content.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Large database of backlinks for complete analysis. | Focuses mainly on link analysis, with limited additional SEO tools. |
| Unique metrics like Trust Flow for assessing link quality. | Can be expensive for those only needing basic link analysis. |
| Detailed link context for strategic link-building efforts. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Lite: 46.99 EUR/month
- Pro: 94.99 EUR/month
- API: 379.99 EUR/month
15. Mentioned
Mentioned – Outreach Wizard, a Semrush app, simplifies the process of identifying outreach targets already mentioned on your site, streamlining email outreach and relationship building.
This service offers valuable features for building industry relationships, gaining more referring domains and backlinks, increasing social shares, and simplifying link building outreach efforts.
Best features
- Automated prospect identification: Scans your content for mentions and identifies potential outreach targets.
- Email automation: Facilitates sending personalized outreach emails directly from the platform.
- Contact verification: Ensures email addresses are accurate and up-to-date to improve outreach success rates.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Helps finding and contacting mentioned prospects. | Focused primarily on mentioned outreach, which may not suit all strategies. |
| Simplifies and automates email outreach process. | May require integration with other tools for comprehensive link-building campaigns. |
| Helps build relationships with influencers and authoritative sites. | Pricing may not be suitable for those with limited outreach needs. |
Pricing
- Free trial available
- Standard: $49/month
16. Help a B2B Writer
Similar to HARO, Help a B2B Writer connects content marketers and B2B writers with sources, offering opportunities to earn mentions and backlinks in B2B publications.
Additionally, it provides a targeted approach to finding relevant industry experts, helping improve the content’s credibility and reach.
Best features
- Targeted source requests: Receives daily emails with requests specifically in the B2B sector.
- Quick publication turnaround: Responses often get published quickly, providing timely backlink opportunities.
- Category selection: Lets you choose expertise areas to receive only the most relevant source requests.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Specifically designed for B2B opportunities. | Limited to B2B industries, which may not suit all link-building needs. |
| Snippets, personalization, and reporting metrics. | No guarantee of inclusion or backlink with each pitch. |
| Allows for targeted outreach based on expertise. | Free service, but opportunities may be highly competitive. |
Pricing
- Free!
17. Raven Tools
Raven Tools is an SEO platform that offers a range of features from site auditing to backlink reporting. This tool is geared towards SEO professionals and marketers looking to beef up their link-building strategies.
Best features
- Backlink analysis and monitoring: Allows users to track backlinks and their status over time, identifying new opportunities and lost links.
- Competitor backlink research: Allows users to compare their backlink profile with competitors, uncovering gaps and opportunities in your strategy.
- Site audits: Integrates SEO, social media, and PPC data to provide a holistic view of digital marketing efforts, including link-building activities.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers a wide range of tools beyond link building. | The broad scope of features may be overwhelming for users focused solely on link building. |
| User-friendly interface and reporting functionalities. | Some users have experienced challenges with integration with tools like Salesforce. |
| More cost effective than other tools of the same caliber. | The user interface has been criticized for feeling outdated and difficult to navigate. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Small Biz: $39/month
- Start: $79/month
- Grow: $139/month
- Thrive: $249/month
- Lead: $399/month
18. Ontolo
Ontolo is designed for SEO professionals and link builders, focusing on simplifying the prospecting process.
It automates the discovery of potential link-building opportunities, making it easier to scale your efforts. Ontolo’s unique features like parsing out navigation, comments, and article content to refine prospects contribute to its effectiveness.
Best features
- Automated prospecting: Uses your input criteria to automatically find and categorize potential link-building opportunities.
- Customizable search parameters: Allows users to refine searches based on specific needs, such as link type, industry, or keyword relevance.
- Integration with link analysis tools: Offers insights into the quality of prospects, helping prioritize outreach efforts effectively.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Saves time and resources for SEO teams with link prospecting.. | Can generate a large volume of prospects, which may require additional filtering. |
| Highly customizable search options enable targeted prospecting. | Some users may find the tool’s extensive features and capabilities challenging to manage consistently. |
| Offers a range of content marketing tools such as post topics, blogs, content links, and research. | There could be potential integration challenges with other tools or platforms. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Pro: $97/month
- Agency: $297/month
19. Linkody
Linkody is designed to make the process of monitoring and managing backlinks as easy as possible, offering a suite of features to help users easily track their link-building efforts and analyze the health of their backlink profile.
Best features
- Real-time backlink monitoring: Automatically tracks your website’s backlinks and notifies you of any changes or losses.
- Competitor analysis: Allows you to spy on your competitors’ backlink strategies to uncover new link-building opportunities.
- SEO metrics: Provides essential SEO metrics for each backlink, including MozRank and the status of each link, to evaluate link quality.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Users report excellent customer service experiences. | Generates only one report within a 24-hour period. |
| Affordable pricing structure suitable for small businesses and individual bloggers. | Backlink index may not be the largest compared to other tools. |
| Allows users to customize reports based on specific fields. | May require integration with additional tools for a more holistic SEO strategy. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Webmaster: 13.90 EUR/month
- Advanced: 22.90 EUR/month
- Pro: 45.90 EUR/month
- Agency: 90.90 EUR/month
- Agency XL 138.90 EUR/month
- 30 day free trial
20. Media Monitoring
Another great app from Semrush, Media Monitoring provides insights into brand mentions across the internet, helping businesses identify link-building opportunities through mentions that could be converted into backlinks.
It also allows companies to gauge the sentiment and context of these mentions, enabling them to better understand their online reputation and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Best features
- Media tracking: Monitors brand mentions across various online platforms, including news sites, blogs, and social media.
- Sentiment analysis: Analyzes the tone of brand mentions, helping to prioritize outreach efforts.
- Competitor tracking: Keeps an eye on competitors’ mentions, offering insights into their media presence and potential link-building strategies.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Enables proactive identification of link-building opportunities through brand mentions. | Primarily focuses on monitoring, with less emphasis on direct link-building tools. |
| Sentiment analysis helps gauge the impact of mentions and prioritize outreach. | Subscription costs can add up for tracking multiple keywords or competitors. |
| Provides competitive insights, aiding in strategic planning for link acquisition. | The volume of data requires time for analysis and may overwhelm smaller teams. |
Pricing (billed monthly)
- Standard package:$39/month
- Free trial
21. BrightLocal
BrightLocal is tailored for local SEO efforts, facilitating the management of local citations and listings which can support link-building strategies by improving local search visibility.
Best features
- Local citation building: Streamlines the creation and management of local business listings to enhance local search presence.
- Reputation manager: Aggregates and monitors customer reviews from across the web, impacting local SEO and potential link opportunities.
- Local search rank checker: Provides detailed insights into your business’s performance in local search results, guiding strategy adjustments.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Comprehensive toolset for managing local SEO and citation building. | More focused on local SEO aspects, which might not directly cater to broader link-building goals. |
| Integrates review management, which can indirectly influence link acquisition through improved brand reputation. | May be less relevant for businesses not focused on local search optimization. |
| User-friendly reports and dashboards facilitate easy tracking of local search performance. |
Pricing (billed annually)
- Track: $39/month
- Manage: $49/month
- Grow: $59/month
- 14 day free trial
22. NeverBounce
NeverBounce is an email verification and list cleaning service that improves the efficiency of email outreach campaigns.
It’s particularly useful for link-building efforts, ensuring that emails reach their intended recipients by cleaning and validating email lists before any outreach is conducted.
Best features
- Real-time email verification: Instantly checks the validity of email addresses to reduce bounce rates and improve deliverability.
- Bulk email list cleaning: Processes large batches of emails to identify invalid, disposable, or unknown email addresses, ensuring high-quality outreach lists.
- Integrations: Easily integrates with email marketing and outreach tools, streamlining the process of maintaining clean and efficient email lists.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Improves email deliverability. | Costs associated with verifying large volumes of email addresses may add up.. |
| User-friendly interface and easy integration with popular email platforms. | While highly accurate, no email verification service can guarantee 100% accuracy. |
| Offers a free trial and flexible pricing based on volume. | Dependence on external verification services adds an extra step in the outreach preparation process. |
Pricing
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: Starts at $0.008/email verification for up to 10,000 emails, with the price decreasing for higher volumes.
- Monthly plans: Starts at $8/month for 1,000 emails, paid annually.
Conclusion
In the ever-evolving world of SEO, link-building remains a major part of a successful strategy, vital for boosting site visibility and authority.
The 22 link-building tools we’ve explored offer a diverse array of functionalities, from backlink analysis and competitor research to email verification and outreach efficiency.
Whether you’re a solo practitioner, part of an in-house SEO team, or working within an agency, these tools cater to varying needs and budgetary considerations, each with its unique strengths and potential drawbacks.
As you embark on or continue your link-building journey in 2024, the choice of tools will significantly influence the efficiency, effectiveness, and overall success of your campaigns.
Digital marketing and SEO tools are always changing, so staying informed about the latest developments and updates to these tools will ensure that your link-building efforts remain ahead of the curve.
Happy link-building!
