Building a Link Strategy
A link strategy document is what turns competitor link analysis into a concrete, client-approved plan. Learn the structure and the "fewer pages, more links" principle.
What you'll learn
- Understand what a link strategy document must contain
- Learn the "fewer pages, more links per page" prioritization principle
- Know how to select landing pages using GSC and Ahrefs signals
- Understand the client-facing "budget → result" communication model
What the Document Must Contain
A link strategy is built from a competitor link-profile analysis, scored per Synthexeo's link-scoring regulations, and must define: target landing pages, link types and quantities, anchor list, and an overall monthly budget for the next 3 months.
Concentrate, Don't Spread
Choose fewer landing pages and push more links to each one per month, rather than spreading one link across many pages. Once the first batch of pages is sufficiently boosted, move to the next batch. This concentration effect is what actually moves rankings — thin, evenly-spread link building rarely does.
Selecting Landing Pages
Prioritize URLs that already carry keywords close to the top of the SERP:
- Check Ahrefs position reports for the target locale
- Check GSC for queries with high impressions and low clicks — verify the impressions aren't just an accidental sitelink appearing under a different intent
The "Budget → Result" Client Model
Synthexeo's sales and account teams present link building as: the client agrees a monthly budget, target pages, and overall goals — the SEO team independently selects specific donor sites and prices to get the best market rate, and the client receives a full itemized report each month (domain, type, cost, SEO metrics, target page). What is explicitly NOT negotiated line-by-line: individual platforms before purchase, or vendor pricing.
Why This Model, Not Approval-Per-Link
Under an "approve every placement" model, the SEO team can lose 30-50% of its time to negotiation loops, and the best market opportunities (which live for hours, not weeks) are missed while waiting for sign-off. The budget→result model, backed by a transparent monthly report, delivers materially more links for the same budget.
Building the 3-Month Plan
The plan should specify per page: URL, link type, link count, anchor, anchor type, estimated cost per link, and total monthly budget. This feeds directly into the internal link-ordering and link-budget systems covered in the next lessons.
Key Takeaways
- A link strategy document defines landing pages, link types/quantities, an anchor list, and a 3-month budget
- Concentrate links on fewer pages per month rather than spreading thin across many — this is what moves rankings
- Select landing pages using Ahrefs near-top positions and GSC high-impression/low-click signals
- Present link building to clients as "budget → result," not "approve every placement" — it preserves speed and market access
- A transparent monthly report (domain, type, cost, metrics, target page) is the trust mechanism that replaces per-link approval