The need for having an organic backlink profile is pretty widely known today. Thankfully, this has resulted in link farms and Private Blog Network (PBN) linking schemes slowly dying out.
However, decision-makers are often left with a thorn in their side, and that’s running premium link building campaigns.
There are no guides on how to do this, no guaranteed strategies, and no way to tell what you’re doing wrong. Logically, many companies make the smart decision to outsource
What is Premium Link Building?
Premium link building involves acquiring backlinks from high-authority, relevant websites through ethical and strategic methods.
Unlike low-quality link building, which often relies on automated processes, link farms, or irrelevant sites, premium link building is characterized by its focus on quality over quantity.
This strategy emphasizes earning links from reputable sources that align with your brand and content, ensuring that each link contributes positively to your website’s SEO and overall online presence.
Premium vs. Low-Quality Links: Key Differences
To the untrained eye, differing between low-effort and premium link building strategies is difficult. Both result in DoFollow links in blogs, press releases, or opinion pieces—what’s the big deal?
Premium backlinks come from authoritative sites that are relevant to your industry, often featuring content that is editorially placed and provides real value to users.
These links are difficult to acquire but offer substantial benefits in terms of SEO, brand reputation, and traffic.
On the other hand, low-quality links are typically easy to obtain but come from less reputable sources.
These links may provide short-term boosts in rankings but are often devalued or penalized by search engines, especially with updates like Google’s March 2024 core algorithm update, which focused on cracking down on spammy and irrelevant links.
| Premium Links | Low Quality Links |
|---|---|
| From high-authority, relevant sites. | From unrelated or low-reputation sources. |
| Naturally integrated into relevant content. | Forced into content, often automated. |
| Resilient to algorithm updates. | Easily penalized by search engines. |
| Prioritizes high-quality, relevant links. | Acquires many links. |
Other than this, you can differentiate them by their:
- Authority and relevance: Premium backlinks are sourced from high-authority websites or ones highly relevant to your industry. These sites are often respected within their niche and have a strong online presence, which means that a backlink from them carries significant weight in terms of SEO. Low-quality links, on the other hand, may come from unrelated or less reputable sources.
- Editorial placement: A hallmark of premium links is their editorial placement. This means that the link is naturally integrated into the content, often because the content itself is of high quality and relevant to the audience. Low-quality links are frequently ‘jammed’ into blogs without any context, sometimes through automated or paid methods.
- Longevity: One of the key advantages of premium backlinks is their resilience to search engine updates. Because these links come from authoritative sites and are placed naturally, they are less likely to be devalued during algorithm changes. In contrast, low-quality links, especially those acquired through black-hat SEO tactics, are often the first to be penalized during updates.
- Traffic quality: These links also tend to drive higher-quality traffic to your site. Visitors who click through from a high-authority site are more likely to be engaged and interested in your content, leading to lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates. Low-quality links, by contrast, may bring in traffic that is irrelevant, resulting in poor user engagement metrics.
All you need is to look beyond the metrics and you’ll see that not all links are built the same. But that still doesn’t provide an answer to the main financial questions—are premium links worth it?
Why Premium Link Building Is a Smart Investment
Since we provide premium link building services, our sales team gets this question a lot. Due to the plethora of untrustworthy and flakey link builders out there, the skepticism is absolutely warranted. Nevertheless, we usually point to the following arguments.
It’s a Key Revenue Driver
It’s been proven, time and time again, that a small number of high authority backlinks is the most effective way to gain a foothold on the first page of Google’s SERPs.
And chances are that you’re in a very competitive industry, where searchability and discoverability can be the difference between six-figure contracts and being in the red.
If leads are able to find you and your engagement metrics are improving, this will further reinforce your site in the eyes of the algorithm, resulting in it ranking even higher.
Therefore, you can consider premium backlinks as the basis for consistent growth.
Doesn’t Leave Patterns for Search Engines to Flag
One of the biggest risks with low-quality link building is that it often leaves patterns that search engines can easily detect and penalize.
If your homepage appears 57 times under the exact same anchor text, it can spell disaster, even in the short run.
Likewise, the lack of context is also glaring, and can lead to search engines pinpointing spammy patterns in your backlink profile.
Premium link building, however, is conducted through personalized blogger outreach and content that fits naturally into the host site.
This organic approach leaves no discernible patterns for search engines to flag—everything seems like a normal link to a resource, with sufficient context and other authority links surrounding it.
Ethical and Provides Value to the Online Ecosystem
Beyond metrics, link equity, and relevance, premium link building aligns with the ethical guidelines set by search engines, focusing on providing real value to the online ecosystem.
This is the essence of white hat link building—ensuring that your links aren’t just there to add more link juice to your backlink profile but serve as legitimate resources that attract relevant traffic.
Of course, making sure the content is up to par is still up to you, as you must ensure it’s not only SEO friendly but better than the competition, plain and simple.
This ethical approach not only protects you from penalties but also enhances your brand’s reputation and trustworthiness.
As we mentioned previously, this has a positive effect on your engagement metrics, resulting in a self-sustaining way to get more leads and traffic.
Best Ways to Get Premium Backlinks
Premium link building isn’t as straightforward as traditional campaigns, hence it requires extra effort and a great deal of thinking outside the box.
In our seven years of experience, however, we found that there are a couple of extremely effective strategies.
Go Super Custom with Personalized Outreach
The era of generic outreach emails is over. Not only is a majority of outreach done with AI, but even the people that don’t use AI get accused of doing so.
But most of the time, the email just gets ignored or goes straight into the spam folder.
To combat this, you must write an email that’s detailed and personalized enough that the reader thinks you actually care and are interested in the collaboration. In particular, this hinges on:
Other than this, you can differentiate them by their:
- Researching the site and its audience: Understand what type of content resonates with the site’s readers and how your content can add value.
- Crafting a unique pitch: Highlight the unique value proposition of your content and why it would be a valuable addition to the site. Don’t use a generic hook or CTA, but don’t go overboard just for the sake of being unique.
- Building relationships: Don’t just send a cold email—engage with the site owner or editor through social media, comment on their posts, and gradually build a relationship before making your pitch.
- Building the right lists: Before you begin crafting a message, you must ensure the site is a right fit with what you want to accomplish. Hence, you must be ruthless during site selection and not pitch sites just for the sake of pitching them.
Create the Best Content There Is on the Topic
High-quality content is the foundation of premium link building. To attract links from authoritative sites, your content must be the best available on the topic.
It all starts with thorough research and finding or coming up with insights that don’t exist elsewhere.
Likewise, you must further accentuate the quality of the content by making it readable and enjoyable to go through.
This means enough images, formatting details and, of course, ensuring it fits the wider UX on the site.
When your content stands out as the most comprehensive and valuable resource on a topic, other sites will naturally want to link to it, helping you earn premium backlinks.
In addition, any campaigns you might run will be more effective since you’re pitching genuinely good content.
Network Until You Reach the Higher Echelons
Networking is a crucial aspect of premium link building. For the most part, you can get away with personalized outreach and great content, but after a certain point, there are some doors that no key will unlock.
In this case, knowing an editor of a certain site can result in a recommendation. Likewise, as you get premium backlinks, this will let other webmasters know that you’re legitimate and respected, which you can use as a talking point.
Aside from that, attending industry events and being overall easy to work with can help you gain valuable contacts.
While it’s important what you know, who you know can be even more effective in the context of premium backlinks.
Leverage BlueTree’s Expertise in Building Premium Links
While the strategies mentioned above can be effective, premium link building is a complex and time-consuming process that requires experience, connections, and a deep understanding of outreach and SEO as a whole. This is where BlueTree can make a difference.
At BlueTree, we specialize in building premium links through ethical and effective strategies. Our team has the expertise and connections to secure high-quality backlinks and we do so with the help of:
- 12 expert B2B SaaS writers
- 450+ editorial relationships
- 7 years helping clients climb up the SERPs
- 100,000+ total links built
In addition, you’ll be able to enjoy a completely hands-off experience. No planning, project management or anything—all campaigns are handled entirely by us, and you’ll be able to see the impact of links in our regular reports. Contact our sales team to get start with your climb up the rankings.
The Bottom Line
Premium link building is more than just a strategy—it’s an investment in the future of your website’s SEO and online presence.
While the initial costs may be higher than other link-building methods, the long-term benefits—such as sustainable rankings, enhanced credibility, and protection from algorithm updates—make it a smart choice for those serious about their digital marketing success.
Nevertheless, you should take into account the time and effort it takes to get these premium backlinks.
If you’re having trouble with finding a way to manage all this, give us a call and we’ll gladly discuss how you can outsource your link building efforts and free up valuable time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the main difference between premium and low-quality links?
Premium links are sourced from high-authority, relevant sites and are editorially placed, while low-quality links often come from less reputable sources and lack editorial oversight, making them more susceptible to penalties.
Is premium link building worth the cost?
Yes, premium link building offers long-term benefits such as sustainable rankings, protection from algorithm updates, and enhanced brand credibility, making it a worthwhile investment.
How can I start acquiring premium links?
Begin with personalized outreach, create top-tier content, network within your industry, and partner with our experts at BlueTree to get the best and most exclusive mentions.
Why are cheap links risky?
Cheap links are often from low-quality sources that are prone to search engine penalties, especially during major algorithm updates, which can result in significant drops in rankings.
Can premium link building protect my site from Google penalties?
While no strategy can guarantee complete immunity from penalties, premium link building significantly reduces the risk by focusing on ethical, high-quality practices that align with search engine guidelines.
