Buying guides
How to choose and brief link-building and SEO services: the service models, what to check before you pay, realistic costs and the risks sales pages leave out.
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- Buying guideHow to choose a link building service: models, criteria and red flagsThere is no single best link building service. This guide explains the main service models, what to check before you pay, and how to match a provider to your situation.12 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- Buying guideGuest posting and blogger outreach services: a buyer's guideGuest post services and blogger outreach services usually sell the same thing. Here's how to read a tier table, which terms matter, and how to brief a provider.12 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- Buying guideOutsourcing link building: scope, briefs, approvals and reportingA practical guide to hiring a link building agency or fulfilment partner — the brief, the approval stages, the reporting and the questions to ask before you sign.10 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- GuideNiche edits explained: how link insertions work and how to judge themA niche edit adds your link to an article that already exists. Here's how that works in practice, what separates a useful insertion from a useless one, and the risks.9 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- Buying guideWhite label SEO explained: how it works, who does what, and how to choose a partnerWhite label SEO lets an agency sell SEO work that a partner delivers under the agency's brand. Here is how the model works, where it breaks, and how to choose a partner.13 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- Buying guideSEO reseller programmes: margins, onboarding and the questions to ask before you joinA reseller programme is a supply agreement, not a business model. This guide covers the economics, the onboarding steps and the terms that decide whether reselling works for you.12 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- Buying guideOutsourcing SEO: what to hand over, how to choose a company, and how to stay in controlSEO covers technical work, content and links, and few providers are equally good at all three. This guide helps you decide what to outsource, to whom, and how to keep control.12 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- GuideBuying backlinks: what Google's policies actually say, and how to judge the riskPaying for links is common, and against Google's link-spam policy when the links pass ranking credit. Here is what the policy says, how to think about the risk, and the alternatives.11 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- GuideHow many backlinks do you need to rank? Why there is no single numberThere is no universal number of backlinks needed to rank. This guide explains why, what changes the answer for your page, and how to reason about it from the results you compete with.10 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- GuideHow to do blogger outreach: a step-by-step process that editors respond toBlogger outreach works when it is relevant and respects editors' time. This guide walks through the full process, with example pitches and the tracking you need.13 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- GuideAnchor text: types, examples, exact-match risk and how to write good linksAnchor text tells readers and search engines what a linked page is about. Here is what Google recommends, the main anchor types, and why heavy exact-match anchors are a warning sign.10 min read · checked 30 October 2026
- Buying guideHow much does SEO cost? Pricing models, cost drivers and what you get at each levelSEO prices vary because the work varies. This guide explains the pricing models, what drives cost, published examples from providers, and how to compare quotes fairly.12 min read · checked 30 October 2026
Where to start
The guides fall into three groups. Pick the one that matches where you are:
- Deciding what to buy. Start with how to choose a link building service, then how much SEO costs. If you're handing work to a partner, read outsourcing SEO or outsourcing link building.
- Understanding the formats. Guest posting services, niche edits and how blogger outreach worksexplain what you're actually paying for.
- Avoiding mistakes. What Google's policies say about buying links, anchor text and why there's no magic number of backlinks.
Agencies should also read the white label SEO and SEO reseller guides.
How these guides are written
Every guide answers its question fully before any mention of DotMirror, the publisher of this site. Facts about providers come from their own pages, dated and linked. Statements about Google's policies are quoted from Google's documentation rather than paraphrased from forums. Where something isn't knowable, such as a fixed number of links that guarantees a ranking, we say so instead of inventing a figure. Our methodology explains the rules.
Three principles that run through every guide
- Relevance beats metrics. A link or article your audience would actually read is worth more than a high number on a third-party tool.
- Keep control of the record. Whatever you outsource, keep your own log of what was done, where and when.
- Know the policy before you buy. Paid links that pass ranking credit conflict with Google's link-spam policy. Make that trade-off knowingly.