Link Building Company vs In-House: Which Is Better for Agencies

If you run an agency, you’ve faced this question.

Should you build links in-house
or
work with a link building company?

I’ve seen agencies win with both.

I’ve also seen agencies burn cash, miss deadlines, and stall growth because they picked the wrong path.

Let’s walk through this step by step and keep it grounded in facts, data, and real agency realities.

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Step #1: Understand What Link Building Actually Requires

Before choosing in-house or a link building company, you need to be honest about the workload.

Real link building includes:

• Prospecting sites
• Vetting metrics
• Outreach and follow-ups
• Content creation
• Placement negotiation
• Quality control
• Risk management

According to Ahrefs’ link building survey, the average quality backlink costs between $300 and $500 when you factor in labor and tools.

That’s not just the link.
That’s the full process.

Yup, it adds up fast.

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Step #2: The In-House Route, What It Looks Like in Reality

Building links internally sounds clean.

Full control.
No middlemen.
Direct accountability.

Here’s what agencies often underestimate.

In-House Costs Stack Quickly

You’re paying for:

• Salary
• Benefits
• Training
• Outreach tools
• Prospecting software
• Content writers

Data from Glassdoor salary estimates shows link builders earning $45,000 to $70,000 per year.

That’s before tools like:

• Ahrefs or Semrush
• BuzzStream
• Pitchbox

This is why Search Engine Journal notes that internal SEO teams often cost more than outsourced solutions at scale.

The Bigger Risk

Turnover.

When a trained link builder leaves, your process resets.

I’ve watched agencies lose months of momentum because one person walked.

Not ideal.

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Step #3: What a Link Building Company Actually Solves

A good link building company removes friction.

Not theory.
Execution.

Here’s what changes:

• No hiring delays
• No training curve
• No inbox management
• No outreach mistakes

Companies that do this every day already have:

• Publisher relationships
• Proven outreach scripts
• Editorial access
• Quality filters

According to Moz’s link quality guidelines, consistency and relevance matter more than raw volume.

That’s hard to maintain with rotating internal staff.

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Step #4: The Control Myth Agencies Worry About

I hear this all the time.

“I want full control.”

Fair concern.

But here’s what actually matters:

• Link relevance
• Anchor safety
• Placement quality
• Transparency

A reputable link building company gives reporting, URLs, anchors, and metrics.

You don’t lose control.
You offload execution.

Big difference.

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Step #5: Data on Outsourcing vs Internal SEO

Let’s talk numbers.

A study referenced by HubSpot shows businesses outsourcing SEO tasks scale faster due to access to specialists.

This applies directly to link acquisition.

Specialists outperform generalists.

That’s just how it works.

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Step #6: Where Rankifyer Fits In

This is where I point agencies when they want reliability without chaos.

Rankifyer operates as a link building company built specifically for agencies.

What stands out:

• Clean outreach
• Real editorial placements
• No spam networks
• White-label delivery
• Clear reporting

They focus on link building and SEO only.

No distractions.
No upsells.
No noise.

This setup mirrors what Google’s link spam documentation encourages, which is earned, editorial, and relevant links.

That matters.

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Step #7: The Hybrid Model Most Agencies End Up Using

Here’s what I see working best.

• Strategy stays in-house
• Execution goes to a link building company

You keep:

• Client communication
• Anchor strategy
• Campaign goals

They handle:

• Prospecting
• Outreach
• Placement

This model gives agencies leverage without bloat.

Not too shabby.

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Final Verdict: Which Is Better for Agencies

If you’re small and experimenting, in-house can work.

If you’re scaling, managing clients, and protecting margins, a link building company makes more sense.

I recommend Rankifyer because they remove risk, save time, and let agencies focus on growth instead of inbox management.

You don’t need to build everything yourself.

You need systems that work.

This sounds harder than it is.