Link building cost calculator
Choose the tactics and the number of links per month. The calculator returns a budget range from published 2026 prices and shows how much of it sits in risky tactics.
Per month
$0
Over 6 months
$0
Links per month
0
Budget in tactics rated R3 or higher
0%
Prices are per link, per citation for local citations and per domain for expired domains.
How to read the result
The low figure assumes the cheapest realistic price for each tactic and the high figure the top of its usual range. Most real budgets land between the two. For the reasoning behind each range, see link building cost and budget, which has price tables by method, authority, niche and country.
Price per link, by tactic
| Tactic | Typical cost | Risk | Time to a live link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link reclamation | $0 to $50 | R1 | Days |
| Unlinked mentions | $20 to $80 | R1 | Days |
| Testimonials and partner links | $0 | R1 | Weeks |
| Local citations | $2 to $3.20 per citation | R1 | Days |
| Journalist requests | About $400 with labour | R1 | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Linkable assets and outreach | $150 to $400 | R1 | 1 to 3 months |
| Broken links and resource pages | $100 to $300 | R1 | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Digital PR | $300 to $1,500 | R1 | 1 to 3 months |
| Genuine guest posts | $150 to $600 in labour | R1 to R2 | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Sponsorships | $50 to $5,000 | R2 | Weeks |
| Link exchanges | $0 to $150 | R2 to R3 | Days to weeks |
| Paid guest posts | $295 to $461 average, $1,100+ on quality sites | R3 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Niche edits (link insertions) | $179 average, $330 to $780 on quality sites | R3 | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Link marketplaces | $60 to $500 | R3 | Days |
| Expired domains and 301s | $50 to $10,000 per domain | R2 to R4 | Weeks |
| Parasite pages | $200 to $5,000+ per placement | R3 to R4 | Days |
| Private blog networks | $150 to $600 per site, plus upkeep | R4 | 1 to 2 months |
| Public PBNs and automation | Under $5 | R4 to R5 | Hours |
Setting the mix
A budget is a mix of tactics, and the mix decides the risk. Earned tactics such as digital PR cost more per link and sit at R1. Paid placements are cheaper and faster and sit at R3. The tactics hub charts all of them by cost and risk, and how many backlinks you need helps with the quantity.
Common questions
Where do the prices come from?
From the cost range we publish for each tactic, which is built on named 2026 studies such as the Editorial.link survey of 518 SEOs, the ESBO analysis of 16,625 publishers and BuzzStream paid placement data. Each tactic page lists its sources.
Why is the result a range and not one number?
The price of a link depends on the site, the niche and the country, so a single figure would be false precision. Use the low end for small sites and easy niches and the high end for strong publishers and regulated industries.
What does the risk share mean?
It is the part of your budget that goes to tactics rated R3 or higher on our scale, meaning tactics that break Google link spam policy when the link passes ranking credit. It does not predict a penalty.
Does the calculator include agency fees or tools?
No. It covers the cost per link only. Retainers, tool subscriptions and in-house salaries come on top.
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