High quality backlinks: how we check every publisher
Everyone promises high quality backlinks. This page shows exactly what that means at LinkHeron: the checks every site must pass, the numbers behind them, and the sites we turn away.
Our first publisher review, in numbers
Before taking on clients, we ran our own list of SaaS, tech and business publishers through every check on this page.
- sites read post by post
- 164
- failed the content checks
- 39
- checked in Ahrefs
- 107
- met the full standard
- 46
What makes a backlink high quality?
A high quality backlink is a link inside useful content on a real site that people read, on a topic close to yours. Six signals decide it, and here is how we check each one before you pay for anything.
| Signal | What it means | How we check it |
|---|---|---|
| A real audience | People actually visit the site from search, so the page carries weight and can send referral visitors. | Minimum monthly organic traffic in Ahrefs for every tier, never DR alone. |
| Topical relevance | The site and the article are about something close to what you sell. | At least 40% of recent posts on business, software or marketing topics, plus a topic match for each client. |
| Editorial placement | The link sits inside the body of a useful article, not in a footer, sidebar or bio. | One contextual link per article, written to the publisher's guidelines. |
| A clean outbound profile | The page does not link out to dozens of unrelated or spammy sites. | We count outbound links per post and reject sites linking to casino, CBD, adult or essay writing pages. |
| Natural anchor text | The clickable words read naturally instead of repeating the same exact keyword. | You approve every anchor before the article is written. |
| Persistence | The page stays live, gets updated and keeps getting crawled. | Active sites only, publishers agree to no expiry, and every live link is re-checked. |
We read the site before we look at its metrics
For every publisher we read up to 10 of its most recent posts and check how active it is, what it writes about, and where its outbound links point. Any one of these is an automatic fail:
No new post in the last 180 days
Inactive blogs lose readers and crawl attention. A link there helps nobody.
Fewer than 40% of recent posts on business, software or marketing topics
If the site is not about your world, the link is not relevant to your buyers.
Links to casino, CBD, adult, essay writing or follower selling sites in 2 or more recent posts
That pattern means the site sells links to anyone. Google sees the same pattern.
Domain Rating of 40 or more, but fewer than 500 monthly organic visits
Authority without visitors usually means the DR was built, not earned.
Warning signs we weigh up
More than 8 outbound links per post on average
Over 15 per post is treated as link selling at scale.
Fewer than 30% of outbound links are dofollow
Your link is likely to be nofollow or sponsored too.
Last post 60 to 180 days ago
Slower sites need a stronger case on the other checks.
Top traffic country outside the US, UK and Europe
Flagged for US focused clients, not rejected.
Authority and real traffic, both required
Sites that pass the reading test are checked in Ahrefs for Domain Rating and monthly organic traffic. Each of our tiers has a floor for both, and a site must clear both to qualify.
| Tier | Domain Rating | Organic traffic / month |
|---|---|---|
| Moon | 30+ | 1,000+ |
| Planet | 50+ | 3,000+ |
| Sun | 70+ | 10,000+ |
Metrics from Ahrefs at the time of review. We re-check them before each order.
Your approval, then placement, then re-checks
- 1
You approve the publisher, the article topic and the anchor text before anything is written.
- 2
The publisher confirms the link stays live with no expiry date.
- 3
We check the live page: the link is there, in context, with the attributes we agreed.
- 4
Every link is re-checked after it goes live and reported to you.
Sites we never use
No exceptions for price, deadline or a client request.
- Private blog networks (PBNs) and sites built only to sell links
- Link farms that publish anything for a fee
- Comment, forum profile, directory or other automated links
- Sites that hide who runs them or have no real content
Backlink quality FAQ
What makes a backlink high quality?
A high quality backlink sits on a real site that people actually visit, on a page about a topic close to yours, placed inside useful content. Authority scores like DR help, but only alongside real organic traffic, relevance and a clean outbound link profile.
How do you check the quality of a backlink?
Look at the linking site's real organic traffic, not just its Domain Rating. Read its recent posts to confirm it is active and on topic, count how many outbound links each post carries, and check whether those links point to spam niches. Then confirm the link itself is live, in context and dofollow.
Can low quality backlinks hurt my SEO?
Mostly they waste money, because search engines tend to ignore links from spammy sites. Large scale link schemes, such as networks of sites built to sell links, can lead to manual penalties. That risk is why we reject those sites outright.
Are nofollow backlinks worthless?
Not worthless. A nofollow link on a real site with readers can still send visitors and build brand recognition. For rankings, though, dofollow links on relevant sites do more, which is why we check how a publisher marks its outbound links.
Do backlinks matter for AI search?
AI answers draw on pages that search engines already trust and crawl. A mention of your brand inside relevant, well read content makes it easier for those systems to connect you with your topic. The same quality signals apply.
Is Domain Rating enough to judge a site?
No. DR measures backlinks, and backlinks can be bought. In our own checks, 13 of 107 sites had a DR of 40 or more with fewer than 500 monthly organic visits. We never place links on sites like that.
Do you use PBNs or link farms?
No. Every publisher is a real site with its own readers. Sites whose recent posts link to casino, CBD, adult or essay writing pages fail our checks automatically.