If you’re looking to increase your brand visibility, manual link building services can help fulfill that goal.
As the founder and/or CEO of a company looking to expand its reach, you obviously have a lot on your plate. As such, it makes sense that in the scenario where you’d like to dabble in link building, you’d prefer to take the weight of the process off your in-house team’s shoulders. However, when outsourcing your backlink needs, it’s key that you bring in the help of a manual link building agency specifically.
Manual backlink building service providers are the types of agencies that will work in your favor, as their hands-on approach to outreach is what actually moves rankings.
What Is Manual Link Building?
Manual link building is the procedure of earning backlinks through direct editorial outreach with website owners, editors and publishers.
The process consists of first researching and finding relevant and reputable websites within your industry that will provide you with value if you’re able to secure a link from them. Afterwards, you contact the leaders of those sites, mainly their editors and webmasters, hence the title of “manual”. Finally, once you’re talking, you ask for a backlink which points back to your own site.
A manual link building agency does all that work for you, and the only thing you have to keep an eye on are the obtained links which will boost your pages.
Why Should You Prefer Manual Link Building Service Providers?
You should prefer agencies that build links manually because manual links are valued by search engines.
Though services that supply clients with links attained through automated approaches can produce quick results, it’s only a matter of time till their value dies out. This is due to their infringement of Google spam policies, as their abundance of backlink placements come thanks to low-quality sites such as PBNs.
This instability isn’t the case for manual link building agencies, as these third party teams specialize in proper direct outreach with the right people, and are effective at persuading those people into providing valuable links. Thanks to them, you’ll receive the hyperlinks which search engines cherish, and strengthen your website in the process.
Best Manual Link Building Agencies
| Website | Founded | Primary services | Clients | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1gopeak.io | 2023 | Brand mentions, contextual link building, GEO | Picsart, MyHours, ReferralRock, Sender | From $990/mo |
| pageonepower.com | 2010 | Guest posting, broken link building, resource page link building | Healthline, Hyatt, Bostitch | Custom |
| fatjoe.com | 2012 | Blogger outreach, niche edits, multilingual outreach | Wolf River Electric PR, Pink Jobs | Ultimate Package $3,600/campaign |
| editorial.link | 2020 | Editorial backlinks, digital PR, broken link building | NordVPN, PeopleForce, PandaDoc | From $1,750/mo |
| stellarseo.com | 2012 | Custom link outreach, guest posting, niche edits | N/A | $2,500 to $10,000/mo |
| authoritybuilders.com | 2016 | Guest posting, link insertions, digital PR | N/A | $3,000+/mo (custom/enterprise) |
| thehoth.com | 2010 | Link insertions, digital PR | KICKS CREW, BloqUV | Insertions $200, digital PR $1,500/mo |
| userp.io | 2019 | Digital PR, guest posting | Robinhood, ActiveCampaign, Hightouch | $10,000 to $20,000/mo |
| outreachmonks.com | 2017 | Guest posting, niche edits | Fabletics, Coinbase, Sephora | $1,999/mo (DR 20-59) |
With all that said, let’s dive right in and see which agencies stand tall as the best manual link building service providers!
1. GoPeak

- Founded in: 2023
- Overview: GoPeak is a manual link building agency that conducts all of its backlink outreach strictly through manual and white-hat methods, while simultaneously managing to provide a monthly ceiling of 50 links. Additionally, despite the scale, the team still plays close attention to key details like anchor text distribution, while being flexible enough to work with brands from any industry. Furthermore, GoPeak also offers manual brand mention placements that target AI responses, helping your organization show up in AI answers for queries.
- Types of services: Brand Mentions, contextual link building, etc.
- Clients: Picsart, myhours, Referralrock, Sender
- Website: gopeak.io
- Pricing: Starting from $990 for
2. Page One Power

- Founded in: 2010
- Overview: Page One Power takes an interesting approach to the link earning process particularly when looking at their metrics for determining host websites, as instead of a standard DR or DA system, they combine certain metrics to form their approach for earning links. Those approaches are highly-customizable too, letting buyers collaborate with campaigns which attempt to fit their unique needs. Regardless of the customizability though, they are a fully manual link building service provider, that fact doesn’t change.
- Types of services: Guest posting, broken link building, resource page link building
- Clients: Healthline, Hyatt, Bostitch
- Website: pageonepower.com
- Pricing: Custom
3. FatJoe

- Founded in: 2012
- Overview: What sets FatJoe apart from other manual link building companies is in how they provide their services. Instead of defined packages or individual plans for clients, they provide an arsenal of individual offerings with the freedom to pick between them in any way you’d like. Luckily, all these services are displayed as a result of only manual work, making them a unique option.
- Types of services: Blogger outreach, niche edits, multilingual outreach
- Clients: Wolf River Electric PR, Pink Jobs
- Website: fatjoe.com
- Pricing: Ultimate Package is $3,600 per campaign
4. editorial.link

- Founded in: 2020
- Overview: Another manual link building agency that prioritizes customization with their packages is editorial.link. Their team works hard to maintain fit with clients with the help of their also customizable strategies, and additionally lets buyers approve or disapprove of placements before they’re completed.
- Types of services: Editorial backlinks, digital pr, broken link building
- Clients: NordVPN, PeopleForce, PandaDoc.
- Pricing: Packages start at $1,750
- Website: editorial.link
5. Stellar SEO

- Founded in: 2012
- Overview: For regulated fields, Stellar SEO is a top choice. Thanks to their custom packages, they’re able to triangulate the specific needs for each individual campaign, and bring the links necessary for success. Furthermore, their own workflow process called the Entity-Driven Link Building System (EDLS) ensures that their backlinks are earned through purely manual methods.
- Types of services: Custom link outreach guest posting, niche edits, etc.
- Clients: N/A
- Pricing: $2,500 – $10,000/mo
- Website: stellarseo.com
6. Authority Builders Co.

- Founded in: 2016
- Overview: Authority builders works with purely manual link building methods and prides themselves on avoiding any non-ethical method. They also provide year-long link-permanence in the case of removals or other issues, and also hold a numbered, branded vetting checklist for sites.
- Types of services: Guest posting, link insertions, digital PR
- Clients: N/A
- Website: authoritybuilders.com
- Pricing: $3,000+/mo for custom/enterprise plans
7. The HOTH

- Founded in: 2010
- Overview: The HOTH, or “Hittem Over The Head” is another manual link building service provider with a unique methodology. What they have specifically is an interactive “Find My Fit” quiz that categorizes host prospects into a three-tier product structure by goal/budget. They also have a rule against reusing the same placement site for one client within 6 months.
- Types of services: Link insertions, digital PR
- Clients: KICKS CREW, BloqUV
- Website: thehoth.com
- Pricing: link insertions $200, digital PR $1,500/mo
8. uSERP

- Founded in: 2019
- Overview: uSERP operates their link building with a performance-based guarantee system that ensures every single placement of theirs meets certain strict prerequisites. Among these requirements is of course a manual approach that allows uSERP’s placements to have true value.
- Types of services: Digital PR, guest posting
- Clients: Robinhood, ActiveCampaign, Hightouch
- Website: userp.io
- Pricing: $10,000 – $20,000/mo
9. OutreachMonks

- Founded in: 2017
- Overview: The team at OutreachMonks follows a clear-cut 8 step process for their link building which has resulted in success for clients. One of their most important steps is number four titled “manual personalised outreach,” fulfilling the need for manual placements.
- Types of services: Guest posting, niche edits
- Clients: Fabletics, Coinbase, Sephora
- Website: outreachmonks.com
- Pricing: $1,999/mo for DR 20-59
How To Choose the Best Manual Link Building Agency
Even if an agency promises manual outreach, there’s still other factors you should consider prior to outsourcing your backlink needs. Besides just a need for fit between you and an agency, you should look out for some telltale signs of more manipulative teams. When choosing a manual link building agency, consider the following:
- Budget and pricing: Link building is not cheap, and especially when filtering on providers who offer manual outreach, the price only goes up. So, see if you’re ready for a purchase first, or take a look at options that won’t cut a hole through your wallet. GoPeak for example stands at a very reasonable price without losing any quality in terms of its backlinks.
- Link building tactics: Just because a service provider’s link building is done manually doesn’t immediately mean that their individual strategies are right for you. Take a look at how they conduct their link building in order to feel comfortable with your choice.
- Industry experience: Maybe a specific team has experience working within your niche. If so, they’ll already know what’s right for your company specifically. See if you can look at past clients or a list of employees to figure out a fit.
- AI search prioritization: Considering how it looks like the rise of AI isn’t stopping anytime soon, link builders need to be on the top of their game when it comes to maximizing AI visibility. For your brand visibility in AI search, it’s important that your outsourced team actually knows how to help you in that area.
- Schedule a meeting: Lastly, if there’s anything up in the air regarding the specifics, you can always just book a call with the agency you’re targeting. Chances are you’ll iron out the details and figure out all you need for a decision.
Final Thoughts
Manual link building agencies are the way to go because other methods won’t actually give you sustainable results. If you want to see your organization really rise up the search engine rankings and stand out, hiring such an agency is always a good call. Manual backlinks are hard to obtain, which is what makes them so valuable, so even if you’re paying a lot, just know that the reward outweighs your investment.

