seo-backlinks

Backlinks & Reporting

Load client context first. See seo-keywords rules/client-setup.md.

File Organization

backlinks/
├── competitor-profiles/
│   └── {competitor-slug}.json     # Per-competitor backlink data
├── opportunities.json             # Scored link opportunities
├── outreach-plan-{date}.json      # 90-day outreach plan
├── toxic-links.json               # Toxic backlink report
├── unlinked-mentions.json         # Brand mentions without links
└── disavow.txt                    # Google disavow file format

reports/
├── monthly-{year}-{month}.md      # Monthly SEO reports
└── quarterly-{year}-q{n}.md       # Quarterly summaries

Competitor Backlink Profiling

For each competitor in client config, discover their link sources:

# Find pages linking to competitor
firecrawl search "link:{competitor-domain}" --limit 50 -o .seo/clients/{slug}/backlinks/.firecrawl/links-{comp}.json --json &

# Find brand mentions (potential link sources)
firecrawl search "\"{competitor-name}\" -{competitor-domain}" --limit 30 -o .seo/clients/{slug}/backlinks/.firecrawl/mentions-{comp}.json --json &

# Find guest posts by competitor
firecrawl search "\"{competitor-name}\" guest post OR contributed by OR written by" --limit 20 -o .seo/clients/{slug}/backlinks/.firecrawl/guest-{comp}.json --json &

wait

For each discovered link source, analyze:

• Source domain and page
• Link context: editorial mention, directory listing, guest post, resource page, forum, comment
• Anchor text used
• Follow vs nofollow
• Topical relevance to client's industry
• Domain signals: established site vs thin/spammy

Output Format

{
  "competitor": "Competitor Name",
  "domain": "competitor.com",
  "link_sources": [
    {
      "source_url": "https://referring-site.com/article",
      "source_domain": "referring-site.com",
      "link_type": "editorial|guest-post|directory|resource-page|forum|comment|partnership",
      "anchor_text": "anchor text used",
      "follow": true,
      "relevance": "high|medium|low",
      "replicable": true,
      "notes": "Blog post about industry topic, could pitch similar content"
    }
  ],
  "summary": {
    "total_sources_found": 45,
    "editorial_links": 20,
    "guest_posts": 8,
    "directories": 10,
    "resource_pages": 5,
    "other": 2
  }
}

Link Opportunity Scoring

Score each prospect on a 0-100 scale across 4 dimensions:

Dimension	Weight	Criteria
Relevance	25 pts	Industry match, topical alignment, audience overlap
Authority	25 pts	Domain reputation, traffic indicators, content quality
Achievability	25 pts	Accepts guest posts? Has resource pages? Responded to outreach before? Open contact info?
Traffic Potential	25 pts	Referral traffic value, audience size, social engagement

Priority tiers:

• Tier 1 (75-100): Pursue immediately — high relevance + achievable
• Tier 2 (50-74): Include in outreach plan — good potential
• Tier 3 (25-49): Secondary targets — nice to have
• Tier 4 (0-24): Skip — low value or unachievable

90-Day Outreach Plan

Phase 1: Low-Hanging Fruit (Days 1-30)

Targets:

• Directories and listings the client is missing but competitors have
• Unlinked brand mentions (found via mention search — just need to ask for a link)
• Broken link opportunities: find 404 links on resource pages, offer client content as replacement
• Industry associations and chamber of commerce listings
• Existing relationships (partners, vendors, clients who could link)

Actions:

• Submit to 10-15 relevant directories
• Send personalized outreach to 10 unlinked mention sites
• Find 5-10 broken link opportunities
• Claim all relevant association listings

Phase 2: Content-Based Link Building (Days 31-60)

Targets:

• Guest post opportunities on industry blogs
• Resource page inclusion (sites with "resources" or "useful links" pages)
• HARO / journalist queries (Help a Reporter Out)
• Podcast guest appearances
• Expert roundup participation

Actions:

• Pitch 15-20 guest post targets (send personalized pitch with topic ideas)
• Submit client content to 10 resource pages
• Sign up for HARO and respond to 2-3 relevant queries per week
• Identify 5 industry podcasts accepting guests

Phase 3: Digital PR & Partnerships (Days 61-90)

Targets:

• Data-driven content / original research that earns links naturally
• Infographics and visual assets for link bait
• Strategic partnerships with complementary businesses
• Local sponsorships and community involvement
• Industry award submissions

Actions:

• Create 1-2 pieces of link-worthy content (data study, tool, comprehensive guide)
• Develop 2-3 partnership link exchanges with complementary businesses
• Submit to 5 industry award programs
• Sponsor or participate in 2 local/industry events

Outreach Email Templates

Guest Post Pitch:

Subject: Content idea for {site_name}: {topic}

Hi {editor_name},

I noticed {site_name} covers {topic area} and thought your readers might enjoy an article on {specific topic idea}.

I'm {author_name}, {brief credential}. I'd cover:
- {Point 1}
- {Point 2}
- {Point 3}

I'll make sure the piece is original, well-researched, and a great fit for your audience. Would this be of interest?

{name}
{title}, {company}

Unlinked Mention:

Subject: Thanks for mentioning {brand}!

Hi {name},

I noticed you mentioned {brand} in your article "{article title}" — thank you!

Would you mind adding a quick link to {url} where you reference us? It helps our readers find us and would be a nice complement to your article.

Thanks!
{name}

Broken Link:

Subject: Broken link on {page title}

Hi {name},

I was reading your helpful resource page "{page title}" and noticed the link to {broken resource} appears to be broken (returns a 404).

We have a similar resource at {client url} that covers the same topic. Would you consider updating the link?

{name}

Toxic Backlink Identification

Search for links that could harm the client:

firecrawl search "link:{client-domain}" --limit 100 -o .seo/clients/{slug}/backlinks/.firecrawl/all-links.json --json

Toxic link patterns to flag:

• PBN characteristics: thin content, generic design, excessive outbound links, exact-match anchor domains
• Spammy directories: low-quality directories with no editorial standards
• Irrelevant foreign-language sites linking with keyword anchor text
• Comment spam: links from blog comments or forums
• Link farms: sites that exist solely to sell/exchange links
• Excessive exact-match anchors: unnatural anchor text profile

Disavow File Format

# Toxic backlinks identified on {date}
# Client: {client_name}
# Domain: {client_domain}

# Individual URLs
https://spammy-site.com/page-with-link
https://another-spam.com/article

# Entire domains
domain:spam-domain.com
domain:link-farm.net

Unlinked Mention Discovery

Find brand mentions without links:

# Search for brand mentions excluding own site
firecrawl search "\"{brand_name}\" -{client-domain}" --limit 50 -o .seo/clients/{slug}/backlinks/.firecrawl/brand-mentions.json --json

# Also search for common misspellings or variations
firecrawl search "\"{brand_variation}\" -{client-domain}" --limit 20 -o .seo/clients/{slug}/backlinks/.firecrawl/brand-variations.json --json

For each mention, scrape the page to verify:

1. The mention exists and is relevant
2. No link to client domain already exists
3. The context is positive or neutral (not a complaint)
4. The site is worth pursuing (not spammy)

Monthly Reporting Framework

Generate a reusable monthly report covering all SEO activities and results.

Report Template Structure

# Monthly SEO Report — {Month} {Year}
## {Client Name} | {Domain}

Prepared by {Agency Name} | {Date}

---

## Executive Summary
{2-3 sentences: key wins, changes in performance, top priority for next month}

## Technical Health
- Overall Score: {score}/100 (vs {previous_score}/100 last month)
- Issues Fixed: {count}
- New Issues Found: {count}
- Top remaining issue: {description}

## Keyword Performance
- Total keywords tracked: {count}
- Keywords in top 10: {count} ({change} vs last month)
- Keywords in top 3: {count} ({change} vs last month)
- New keyword opportunities identified: {count}
- Top keyword wins: {list top 3 improvements}

## Content
- New pages published: {count}
- Pages optimized/refreshed: {count}
- Average on-page score: {score}/100
- Content gaps remaining: {count}

## Local SEO (if applicable)
- GBP posts published: {count}
- GBP views: {metric if available}
- New reviews: {count} (avg rating: {stars})
- Citations updated: {count}

## Backlinks
- New links acquired: {count}
- Links lost: {count}
- Outreach emails sent: {count}
- Response rate: {percent}
- Top new links: {list top 3}

## AI Search Visibility (AEO)
- AI Overview appearances: {observed/not observed}
- Brand mentions in AI results: {count}
- Schema markup coverage: {percent of pages}

## Priorities for Next Month
1. {Priority 1}
2. {Priority 2}
3. {Priority 3}

---

## Appendix: Detailed Data
{Link to JSON data files in .seo/ directory}

Report Generation Steps

1. Load all data from .seo/clients/{slug}/ subdirectories
2. Compare against previous month's data (if available)
3. Calculate trends and changes
4. Highlight wins and regressions
5. Generate action items for next month
6. Save to .seo/clients/{slug}/reports/monthly-{year}-{month}.md