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:

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