The original article described an enterprise site that already had links to its whitepapers. The problems I identified were closer to home: page titles, sitemaps and placeholder content needed attention.

The lesson is not that all backlinks are bad. It is that buying more activity does not fix an underlying website problem.

Inspect what is getting in the way

Check the important pages, their titles and the routes customers use to reach them. Look for broken internal links and unfinished content. Compare the sitemap with the site’s intended pages, without assuming that every search index count must match it.

Use the evidence to distinguish a technical problem from a content or promotion problem. A report full of new links is not a diagnosis.

Ask for a reason before spending

If an agency recommends a link campaign, ask what specific problem it solves and how the proposed placements help your audience. Review the actual publishers and the purpose of the work.

Read how to assess backlink proposals or discuss the site through our SEO service.