Publisuites, the Spanish content marketing platform, unveiled its 7th study on the use of link building aimed at analyzing trends in this field during the year 2023. The research focuses on advertisers’ purchasing habits, the types of websites used, and various factors influencing positioning strategies.
Link building is a fundamental strategy in digital marketing and SEO, involving the acquisition of quality backlinks from other websites to one’s own. This process aims to improve a site’s visibility and authority on search engines, as search engines interpret incoming links as indicators of trust and relevance.
The study analyzed sponsored post sales on specialized blogs and media outlets throughout 2023 on the Publisuites platform. The information gathered through the platform and CRM was divided into three main blocks: types of websites, other SEO aspects, and metrics related to traffic and visibility.
A total of 2,258 different advertisers who made purchases on various media and services on the platform to improve the authority and visibility of their web projects were analyzed. 43.7% were agencies and companies, while 56.3% were independent professionals, entrepreneurs, or webmasters.
There was a diverse geographical distribution of advertisers, with Spain significantly represented at 82.18% of the total. Mexico ranked second with 5.15%, followed by Colombia with 1.29%; while Italy, Peru, the United States, and France contributed with percentages of 1.4%, 2.71%, 1.26%, and 1.08%, respectively.
Types of Websites and Post Prices
Regarding types of websites, the study highlights the importance of choosing appropriate platforms based on specialization, audience, and advertisers’ goals in their link building efforts. The variety of options reflects the constant evolution in the preferences and approaches of digital marketing professionals.
The predominant category is Niche/Specialized, representing 66% of the choices. Despite a decrease compared to the previous year, these sites remain the primary option, highlighting the importance of reaching specific audiences through specialized topics. A notable trend is the increase in the use of Press media, representing 24.85% of the choices, indicating a greater inclination towards news sites, both specialized and generalist, suggesting that advertisers value the authority and visibility associated with these media.
In contrast, other categories such as OFS (Only for SEO), Influencer, and Corporate maintain more modest presences, at 6.12%, 1.8%, and 1.17%, respectively. Although these types of websites represent lower percentages, they reflect the diversity of approaches used by advertisers to meet their link building goals. Subdomain participation is minimal, at 0.05%, indicating that advertisers tend to avoid this option, which continues to decline compared to the 2022 study.
As for budgets, there is a trend towards preferring more affordable options by advertisers. The price range below 50 euros emerges as the most popular choice, experiencing a significant increase of 19.19% compared to the previous year. There is also a decrease in the preference for medium to high-priced options, with the category of 100 to 350 euros experiencing a decrease of 16.98%. Conversely, the category of over 350 euros, although representing a minority, shows an increase of 1.29%.
SEO Metrics, Verified Traffic Data, and Links
Advertisers demonstrated continuity in the importance of SEO metrics when selecting media for their campaigns. On average, advertisers favored websites with a Domain Rating (DR) of 25 and a Domain Authority (DA) of 34. These figures represent a constant DR compared to the previous year, while the DA experiences an increase of 9.38%, reaching 34 points.
In terms of specific metrics, Citation Flow (CF) remains at an average of 37, reflecting stability, while Trust Flow (TF) shows a slight increase, reaching 22. Regarding Google Analytics (GA), a significant change is evident: 18.7% of the media are linked, marking a decrease from 32% in 2022.
Speaking of links, it is highlighted that 50.2% of the content published during 2023 included a single link. This change represents a significant increase compared to the 31% observed in 2022. Additionally, it is observed that 97.8% of these links are dofollow, emphasizing the persistent preference for links that transmit authority.
Regarding the length of the anchor text, it is observed that the majority of advertisers (approximately 24%) prefer to use anchors of three words. This finding suggests a growing trend towards seeking specific and relevant anchors to strengthen positioning strategies.
