The trouble with buying backlinks is you can spend dozens of hours on a campaign and end up with little to no results. Trust me, I know from experience. As an SEO consultant who’s managed link acquisition for over a decade, I’ve seen my share of tactics, tools, and growing pains in this industry.
But since I started using PressWhizz a few months ago, the trajectory of my link building has completely shifted. What used to be a frustrating grind is now a smooth, scalable process.
In this comprehensive PressWhizz review, I’ll break down how this tool works, what makes it special, and how it compares to other link marketplaces I’ve used. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea if PressWhizz aligns with your SEO strategy and is worth the investment.
My PressWhizz Review in a Nutshell
PressWhizz has quickly become my go-to platform for buying quality backlinks. Here’s why:
- Thoroughly vetted database of 37,000+ publishers across 20+ countries
- In-depth yet accessible filtering options to find the most relevant placements
- Transparent site metrics integrated from top SEO tools
- Flexible purchase options between contextual link insertion and guest posts
- Seamless project and client management features to organize campaigns
- Clear, upfront pricing with no hidden fees
While PressWhizz isn’t the cheapest option out there (links start around $50), you definitely get what you pay for in terms of quality control and efficiency. I would only use cheaper alternatives for lower-stakes projects or when you have more time than money to invest.
If you’re serious about building your backlink profile and can spare at least a few hundred dollars per month, I highly recommend checking out PressWhizz.
You can browse their entire database for free before committing to any purchases.
Why Use a Link Building Marketplace?
Back when I was new to SEO, I used to handle all my link building in-house. This meant:
- Spending half my day prospecting for relevant websites
- Crafting personalized outreach emails to editors
- Playing email tag for weeks to negotiate prices and terms
- Constantly following up on late deliverables
- Putting out fires when links suddenly disappeared
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever done manual link outreach, you know it’s a massive time-sink with unpredictable results.
I finally hit a breaking point when a client’s campaign fell through because half our contacts went MIA after sending payments. I knew there had to be a better way.
Enter link-building marketplaces. Instead of playing the one-to-one outreach game, these platforms connect you with pre-vetted publishers who are ready to offer placements for a fixed price.
The benefits of using a curated marketplace speak for themselves:
- Due diligence on publisher quality is handled for you
- Placement prices and requirements are standardized
- Orders and communications are trackable in one interface
- Deliverables and publisher relationships are managed by the platform
Yes, the average cost per link is higher than going direct. But when you factor in the time saved and the reduced risk of wasted efforts, the ROI often makes sense for any serious link-building campaign.
What Makes PressWhizz Different?
PressWhizz isn’t the only link marketplace I’ve tested. But it’s earned the top spot in my toolkit for a few key reasons.
First, the vetting process for their publisher network is top-notch. While some platforms brag about having the biggest databases, PressWhizz has intentionally kept theirs smaller but higher quality.
To get listed on PressWhizz, publisher sites undergo manual review for criteria like:
- Consistent organic traffic growth
- Healthy link velocity and referring IP diversity
- Topical relevance and content quality
In practice, this means less time sifting through seedy-looking PBNs to find legitimate publishers. It also means better results, since Google cares a lot about the quality and relevance of referring domains.
PressWhizz’s interface is another major selling point. Unlike some platforms that feel clunky and outdated, PressWhizz has managed to pack a ton of functionality into a clean, intuitive dashboard.
For example, key SEO metrics like domain rating and organic traffic are pulled right into the platform from trusted tools like Ahrefs and Semrush. So you don’t have to toggle between multiple tools to vet prospects.
The Projects and Domains feature is also super handy for staying organized across multiple campaigns. You can group publishers by domain or project, add tags and notes, and even get alerts if you’re about to buy a duplicate link. When you’re juggling a lot of link orders, this kind of organization is a lifesaver.
Buying Links on PressWhizz: A Detailed Walkthrough
Now that you’ve got the high-level view, let me get into the nitty-gritty of how to actually buy links on PressWhizz. I’ve refined this system over months of testing to maximize efficiency and link impact.
- Finding Potential Placements
The first step is to set up your search criteria. PressWhizz’s dynamic filters make it easy to slice and dice their database according to your exact needs.
To start, I set some baseline criteria:
- Minimum organic traffic (I aim for at least 1,000 monthly visits)
- Domain authority range (depends on the project, but usually 30+)
- Topical relevance (using primary and secondary keywords)
One cool feature is the ability to search by TLD, which is useful for building topically relevant links on high-authority niche sites, like .edu and .gov domains.
If you’re working in a YMYL niche (think finance, health, law, etc.), PressWhizz has a separate category for publishers who accept content in these verticals. Just keep in mind that placements in YMYL categories often command a premium price.
Evaluating Publisher Quality
Once you’ve got a list of prospective publishers, it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff. While PressWhizz’s vetting does a lot of the heavy lifting, I still like to do my own quality assessment before pulling the trigger.
Here are some key things I look at:
- Site Metrics: I dig into the placement’s traffic stats (organic vs paid), backlink profile, and domain rating over time. Steady, organic growth is a green flag; sudden spikes or drops can indicate manipulation.
- Outbound Link Ratio: If a site has way more outbound links than inbound links, that can be a red flag for a link farm. I like to see a relatively balanced ratio.
- Referral Traffic: Good referral traffic from relevant sites is a positive sign for both quality and potential impact. PressWhizz makes it easy to see a breakdown of the site’s referring domains.
- Content Quality: I always take a look at the site’s existing content to gauge tone, style, and audience alignment. I also keep an eye out for “sponsored content” disclaimers that might lessen link impact.
Choosing a Placement Type
Once you’ve found a publisher you want to work with, PressWhizz offers two main placement options:
1. Link Insertion
This is when you add a link to an existing article on the publisher’s site. These tend to be the quickest and most affordable placements, since you’re not creating content from scratch.
Link insertions are great for:
- Boosting topical relevance for specific pages
- Taking advantage of content that already has authority and traffic
- Getting a fast turnaround on live links (usually 3-5 days)
2. Guest Posting
With guest posting, you get to create a new piece of content for the publisher’s site that includes your target link. This gives you more control over the context and anchor text of your link.
Guest posts are ideal for:
- Building referral traffic to your content
- Showcasing thought leadership in your niche
- Enhancing the trustworthiness of your landing pages
PressWhizz publisher profiles clearly indicate which placement types they accept, along with recommended word counts, tone, and rates for guest posts. You’ll have the option to use PressWhizz’s content writing service for $25-50 per article.
Personally, I often opt to use my own writing team for better control over content quality and messaging. But if you don’t have access to this, the platform’s content service is a solid option.
Tracking and Managing Your Orders
Your PressWhizz dashboard is command central for tracking the status of all your link orders. You’ll be able to see at a glance:
- Order status (pending, in progress, completed, etc.)
- Article draft reviews and revisions
- Live link confirmations
- Issue resolution tickets
The platform automatically monitors your links for at least 12 months to ensure they stay live and reflects any changes in the dashboard. This sure beats having to manually check links or bug publishers about replacements.
I’ve only had one instance of a link being removed early, and the PressWhizz team was quick to resolve it by securing a replacement link of equal value.
PressWhizz Pricing and Value
Now for the million-dollar question: how much does all this cost? PressWhizz’s pricing model is straightforward, with placement prices clearly listed on each publisher profile.
Link prices start around $50 for basic placements on smaller sites and go up to $1,000 or more for features on high-authority sites in competitive niches. But realistically, most orders fall in the $200-500 range.
Most publications charge a premium for links to special categories like crypto, gambling, and adult – this can be anywhere from 30% to 300% more than a standard link.
If you’re on a shoestring budget, you may find cheaper link options on other marketplaces. But in my experience, the quality of publishers willing to trade links for basement prices is dicey at best.
When you factor in the hidden costs of vetting those publishers yourself, dealing with flaky orders, and constantly having to replace broken links, the cost savings often don’t pan out in the long run.
Remember, it’s better to have a handful of stable links from reputable sites than dozens of spammy ones that end up hurting your SEO.
PressWhizz Pros and Cons
To sum up my experience, here are the biggest benefits and drawbacks I’ve found with using PressWhizz for link building:
Pros:
- Rigorously vetted publisher database for better quality control
- Intuitive search and filtering options to find the most relevant placements
- In-platform SEO metrics and site performance data for easier vetting
- Smooth order and project management interface
- Direct publisher communication and support ticketing system
- Proactive link monitoring and replacement assistance
- Clear, competitive pricing with no added fees
Cons:
- Higher minimum price per link than some marketplaces (but often better quality)
- Publisher database is smaller than platforms like WhitePress (but growing steadily)
- Guest post writing service is adequate but not outstanding
Considering the upsides, the drawbacks are relatively minor in my book. No platform is perfect, but PressWhizz gets the core functionality right and is constantly improving on the margins.
PressWhizz Alternatives
PressWhizz is my top pick for most link-building projects. But there are a couple of other solutions worth considering depending on your needs and budget:
1. WhitePress
WhitePress is a larger link marketplace, with over 100,000 publisher sites in their database. They’re especially strong in international markets, with a wider range of European sites than PressWhizz.
I’ve used WhitePress for projects that needed a large volume of links fast, like launching a new site or supporting a major PR campaign. Their self-serve platform is pretty robust, and they have even more filter options than PressWhizz.
The main tradeoff is quality control. With a database that large, vetting is not as stringent so you’ll need to do more checks yourself.
2. Odys Global
Odys is a wildcard alternative. Instead of buying individual links, you’re buying already aged domains with established link profiles.
The idea is that you’re shortcutting the link-building process by piggybacking on the domain’s existing backlink authority. I’ve seen this work really well for jumpstarting a new site or boosting specific pages that are lagging behind.
But there’s a catch. You’ve got to know how to properly redirect the domain and optimize the new site structure to preserve link equity. It’s a more advanced SEO play that requires careful planning and technical chops.
You also need deeper pockets. Odys domains start around $1,000 and go up into the five or even six figure range.
And of course, you’re taking on more risk. Even with Odys’ vetting, you could be inheriting a lemon domain that’s been hit by penalties or has a shady history that comes back to bite you.
In short, aged domains can be a powerful shortcut in the right hands. But for most projects, the lower-hanging fruit is to grab proven links on PressWhizz.
The Verdict: Is PressWhizz Worth It?
If you’ve made it this far, you can probably guess my take. PressWhizz has earned its place as my go-to link building solution for a few simple reasons:
It saves me a massive amount of time and headaches compared to manual outreach. The link quality is better and more consistent than other marketplaces I’ve tested. And the platform keeps getting better with new features and publishers.
Does that mean it’s right for everyone? Not necessarily. If you’re just starting out in SEO and have more time than money, you may get more mileage from good old-fashioned elbow grease.
And if you’re an absolute beginner, I wouldn’t recommend starting with paid links at all. Work on your on-page SEO and create amazing content first. When your site is ready for link rocket fuel, then consider PressWhizz.
But if you’re a busy SEO professional, agency owner, or in-house marketer, investing in PressWhizz is a no-brainer. It will free up your time to focus on strategy while putting link-building on autopilot.
You can set up a PressWhizz account for free to browse inventory and check for publishers in your niche. If the platform seems like a fit, you can fund your account and start buying links in a matter of minutes.
FAQs
Is PressWhizz legitimate?
Yes, PressWhizz is a legitimate link-building platform. I’ve personally vetted the backgrounds of their team and have completed hundreds of successful link placements through their marketplace.
Does Google penalize sites for paid links?
Google’s guidelines forbid buying or selling links that manipulate PageRank. However, PressWhizz focuses on relevant, natural link placements that provide value to users. By avoiding overtly spammy or manipulative tactics and varying your anchor text and placement types, you can minimize your risk factor.
How long does it take for links to go live on PressWhizz?
For link insertions, most publishers will have your link live within 2-3 business days after order approval. Guest posts typically take 5-10 days to write, revise, and publish.
Does PressWhizz replace defunct links?
Yes, PressWhizz has a link monitoring system that automatically alerts them if a purchased link is removed or points to a broken page. Their support team will then work with the publisher to restore your link or secure a replacement within 7 business days.
Do I need my own websites to use PressWhizz?
No, you can use PressWhizz to build links to any site, whether it’s your own money site, a client’s domain, or your affiliate links. The platform is designed for both users who own their own sites and SEO agencies managing client campaigns.
