Independent review desk · USA
An independent index of backlink vendors, methods, and claims
Most “best backlinks” pages read like a sales floor with better fonts. Link Index is the opposite: one reviewer, clear opinions, and a habit of asking what the evidence actually shows.
I score methods, vendors, and tools the way I’d brief a friend before they spend money — credit the good work, refuse the hype, and separate what’s legal from what Google’s guidelines allow.
How this desk works
Method, not marketing
- I review the work — strategies, pricing, delivery, and results — not personalities.
- A high DR is useful. It is not a certificate of good behavior.
- If I’m uncertain, I say so. Fake certainty is worse than a wrong guess you can update.
- No affiliate commissions. No “guaranteed ranking” language. Ever.
The index
Seven hubs to browse
How I decide if a publisher, placement, or claim is worth your money.
Open hub →MethodsGuest posts, niche edits, PR, broken links — scored without the brochure language.
Open hub →AgenciesAgencies and freelancers compared on delivery, transparency, and price reality.
Open hub →MarketsBrowse-before-buy carts, publisher networks, and the transparency gaps most buyers miss.
Open hub →TaxonomyDofollow, editorial, sponsored, directory noise — what each type is worth in practice.
Open hub →HazardsPBNs, toxic profiles, disavow theatre, and legal vs Google policy.
Open hub →InstrumentsDA, DR, checkers, monitors — which numbers help and which sell software seats.
Open hub →What I won’t pretend
I won’t pretend paid links are “Google-safe.” They’re often legal and still against Google’s spam policies. Those are different questions, and I keep them separate.
I also won’t pretend every agency with a polished case-study PDF is doing editorial work. Some are. Some are renting footprints and hoping you don’t look closely.