Let’s face it – SEO is no longer just about keywords and blog posts. Google’s algorithm has become smarter than ever, and guess what it’s looking at first and foremost? That’s right – your backlinks.
The catch? Building backlinks can be a double-edged sword. When done right, backlinks can boost your rankings, improve your visibility, and drive traffic. Should you get one or two wrong links, and your rankings could plummet — or worse, you could get a Google penalty that you’ll have a hard time recovering from.
That’s where a link-building audit comes into play. It helps you weed out bad links — spammy and irrelevant — and only keep those that actually move the SEO needle.
Now, the big question is: should you run backlink audits in-house, or should you hire an agency to do the heavy lifting for you? Well, there’s no one answer to this, as both options are viable. Which options you should choose comes down to your team’s expertise, your goals, and how much you’re willing to spend.
Let’s break down the pros and cons of both options so you can make the call with confidence!
What Exactly Is a Link Building Audit?
Before we proceed, let’s quickly brush upon what a link building audit actually is.
A link building audit is a detailed review of all the backlinks pointing to your website. The goal of this audit is to find any harmful, spammy, and low-quality links that might negatively impact your rankings and remove or disavow them before they cause real damage.
A proper audit also evaluates:
- The quality and relevance of your backlinks,
- Your anchor text distribution,
- Lost or broken links,
- Opportunities to build better links.
Done right, this process can protect your site from Google penalties and help you climb the SERPs. Done wrong — or not done at all — it can put your entire SEO strategy at risk.
Option 1: Keeping It In-House
If you’re already doing SEO internally, the idea of auditing backlinks yourself may sound like a no-brainer. At the end of the day, nobody knows your brand and business better than you — and that’s absolutely right.
Pros of In-House Audits
- Total Control: You have full visibility into your SEO strategy, and you can adjust your audit process to match your specific goals and KPIs.
- Familiarity with Your Niche: Your team understands your business, industry, and competitors on a deeper level. That context can help you make smarter decisions about which links to keep and which to disavow.
- Cost Efficiency (Sort Of): On paper, doing it in-house might seem cheaper, especially if you already have an SEO team. There are no agency fees, and you can run audits as often as you like. Moreover, many of the tools that were only accessible to agencies a few years ago, like Ubersuggest and 3XE Digital, have become more affordable today.
Cons of In-House Audits
- Time-Consuming: A link building audit isn’t a 15-minute task. It takes hours — sometimes even days — especially if your backlink profile is large. If your team is already juggling content, analytics, and on-page SEO, audits might keep falling to the bottom of the to-do list.
- Tool Costs Add Up: If you use tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Majestic, they aren’t cheap to subscribe to.
- Risk of Missed Red Flags: SEO is always evolving. If your in-house team isn’t fully up to speed on Google’s latest updates, you might miss some harmful backlinks that could tank your rankings.
Option 2: Hiring an Agency
Outsourcing your backlink audits to a link-building agency has become an increasingly popular move, and for good reason.
Pros of Using an Agency
- In-Depth Expertise: Agencies that only do SEO are constantly honing their tools and skills. They know what to look for in a backlink profile — and how to fix what’s broken — because they’ve done it a hundred times before.
- Fresh Eyes: Sometimes, you’re too familiar with your own brand to notice flaws in it. Agencies bring in an outsider’s perspective, which can reveal problems your team may have overlooked.
- Access to Top Tools and Data: Good agencies usually use multiple tools and databases that you may not have in-house. That means you’re getting comprehensive reports, without shelling out for software licenses and expensive subscriptions.
- Clear Reporting & Action Plans: Last but not least, an agency won’t just give you a spreadsheet of links and leave you with it to figure out what it all means. They’ll walk you through their findings and help you choose the best course of action for your next move.
Cons of Using an Agency
- It Costs More Upfront: Agencies charge for their time and expertise. Depending on the scope, an audit could set you back hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But if it helps you avoid a Google penalty—or recover from one—the ROI is usually worth it.
- You’re Not in the Driver’s Seat: While agencies try to align with your goals, you’ll still have less control over how the audit is run and how quickly things get done.
- Not All Agencies Are Created Equal: There are thousands of agencies out there, and all of them talk a big game. In reality, only a few deliver on their promises. If you choose to go this route, make sure to do your homework. Look for real case studies, testimonials, and transparent communication.
When to Choose In-House Over an Agency
As we’ve mentioned right in the beginning, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to managing link audits. Let’s look at a few scenarios where doing it internally makes perfect sense.
Your Backlink Profile is Still Small
If your website is relatively new and has just a few dozen links, your SEO team should be more than capable of handling the audit themselves without it becoming a major drain.
You Already Have a Skilled SEO Team
If your in-house team is trained to run link audits and has access to the right tools, you might not need outside help — at least for some time.
You’re on a Tight Budget
Startups and small businesses often work on a tight budget. In this case, running a link audit in-house might be the best solution — just make sure it’s thorough.
When an Agency Is the Smarter Move
While a DIY audit might be a good solution for newer websites, there are situations where bringing in outside experts can make a world of difference — especially if SEO is a crucial part of your growth strategy. Let’s look at this more closely.
You Have Thousands of Backlinks
As your site grows, so does your backlink profile. An agency can sort through all those links faster than you’d do internally and more effectively.
You’ve Been Penalized
If you’ve noticed a sudden rankings drop and you suspect it’s because of backlinks, don’t wait around in hopes the problem will fix itself. Agencies that specialize in backlink audits know how to identify the root cause, and they’ve got tried-and-true processes for recovering from penalties.
You Want to Future-Proof Your SEO
A good link-building audit doesn’t just clean up the mess — it uncovers opportunities for link building in the future. Agencies can help create smart strategies to attract high-quality links that build long-term authority.
Final Thoughts
To sum it all up, when deciding who should perform a link audit, the answer largely depends on your team’s experience and how much time you’re willing to invest. Both options are viable.
If you have the money and are looking for a comprehensive approach, then hiring an agency may be the best solution. In addition to the link audit, they will also help you tweak your on-page, do outreach, and make sure that your SEO strategy stays on the right track.
On the other hand, if you are only interested in the link audit and your backlink profile isn’t too big, handling link audits internally may be a good move. Many great SEO tools have become more widely available, allowing businesses of all scopes to get their backlink profiles in order and healthy.
