Scoring Methodology
Link Placement Score (LPS)
Every backlink in your profile receives a score from 0 to 100. Here's exactly how we calculate it — and what each score means for your rankings.
Why Link Placement Score Exists
For years, the SEO industry has relied on single-number domain metrics to judge backlinks. Domain Authority, Domain Rating — useful as rough filters, but fundamentally incomplete. They tell you about the domain, not the link.
The Google API leak of 2024 confirmed what experienced link builders have long suspected: Google evaluates links at a granular, per-link level. Signals like link placement position, topical relevance of the surrounding content, anchor text naturalness, and the context in which a link appears all feed into how much value that link actually passes.
The DOJ antitrust proceedings further revealed internal documentation showing Google's sophisticated approach to link evaluation — distinguishing between editorially placed links and those that exist purely for SEO manipulation. The days of "any link from a high-DA site is a good link" are over.
The Link Placement Score was built to reflect this reality. Founded on two decades of hands-on link analysis experience and trained against the largest disavow dataset outside of Google, LPS evaluates each backlink the way search engines actually do — not by the domain it sits on, but by the quality, context, and placement of the link itself.
The result: a score that tells you whether a link is genuinely contributing to your rankings, or just taking up space in your backlink profile.
Example LPS Distribution
Here's what a typical Link Placement Score distribution looks like across a real client's backlink profile. Most sites have a bell-curve distribution — the goal is to shift weight towards the right.
Example data from a real client audit (anonymised)
How the Score Works
The LPS is a weighted composite score. Unlike single-metric tools that only look at domain authority, our score evaluates the link itself — its context, placement, and relationship to your content. The score is built from six weighted factors:
Topical Relevance
30%Our algorithms read the full content of the linking page and compare it to your target page's topic. A link from a relevant article about your industry carries far more weight than a random directory listing.
We analyse keyword overlap, entity co-occurrence, and semantic similarity between the linking page content and your target URL. Pages are scored on a 0–30 scale for topical alignment.
Link Placement Position
20%Where the link sits on the page matters enormously. A contextual in-content link surrounded by relevant text is worth significantly more than a footer or sidebar link.
Links are classified as: In-Content (highest value), Author Bio, Sidebar, Footer, or Navigation. Each position has a different multiplier reflecting its SEO value based on how search engines weight placement.
Domain Authority & Trust
20%The linking domain's overall authority, trust signals, and history feed into the score. A link from a high-authority, trusted domain naturally scores higher.
We combine domain rank, historical spam scores, link velocity patterns, and domain age. Domains with sudden link spikes or known PBN patterns are penalised accordingly.
Anchor Text Quality
15%The anchor text used in the link signals relevance to search engines. Over-optimised exact-match anchors can be a red flag, while natural branded and partial-match anchors indicate organic linking.
Each anchor is classified as: Brand, Partial Match, Exact Match, Generic, Naked URL, or Image. The distribution across your profile is compared against natural benchmarks from non-penalised sites.
Brand & Entity Mentions
10%Links accompanied by brand mentions, product references, or entity citations carry additional trust signals that reinforce the link's value.
Our algorithms detect whether your brand name, product names, or key personnel are mentioned within the surrounding content. Co-citation with other authoritative brands in your space is a positive signal.
Technical Link Signals
5%Follow vs. nofollow status, link freshness, HTTP status of the linking page, and whether the link is rendered in JavaScript all contribute to the final score.
We check: rel attribute (follow/nofollow/sponsored/ugc), page HTTP status, JavaScript rendering requirements, link age, and whether the link has been recently added or is long-standing.
What the Scores Mean
Each link falls into one of five bands. These aren't arbitrary — they're calibrated against our disavow dataset to reflect real-world impact on rankings.
Excellent
High-impact links actively driving rankings. These are your most valuable assets — protect and replicate them.
Good
Solid links contributing positively. May have room for improvement in one or two factors.
Average
Links with mixed signals. Some positive factors but weakened by poor placement, low relevance, or weak domains.
Low Value
Minimal SEO contribution. These links aren't hurting you but aren't helping either. Worth reviewing for upgrade opportunities.
Not Helping
Links with no positive impact or potential negative signals. Candidates for disavow review if from suspect domains.
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