This scorecard provides a systematic way to evaluate and compare link building prospects. Use it to prioritise opportunities objectively.
How to Use This Scorecard
Basic Process
- Gather information on the prospect
- Score each criterion (1-5)
- Apply weights
- Calculate total score
- Compare and prioritise
Scoring Scale
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | Excellent—exceptional quality |
| 4 | Good—above average |
| 3 | Average—acceptable |
| 2 | Below average—some concerns |
| 1 | Poor—significant issues |
| 0 | Disqualifying—do not pursue |
Scorecard Template
Prospect Information
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Domain | |
| Page URL | |
| Opportunity Type | |
| Date Evaluated | |
| Evaluated By |
Criterion 1: Domain Authority
Weight: 20%
How authoritative is the linking domain?
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | DA 60+ (or equivalent DR/TF) |
| 4 | DA 40-59 |
| 3 | DA 25-39 |
| 2 | DA 15-24 |
| 1 | DA 10-14 |
| 0 | DA under 10 or clearly manipulated |
Score: ___ × 0.20 = ___
Notes: ___________________
Criterion 2: Relevance
Weight: 30%
How relevant is the site/page to your content?
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | Perfectly aligned—exact industry/topic |
| 4 | Highly relevant—same niche |
| 3 | Moderately relevant—related topic |
| 2 | Somewhat relevant—tangential connection |
| 1 | Weak relevance—barely related |
| 0 | No relevance—different industry entirely |
Score: ___ × 0.30 = ___
Notes: ___________________
Criterion 3: Traffic Quality
Weight: 15%
Does the site have real, valuable traffic?
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | 100K+ monthly visits, highly engaged |
| 4 | 50-100K visits, good engagement |
| 3 | 10-50K visits, reasonable engagement |
| 2 | 1-10K visits |
| 1 | Under 1K visits but legitimate |
| 0 | No traffic or fake traffic |
Score: ___ × 0.15 = ___
Notes: ___________________
Criterion 4: Content Quality
Weight: 15%
How good is the content on the site?
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | Exceptional—publication-quality content |
| 4 | High quality—well-written, valuable |
| 3 | Acceptable—standard quality |
| 2 | Below average—thin or mediocre |
| 1 | Poor—low quality but not spam |
| 0 | Spam or completely worthless |
Score: ___ × 0.15 = ___
Notes: ___________________
Criterion 5: Trust Signals
Weight: 10%
How trustworthy does the site appear?
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | Highly trusted—established brand, credentials |
| 4 | Well-trusted—legitimate business, good signals |
| 3 | Reasonably trusted—standard signals present |
| 2 | Some trust concerns—limited signals |
| 1 | Low trust—few positive signals |
| 0 | Untrustworthy—spam signals, suspicious |
Score: ___ × 0.10 = ___
Notes: ___________________
Criterion 6: Link Placement
Weight: 10%
Where would the link be placed?
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | Prime contextual—high in relevant content |
| 4 | Good contextual—within related content |
| 3 | Acceptable—resource section or similar |
| 2 | Sidebar/footer—less prominent |
| 1 | Author bio only—minimal placement |
| 0 | No good placement possible |
Score: ___ × 0.10 = ___
Notes: ___________________
Final Calculation
Score Summary
| Criterion | Raw Score | Weight | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Authority | ___ | 0.20 | ___ |
| Relevance | ___ | 0.30 | ___ |
| Traffic Quality | ___ | 0.15 | ___ |
| Content Quality | ___ | 0.15 | ___ |
| Trust Signals | ___ | 0.10 | ___ |
| Link Placement | ___ | 0.10 | ___ |
| TOTAL | ___/5 |
Interpretation Guide
Score Ranges
| Score | Priority | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5-5.0 | Highest | Pursue immediately, prioritise |
| 4.0-4.4 | High | Strong prospect, active pursuit |
| 3.5-3.9 | Medium-High | Good opportunity, include in campaign |
| 3.0-3.4 | Medium | Acceptable, pursue if capacity |
| 2.5-2.9 | Low-Medium | Lower priority, batch outreach |
| 2.0-2.4 | Low | Only if very easy win |
| Under 2.0 | Skip | Don't pursue |
Batch Comparison Template
Compare Multiple Prospects
| Prospect | Domain | Auth. | Relev. | Traffic | Content | Trust | Place. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||
| 5 |
Weight Customisation
Adjust Weights for Your Needs
If authority is most important:
- Increase Authority weight to 30%
- Decrease others proportionally
If relevance is critical:
- Increase Relevance weight to 40%
- Decrease others proportionally
If traffic matters most:
- Increase Traffic weight to 25%
- Decrease others proportionally
Industry-Specific Adjustments
| Industry | Suggested Adjustment |
|---|---|
| YMYL (health, finance) | Increase Trust to 20% |
| Local business | Add Geography criterion |
| E-commerce | Increase Traffic to 20% |
| B2B | Increase Relevance to 35% |
Quick Scoring Guide
For Speed Evaluation
If time is limited, use simplified scoring:
| Quick Check | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|
| DA 20+ | ☐ |
| Relevant to niche | ☐ |
| Real traffic | ☐ |
| Quality content | ☐ |
| Not spam | ☐ |
4-5 passes: Pursue 3 passes: Consider Under 3 passes: Skip