Hire the Best Link Builders
in the United States

I'm a 10-year SEO professional with a primary focus on link building (the most important factor to improving organic keyword rankings). I've built links and improved SEO rankings for many brands in a variety of different industries, utilizing white hat linkbuilding methods that lead to long-lasting success. My scalable approach to link building allows me to generate consistent quality links month-over-month for serious companies and brands. Many other link builders on UpWork provide links from their own "portfolio" of sites that have a history of being farmed out for links. My approach is much more natural and starts with building a target list of sites and then reaching out to each one personally with a custom and tailored approach. I utilize a variety of different link building strategies, varying and customizing my approach for each client. Some of my favorite link building strategies include: - Broken Link Building - Resource Page Link Building - Content Promotion & Skyscraper Technique - Unlinked brand mentions As a linkbuilding expert that specializes in outreach for links, I pride myself on my research-oriented approach and being open and honest with clients and potential clients. My main goal in any link building outreach for clients is to ensure that the links that are being built will benefit your site for the long term and will lead to an increase in organic traffic to your site.

***Don't be put off by my hourly rate. I always start with a 30-hour trial that generally takes a couple of months at least, example: trial comes to $4,800, and the automated outreach that will come from that will usually take 2-3 months. So you may end up averaging $1,500/mo for the top link builder on Upwork*** Most SEO agencies build 'ghost links' that look good in reports but do nothing for your revenue. I build the links that Google actually uses to rank the world's most competitive niches. I have built backlinks for 10+ years on Upwork (see hundreds of reviews in my profile). I only build links from niche-related sites that get traffic from search (so they are related and we know Google likes them). My level of backlink quality is consistently higher than any other backlink provider. Working with me is easy because I handle everything. I often find direct and targeted traffic opportunities from existing pages. I regularly earn links from colleges and other high authority websites (that you can't pay for). With me you get: 1. Specialization in backlink building and GEO (AI search results) 2. Total transparency in implementation and pricing 3. 10+ years exclusive focus on backlinks 4. Solid track record on Upwork (See 100+ detailed ★★★★★ 5-Star reviews) You are not just paying for links. You are paying for the experience of knowing which links to avoid, because bad links can hurt your organic rankings/traffic and waste time and money. You are paying for my industry experience and connections, and the ability to efficiently compile the most thorough high quality link opportunity list (created just for your brand by me) so that we can target every site that really matters. Beyond traditional Google rankings, I optimize your brand to be the 'source of truth' for LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. If AI isn't citing your brand, you’re losing the future of search. I use off-page authority signals to ensure your brand is the one these models recommend.

My name is Katherine Bartlett and I am a published children's author, SEO manager & professional blogger, running Our Whiskey Lullaby LLC for over 11 years. Currently I enjoy writing children's picture books, working in SEO link building for various clients and blogging on my site, Our Whiskey Lullaby. I began writing fictional children's stories when I was a teenager. I became a published writer by the age of 16 and since then had 9 books nationally published. I've also won numerous awards for writing including the Florida Young Poets Award in 1999 and the Famous Poet Award for 2002. I have also written for Warner Bros on their social media campaigns. My preferred jobs would be writing children's picture books & SEO link building. Please note that I don't ghostwrite children's books. For any children's book I write, I must be given credit as the author or co-author.

I'm a link building expert with over 17 years of experience helping businesses grow their organic search traffic through high-quality, white hat backlinks. I'm also the founder of The Upper Ranks, a link building agency that has helped companies of all sizes earn authoritative, editorial backlinks through ethical outreach. Early in my career, I had the privilege of learning directly from the late Eric Ward, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of professional link building. Eric didn't just teach me the tools of the trade. He instilled in me a code of ethics and an eye for results that I still build my business around today. As Eric once put it: "David's team at The Upper Ranks follows the right approach to building white hat links ethically without cutting corners. This is the approach that has always worked for me and will continue to stand the test of time." Since then, I've built thousands of editorial backlinks for businesses ranging from scrappy startups to household name brands. That includes hundreds of links built for Neil Patel's own website. Neil had this to say: "David Farkas is one of the best link builders I know. He's got a knack for building those coveted links, and I'd strongly recommend his link building services to anyone seeking increased exposure and higher rankings." My approach has always been simple. I build links that I'd be proud to show Google. No spam. No private blog networks. No shortcuts. Just high-quality, relevant backlinks that improve rankings, increase authority, and drive long-term organic growth. Whether you're an SEO agency looking for a reliable link building partner that can scale with you, or a small business trying to break into the rankings that matter, I bring nearly two decades of experience, transparent communication, and a relentless focus on results you can actually measure.

I have over ten years of full-time freelance writing experience. Over this period of time, I have written blog articles, SEO copy, social media posts, web copy, press releases, feature stories, listicles, and more. I also have quite a bit of business writing experience, including grant writing, policies, manuals, documents, training quizzes, emails, and newsletter content and design. My editing experience consists of both basic copy editing and more extensive rewording to improve the flow and content of web copy and articles. I have solid research skills, thanks to my Master of Arts in History. I also have a Master of Library and Information Science in Museum Studies.

Digital PR & Authority Link Building: Get Cited in Google and AI Search I earn my clients editorial coverage on outlets like Forbes, Healthline, CNBC, Entrepreneur, and Fortune. The kind of coverage that builds Google rankings and gets your brand cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. Same work, two channels. I'm the founder of Reporter Outreach, a digital PR and link building agency. Since 2017, I've run 500+ campaigns and earned over 25,000 editorial placements, averaging DR 75+. I work primarily with healthcare, eCommerce, SaaS, and finance brands competing in hard, often regulated niches. What makes this different from most link building on Upwork: I don't sell guest posts or PBN links. Every placement comes from journalist-first outreach and expert positioning. Your brand gets quoted as a real source in a real article a reporter chose to write. Those are the links that hold up through algorithm updates, and because AI search engines pull from the same trusted publications, editorial coverage is now what gets brands surfaced in AI answers, not just ranked in search. Clients hire me for: 1. Editorial backlinks from genuine DR 75+ publications 2. Visibility in AI search (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews), which increasingly cites earned media over brand-owned content 3. White-hat SEO that survives long-term, not short-term gains that turn into liabilities 4. A senior strategist who understands both SEO and how journalists actually work What I do: 1. Digital PR & journalist outreach: expert-source pitching and direct journalist relationships by beat. Quote placements and contextual brand mentions in authoritative publications. 2. Authority link building (white-hat): editorial backlinks from real media sites, competitor backlink gap analysis, anchor and link velocity strategy, and YMYL-safe approaches for sensitive niches like health and finance. 3. Full-feature media placements: dedicated, full-length brand features written and placed on top-tier publications, handled end to end. Not guest posts. Proof: 1. Healthcare (Villa Oasis): 352% organic growth on DR 80+ placements in a YMYL niche 2. SaaS (Qooper): 2,203% organic traffic growth in 6 months 3. eCommerce (BloomsyBox): 555% growth in 10 months 4. Cybersecurity (Nightfall): 287% growth across 57 placements Why clients choose me: Founder-led: your campaign isn't handed to a junior or offshored. Real publications, never PBNs or guest post farms. Strategies built to Google's quality guidelines. Transparent reporting and realistic expectations about what's achievable and when. How it works: Strategy alignment (goals, authority gaps, competitors) → publication and journalist targeting → journalist-first pitching → placements delivered with clear reporting. Best fit if you're: Competing in a difficult SEO niche, recovering from a low-quality backlink profile, a founder who wants real credibility and AI-search presence, or an agency looking for a white-label digital PR partner. Send me your website, your competitors, and your goals. I'll tell you exactly what's realistic and how I'd approach it.