“Link Building your CMO will Love”

brightonSEO San Diego was nothing short of electrifying. It wasn’t just the sunny November skies or the picturesque boardwalk that set the tone—it was the palpable energy of thousands of SEO professionals, marketers, and innovators coming together to share, connect, and, let’s be honest, occasionally (or maybe all the time haha) nerd out over our collective passion.

For me, the highlight was the chance to step onto that stage and dive into one of the most important topics in our field: how ROI can redefine the conversation around link building with our CMOs.

Let’s face it—link building doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. It’s often seen as a tactical checkbox rather than a strategic driver of growth. That’s where ROI comes in. ROI isn’t just a number, it’s the bridge that aligns SEO’s practical expertise with the broader business objectives of the CMO, enabling them to work toward a common goal: growth and profitability.

Link building certainly has its charm, but it’s not always love at first sight—especially when ROI isn’t clear. In this post, I’ll dive into the key points from my presentation at brightonSEO, ‘Link Building Your CMO Will Love,’ to explore how to translate ROI into something that sparks decisions, unlocks bigger budgets, and positions link building as a strategic ally in the SEO & broader digital marketing mix.

A condensed voiceover of the conference slides is available below, and it’s unpacked in the blog post that follows as well.

The Importance of Speaking the ROI Language

Link building doesn’t exactly enjoy the sparkliest of reputations. While the reasons for this could be debated endlessly, we’re going to focus on a critical aspect of the conversation: earning a seat at the table—the table where budget discussions take place.

When you’re in this room, the metrics and models that resonate are quite different from the ones we SEOs typically rely on in our day-to-day work. Here, the focus shifts from deliverables like rankings or organic visibility to the broader outputs of our efforts—outputs that must be presented in terms familiar to CMOs and marketing leaders.

What’s ROI Really About?
ROI, in its purest form, isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the language that aligns SEO work with overarching business goals. Whether you report directly to the CMO or work through intermediaries like the Sr. Director of Digital Marketing or a VP of SEO, presenting ROI effectively can be the game-changer. Even when ROI isn’t explicitly requested, understanding and articulating it demonstrates strategic thinking.

This section sets the foundation for understanding the ROI equation and its role in getting those budgets approved.

The ROI Formula in Action

Here’s how ROI is calculated:

1. Subtract the cost of the campaign from the revenue generated.
2. Divide the result by the cost.
3. Express the result as a percentage or an adjusted dollar amount (or most often: BOTH).

If working in a spreadsheet, format the result as a percentage. If using a calculator, multiply by 100 to adjust the decimal placement. (And don’t do both, or the math will be way off!)

Now that we’ve broken down the formula, let’s see how it works in action with these examples:

Example	Calculation	Result
Break-even scenario	Revenue = $100; Cost = $100. Subtract: $100 – $100 = $0. Divide: $0 / $100.	ROI = 0%
2.5x return	Revenue = $350; Cost = $100. Subtract: $350 – $100 = $250. Divide: $250 / $100.	ROI = 250% (2.5x)

Gathering the Right Data to Calculate ROI

Understanding the ROI formula is a great start, but the real challenge often lies in gathering the data needed to calculate it. This step can involve some digging and, occasionally, a bit of educated guessing.

For instance, robust conversion and transaction data can provide critical metrics like Average Order Value (AOV) or Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). These metrics help connect SEO efforts to tangible business outcomes. If you don’t have access to this data, it’s time to get creative. You can estimate AOV-like values using factors like page conversions and average product price.

Collaborating with Internal Teams

Collaboration is key when it comes to data collection. Teams managing larger budgets, such as Paid Search, Paid Social, or Programmatic Advertising, often have access to the exact data you need for ROI calculations. These teams use this data for their own projections and are typically willing to share it.

This collaboration is valuable because aligning your projections with metrics from other teams  can strengthen your case, creating a unified narrative for decision-makers.

Quick Tip: If your ROI projections look promising, these teams might even free up budget from underperforming campaigns to support your SEO efforts. It’s a win-win.

Tools and Resources for ROI Calculation

When it comes to crunching the numbers, having the right tools makes all the difference. Here are three approaches to make your life easier:

1. Spreadsheets: Use a simple spreadsheet to calculate and format ROI. Free templates (like the one at linklaunch.com) can save time and ensure consistency.
2. Link Launch Tool: Sign up for free beta access to Citation Labs’ Link Launch tool, where ROI forecasting is built-in for seamless calculations.
3. Generative AI: Not sure if the effort is worth it? Tools like ChatGPT can provide a quick way to evaluate ROI potential before building a full model.

Presenting ROI Effectively

Once the calculations are complete, the next challenge lies in presenting your ROI data in a way that resonates with CMOs and other decision-makers. Remember, the goal isn’t just to show numbers—it’s to tell a story that aligns with their priorities.

One of the most common pitfalls in presenting ROI data is overwhelming the audience with a “wall of data” (WOD). Instead, focus on creating clear, concise visuals that highlight the most critical points.

Tips for Effective Visuals:

• Use graphs and charts that are simple and easy to interpret.
• Highlight key takeaways directly on the slide, avoiding clutter.
• When in doubt, simplify—leave out anything that doesn’t directly support your message.

A clean, well-prepared spreadsheet should be ready in case the CMO wants to dig deeper, but it’s not something you should lead with.

Visuals that Work

Visuals that Miss the Mark

Handling Objections and Building Trust

Even the best ROI calculations can encounter skepticism. Here are a few strategies to overcome objections and proactively address potential pushback:

1. Align with Familiar Metrics:
   Relate ROI to metrics the CMO already knows, such as ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), commonly used by paid media teams. This makes it easier for them to connect SEO’s value to other channels.
2. Challenge Your Calculations:
   Collaborate with internal teams to vet your assumptions and calculations. This not only strengthens your projections but also builds trust and buy-in across departments.
3. Present ROI as a Range:
   Displaying ROI as a range (e.g., 200%-250%) accounts for variability and makes your model more defensible.

USING ROI FORECASTING IN PROPOSALS

PROJECTING OUTCOMES

To make your ROI story even more persuasive, consider projecting outcomes based on milestones, such as achieving a specific position in search results. This method allows you to showcase the incremental value of SEO investments over time. Decision-makers love clarity, and milestones provide a roadmap that makes ROI less abstract and more actionable.

Sample Inference

Another technique is sample inference, where you use the performance of a smaller campaign to estimate the potential ROI of a larger one. This approach works particularly well for pilot programs or test budgets, as it provides a tangible preview of what a full-scale investment could deliver.  Think of it as giving them a ‘sneak peek’ into what scaling success could look like, based on real-world data.

Closing the Loop on ROI

Let’s take a step back for a moment. Everything we’ve covered—be it the nuanced calculations, the art of collaboration, or the precision of your presentation—is anchored in one core idea: ROI is your bridge. It’s your bridge between SEO’s practical brilliance and the strategic language of growth and profitability that CMOs speak fluently.

But here’s the kicker: ROI is not just about the numbers—it’s about the narrative you build around them. It’s about showing that link building isn’t merely a line item on a budget; it’s a lever to drive business impact.

The truth is, the path to that coveted “seat at the table” isn’t always easy. It demands strategy, foresight, and, above all, the ability to simplify complexity without losing its power. That’s the beauty of this framework: it’s not rocket science or even heavy data science, but it is a nuanced craft that takes a little time to present effectively.

So where does this leave us? Hopefully, in a position to see link building for what it truly is—an opportunity to align the work we’re so passionate about with the broader goals of the organizations we serve. And in doing so, we not only earn bigger budgets but also the trust and respect of the decision-makers who control them.

As we wrap this up, let me leave you with one challenge: what’s your next step? Whether it’s drafting that first ROI calculation, reaching out to a paid media colleague, or simplifying your next deck, take it. These small, deliberate actions accumulate, just like links, to create a strategy that CMOs not only understand but champion.

Ready to make your link building proposal impossible to say no to? The tools, the formulas, and the strategies are all here. Now, it’s time to put them into action.

Here’s to making link building the strategic powerhouse it was always meant to be. Let’s get to work.

Note: Remember, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Using free resources like the templates and tools from Link Launch will not only save you time but also help you stay focused on presenting data in a way that resonates with decision-makers.

Thanks for reading!

Resources for Further Exploration

As you continue to refine your approach to ROI and link building, here are some resources to help you take action:

• ROI Google Sheet Template: A ready-to-use spreadsheet to simplify your ROI calculations and projections. Access the template here.
• Link Launch Tool: Explore Citation Labs’ tool designed to streamline ROI forecasting for your link-building campaigns. Check it out here.
• Learn More: Dive deeper into advanced link-building strategies and ROI optimization with additional insights from Citation Labs.