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Link Building ROI Calculator

Compare the cost of a link building campaign against the traffic value it generates.

About Link Building ROI Calculator

Return on investment restates profit as a percentage of the money put in, so a small campaign and a large one can be ranked on the same scale. The return multiple is the gross figure (revenue ÷ cost) that marketing teams usually call ROAS. A link building campaign can grow revenue and still destroy value; ROI is what tells you which side of the line you are on before you scale the spend.

Formula

Link Building ROI

ROI = (Value of traffic gained from the links − Total link building cost) ÷ Total link building cost × 100

Value of traffic gained from the links
Value returned by the link building campaign
Total link building cost
Total cost invested

Worked example

With the default values below, Link Building ROI Calculator returns Return on Investment of 200.00%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Value of traffic gained from the linksminimum 0
96,000
Total link building costminimum 0
32,000

Results

Return on Investment
200.00%
Net Return
$64,000.00
Return Multiple
3.00
Revenue Needed to Break Even
$32,000.00
Verdict
Profitable — every unit spent returned 3 back

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Link Building ROI
  3. 3Return on Investment= 200.00
  4. 4Net Return= 64,000.00
  5. 5Return Multiple= 3.00
  6. 6Revenue Needed to Break Even= 32,000.00
  7. 7Verdict= Profitable — every unit spent returned 3 back

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Link Building ROI calculated?

ROI = (Value of traffic gained from the links − Total link building cost) ÷ Total link building cost × 100 Return on investment restates profit as a percentage of the money put in, so a small campaign and a large one can be ranked on the same scale. The return multiple is the gross figure (revenue ÷ cost) that marketing teams usually call ROAS.

Why does Link Building ROI matter?

A link building campaign can grow revenue and still destroy value; ROI is what tells you which side of the line you are on before you scale the spend.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 2 inputs: Value of traffic gained from the links, Total link building cost. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

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