research · price index · October 2026
Backlink Price Index, October 2026
What link placements cost, as one number that can be compared month to month. A fixed basket of placement type and rating cells, re-priced each month at the cheapest ask per domain across every marketplace we buy from, suspect domains excluded. 2026-09 = 100.
Published 2026-10-01. Immutable: this month’s figures will not change. Download CSV · Method · CC BY 4.0, cite as “Placement API Backlink Price Index, October 2026”.
By placement type
| placement type | publishers | 25th pct | median | 75th pct | vs last month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| guest post | 165,167 | $70 | $168 | $363 | -12.4% |
| niche edit | 47,594 | $70 | $102 | $181 | +2.2% |
| link insertion | 49,374 | $56 | $95 | $229 | 0% |
| homepage link | 24,226 | $128 | $257 | $567 | +1.8% |
By claimed DR
| claimed DR | publishers | 25th pct | median | 75th pct | vs last month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR 20–29 | 52,115 | $74 | $162 | $311 | -6.8% |
| DR 30–39 | 44,346 | $83 | $170 | $338 | -0.8% |
| DR 40–49 | 22,592 | $107 | $209 | $456 | -9.9% |
| DR 50–59 | 15,087 | $114 | $242 | $586 | -7% |
| DR 60–69 | 6,582 | $203 | $447 | $954 | -7.3% |
| DR 70–79 | 5,623 | $315 | $669 | $1,586 | -7.9% |
| DR 80–89 | 901 | $502 | $1,259 | $3,801 | -10% |
| DR 90–99 | 119 | $385 | $1,190 | $4,341 | +12.1% |
By measured traffic
Root domains with an independent traffic reading, by monthly US organic visits. Traffic is the one thing a seller cannot buy into a rating; it is also where the price premium lives.
| traffic | publishers | 25th pct | median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 1k | 243,385 | $70 | $131 | $289 |
| 1k–10k | 16,394 | $164 | $300 | $629 |
| 10k–100k | 9,271 | $220 | $423 | $892 |
| 100k+ | 2,754 | $394 | $855 | $1,832 |
By subject
| subject | publishers | 25th pct | median | 75th pct | vs last month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| News | 83,292 | $69 | $125 | $301 | -3% |
| Lifestyle | 56,454 | $83 | $152 | $289 | -1.5% |
| Technology | 55,049 | $71 | $129 | $286 | -4.7% |
| Business | 48,461 | $80 | $161 | $326 | -4.2% |
| Finance | 46,328 | $56 | $86 | $203 | 0% |
| Gambling | 40,929 | $102 | $215 | $408 | -6.2% |
| Entertainment | 35,565 | $91 | $183 | $374 | -3.7% |
| Arts | 34,278 | $86 | $174 | $362 | -6.1% |
| Sports | 31,263 | $86 | $170 | $361 | -1.3% |
| Health | 30,599 | $71 | $129 | $276 | -5% |
| Society | 28,693 | $113 | $224 | $383 | -4.6% |
| Crypto | 26,974 | $135 | $253 | $446 | -8.3% |
| Home | 25,997 | $82 | $159 | $318 | -11.2% |
| Travel | 23,548 | $74 | $163 | $336 | -4% |
| Gaming | 22,650 | $69 | $118 | $255 | -3.7% |
| Education | 20,817 | $82 | $163 | $316 | -3.8% |
| Fashion | 19,294 | $69 | $134 | $280 | -7.2% |
| Marketing | 19,140 | $86 | $164 | $323 | -4.5% |
| Food | 17,799 | $71 | $154 | $309 | -5.2% |
| Adult | 17,112 | $128 | $241 | $398 | -7% |
| Family | 14,473 | $91 | $192 | $383 | -15.7% |
| Shopping | 9,416 | $99 | $184 | $343 | -3.1% |
| Music | 9,141 | $71 | $167 | $370 | -1.6% |
| Fitness | 9,118 | $107 | $208 | $377 | -4.6% |
| Automotive | 8,459 | $70 | $165 | $366 | -8.7% |
| Real Estate | 8,141 | $69 | $163 | $343 | -7.2% |
| Beauty | 8,084 | $98 | $190 | $336 | -18.4% |
| Science | 7,762 | $86 | $176 | $339 | -8.8% |
| Legal | 6,374 | $70 | $158 | $308 | -6% |
| Career | 5,651 | $111 | $225 | $412 | -5.7% |
| Pets | 4,200 | $71 | $138 | $318 | -5.3% |
| Environment | 3,847 | $107 | $192 | $341 | -5.5% |
Dispersion
Across 67,011 domains sold by more than one marketplace at the same placement type, the most expensive seller asks a median 96% more than the cheapest, and 443% more at the 90th percentile. The mean ask across all publishers is $349; the cheapest tenth ask $46 or less. The cheap tail is where bought authority concentrates, which is why the index excludes suspect domains rather than averaging them in.
Method, briefly
Cells are placement type × claimed-DR decade with at least 100 non-suspect root domains in the base month; each carries the median of the cheapest ask per domain, in the price a buyer pays through the API. The composite re-prices the base month’s basket (weights = base-month domain counts) with this month’s cell medians and divides by the base. Weights are fixed so the index moves with prices, not with what happens to be listed. Full method on the pricing methodology page; every figure here is a Fact with its sample size on hover.
All months
- October 2026 · index 92.4 · median $239
- September 2026 · index 100 · median $259
96 published figures on this page, measured 2026-10-01. Dotted numbers carry their sample size on hover. Methods: pricing methodology, data sources.