research · price index · November 2026

Backlink Price Index, November 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.

91.40
index (2026-09 = 100)
-1.1%
$237
basket median
-1.1%
292,319
publishers priced
10 marketplaces
96%
same placement, seller gap
median; 90th pct 440%

Published 2026-11-01. Immutable: this month’s figures will not change. Download CSV · Method · CC BY 4.0, cite as “Placement API Backlink Price Index, November 2026”.

By placement type

placement typepublishers25th pctmedian75th pctvs last month
guest post168,645$69$161$354-4.1%
niche edit47,595$70$102$1810%
link insertion51,595$56$97$225+1.9%
homepage link24,227$128$257$5670%

By claimed DR

claimed DRpublishers25th pctmedian75th pctvs last month
DR 20–2953,017$72$158$302-2.8%
DR 30–3945,343$83$167$336-1.6%
DR 40–4922,489$111$213$455+1.8%
DR 50–5915,046$113$241$579-0.5%
DR 60–696,642$203$446$964-0.4%
DR 70–795,763$308$662$1,558-1%
DR 80–89907$506$1,349$4,029+7.1%
DR 90–99121$385$1,190$3,7520%

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.

trafficpublishers25th pctmedian75th pct
under 1k244,380$70$129$286
1k–10k16,506$163$298$623
10k–100k9,338$216$420$883
100k+2,747$403$866$1,842

By subject

subjectpublishers25th pctmedian75th pctvs last month
News85,774$69$127$306+1.5%
Lifestyle58,566$83$149$289-2.2%
Technology56,352$71$128$284-0.3%
Business50,150$80$160$328-1%
Finance47,157$56$86$204+0.7%
Gambling41,305$98$214$404-0.7%
Entertainment37,118$91$182$376-0.8%
Arts34,838$86$173$361-0.6%
Sports32,159$86$170$3760%
Health30,996$71$129$2730%
Society28,901$111$221$376-1.6%
Crypto27,097$129$249$440-1.6%
Home26,330$80$157$313-1.4%
Travel24,026$74$162$333-0.7%
Gaming23,110$69$119$256+0.8%
Education21,824$83$163$313-0.2%
Marketing19,870$86$163$324-0.7%
Fashion19,497$69$131$276-2.4%
Food18,089$71$152$306-1.3%
Adult17,204$125$237$394-1.4%
Family14,703$88$191$376-0.6%
Shopping9,830$100$183$347-0.6%
Music9,303$71$164$371-1.7%
Fitness9,221$106$204$373-2.2%
Automotive8,580$70$163$363-1.4%
Legal8,544$28$91$246-42.1%
Real Estate8,273$69$163$3380%
Beauty8,257$97$186$331-2.4%
Science7,839$86$173$335-1.3%
Career5,670$110$224$407-0.3%
Pets4,275$71$136$313-1.6%
Environment3,871$106$188$340-2.3%

Dispersion

Across 68,283 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 440% more at the 90th percentile. The mean ask across all publishers is $341; 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

96 published figures on this page, measured 2026-11-01. Dotted numbers carry their sample size on hover. Methods: pricing methodology, data sources.