authority-link-targeting

name	authority-link-targeting
description	Use when prioritizing backlink targets. Not all links are equal — authority of source matters more than quantity.

Authority Link Targeting

1 link from DA80 site > 100 links from DA10 sites. Target authority within your niche. Avoid PBNs and link farms.

Authority indicators

1. Domain Authority (Moz: DA) — 40+ is solid, 60+ is high
2. Domain Rating (Ahrefs: DR) — similar scale
3. Real audience (organic traffic, social engagement)
4. Editorial standards (no link sales, no spam)
5. Topical relevance (cards niche, sports collecting)
6. Recency (last published recent)
7. Backlink portfolio (high-quality inbound)

Link quality red flags

Avoid:

1. PBN (Private Blog Network) sites
2. Link farms (high outbound, low audience)
3. Sponsored post farms
4. Casino/adult/CBD farms (penalty contagion)
5. Sites with thin content (<500 words/page average)
6. Footer links (less weight)
7. Sitewide links (looks manipulative)

Target list construction

For each link campaign, build target list:

1. Authority publications in niche (Beckett, SCD, BoxBreakers)
2. Major sports/collectibles bloggers
3. Industry analyst sites (Card Ladder, etc.)
4. News outlets (Forbes, Bloomberg, NYT)
5. Adjacent niches (general collectibles, investing, retail)
6. Educational sites (.edu, .gov when relevant)

Prioritize: relevance × authority × outreach feasibility.

Where this fits in the X3 empire

Quality framework for CardPrepAI link-building.