Glossary
Link insertion marketplace terms a bootstrapped SaaS founder meets
Sellers speak in shorthand and charge by it. These are the terms that matter when every dollar is already spoken for.
SupeSEO editorial team ·
How to use this list
Read the entries once, then keep the tab open while you browse. A link insertion marketplace shows many columns, and each column hides a decision about money.
We define words as this site uses them. Other sellers may use the same words loosely, so always check what a row actually says.
Terms about the link itself
Donor
The site that carries the link to you. On the shelf each donor shows Domain Rating, traffic, referring domains, niche, language and price.
Target URL
The page on your site that receives the link. For a SaaS it is rarely the homepage; a feature or a how-to page tends to deserve the first spend.
Dofollow
A link that does not carry a rel attribute asking Google to ignore it. Placements here are permanent and dofollow, which is not the same as a guarantee Google counts them.
Anchor text
The clickable words of the link. Mix branded, plain URL and descriptive anchors; ten identical keyword anchors look odd to a reader and to a system.
Terms about numbers on the row
Domain Rating (DR)
Ahrefs' 0 to 100 score of a site's backlink strength. It is a third-party estimate, not a Google metric, and it is easy to over-read at the low end.
Organic traffic
Estimated visits from search to the donor. A site with traffic that is falling deserves a second look, because the page you pay for may fade with it.
Referring domains
How many separate sites link to a donor. Ten links from one site count once; this number is a better health check than raw backlink totals.
Niche
The topic area of the donor. Closer to your product usually means a more believable link and a few readers who might care.
Words that sound alike and are not
| Pair | The difference |
|---|---|
| Placement vs link insertion | A placement is a new article with your link. An insertion adds your link to an existing page. |
| Basket vs order | The basket costs nothing. An order exists once you pay and the placement is queued. |
| Balance vs invoice | Balance is the money you top up. An invoice or proforma is paperwork for your accountant. |
| Nofollow vs sponsored | Both ask Google to treat a link with caution. Neither is what you see on a dofollow row. |
Terms about the buying flow
Basket, balance and order sound small. They are where money leaves your account, so treat them carefully.
The basket is free. It holds rows you might buy, and your balance is topped up in the dashboard, and paying the basket queues placements that then show in your ordered links with a status. Invoices and proforma invoices are available when you need paperwork for tax season.
Google also appears in this glossary indirectly: Search Console is where you check whether a page is indexed and which queries it shows for, and it is a free check that every founder should run before and after any purchase.
Be wary of anyone who uses the word guaranteed next to a link. No seller, tool or agency can promise a ranking, and Google's own spam policies treat links meant to manipulate rankings as a problem.
Where to go next
With the words sorted, the pricing explainer shows what the numbers cost. The donor scorecard turns them into a yes or no.
The terms above map onto the rows of Semrush and Majestic exports too, although each tool scores sites its own way and the numbers will not match exactly. Compare like with like, and note the month a figure was taken.
Short on time? Skip to the scorecard.