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Resolve's 90-Day Link Building Framework: What to Keep and Cut

By InnovaAI Research1 min readSearchenginejournal

Resolve's Michael Johnson has outlined a structured approach to link building that separates tactics worth keeping from those that no longer deliver results. The framework covers publisher qualification, roundup placements, linkable asset creation, and a 90-day execution plan agencies can adapt immediately.

Key Facts

01Resolve's Michael Johnson published a keep-or-cut link building framework with a 90-day execution structure.
02Tactics to cut include low-standard directory submissions, relevance-free guest posts, and purchased links.
03Tactics worth keeping include publisher qualification, roundup placements, and linkable asset creation.
04A 90-day phased plan creates measurable checkpoints that help agencies demonstrate progress to clients.
05Continuing outdated link building tactics carries penalty risk that can undermine all other SEO work on an account.

Why does this matter for agencies?

▶Outdated link tactics now carry enough algorithmic risk to trigger penalties that erase months of SEO gains on client accounts.
▶A structured 90-day framework gives agency teams a reporting cadence that reduces client churn driven by perceived inactivity.
▶Publisher qualification as a standard step raises the average quality of a link portfolio without necessarily increasing outreach volume.
▶Linkable asset creation shifts link acquisition from a recurring cost to a compounding return over time.

What should agencies do?

Audit every active link building campaign against the keep-or-cut criteria: publisher editorial standards, topical relevance, and verified traffic before the next client review.

medium effort

Restructure link building service packages around a 90-day milestone structure with defined deliverables at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks.

medium effort

Use Semrush or Ahrefs to build a publisher qualification checklist that screens prospects by real traffic, topical relevance, and editorial standards before outreach begins.

low effort

Identify one linkable asset format per client niche, such as a data study, tool, or comprehensive guide, and incorporate it into the 90-day plan as a long-term link attraction mechanism.

high effort