As someone already pointed out ahrefs is showing 501 links which I'm assuming are PBN. The OP said he didn't use GSA or anything.
And since this was a JV I needed to know approx how much this would cost for a regular, non-affiliated marketer to do. The largest package costs $697 for 90 posts = $7.74 / link. I'm sure you can get bulk discounts but here's an approximation using that math:
$7.74 a link x 501 links =
$3,877.74 worth of PBN links to rank this site.
$127 short of an even $4k.
Or 5.5 of their largest packages.
I have to say.... this thread is a
prime example of why most marketers fail at little ventures like this. Cause I could do good keyword research and find a niche like OP did. I can built a nice site and optimize everything very well. But there's this elephant in the room that I'll conveniently refer to as
"MARKETING BALLS". How big do your marketing balls have to be to throw $700 on a new site you just created? That's a
very relative question but for most noobs this would require serious balls. For amateurs not so much. For pros they probably wouldn't think twice.
But to order a 2nd package? A 3rd? More than 5? That's
MARKETING BALLS! Best I'd probably do is order 2-3 services, hit pages 2-3, paranoia would kick in and that shit would start kicking at my balls.
They got 2 very decent keywords at #4 & 5. And if they can push both those up into the top 3 sales could explode to $5K+ month. Hell, if they can push just that 1, 50k keyword to #2... that could mean some rally nyce mooney.
And hell yeh, if I knew I was gonna make $1-2k / month from a $4k investment I'd have no issues with that. If I knew that site would last more than 6 months I wouldn't bat an eye. Nevermind the potential that exists for further SERP improvements.
I just find it crazy .... this gap that exists between
marketing ideals and
marketing realities. Somewhere in between those 2 are our MARKETING BALLS. All the successes I've had in the past, the 1 variable that remains constant is my ballz were at their biggest. I refused to give up. This isn't about taking 1 more step than the last guy sometimes you need to take 5, 10 or 15 steps. Definitely no half measures in this industry.
And that's what really separates the men from the boys.
Back in the day I use to have SERIOUS issues just spending $30-40 on links. Then it was $100. Then $300... then $500. Then you consistently see these patterns. These very strategic all or nothing mindsets. You notice many successful marketers on here own their own PBN's. For years I said, "I'm never building a PBN.. fuuuuuck that! Wayyy too expensive! Way too risky! Way too much bs!" Same shit with licensing my biz. Everyone kept saying, "don't do it! 9/10 business fail! just get a job! you'll be better off" rah rah rah. It took >>8 years of THINKING ABOUT IT just to STFU and finally take that jump. And guess what? Getting that LLC was one of the easiest and smartest decisions I ever made. Now, I'm noticing that same transformation as far as PBN's & new ventures go. You overthink, overanalyze, overcriticize.. then you reach that edge, you look down and lean forward. And you can stand there leaning forward for 1 second, 1 minute or 1 decade. But
eventually, you gotta jump off that cliff. The longer you stand there the scarier it's gonna be. And sometimes you have friends like OP who can jump spin kick you off that cliff.
TL
R - When on a cliff, please do jump as quick as possible.
And NICE JOB OP.
-BB
ps. If there is anything wrong with my math please lmk. Thanks.