Capability standard · SEO
Link and Authority Building
v1.0Earning the links and mentions that a search engine counts as a reason to trust a site.
Earning links, citations and mentions that a search engine treats as a reason to trust a site.
Reference CAP-SEO-005
What each level asks of you
A verifier marks against these descriptors. Level 1 is free and self-directed; Levels 2 and 3 use credits and a human verifier.
L1
You can tell a link that helps a site from one that does nothing for it.
L2
You run an outreach or digital-PR campaign, and report the links that actually moved rankings rather than the ones that were easy to get.
L3
You build an authority programme that runs without paid placement, and can defend its quality to a sceptical stakeholder.
What counts as evidence at L2
A campaign you ran, the links it earned and the rankings that moved.
Evidence has to be work you did. It is attached to the request and read by the verifier — it is never published.
Role models that ask for this capability
SEO Manager
Desirable for the role
L2 CaterpillarSEO Specialist
Desirable for the role
L1 LarvaStandard due for review 2027-06-30. Levels are issued against the version current on the day they are earned.