Scorecard Link Exchange
Partner Evaluation Scorecard
A scoring template for evaluating potential and existing link exchange partners
For SEO Manager
Related feature: Partner Management
Partner Evaluation Scorecard
Use this scorecard to objectively evaluate every potential link exchange partner before agreeing to an exchange.
Scoring Criteria
Rate each factor from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent):
| Category | Factor | Score (1-5) | Weight | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authority | Domain Rating / DA | — | 20% | — |
| Authority | Organic traffic volume | — | 15% | — |
| Relevance | Topical relevance to your site | — | 20% | — |
| Relevance | Audience overlap | — | 10% | — |
| Quality | Content quality and freshness | — | 10% | — |
| Quality | Site design and user experience | — | 5% | — |
| Technical | Page indexability | — | 5% | — |
| Technical | Link placement quality | — | 10% | — |
| Trust | Spam score (inverted) | — | 5% | — |
| Total Weighted Score | 100% | — |
Score Interpretation
- 4.0 - 5.0: Premium partner — prioritize and pursue aggressively
- 3.0 - 3.9: Good partner — proceed with standard terms
- 2.0 - 2.9: Acceptable partner — proceed with caution, monitor closely
- 1.0 - 1.9: Below threshold — decline the exchange
Scoring Guide
Domain Rating / DA
- 5: DR 60+
- 4: DR 40-59
- 3: DR 25-39
- 2: DR 15-24
- 1: DR below 15
Topical Relevance
- 5: Same niche, directly relevant content
- 4: Closely related niche
- 3: Adjacent topic with some overlap
- 2: Loosely connected
- 1: No meaningful topical connection
Organic Traffic
- 5: 100,000+ monthly visits
- 4: 25,000-99,999 monthly visits
- 3: 5,000-24,999 monthly visits
- 2: 1,000-4,999 monthly visits
- 1: Under 1,000 monthly visits
How to Use
Fill in scores for each factor, multiply by the weight, and sum the weighted scores. Record the total in your partner database for comparison across prospects.