How quickly can I add links?

[Webmaster123]

I have a site that is about 1-2 years old but I haven't worked on any backlinks yet. How many links is too many too quickly?

I am looking to hire a firm to do my seo and I've received a lot of positive feedback from their customers and other seo experts in the area.

[bradkrussell]

I have to agree with John.

Just another thing to consider, in the past when we've launched a new domain we've 'acquired' (through hard work, not through $) a few very high quality links and not bothered with any low value links. We will then let those links sit there for some time (1-2 months) before trying to target other links.

Because your domain is quite mature (in a sense), you should be fine, especially if you are hiring a highly reputable SEO firm. Just make sure they are very transparent in what they do. Good luck!

[DesignbysoapLtd]

Not really a simple answer to this I'm afraid, as it depends on a host of other factors. With that said however a huge spike in your backlinks would certainly be cause for suspicion from Google's point of view. However, natural spikes do happen (such as a particularly popular piece of content for example), and don't always result in a penalty.

If I were you I'd aim for a steady stream of links that gradually increase over time, rather than hammering it from the outset.

You should also be aware of the types of links you're getting - aim for relevancy and quality in your link-building and you can't go too far wrong. If you're aiming for 'quick wins' of low quality and relevancy then you're essentially building your house on sand, when you should be aiming for solid foundations. I'd choose fewer high quality links over a higher number of low quality links every time.

Lastly, if you are starting link-building for the first time I'd be careful of over-use of exact match anchor text - you want to keep your backlink profile looking as natural as possible, so aim for a minimum of 50% brand name links.

Good luck with your new SEO firm - good testimonials are always a positive sign and a good place to start : )

Hope that's of some help to you!