"Easiest thing I've ever done": 3 Ranking Raccoon's Users' Stories
Natalia Toth
Cold outreach, low response rates, and wasted time — Rob Egan from SEO Works, Cody David from StoryBox, and Jules Dupont from Violet Deer all faced the same link-building struggles. Endless cold emails, weeks of hoping for a reply, spammed inboxes.
Ranking Raccoon changed the game, helping them land high-quality backlinks faster, improve rankings, and build lasting business partnerships that go beyond one-time link exchange. See how they did it!
Case Study #1: SEO Works
The Challenge: Cold Outreach Wasn't Cutting It
Rob Egan, an Account Manager at SEO Works, an award-winning digital agency based in the UK, had to deal with a common link-building headache — getting relevant sites to reply to link exchange requests.
"One of my biggest struggles was finding a more solid way to encourage backlink exchanges between my clients and other sites," Rob said. "Cold emails would mostly be ignored, and progress was always slow."
Finding reliable link partners was frustrating. It required hours of research, sending dozens of emails, and hoping for responses that rarely came.
A Better Way to Connect
In August 2024, Rob decided to give Ranking Raccoon a try. He was looking for a platform where he could easily find relevant sites and speak directly with the people behind them — without the usual soul-crushing back-and-forth of cold outreach.
“When I signed up I hoped to find a space where I could assess other relevant sites easily, and speak to the people behind those sites who would be actively interested in a backlink exchange/s.”
Rob Egan, Account Manager at SEO Works
Ranking Raccoon delivered exactly that - and more.
A 75% Success Rate in Link-Building
“Getting backlinks on Ranking Raccoon was very easy, especially as more users are joining. I appreciate the in-built chat system which keeps comms all in one place, and the backlink confirmation tool is super helpful for confirming that the exchange is complete."
Since signing up, Rob has had an impressive 75% success rate — meaning three out of every four backlink requests he sends turn into live links. That’s a level of efficiency that cold outreach could never yield.
The Results: Higher Rankings, Stronger Network
Using Ranking Raccoon, Rob has secured a few backlinks that have made a real impact.
"I'd been stuck on getting a client's page ranking for a while, but through Ranking Raccoon I got backlinks targeted to that specific page and the site in general. That has bumped the DA up from 12 to 23, and improved rankings for the page. I also now have a nice little network of people I can reach out to for further exchanges."
Beyond that, Rob has built a growing network of reliable link partners.
Why Ranking Raccoon Helped SEO Works
What Rob liked most in the Ranking Raccoon platform was:
- A pre-vetted community – No more cold emails to disinterested websites. Everyone on the platform is there for link-building.
- Easy communication – The chat feature makes it simple to discuss exchanges and confirm links without endless emails.
- Higher success rates – A 75% success rate beats traditional outreach by a mile.
With link-building finally feeling smooth and productive, Rob has no plans to go back to the old way.
Case Study #2: Storybox
The Challenge: The Old Methods Don’t Bring Fruits
Cody David, Owner of StoryBox, a business consulting firm, had been running successful link-building campaigns for years.
Recently though, things got tougher. Outreach response rates were dropping, deliverability was becoming a challenge, and spammy link requests were everywhere.
“With too much noise across email, Facebook, and LinkedIn, it was difficult to get the attention of decision-makers from real, credible companies that hold the strongest authority in Google’s eyes.”
Finding high-quality backlinks from legitimate businesses was becoming harder, and traditional methods just weren’t cutting it anymore.
Time to Build Links the Better Way
Cody knew it was time to try something new. In December 2024, he signed up for Ranking Raccoon looking for a reliable way to acquire links from real companies in his niche — without getting caught in risky link networks.
The first thing he noticed? The quality of websites on Ranking Raccoon was on another level.
More Than Just Easy Backlinks
Instead of spending hours chasing low-quality leads, StoryBox could now secure valuable backlinks with just a fraction of the effort.
Within 2 months, Cody secured 9 backlinks from other Ranking Raccoon users - without a single cold email.
And the best part? The relationships built on Ranking Raccoon kept delivering long after the initial exchange.
"With only a small-to-moderate amount of outreach, we now have a constant stream of DR 40-90 backlinks coming in from heavy-hitter companies – since the response rates are extremely high. Half our links are now passive since new relationships drive repeated link requests over time."
For StoryBox, the impact of these backlinks has been undeniable. Cody shares:
“The links we acquired – at no surprise – were probably the #1 driver behind the rankings & traffic boost we've seen. We really feel like we're hitting escape velocity on our SEO efforts.”
Since using Ranking Raccoon, the company has seen:
- A steady stream of backlinks from DR 40-90 websites
- More high-quality relationships lead to repeated link placements
- An 80% boost in rankings and traffic in just 3-4 months
The Bottom Line
For StoryBox, Ranking Raccoon has made link-building faster, easier, and more effective. With high response rates and spam-free connections, they’re no longer wasting time on dead-end outreach. Instead, they’re building meaningful partnerships that keep delivering results.
Case Study #3: Violet Deer
The Challenge: Getting Messages Seen and Answered
Jules Dupont, Outreach Manager at Violet Deer, knows that good outreach isn’t just about finding websites—it’s about crafting the perfect message. It had to be personal, engaging, and, most importantly, land in the right inbox. That’s a whole art.
“Thinking of the perfect message to send to your prospect. You have to personalize. And you cannot be boring or cliché. And the message has to actually arrive. So many factors that Ranking Raccoon eliminates.”
With traditional outreach, emails often went unnoticed, buried under spam or ignored by busy webmasters.
A Smarter Way to Build Links
In January 2025, Jules came across Ranking Raccoon.
The platform promised a different approach — one where every link request would actually be seen. He signed up with one clear goal: to find more partners for link exchanges across multiple pages.
Right away, the process became easier. Instead of hunting down emails and waiting for replies, Jules found a pool of like-minded SEOs ready to collaborate.
“I found plenty of partners with whom I successfully exchanged links.”
The Easiest Link-Building Ever
For Jules, Ranking Raccoon simplified the process in ways that traditional methods never could.
“Easiest thing I've ever done. Compared to regular methods, it was a piece of cake. Normally, I use Ahrefs and other sources to find potential opportunities. Then I need to find the correct emails. Then, I have to craft a message. Finally, they have to be interested in an exchange of some sort. Ranking Raccoon eliminates many of these factors that sometimes make backlink outreach challenging.”
Early Wins & Growing Results
In less than 2 months, Jules built 7 backlinks from relevant sites - without any cold emails and spammy offers. Though it’s still early days, Jules has already seen positive signs.
“We haven't built enough links to gauge the exact impact. But I bet these links have made getting more targeted traffic easier because we gained some rankings during that time!”
With more link-building on the horizon, Violet Deer is set up for long-term success — without the frustration of traditional outreach methods.
Want to score high-quality links effortlessly, too?
Link-building doesn’t have to be tedious and soul-crushing.
Ranking Raccoon connects you with genuine SEO pros who are all ready to exchange high-quality backlinks — without the endless prospecting and email back-and-forth.
Want to be our next success story? Try Ranking Raccoon for free today and see the difference for yourself!
Natalia Toth
Head of Marketing