Brazil and Portugal, at network speed.
- Company and market
- North Star Network · Off-page strategy · Brazil & Portugal · Sports and betting
- Role
- Off-Page SEO Lead
- The challenge
- North Star Network runs sports sites and betting sections in many markets, some on its own domains and some hosted inside major publishers.
- My contribution
- I owned the link-building strategy for the Brazilian and Portuguese properties, as a freelance contract alongside my main role.
2024 – 2025 · freelance
freelance · alongside main role- #7 → #1“codigo bonus betano” Ahrefs estimate
- #2 → #1Betclic & Solverde codes Ahrefs estimate
- #21 → #11“casas de apostas” Ahrefs estimate
The challenge
North Star Network runs sports sites and betting sections in many markets, some on its own domains and some hosted inside major publishers. In Brazil and Portugal that meant Trivela, Lakers Brasil, Um Dois Esportes, Premier League Brasil and the betting sections of Placar and Observador. Different audiences, one tight timeline and a market in transition: Brazil's new licensing law had been passed in late 2023 and its licensed-only regime started in January 2025, during my contract.
My role
I owned the link-building strategy for the Brazilian and Portuguese properties, as a freelance contract alongside my main role. I decided where and how to get the links, negotiated with publishers and agencies, placed the orders, checked delivery and reconciled what was published against what was invoiced. I managed a varied acquisition mix, including higher-risk tactics that needed careful assessment rather than enthusiasm.
The decisions
Finding publishers was never the hard part; turning most of them down was. I balanced price against relevance, editorial standards and footprint risk, put the budget where each site needed it most and moved it when a publisher pool dried up or its costs stopped making sense. Agencies were one channel among several; a lot of the best placements came from direct relationships with publishers.
Execution
Eleven months, two markets, six properties. One ordering workbook per site, monthly budgets, publication and indexing checks and invoice reconciliation with each supplier. When a link went missing or a page broke, it was chased or replaced.
What the work shows
Running a six-figure link-acquisition programme across two markets without losing control of quality, money or risk.
Want to talk about work like this? Email me or find me on LinkedIn.