For cannabis link building, CBDSEOXperts is the better fit if you want to approve every site and buy DR 40+ links. FatJoe is cheaper at DR 20+ and DR 30+ and will take CBD orders, but it isn’t a cannabis specialist, and you can’t see the sites before they go live. We compared both on CBD acceptance, site approval, price per link, traffic floors, guarantees and turnaround. Here’s where each one wins.
Key takeaways
FatJoe takes CBD orders, but it isn’t a cannabis specialist. Its support team confirmed it accepts CBD link building, yet nothing on its site mentions CBD, cannabis or hemp. We only pitch sites that already publish cannabis content, and 77% of them accept a cannabis link.
You can’t approve FatJoe’s sites. Its own pages say “you won’t be able to pre-approve” guest post or niche edit placements. At CBDSEOXperts you approve the publisher, anchor and target page before anything is pitched.
FatJoe is cheaper at the low end, and we’re cheaper from DR 40+. A DR 30+ link is $137 at FatJoe and $150 with us. A DR 50+ link is $384 at FatJoe and $250 with us, and a DR 60+ link is $521 against our $300.
FatJoe’s guarantee runs longer on paper. It advertises a “Lifetime Link Guarantee”, while ours is 12 months. Its terms also say “All fees are non-refundable” and rule out refunds when a site’s DR moves after the first day.
Why is cannabis link building different?
Link building for a CBD, delta-8 or THCA brand isn’t the same job as link building for a SaaS tool or a coffee shop. Google and Meta restrict cannabis advertising, so organic search carries more of the revenue for these brands. That raises the stakes on every link.
The supply side is smaller too. Plenty of publishers won’t write about cannabis at all. Some accept the post and then remove it a few months later. Others are link farms that will take anything, which is exactly the kind of site you don’t want pointing at a store selling regulated products.
It used to be easier. In 2021 and 2022, CBD links were simple to get, and plenty of blogs took a cannabis guest post for a modest fee. As more brands chased the same sites, webmasters raised their rates, and some now ask prices a single link can’t justify. So we stopped relying on paid placements. Most of our links now come from manual collaborations we set up with each cannabis publisher.
So a cannabis buyer needs publishers that actually accept cannabis content, and a way to check those sites before paying. A plan for when a link disappears helps too.
FatJoe is a general link seller, and a big one. It was founded in 2012 by Joe Davies and Joe Taylor, is based in Staffordshire in the UK, and says it serves “40k+ agency accounts”. Its model is built for volume. You choose a DR tier and pay, then FatJoe’s team finds the site. That works well in niches where almost any relevant blog will do.
It hasn’t carried over to cannabis searches. We pulled the top 50 Google US results for seven searches a cannabis brand would use to find a link provider, including “buy cbd backlinks“, “cbd link building services” and “buy cannabis backlinks”. FatJoe didn’t appear in any of them. Its own site has no page on CBD, cannabis or hemp either. CBDSEOXperts, meanwhile, ranks in the top 5 for “buy cbd backlinks”, and Google’s AI Overview for that search lists us as its first source and names us among the popular CBD link building options.
CBDSEOXperts only works with cannabinoid and botanical brands: CBD, hemp, delta-8, THCA, kratom and seed banks. We started in 2022 and have worked with 35 brands.
We loaded FatJoe’s guest post, niche edit and Grow package pages in a normal browser and searched its site for CBD, cannabis and hemp. We also asked FatJoe’s support team whether it takes CBD orders and pulled the top 50 Google US results for seven cannabis link building searches. Its terms of service and Trustpilot profile filled in the rest. For our side, we used the prices and terms on our CBD backlinks page. These are the criteria:
CBD and cannabis acceptance. Whether the provider says it takes cannabis orders, and what its terms allow it to do with them. A cancelled order costs you weeks.
Site approval. Whether you can see and approve each publisher before the link is placed. In cannabis, this is how you keep your links off spam sites.
Price per link by DR. The listed price at each Ahrefs Domain Rating tier, in USD. FatJoe sets its prices in GBP and converts them to USD at the current exchange rate, so its dollar prices move.
Traffic floor. The minimum Ahrefs organic traffic a site needs at each tier. A high-DR site with no traffic passes little value.
Guarantee and refunds. What happens when a link is removed, and whether you can get your money back.
Turnaround. How long from order to live links.
Bulk pricing. The discount for larger orders.
Want to see the sites before you pay? Get a free list of CBD publishers in your tier.
Yes. When we asked FatJoe’s support team, they confirmed they take link building orders for CBD sites.
You wouldn’t know it from the website. CBD, cannabis and hemp don’t appear anywhere on fatjoe.com, and its terms only name other sensitive categories: “Prescription drugs, gambling or casinos, and adult orders MAY be possible but have to be treated separately.” The same terms let FatJoe cancel “any orders placed for websites in illegal or offensive industries,” so get the yes in writing for your own store before you pay.
The real difference is where the links come from. FatJoe chooses the sites for you, across every niche it serves. We only pitch sites that already publish cannabis content, which is why 77% of the publishers we contact accept a cannabis link. Those are the sites on the shortlist you approve.
The other difference is visibility. On both its guest post and niche edit pages, FatJoe says you “won’t be able to pre-approve” placements. You see the sites in your dashboard once they’re secured. For a cannabis store, that means you find out which sites link to you after the fact.
At CBDSEOXperts the order runs the other way. You get a shortlist with each site’s DR, traffic and referring domains, plus the proposed anchor and target page. Nothing is pitched until you approve it.
How much do CBD backlinks cost at each provider?
Both providers price per link by Ahrefs DR. Here are the listed prices next to each provider’s traffic range. FatJoe’s prices are set in GBP, so we show the dollar price its site displays with the pound price in brackets.
DR tier
CBDSEOXperts
Our traffic range
FatJoe
FatJoe traffic range
DR 10+
Not offered
n/a
$82 (£60)
0 to 1,000
DR 20+
$120
0 to 1,000
$110 (£80)
0 to 5,000
DR 30+
$150
1,000 to 2,000
$137 (£100)
100 to 10,000
DR 40+
$200
1,000 to 5,000
$247 (£180)
500 to 20,000
DR 50+
$250
1,000 to 10,000
$384 (£280)
1,000 to 30,000
DR 60+
$300
10,000 to 50,000
$521 (£380)
1,000 to 60,000
FatJoe’s niche edits use the same prices as its guest posts. Because the dollar figures follow the exchange rate, expect them to drift a few dollars either way. Our prices are set in USD.
One catch if you’re researching FatJoe with a scraper or an AI tool. The page code holds an older set of dollar prices, $72 for DR 10+ up to $456 for DR 60+, which the site swaps for the live conversion once it loads. Tools that read the page without running it see the old numbers. If you’re quoted $336 for a DR 50+ link, that figure is out of date, and the price at checkout is closer to $384.
If you only need cheap DR 20+ or DR 30+ links, FatJoe costs $10 to $13 less per link. From DR 40+ the gap flips: we’re $47 cheaper at DR 40+, $134 cheaper at DR 50+ and $221 cheaper at DR 60+.
Our DR 30+ and DR 60+ tiers also set a higher traffic minimum. A FatJoe DR 30+ site can have as little as 100 monthly visits, and a DR 60+ site as little as 1,000. Ours start at 1,000 and 10,000.
Bulk orders change the maths again. FatJoe gives 10% off if you subscribe to a monthly spend. We give new clients 30% off a first link order of $5,000 or more, plus a free competitor link-gap audit. Take 20 DR 50+ links:
CBDSEOXperts: 20 × $250 = $5,000, minus 30% = $3,500
FatJoe: 20 × $384 = $7,680, minus 10% on a subscription = $6,912
Both providers take full payment upfront for per-link orders.
How does a cannabis order work with each provider?
FatJoe. You pick a DR tier, choose your anchor and target URL, and pay in full. FatJoe’s team finds and secures the placement, and it appears in your dashboard. Delivery starts “from 14 days”. On the Grow packages, links are reported “up-to 28 days later”.
CBDSEOXperts. You send your target pages and goals. We send a shortlist of cannabis-friendly publishers with DR, traffic and referring domains for each. You approve the sites, anchors and target pages, then pay. We write an original article of 1,000+ words for each link, pitch the editor and send a screenshot report once links go live. Orders of fewer than 20 links take 14 days, and larger orders take 28 days.
Here’s part of a real link report from a cannabis packaging client, with the brand blurred. Each row has the anchor and article topic, then the live link with that publisher’s DR and traffic.
Which guarantee covers you better?
CBDSEOXperts
FatJoe
Removed link
Replaced free for 12 months, on a site of the same tier or higher
“Lifetime Link Guarantee”: replaced if the link is removed
Refund
Replacement or refund within the 12 months
“100% Money Back Guarantee” if an order misses its specs; the terms also say “All fees are non-refundable”
Unused credit
No credit system
Purchased credits expire after 12 months and aren’t refunded
FatJoe’s lifetime promise is longer than our 12 months, and that’s a real point in its favour. Read the terms next to it, though. FatJoe won’t refund or replace a link because the site’s DR moved: “We cannot refund or replace blogs that reduce or rise in DR after the first day of the secured placement.” Our 12 months cover removed links, stripped links, 404s, de-indexed pages and ownership changes that break the link.
How do FatJoe’s customers rate it?
FatJoe holds 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 474 reviews, with 90% at five stars and 4% at one star. None of the reviews we could see mention CBD or cannabis orders, so they tell you about FatJoe in general. They don’t tell you how it handles cannabis.
Which one fits your cannabis brand?
If you are…
What matters most
Best fit
A new CBD store on a tight budget, buying a handful of DR 20+ links
Lowest price per link
FatJoe
A CBD, delta-8 or THCA brand that wants to vet every site
Seeing each publisher before you pay
CBDSEOXperts
A cannabis brand going after competitive keywords with DR 50+ links
Price and traffic at high DR
CBDSEOXperts ($250 vs $384 at DR 50+)
A brand ordering $5,000+ of links for the first time
Bulk pricing
CBDSEOXperts (30% off vs 10%)
A brand that wants a lifetime replacement promise
Guarantee length
FatJoe
Side-by-side comparison
Here are the same criteria from our methodology in one table.
CBDSEOXperts
FatJoe
Best for
CBD and cannabis brands that want to vet every site and buy DR 40+ links
Cannabis brands on a tight budget that only need DR 20+ to 30+ links and don’t need to choose the sites
CBD and cannabis
The only niche we work in; 77% of the cannabis sites we pitch accept a link
Takes CBD orders (confirmed by its support team); no CBD page, and it picks sites across every niche
Site approval
Yes, every site, anchor and target page
No pre-approval
Price, DR 30+
$150
$137 (£100)
Price, DR 50+
$250
$384 (£280)
Price, DR 60+
$300
$521 (£380)
Traffic floor, DR 60+
10,000 a month
1,000 a month
Guarantee
12-month replacement or refund
Lifetime replacement; fees “non-refundable” under its terms
Turnaround
14 days (fewer than 20 links), 28 days (larger orders)
From 14 days
Bulk discount
30% off a first order of $5,000+
10% off a monthly subscription
Minimum order
None
None
Payment
100% upfront
100% upfront
Trustpilot
No reviews yet
4.8 from 474 reviews
FatJoe, best for budget DR 20+ to 30+ links
FatJoe is the cheaper option if all you need is a few DR 20+ or DR 30+ links and you’re comfortable letting someone else pick the sites. It has sold links since 2012, and 474 Trustpilot reviewers rate it 4.8 out of 5.
Best suited for cannabis brands on a tight budget that only need DR 20+ to 30+ links and don’t need to choose the sites. It will take a CBD order, but it picks the sites, and you only see them once the links are secured.
CBDSEOXperts, best for vetted DR 40+ cannabis links
We only build links for cannabinoid and botanical brands. You approve every site, our DR 40+ links cost less than FatJoe’s, and our higher tiers need more real traffic.
Best suited for CBD and cannabis brands that want to vet every site and buy DR 40+ links. If you only want the cheapest DR 20+ or DR 30+ links and don’t care which sites they come from, FatJoe will cost you less.
What results do CBDSEOXperts clients get?
These are three link building campaigns from our case studies, with numbers from Ahrefs.
Exhale Wellness started from DR 0 with no organic traffic. After 800 editorial backlinks over 9 months, it reached 204,602 monthly organic visits and a DR of 50.
BudPop, an established hemp brand with stalled growth, went from 3,147 to 13,902 ranking keywords in 13 months on 450 links. Page-one keywords grew from 216 to 487.
GoldenMonk, a kratom vendor, grew monthly organic traffic from 2,827 to 11,754 in 5 months with 150 links. Keywords in the top 3 went from 169 to 536.
“CBDSEOXperts delivered 150 links at an average DR of 50, and page rankings on our money queries jumped on schedule. The team was communicative, organised, responsive and flexible.”
Kallum, Marketing Head, GoldenMonk
“Delta 8 is a category most marketers won’t touch. CBDSEOXperts got Society’s Plant onto relevant publishers and kept every page clear of risky claims, and our product pages now show up for the searches that matter to us.”
Yes. FatJoe’s support team confirmed it takes link building orders for CBD sites, even though its website doesn’t mention CBD. Its terms still let it cancel orders “placed for websites in illegal or offensive industries”, so get the confirmation for your store in writing.
Can I approve FatJoe’s sites before my links go live?
No. FatJoe’s guest post and niche edit pages both say you “won’t be able to pre-approve” placements. You see the sites in your dashboard after they’re secured.
Which is cheaper for CBD backlinks, FatJoe or CBDSEOXperts?
It depends on the tier. FatJoe is cheaper at DR 20+ ($110 vs $120) and DR 30+ ($137 vs $150). CBDSEOXperts is cheaper at DR 40+ ($200 vs $247), DR 50+ ($250 vs $384) and DR 60+ ($300 vs $521).
What happens if a CBD backlink gets removed?
With CBDSEOXperts, we replace it free for 12 months on a site of the same tier or higher, or refund it. FatJoe offers a lifetime replacement guarantee, but it won’t refund or replace a link because the site’s DR changed after the first day.
How long does CBD link building take?
FatJoe lists delivery “from 14 days”. We deliver orders of fewer than 20 links in 14 days and larger orders in 28 days. Google usually takes 4 to 12 weeks after that to reflect new links in rankings.
Is there a minimum order?
Neither provider has one. You can order a single link from either. Both take full payment upfront.
What should I ask a link provider before buying cannabis backlinks?
Ask whether it accepts cannabis sites in writing, whether you can see each site before paying, and what happens if a publisher removes the link. Ask for the traffic floor at your DR tier too, since DR alone says little about a site’s value.
Get a free CBD backlink audit
Send us your domain and we’ll check your current backlinks against your top three competitors. You’ll get the competitor links you’re missing, plus the DR tier we’d start with for your budget. We reply within 24 hours. There’s no obligation to order anything. Book a 30-minute call with Khushboo or request your free audit.
Khushboo founded CBDSEOXperts in 2022 to do SEO for cannabinoid brands only, after working in cannabis SEO since 2020. Since then the agency has worked with 35 CBD, hemp, cannabis and kratom brands, and she reviews every free audit herself.
