How to Get to $10 Million in Revenue With a Backlink Automation Tool

How to Get to $10 Million in Revenue With a Backlink Automation Tool

In this article we’ll explore the entrepreneur journey of Ilias Ism, who's been on quite the adventure building and growing businesses. With two successful startups and over 20 "learning experiences" (let's be real, they were tough but valuable lessons), Ilias has become a master at coding, marketing, and pretty much everything in between.

Ilias Ism

Now, he's slowly but surely getting into the world of SEO with LinkDR, a tool that automates backlinks and is already making a splash (and some serious cash) even before its official launch. His goal? To hit $10 million in annual recurring revenue. No pressure, right?

How it all began?

Ilias started his entrepreneurial journey as a teenager. At 16, he was already freelancing as a web developer, driven by his curiosity and natural skill for building things online.

His early projects, shared on platforms like Reddit and Product Hunt, gave him a taste of viral success. One of his creations, Reddit Music Player, exploded in popularity, racking up over 100,000 impressions on Reddit and cementing his belief in the power of online communities.

Fast forward a few years, and you'll find Ilias co-founding a SaaS company that went from zero to millions in revenue, all while bootstrapped. As CTO, he wore many hats, diving deep into both the technical and marketing sides of the business.

"Having a budget to experiment with marketing was a game-changer," Ilias recalls. "I could test different channels, analyze data, and refine my strategies without the pressure of bootstrapping."

Growing your online presence naturally (with the help of SEO)

After leaving his previous startup, Ilias felt the pull to dive back into building something new. He poured his heart and soul into creating MagicBuddy, an AI-powered chatbot for Telegram. But there was one big issue: no one was using it.

"That's when I realized the importance of SEO," Ilias admits. "I'd spent months heads-down coding, neglecting the crucial step of getting my product in front of the right people."

He started getting into SEO, learning all about backlinking, content marketing, and building online authority. He even stepped out of his comfort zone and got active on social media, becoming a prominent voice on Twitter (now X).

From SEO agency to backlink automation: Finding a market gap

Realizing the power of SEO, Ilias joined forces with his co-founder, Lewis Carhart, to start MagicSpace SEO, an agency focused on helping fast-growing startups.

Their goal was to make SEO simple and help businesses grow steadily through great content, smart backlinking, and data-driven strategies.

As their agency grew, Ilias and Lewis saw a common problem: building backlinks by hand was time-consuming and costly. That's when they had an idea - what if they could automate this process? And just like that, LinkDR was born.

LinkDR: Automating backlinks to empower businesses

LinkDR is more than just a backlink tool — it's a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their SEO efforts and achieve scalable growth. Here's how it works:

• Automated outreach: LinkDR identifies relevant websites in your niche and automates the process of reaching out to potential partners for backlink opportunities;
• Data-driven insights: The platform analyzes keywords, website rankings, and competitor backlinks to identify the most valuable link-building opportunities;
• Cold email strategy: LinkDR includes a built-in cold email tool that crafts compelling outreach messages and automates the sending process.

"Automating this process saves businesses countless hours and resources," Ilias explains. "It allows them to focus on what they do best – creating amazing products and serving their customers."

Building a business ecosystem

Ilias and Lewis get it: businesses need more than just SEO and backlinks. That's why they offer a whole range of other helpful products and services alongside MagicSpace SEO and LinkDR:

• SEOAudit.me: Offering affordable SEO audits for startups, complete with video breakdowns and actionable recommendations;
• SEO Courses and Resources: Sharing their expertise through in-depth courses, blog posts, and valuable resources for aspiring SEO masters;

"By building interconnected products and services, we're able to guide businesses through every stage of their SEO journey," Ilias explains.

Scaling up

With LinkDR gaining traction and MagicSpace SEO thriving, Ilias and Lewis are setting their sights on even bigger goals. They're in the process of building a small team to:

• Scale their agency: Expanding their service offerings beyond SEO to become a one-stop shop for all things marketing;
• Supercharge LinkDR's growth: Exploring partnerships, referral programs, and strategic marketing initiatives to reach $10 million ARR and beyond.

Ilias's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• Validate your ideas with paying customers: Don't wait until your product is "perfect" – start charging early on to validate demand and gain valuable feedback.
• Don't be afraid to make a change: Some of the most successful businesses started out with a completely different vision. Be open to adjusting your course based on market feedback and your own evolving goals.
• Make marketing your day one priority: Don't fall into the trap of thinking you can "do marketing later." Start building your audience and establishing your online presence from the get-go.
• Build your business in public: Share your journey, your struggles, and your triumphs with the world. You never know who you might inspire or what opportunities might arise from connecting with others.
• Never stop learning and experimenting: The world of business is constantly evolving. Stay curious, embrace new technologies, and never be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.