Cascade Levels: L1, L2, L3 and Crowd
The cascade is a pyramid of links consisting of three levels plus a crowd layer. Each subsequent level strengthens the previous one, rather than linking directly to your site. This structure appears more natural to search engines than a hundred direct links that appeared in a week.
Why Levels at All
A direct link from a trusted site passes weight. But if no one links to the donor page, its own authority remains low — and less weight reaches your site. The second level strengthens the donors, the third supports the second, and the crowd adds background signals. As a result, the weight reaches the target in a chain, and the increase in links looks like a natural spread of content.
What Each Level Does
| Level | Where Links Lead | Task |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | To your page | Foundation: unique articles with a direct link and your anchor |
| L2 | To first-level articles | Increase the authority of donors and speed up their indexing |
| L3 | To second-level publications | Support the indexing of the entire chain |
| Crowd | To final level publications | Natural mentions, smooth out sharp increases |
How Quantity is Calculated
The quantity at the second and third levels is set for each link of the previous level, not cumulatively. For example, 5 first-level links and "3 each" at the second give up to 15 second-level publications. The launch window shows the final numbers before payment — refer to it, rather than counting in your head.
How Many Levels to Include
- Only the first — a quick and cheap option, suitable for testing sites.
- First and second — the working minimum: weight reaches the target noticeably better.
- All three plus crowd — a full cascade for competitive niches.
Levels are toggled on and off in the launch window — with a flexible rate, you set the quantity at each.
What Happens to Publications Next
Each first and second level publication is checked: the system ensures that the link is indeed on the page and sends it for indexing. The status is visible in the report and in the "Pulse" — details in the articles "Report and Launch Statuses" and "What is Pulse".