Businesses have their task cut out – achieve high rankings in search results and increase online visibility. One critical factor that impacts search engine rankings is the number of links pointing to a website.
This brings us to the question – How many links does it actually take to rank high in search results? Ideally, the question needs to be phrased differently – How many backlinks are safe every month? This is because too many backlinks can invite penalties, and this will deal a serious blow to the whole idea.
So, Let’s First Take A Look At The Numbers Before We Give An Explanation.
How Many Backlinks Do I Need To Rank
Link Velocity:
Assume that you have a website that is brand new and you have just commenced operations. You need to first carry out an analysis of your competitor website to see the number of links used, and that should be your benchmark.
Because, to put it quite simply, if a competitor website has x number of links and the website is faring great, it means that Google considers it as legitimate. So that will be your starting point. The next action on your end is how you scale up the number of backlinks.
Let’s take an example where you have 10 backlinks to your homepage on the first month after launching your website.
You will have to scale up in this manner 10 (first month), 12 (second month), 15 (third month) 20 (fourth month). During these three months, the focus or target of your backlinks should mostly be your homepage.
In the fifth month, the number of backlinks should remain the same as the fourth month, but the links should start pointing to other pages in your website in a 50:50 ratio. Pick an important page, and start point to that page. In the sixth month, the number of links will be 30, with half being directed to other inner pages. This will then grow proportionately.
Remember, this was an example, assuming 10 backlinks in the first month. Do your research properly to understand the number of backlinks as suitable or appropriate for your site. To be on the safer side, choose a value slightly lower than that of your competitor, and then as you scale up, slowly increase to match that of your competitor.
With the numbers behind us, it is time to look at the importance of link quality over quantity, and check out insights about optimal or advanced link building strategies.
Link Quantity vs. Link Quality:
Link quantity alone is not the sole determinant of high search rankings. Search engines like Google have evolved to focus on link quality and relevance. A large number of low-quality or spammy links can have an adverse impact on a website’s ranking and also result in penalties. It is important to prioritize the quality and relevance of links over the number of links.
Domain Authority and Link Influence:
Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz that measures the overall strength and credibility of a website. Websites with higher DA tend to have a better chance of ranking higher in search results.
Link quantity can contribute to increasing a website’s DA, but it must be accompanied by quality links from authoritative and relevant sources. A few high-quality links from reputable websites can have a more significant impact on rankings than a large number of low-quality links.
Competitive Analysis:
The number of links required to rank high in search results also depends on the competition within your industry or niche. Conducting a thorough competitive analysis can provide valuable insights into the link profiles of top-ranking websites.
Tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, or SEMrush can help identify the number and quality of links necessary to compete effectively. However, keep in mind that link building is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and your strategy should be tailored to your specific goals and target audience.
Link Building Strategies for High Rankings:
a) Content Quality and Linkable Assets:
Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content increases the likelihood of attracting natural, organic links from other websites. Valuable content that stands out from the competition acts as a linkable asset, making it more likely to be shared and linked to by others.
b) Outreach and Relationship Building:
Actively reaching out to relevant websites and influencers within your industry can result in valuable link opportunities. Personalized outreach, guest blogging, and establishing relationships with other website owners can lead to natural link acquisition and increased visibility.
c) Social Media and Link Promotion:
Leveraging social media platforms to promote your content can generate social signals and attract attention from potential link sources. Engaging with your audience and encouraging social sharing can indirectly contribute to link building efforts.
d) Local Citations and Directories:
For businesses with a local presence, Local citation building services and directories can help establish credibility and improve local search rankings. These citations often include NAP data (Name, Address, Phone number) and provide an opportunity to acquire relevant links from local sources.
Look at links the way Google looks at the links
If you could adopt the same perspective as that of Google towards the links, your strategy will be highly effective, and deliver the right results. Here’s a quick understanding of how Google looks at links. Backlinks signal approval and endorsement to Google, indicating that the linked content on a website is valuable.
When more users direct backlinks to a website, the site climbs in search engine results pages. This is where the significance of backlink quality comes into play. A website with a DA of 60 or above is regarded good in terms of metrics.
The most effective approach to progress from 0 to 60 is by securing backlinks from reputable, high-quality websites. Relying solely on top-tier backlinks to advance in search rankings requires considerable time and effort. Supplement your link-building strategy to enhance the search position – this could involve a combination of premium backlinks and smaller brand mentions to deliver the desired results.
To sum up, while there is no number that can be considered as the ideal number of backinks per website, the safest option is to understand the number of links that drive competitors sites and use that as a broad reference, and scale up accordingly.