How Many Backlinks Should You Have To Rank On Google

How Many Backlinks Do You Need To Outrank Your Competitors On Google?

In most competitive environments, ranking high on Google can be the key to success. There are many ways to do so, and the most effective among them is to acquire valuable backlinks to increase your SEO performance. The most important question, however, remains the following: how many backlinks should your website have to rank on Google? There is no fixed or straightforward answer to this, as it depends on several variants.

In this article, we will explore together the vital role of backlinks in SEO, how to determine the number of backlinks you need for your website, and the most effective strategies for acquiring high-quality backlinks.

Understanding Link Building And Its Importance

Prior to presenting the effective strategies and help you determine the amount of backlinks you need, it is necessary to define backlinks and explain their importance for the success of your company.

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks are the most important factors in SEO performance alongside keywords and content. In a nutshell, backlinks make a keyword clickable and lead to another website or page. At the same time, backlinks inform Google about the quality of the website. Hence, you can view them as a form of endorsement that signals to search engines that other websites find your content valuable and trustworthy.

Why Are Backlinks Important?

There are multiple ways in which valuable backlinks can boost your rankings and, eventually, your sales. In this section, we explain in depth the top four reasons to focus on acquiring quality links.

Getting quality backlinks from trusted sites in your industry can enhance your website’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines. This will boost your chances of getting higher rankings in your valuable keywords.

As mentioned before, quality backlinks can significantly boost your search engine rankings. A website with high-quality backlinks is viewed as a reputable website and, thus, ranks higher on Google, driving more organic traffic to your site.

Backlinks are not only “trust vouchers” but they also help increase traffic directly. This is called referral traffic, and it’s organic traffic arriving to your website through backlinks from another website. Eventually, this can lead to increased visibility and conversion rate.

Another technical advantage of getting backlinks is faster indexing. Search engines tend to discover new pages through backlinks, leading to faster indexing and improved search visibility.

Factors Influencing The Required Number Of Backlinks To Rank High

Not every website requires the same amount of backlinks to rank high. Let’s take a look at the factors that decide the amount of required backlinks.

1. Industry And Competition

The ultimate SEO goal is to rank on the top spots of a valuable industry-related keyword. Therefore, the competition inside an industry can play a vital role in determining your ranking position. If everyone in your competition focuses on the same keyword as you, then the chances that you rank high decrease. In this scenario, you would need to carefully analyze the backlink profiles of your competition, exact the data, and utilize the insights to outrank them. To do so, you can leverage competitive intelligence tactics. Not only will you manage to turn the tables, but you can also reverse engineer competitor keywords for a killer content strategy.

2. Content Quality And Relevance

Content is king. This is a favorite saying in SEO. And high-quality, relevant content naturally attracts more backlinks. This indicates the importance of quality over quantity in backlinks. For example, engaging and informative content may attract more contextual links than an irrelevant piece. But do not forget that you should provide value to both your target audience and the potential link builders. This is one of the best tips on how to improve SEO.

3. Domain Rating/Domain Authority

There is no way to see exactly how Google views your website. To tackle this, SEO platforms like Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush, etc., have come up with a number that basically determines your SEO score. This is called Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR) depending on the tool that you use. This number aims to show the SEO “health” score of the website and predict its ability to rank. Websites with higher DR/DA need fewer backlinks to rank, while newer or lower DR/DA sites may require more backlinks to achieve similar results.

4. Anchor Text Diversity

Anchor text is the keyword or phrase that becomes clickable with a backlink. It is important to pick the right ones since Google will help you rank on this specific keyword with your link. As a rule of thumb, diverse and natural anchor text profiles are essential for avoiding penalties and improving rankings.

5. Link Quality

Quality over quantity. That saying could not be more accurate when it comes to backlinks. Not all backlinks are equal. High-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant sites are more valuable than numerous low-quality links. Needless to say that low-quality or spammy links may also damage your SEO performance instead of helping it. For this reason, you should focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sources within your industry.

How To Determine The Right Number Of Backlinks

Now that we have established what backlinks are and why they are important, it is time to figure out how many backlinks you need to rank high on Google. In this section, we analyze 4 steps to take that can safely give you the information you need.

Step 1: Analyze Competitors

Analyzing your competitors is always a valuable idea for everything business-related. In SEO, you can utilize platforms like Semrush or Ahrefs to check your top competitors’ backlink profiles and witness what works for them. A solid SEO competitor analysis will help you understand how many backlinks your website will need to rank like your competition. Focus on the number and quality of backlinks they have, identify possible patterns in their link-building strategies, and use them to your advantage.

Step 2: Assess Your Current Backlink Profile

Now that you know what your competition does with their backlinks, it is time for some self-evaluation. Namely, you need to fully understand your current SEO state in order to make decisions. Simply start by checking your current backlinks, see how well they work for you, and identify gaps for improvement.

Step 3: Set Achievable Goals

After you’ve identified your current state and where your competitors stand, it is time to set some realistic and achievable goals. Most importantly, you want to make sure that your goals are based on the previous analysis and its data. Also, you should consider factors that affect SEO, like industry, resources, and competition.

Step 4: Focus On Quality Over Quantity

As mentioned above, low-quality backlinks may harm your SEO performance. That is why you should avoid them and place your focus on getting high-quality backlinks instead. Do not forget that a smaller number of quality links is more beneficial than a large number of low-quality and spammy links.

Effective Strategies To Get High-Quality Backlinks

There are multiple strategies for successful link building that can boost your SEO performance. Here we shortlist the most effective ways that work across industries.

Create Engaging Content

Top-quality content is the foundation of successful link building. Focus on creating content that is engaging, informative, and valuable to your target audience. Here are some great examples that can attract link builders:

• Long-form content blogs
• Infographics and guides
• Visual and shareable content
• Interviews with thought leaders in the industry

Guest Blogging

Creating engaging content should not be limited to your blog. You can try writing guest posts for reputable blogs in your industry to earn high-quality backlinks. Make sure that the quality of your guest posts aligns with the content on your blog. Meanwhile, ensure that you provide value to the host site’s audience and include a natural, relevant backlink to your site.

Don’t know where to start? There are plenty of guest posting opportunities in blogs like eLearning Industry.

Broken Link Building

Sometimes, you may encounter broken links leading to a 404 page on other blogs. In this case, the host website is probably not aware of the issue yet. You may step in and offer your link as a win-win situation for both of you.

So, what you can do is identify broken links on authoritative websites in your industry and offer your content as a replacement. This tactic not only earns you a backlink but also helps the website owner fix broken links.

Outsource Link Building

In the market, there are many reliable link building services ready to work for your website. You can search online for the service that suits your needs and get in touch with them. Choose the link building service that is an expert in your niche since they will have trusted websites from your industry to work with.

Utilize Social Media

Include shareable content like infographics in your content marketing strategy to utilize social media in SEO. This will help you promote your content on social media platforms to increase its visibility and attract potential backlinks. Engaging with your audience on social media can also enhance your online presence and authority.

Leverage Directories And Listings

Directories and PPC marketing can do wonders for your business! Search, analyze, and pick the top PPC agency to market your service with. When you find the right one, submit your website and set up your listing. Also, make sure that the directories you pick are credible and relevant to your niche to attract the proper hot leads.

Conclusion

Everyone who enters the SEO field wonders how many backlinks they might need to rank properly. However, determining the exact number of backlinks needed to rank on Google isn’t an exact science. It is a constantly changing field that depends on various factors, including industry, competition, content quality, domain authority, and link quality.

Acquiring high-quality links from authoritative and relevant sources should be prioritized instead of focusing solely on the number of backlinks. By creating exceptional content and utilizing effective link building strategies, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic.

At the end of the day, the key to a successful SEO strategy lies in a balanced approach that combines a solid link building plan, quality content, and successful maintenance. Stay patient and persistent, as SEO is a long-term marketing tactic, and your efforts will pay off in the form of improved rankings and increased online visibility.