Links That Matter and Links That Don't
Cut through the noise on link building.
Not all links are equal. Most links do nothing. A small number of links from relevant, trusted sources move rankings. Understanding the difference saves enormous effort.
The honest state of link building
Links still matter for SEO. Google has confirmed this repeatedly. But the relationship between links and rankings is more nuanced than most SEO content suggests.
The short version: a small number of high-quality, relevant links will do more for your rankings than hundreds of low-quality links. Most link building activity produces links that do nothing.
Links that move rankings
Editorially placed links from relevant sites. When a site in your industry links to your content because it is genuinely useful to their audience, that is the strongest type of link. It signals to Google that a real person in your space found your content worth referencing.
Links from authoritative sources. A link from a well-known publication, industry organization, or educational institution carries more weight than a link from an unknown blog. Authority is contextual. A link from a respected cooking site matters more for a food blog than a link from a tech publication.
Links with topical relevance. A link from a page about email marketing to your email marketing guide is more valuable than a link from a page about car insurance. Google evaluates the topical relationship between the linking page and your page.
Links from pages that themselves have links. A link from a page that nobody links to passes very little authority. A link from a page that many other sites reference passes more. Authority flows through the link graph.
Links that do nothing (or worse)
Directory submissions. Generic web directories, business directories (beyond the major ones like Google Business Profile), and niche directories that exist primarily for link building. Google has been ignoring these for years.
Blog comment links. Links dropped in blog comments, forum signatures, and profile pages. These are almost universally nofollowed and ignored by Google even when they are not.
Paid links that are detectable. Google is very good at detecting paid link patterns. Sponsored posts on low-quality blogs, link insertions in existing articles, and links from sites that obviously sell links. These can result in a manual action.
Reciprocal link schemes. "I will link to you if you link to me" at scale. Google specifically identifies and discounts reciprocal link patterns.
PBN links. Private blog networks (sites created solely for link building) are detectable and penalized. Google has gotten increasingly effective at identifying these.
Links from irrelevant sites. A link from a gambling site to your SaaS blog is not helpful. Topical irrelevance signals that the link was not earned naturally.
How to earn links that matter
Create link-worthy content. Original research, comprehensive guides, useful tools, and unique data are the content types that naturally attract links. If your content is the same as what already exists, there is no reason for anyone to link to it.
Be a source. Journalists and bloggers need sources for their articles. If you have original data, expert knowledge, or a unique perspective, make yourself available. HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and similar services connect sources with journalists.
Build relationships in your industry. People link to people they know and trust. Participating in industry communities, speaking at events, and collaborating on projects creates natural linking opportunities.
Create tools and resources. Free tools, calculators, templates, and datasets attract links because they provide ongoing value. A free email subject line analyzer will earn more links over time than any blog post.
How many links do you need?
There is no universal answer. It depends entirely on the competition for your target queries.
Check the backlink profiles of the pages currently ranking for your target queries. If the top results have 50 referring domains and you have 2, you need more links. If the top results have 5 referring domains and you have 3, links may not be your bottleneck.
UpSearch shows competitor backlink data from SERP analysis to help you gauge the competitive link landscape for your specific queries.
Practical takeaway
Stop thinking about link building as a volume game. One relevant, authoritative link is worth more than 100 directory submissions. Focus your effort on creating content worth linking to and building relationships with people who might link to it. Everything else is noise.