Modern SEO is more complex and challenging than ever before.
In the past, links were paramount in SEO.
But does that still hold true today?
This article will explore the importance of link SEO in today’s landscape. We will consider multiple industry perspectives, analyze empirical evidence, and review Google’s recent statements and updates regarding the role of links in their ranking algorithms.
Backlinks and SEO: Confusion in Today’s Landscape
Links matter. The volume and quality of external links to a webpage can influence its search rankings.
Beyond the number of links, several other factors play a role, including:
- Link diversity (do your links come from multiple sites?).
- Relevance.
- Quality.
- Authority.
Technical aspects and Google’s preference for editorial (non-paid) links further impact effectiveness.
Links generate PageRank, which helps elevate keyword rankings. Although Google no longer displays PageRank publicly, it still factors into their algorithm.
How significant is it? Opinions vary. Some believe PageRank is crucial, while others think it’s nearly obsolete.
Just take a look at this LinkedIn post for instance:
Such posts can lead to interesting discussions that bring out diverse opinions:
Opinions on the importance of links vary widely, leaving many confused.
If you’re among the confused, know you aren’t alone.
So, are links as crucial as sellers claim? Or are they an unnecessary expense?
The truth, as it often is, lies somewhere in between.
Let’s delve further into these perspectives and analyze the facts.
Google’s Statements and Updates
First, let’s review some recent comments from Google.
Gary Illyes, a webmaster trends analyst at Google, made some interesting remarks in September:
- “I think they [links] are important, but I think people overestimate their importance. I don’t agree it’s in the top three. It hasn’t been for some time.”
In March, Google updated its Spam Policy, removing the word “important” in reference to links as a ranking factor. This update coincided with the March 2024 core algorithm update.
In April, Illyes commented at a search conference that links were less significant:
- “We need very few links to rank pages… Over the years we’ve made links less important.”
John Mueller, a Google search advocate, added:
- “My recommendation would be not to focus so much on the absolute count of links. There are many ways that search engines can discover websites, such as with sitemaps. There are more important things for websites nowadays, and over-focusing on links will often result in you wasting your time doing things that don’t make your website better overall.”
However, parts of Google’s documentation still mention links and PageRank as core aspects of its ranking systems. Google states that PageRank is:
- “one of our core ranking systems used when Google first launched. Those curious can learn more by reading the original PageRank research paper and patent. How PageRank works has evolved a lot since then, and it continues to be part of our core ranking systems.”
So, while Google is reducing the prominence of link data in its ranking algorithms, this appears to be a gradual process.
Here’s what Google’s philosophy page mentions:
- “We assess the importance of every webpage using more than 200 signals and a variety of techniques, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, which analyzes which sites have been ‘voted’ to be the best sources of information by other pages across the web. As the web gets bigger, this approach actually improves, as each new site is another point of information and another vote to be counted.”
This suggests that links and PageRank remain significant. However, it also states:
- “We never manipulate rankings to put our partners higher in our search results and no one can buy better PageRank. Our users trust our objectivity and no short-term gain could ever justify breaching that trust.”
The phrase “no one can buy better PageRank” implies that Google is committed to defending this part of its ranking algorithm.
It suggests that Google believes, or wants us to believe, that paid link building services are ineffective. If they were effective, Google couldn’t make this claim.
This doesn’t imply links are unimportant. However, Google invests heavily to neutralize straightforward link building strategies.
Despite Google’s efforts, the SEO industry still endorses link building as a legitimate tactic, continuing to educate those perceived as uninformed.
These practices will persist unless Google makes radical changes to its algorithms and effectively communicates them.
Google is moving away from links to better rank content, but what could replace PageRank? For now, nothing substantial. However, with Google’s AI capabilities, this could change.
If Google can assess content usefulness directly without external links, the need for ranking webpages may diminish. Instead, responding to search queries will be an AI-driven task focused on extracting and surfacing technical content.
This shift appears inevitable.
Empirical Evidence and Studies
The critical question for your SEO efforts is: “Do links work right now?”
Consider findings from Ahrefs, Backlinko, and MonsterInsights:
Study 1: Ahrefs Backlink Statistics and Findings
Ahrefs, a platform for backlink analysis, keyword indexing, content optimization, and technical SEO auditing, updated its SEO Statistics for 2024 on March 18.
Ahrefs observed a positive correlation between the number of sites linking to a page and the page’s ranking and SEO traffic performance. Most top-ranked pages gain between 5% and 14% more followed links per month.
Study 2: Backlinko Search Ranking Findings
“A site’s overall link authority (as measured by Ahrefs Domain Rating) strongly correlates with higher rankings,” a Backlinko study noted, updated on March 24.
Google doesn’t use SEO tool scores in its algorithms, but it still uses PageRank. Ahrefs Domain Rating aims to simulate PageRank, so correlations are expected if Ahrefs is accurate.
Backlinko’s study also mentioned:
- “Pages with lots of backlinks rank above pages with fewer backlinks. The #1 result in Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than positions #2-#10.”
However, correlation doesn’t imply causation. High rankings can make a page more visible, attracting more backlinks. Nevertheless, the correlation between link authority and higher rankings is robust.
- “We found no correlation between page loading speed (as measured by Alexa) and first-page Google rankings.”
This point is slightly misleading. Google doesn’t adjust rankings based on Alexa page-speed ratings. Instead, they use Core Web Vitals to evaluate page performance. Therefore, this statement might be based on questionable input data.
On to the next point:
- “Getting backlinks from multiple different sites appears important for SEO. The number of domains linking to a page correlated with rankings.”
The significance of link diversity is generally accepted within the search community.
Study 3: Monster Insights Ranking Factor Findings
Monster Insights, a WordPress plugin provider, determined in January that backlinks “have a massive influence on Google’s ranking algorithm.”
Monster Insights concluded that sites with more backlinks generally achieve higher ranking positions (on average):
- “Backlinks from high authority websites are more valuable and boost your rankings better than links from lower-rated sites. These links signal to Google that your content is trustworthy, as high-quality websites vouch for it.”
Making Sense of Link Data and Claims
While most studies suggest a correlation between links, rankings, and search traffic, they don’t address causation.
Do links cause pages to rank higher, or do high-ranking pages attract more links? This has been a major debate in SEO for over a decade.
Some have succeeded with link building, while others have seen no results or faced manual actions from Google.
Ahrefs’ study is among the most trustworthy as it provides tools and data without selling link-building services, thus reducing bias. They maintain a massive index of over 14 trillion live backlinks.
Understanding the Role of Backlinks in 2024
Your primary takeaway is: Links still matter now.
However, traditional link building, producing poor-quality links, has not been effective for some time.
Success requires innovative strategies and real-world events that attract high-tier editorial coverage.
Don’t “build” links. Earn and attract them. Creating links isn’t as simple as stacking blocks.
While backlinks are still significant, their importance is diminishing.
Adopting a holistic and quality-focused approach in link acquisition and broader SEO strategies will likely yield the best results in this evolving landscape.
