Backlinks are a key part of any SEO and digital marketing strategy, serving as both reader guides and important features that Google and other search engines look for. A common question from SEO clients here: How many backlinks are needed to rank highly?
At Upward Engine, our link-building services are second to none in the industry, helping clients both within Utah and nationally build strong, authoritative backlink profiles that improve their standing with both search engines and readers alike. Here are some helpful answers to the question above, helping you understand backlink quantity and the key variables that play a role in determining it.
There is No Magic Number
The first and most important thing we want to get across when it comes to how many backlinks it takes to rank well: There is no magic number. The amount of backlinks you need to rank well on search engines varies greatly depending on many factors, including the competitiveness of your industry and keywords, the quality of your backlinks, and the strength of your website’s overall SEO.
This is why it’s important to focus on creating high-quality content and obtaining authoritative backlinks rather than just trying to hit a specific number.
Quality Over Quantity
While there isn’t a set quantity of backlinks that guarantees success, one thing is clear: Quality trumps quantity when it comes to building a strong backlink profile. This means that having a few high-quality backlinks from reputable sources will be much more beneficial for your search engine rankings than having tons from un-trusted sources. Here are some key variables to consider when prioritizing backlink quality over quantity:
- Link authority: The authority of the website linking to yours is a crucial factor. A backlink from a popular and credible website will have more weight than one from a lesser-known or spammy site.
- Relevance: Links from websites in the same industry or niche as yours are considered more relevant and valuable, as they show search engines that your website is an authoritative source within its topic area.
- Domain diversity: If all your backlinks come from the same domain, it may not have as much impact on your search engine ranking. Having a diverse range of domains linking to your website is important for building credibility and trust with search engines.
- Link placement: The placement of the backlink on the linking website also matters. A backlink in the middle of a relevant article or blog post will carry more weight than one in the footer or sidebar.
Examples of Low-Competition and High-Competition Keywords
Within the world of backlinks, there are two types of keywords: low-competition and high-competition. Low-competition keywords are those that have less competition in terms of other websites using the same keyword. These can be easier to rank for as there is less competition for them. High-competition keywords, on the other hand, have a lot of websites using the same keyword, making it more difficult to rank for.
Examples of low-competition keywords include long-tail keywords or location-based keywords with specific modifiers (e.g., “best pizza restaurant in New York City”). These types of keywords may not have a high search volume, but they can attract highly targeted traffic to your website.
High-competition keywords are typically broad and general keywords (e.g., “pizza restaurant”) that have a high search volume, but also a high level of competition. They may be more difficult to rank for, but if you do manage to rank well for them, you can attract a large amount of traffic to your website.
It’s important to find a balance between using low-competition and high-competition keywords in your SEO strategy. It’s recommended to focus on long-tail and location-based keywords with specific modifiers, as they can bring in highly targeted traffic and have less competition.
Google’s Focus on EEAT
In recent years, and in a trend expected to carry forward to 2026 and beyond, Google has placed a much greater emphasis on expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) when ranking websites. This means that your website’s content needs to be high-quality and from reliable sources in order to rank well.
To improve your E-A-T score, consider creating authoritative and informative content, using credible sources for information, and establishing yourself as an expert in your field through guest blogging or speaking engagements.
As you can see, there is no set answer to the question of how many backlinks it takes to rank well for your site. But with the information we’ve provided, and some expert assistance from our team at Upward Engine, you can work towards improving your website’s backlink profile and ultimately drive more traffic and increase your search engine rankings. Contact us today to learn more or get started!
