SEO is always changing, but backlinks have always been a key part of helping websites show up higher in search results. Backlinks work like digital recommendations-when another website links to your content, it signals to search engines that your site has useful and reliable information.
But should you focus on getting lots of backlinks, or should you prioritize the authority and relevance of the sites linking to you?
The truth is, both matter, but in recent years, the importance of strong, relevant backlinks has gone up, especially with new search engine updates.
Building good-quality backlinks is important for steady SEO improvement. If you want help with this, you might want to check out link building SEO services.
What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter for SEO?
Before talking about whether quality or quantity is better, let’s look at what backlinks are and why they matter for SEO. The internet is full of connections, and backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours.
These links help both people and search engines discover and move between pages.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink is just a link from another website that leads to your site. You might see these links in the main text of an article, in sidebars, at the bottom of a page, or even in directories or on social media. The most helpful backlinks come from sites that are related to your own industry or topic.
How Do Search Engines Use Backlinks?
Search engines treat backlinks as a sign of trust. If a well-known website links to your content, search engines take it as a good sign that your content is valuable and should be shown to more people.
The “better” or more trusted the website, the more it helps your site when they link to you. Search engines use these signals (often called “link equity”) to decide how high your pages should rank.
What Is Link Equity?
Link equity (sometimes called “link juice”) is the value carried over from one site to another when pages are linked together.
If a high-authority site links to your page, some of that authority moves to you. This helps search engines decide how important your page is compared to others, so quality backlinks give your site a better chance of ranking well.
What Determines the Quality of a Backlink?
Not every backlink is valuable. Some are much better than others. The main things that make a backlink high-quality are authority, relevance, and trust. Picking up on these qualities in your link-building strategy is key.
What Makes a Backlink High Quality?
- Comes from a trusted, respected website
- Is related to your industry or topic
- Is inside helpful, original content (not tucked away in a footer or list of links)
How Does Domain Authority Affect Backlink Quality?
Domain authority (or DA, from Moz’s scoring) measures how strong or powerful a website is overall. It runs from 1 to 100. Higher scores mean the site is more trusted by search engines. Backlinks from sites with a higher DA have more impact. Usually:
| DA Score | Meaning |
| 60-100 | Excellent – aim for these sites |
| 40-59 | Okay – still helpful |
| Below 40 | Not very strong |
What About Relevance and Context?
Getting a backlink from a site that matches your topic (for example, a fitness blog getting a link from a health site) is much more helpful than getting a random link from an unrelated site. Also, the spot where the link is placed matters-it should fit naturally in the content and make sense for readers.
Does Anchor Text Matter?
Yes, anchor text (the words used for the link) helps search engines understand what the linked page is about. If it uses keywords related to your site, that’s helpful-but be sure to keep it natural. Repeating the same keyword too much can look spammy.
How Do You Spot Low-Quality or Toxic Backlinks?
Bad backlinks often come from spammy sites or groups just created to sell links (link farms and PBNs). Red flags include:
- Sites with low authority scores
- Poor or unrelated content
- Lots of ads or unnatural placement
- Links stuffed into footers or sidebars
If you find links like this, it’s best to remove or ignore them.
Does the Quantity of Backlinks Still Matter?
While quality is more important, the number of backlinks still plays a part. A higher number of different websites linking to yours usually helps-but only if the links are good ones.
Can More Backlinks Help Rankings?
If your site gets links from many different domains, your rankings can improve, as search engines see your site as more popular. However, the benefit is much greater if those links come from trusted, related sites-not just lots of random sites.
Are There Risks in Focusing on Quantity?
If you chase numbers only and ignore where links are coming from, your site can be flagged for suspicious activity. Many low-quality or spammy links might get your site penalized or removed from search engines.
How Do Search Engines Spot Unnatural Link Patterns?
Search engines, like Google, have algorithms (such as Penguin) to spot odd or suspicious link-building. If you get a huge burst of links quickly or links from odd places, that can signal a problem. Things like many links from unrelated sites, repeating the same anchor text, or hiding links in website code can all raise suspicion.
Quality vs. Quantity: Which Is Better for SEO?
So, which is more important? While having lots of links can show your site is popular, quality links from the right sites matter much more. They help build your site’s reputation and improve search rankings long-term.
How Does Quality Affect Ranking?
Strong backlinks from respected, related sites show search engines your site is worth trusting. These links help you rank higher and gain more trust from users. Having highly respected sites point to your content is one of the best ways to improve visibility, especially if there’s a lot of competition.
What Happens If You Only Focus on Quantity?
Going for numbers alone may work for a short time, but it often leads to trouble later. Low-quality, unrelated links may give temporary boosts but can actually hurt you if search engines think you’re trying to cheat the system.
How Should You Balance Quality and Quantity?
The best plan is to get a mix: mostly strong, relevant links, plus a healthy range from other quality sites. Many SEO experts work on getting the best links they can while also aiming for a decent number across many trusted websites. Avoid mass-producing low-quality links and focus on those that really matter.
Best Ways to Get Good-Quality Backlinks
Getting high-quality backlinks doesn’t mean taking shortcuts. It’s about offering real value and building solid connections.
What Works Well for Getting Good Backlinks?
- Offer great content people naturally want to link to
- Write guest posts for trusted blogs in your industry
- Build relationships with journalists and bloggers
- Try “broken link building” (find broken links on other sites, and offer your content instead)
- Share useful content in your community or on social media
Why Make Link-Worthy Content?
Good content-like detailed guides, research, charts, or original videos-gives others a reason to link to your site. When your content answers questions or solves problems, other websites will want to share it.
How Can Guest Blogging Help?
Writing articles for top blogs in your niche lets you share your knowledge, get your name in front of new people, and secure a quality backlink in your author bio or the content itself. It’s one of the safest methods for earning strong links.
How Does Digital PR Help?
By sharing press releases, publishing interesting stories, or responding to reporters (such as with HARO), you can get respected media sites to mention and link to you. Links from news sites or industry magazines carry a lot of weight and can both boost rankings and send you visitors.
What Is Broken Link Building?
Broken link building is a win-win. Find links on other sites that don’t work anymore, and suggest your content as a new, working resource. The website owner fixes a broken link, and you gain a valuable backlink.
Which SEO Tools Help Find Backlink Chances?
SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush help you track your backlinks, see who links to competitors, spot fake or spammy links, and find broken links. They make it easier to plan your link-building work and track your improvement.
Backlink Mistakes to Avoid
There are also mistakes to be aware of when building backlinks. Using shady or trick-based methods can lead to serious problems.
What’s Wrong with Link Schemes and Paid Links?
Buying links or joining schemes where sites trade links for SEO gains is considered cheating. Search engines often spot these tactics. Even if you find a respected site that sells links, many sellers use low-quality sites that hurt you in the end. Don’t take shortcuts-focus on earning links honestly.
How Does Google Penalize Fake Links?
Google’s systems catch spammy link-building by watching for odd patterns. If you’re caught, your rankings can drop or your site can be removed from Google’s index. “Manual penalties” can happen if someone at Google reviews your link profile and finds risky links.
When Should You Disavow Bad Links?
If you notice spammy or low-value links pointing to your site, you can “disavow” them so Google ignores them. Use SEO tools to spot these bad links and the Google Disavow Tool to submit them.
Key Points: Making Backlinks Work for You
Getting good backlinks takes work, but it’s worth it. Both the number and the quality of your links matter, but the trustworthiness and relevance of those sites are much more important for long-term SEO progress.
Focus on Quality, Quantity, or Both?
Based on how search engines work now, you should focus mainly on getting high-quality backlinks. Having a few great links from the right sources is better than hundreds of junk links. Aim for a healthy variety, but never sacrifice quality for the sake of numbers.
What Should You Do Next?
If you want your site to grow and keep its rankings next year and beyond, focus on making helpful content, building real relationships in your field, and following honest link-building tactics.
Regularly check your backlinks with SEO tools, remove any bad links, and adjust your approach as search engines keep updating. Building a set of quality links from the right sources is the best way to help your site stay strong in search results and attract real visitors.
