The goal of many business owners and marketers is to implement a great search engine optimisation strategy that will propel a brand to the #1 spot on the search engine result pages.
And that’s likely what you’re trying to do. If you’ve been reading up on the subject of SEO, you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t come with a lot of straight, quantifiable answers, especially when it comes to subjects like backlinks.
We’d love to be able to say something like “you need 30 backlinks and your page ranks reach the top,” but SEO doesn’t work that way, unfortunately. The ideal number of backlinks is much more difficult to establish, and here’s why.
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What Are Backlinks and Why Do You Need Them?
Backlinks are the type of hyperlinks found on other websites that redirect to yours. They look just like any other link connected to an anchor text within the content of a page, but instead of taking users to another section of the same site, it directs them to another source.
Search engines consider the number of backlinks when determining a link’s placement on the SERPs, and see these links as popularity votes.
It’s why link building is a big component of SEO. But apart from improving your position in the search results, backlinks can also:
- Increase your traffic
- Improve brand awareness
- Build trust with new audiences
A good backlink strategy has amazing effects on a brand’s efforts to promote itself and build an audience, even beyond trying to rank in the top of the search engine results.
So why isn’t there an average number?
Search engines do not value the number of backlinks a website has, so the concept of an average number of links isn’t an issue.
With backlinks, it’s quality over quantity, even though quantity shouldn’t necessarily be overlooked either.
You need to generate backlinks from reputable websites, with good domain authority because of the notion of link equity. This refers to the fact that links pass authority from one site to another.
So, if a poor, low-quality, and even suspicious website links to yours, all these attributes pass down to you as well. Conversely, high-quality sites that host your link do the same. It’s why many marketers say that just one good backlink values more than 100 low-quality ones, and they’re right!
And it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Google looks at these links as recommendations for your site. It’s reasonable to trust the reputable websites more, and question the ones that aren’t putting in the effort to up their game.
Therefore, when it comes to the number of links you should build, instead of focusing on a number, you need to dedicate your efforts to gain high-quality links that can help you reach your goals.
Of course, the number of links isn’t completely irrelevant. Earning just 2-3 backlinks, even if only from reputable sites, might not be enough to create a good backlink profile. But the number itself is irrelevant unless you get the attention of those quality sites.
How to Build Backlinks
Before you get to that, it’s a good idea to check the current status of your backlink profile and see what’s your starting point. There are several online tools like the one from Ahrefs that will give you a list of sites that link to you, the most popular anchor texts, and any specific page that’s generating a lot of backlinks.
If you don’t have a lot of backlinks, or the ones you have are not exactly from great websites, don’t fret too much, it’s all fixable.
Here are 5 things you can do to build backlinks and rank high on search engines:
1. Create Quality Content
Quality content is a staple for SEO and link building. Basically, when you create high-quality content, you’re not just boosting organic traffic and making your target audience notice.
Others in your industry (or connected industries) take notice as well. This can lead to a spike in the number of backlinks as people start quoting or featuring your content on their platforms.
2. Promote Your Content
Don’t wait long for people to notice your amazing content – start promoting it yourself. Social media, for instance, is a great way to promote your content and spread the word about everything you’re doing, which is why it’s such a common thing to see in a content marketing strategy.
3. Start Guest Posting
Guest posting is a great way to earn some backlinks, but not have to wait for your content to get noticed. Essentially, you create content specifically to be posted on another website, such as a blog, news site, or any other platform where your target audience may gather.
This way, you can increase your brand awareness, and potentially get some organic traffic to your site. Be sure to look for high-quality websites to guest posts, however!
4. Put Yourself out There
You and your business have a unique insight into the niche you’re operating in, and that type of information is of interest to a lot of people. Another way to increase backlinks is to tell your story, and let people know more about you through:
- Interviews
- Event appearances
- Podcasts
- Showing support for local causes, etc.
Final Thoughts
While the average number of backlinks your site needs to reach the top page of Google results varies greatly, the best way to ensure your backlinking and SEO efforts pay off is by having a good strategy catered to the specific needs of your business. And we are here to support Sydney business with their online needs.
Get in touch with Australian Internet Advertising now to get started on improving your site’s SEO!
