How Many Backlinks Should A Website Have? Build Backlinks Like A Pro

Jan 6, 2025

Key Takeaways:

  • How Many Backlinks Should a Website Have? A website should have 50 to 60 backlinks to the homepage and 10 to 100+ backlinks to individual web pages for the best SEO results.
  • The Role of Backlinks in SEO: Backlinks play a crucial role in SEO by indicating to search engines that a website is credible and authoritative. A diverse and natural backlink profile is very important for a successful SEO strategy.
  • Factors Affecting The Velocity Of Backlinks: Domain Rating (DR), keyword difficulty (KD), and internal linking are the key factors that influence the velocity of backlinks a website should have.
  • Achieving More With Fewer Backlinks: Instead of focusing solely on the quantity, you can concentrate on obtaining high-quality, relevant, and authoritative backlinks that can have a more significant impact on SEO and increase Domain Rating (DR) – a powerful SEO ranking factor.

Wondering how many backlinks you need? You’re not alone. Backlinks act as a vote of confidence for your website, helping search engines gauge its authority. With content being produced at a mass scale, links are becoming increasingly important if you want to succeed with your SEO strategy.

For an in-depth look at ethical link-building practices, check out our guide on white-hat link-building.

The Role of Backlinks in SEO

Backlinks are the backbone of SEO. They’re like referrals from other sites, signaling to search engines that your content is credible and worth sharing. Here’s why they matter:

Boost Rankings: Websites with more high-quality backlinks rank higher in search results.

Drive Traffic: Backlinks increase visibility, helping you attract more organic traffic.

Build Authority: A strong backlink profile enhances your reputation in the eyes of search engines.

But not all backlinks are created equal. A link from a reputable source carries more weight than a dozen links from low-quality sites. If your backlink profile lacks quality or diversity, your site could struggle to gain traction.

How Many Backlinks Should a Website Have?

Backlinks play a pivotal role in helping your content rank in the SERPs. But how many backlinks do you actually need to rank?

For established websites, a typical homepage might have anywhere from 50 to 60 backlinks, while individual pages can range from none to over 100+.

Too few backlinks can leave your site struggling to gain credibility with Google. Too many, especially from low-quality sources, could trigger penalties for manipulative tactics.

The sweet spot? Focus on high-quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites. These links improve rankings and build trust with search engines.

For strategies to build an impactful link profile, see our article on the 7 Fundamentals That Every Link Building Strategy Needs.

How Many Backlinks To Individual Pages?

The quantity of backlinks to individual pages is crucial in determining their success in search engine optimization (SEO). It is important to understand how many backlinks each page requires to maximize its visibility and ranking potential.

Let’s take a look at how many backlinks is ideal per each page:

Web PageIdeal Quantity of Backlinks
Home Page50-60
Services Page20-30
Blog Page10-20

These numbers provide a general guideline for achieving desired results based on industry standards and best practices.

However, it is important to note that the ideal number may vary depending on overall domain authority (DA), page authority, keyword difficulty, and internal linking structure. Remember, the homepage passes most internal PageRank value because it will always have the highest percentage of links.

In addition to the factors above, other considerations should be considered when determining how many backlinks you need to build to individual pages. These include the relevance and quality of the backlinks obtained and the overall content strategy and user experience. Understanding the historical context surrounding this topic is essential.

However, search engines have evolved and prioritize value-driven content and authoritative link profiles. This shift has led to a greater emphasis on obtaining high-quality backlinks from reputable sources rather than accumulating a high volume.

Factors Affecting The Velocity Of Building Backlinks

As we explore the factors affecting the number of backlinks, it becomes clear that several key elements come into play.

1. Domain Rating (DR)

Websites with high DR naturally attract more backlinks due to their reputation as authoritative and trustworthy sources. Factors influencing DR include:

  • Quality of Backlinks: Links from reputable, industry-relevant sites boost DA. Low-quality links can do more harm than good.
  • Quantity of Backlinks: While quantity matters, excessive low-quality links can negatively impact DA.
  • Content Relevance: Valuable, niche-specific content attracts natural backlinks, improving DA over time.
  • Site Age and History: Older, established sites often have higher DA as they’ve had more time to build authority.
Keyword Difficulty

2. Keyword Difficulty


Keyword difficulty (KD) measures how challenging it is to rank for a particular keyword in search engine results pages (SERPs). Several factors influence KD, including:

FactorsDescription
CompetitionThe number of websites competing for the same keyword
Search VolumeThe average monthly search volume for the keyword
RelevanceHow closely the keyword aligns with the content on your website
Click-through Rate (CTR)The likelihood of users clicking on your website based on search results

Keyword difficulty is determined by analyzing these factors to assess how challenging it would be to rank for a particular keyword.

What does influence the keyword difficulty score?

In tools like Ahrefs, KD is calculated by analyzing the backlink profiles of the top 10 ranking pages.

  • Low-KD Keywords: Less competitive, easier to rank for, and require fewer backlinks.

For new websites, conduct keyword research to find low-KD keywords first. These are easier to target and can help improve rankings faster, skipping the sandbox.

Internal linking

3. Internal Linking

Internal linking, also called on-page linking, is a vital SEO strategy that involves linking pages within a website. This technique helps establish a strong network of interconnected pages, providing numerous benefits for search engines and users.

Benefits of Internal Linking:

Improved Navigation: Helps users find relevant content easily.

Better User Experience: Guides visitors to explore related pages.

Enhanced Crawling and Indexing: Assists search engines in discovering and indexing pages.

Link Equity Distribution: Spreads authority from high-performing pages to other parts of your site.

Topical Clusters: Establishes relevance for grouped content, signaling importance to search engines.

Internal linking goes hand in hand with building topical maps. You see, with a well-designed topical map, you not only have a list of exhaustive topics, but you also have connections that happen organically.

Additionally, internal linking plays a crucial role in distributing the authority and relevance of high-performing pages throughout the site. With all your topics perfectly interlinked, you can strengthen their overall SEO performance and increase organic rankings.

One unique aspect of internal linking is its ability to create a logical hierarchy within a website. Links can guide users through a defined path, ensuring they explore important sections or follow desired conversion funnels.

This approach not only aids in user retention but also helps search engines understand the architecture and significance of different pages. Throughout history, internal linking has been used as an effective way to enhance website structure and improve organic visibility.

Who needs a lot of backlinks when you can achieve more with fewer? Quality over quantity, my website says.

Achieving More with Fewer Backlinks

Maximizing the impact of backlinks is crucial for website success. However, it is possible to achieve exceptional results even with fewer backlinks. Here are three key points to remember: You don’t need hundreds of backlinks to succeed—quality trumps quantity.

1. Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Backlinks from authoritative, niche-relevant sources carry more weight than a high number of low-quality links.

2. Create Exceptional Content: Engaging, original content naturally attracts backlinks.

3. Leverage Internal Linking: Strategically link your content to improve user experience and distribute link equity.

For more insights on crafting an effective link-building approach, check out these essential strategies for a successful link-building plan.

To achieve more with fewer backlinks, keep in mind the following:

  • Leverage social media platforms to promote your content, reaching a wider audience and potentially garnering more backlinks.
  • Engage with influencers, industry leaders, and other website owners to form collaborations or partnerships, leading to mutually beneficial backlink opportunities.
  • Regularly monitor your backlink profile, identifying and removing any low-quality or spammy links that may harm your website’s reputation.

By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your website’s backlink profile to achieve impressive results, even with a smaller number of backlinks.

Conclusion

Backlinks are more than just digital endorsements—they are the lifeblood of your website’s authority and visibility. They whisper to search engines, “This site is worth your attention,” and the right ones can propel you to the top of the SERPs.

But here’s the catch: It’s not always about how many backlinks you have—it’s about how powerful they are. A single link from a trusted, authoritative source can overshadow a thousand mediocre ones. It’s not the number of voices in the room; it’s the credibility of the one shouting your name.

So, forget the outdated notion of chasing hundreds of links. Instead, aim for the rare gems:

Backlinks that align with your industry.

Links that come naturally through exceptional content.

Internal links that strengthen the core of your site.

The days of gaming the system are over. Modern SEO demands intelligence, authenticity, and patience. Each link you build is a step toward becoming an authority in your niche, a signal to Google that you’re here to lead—not follow.

Bart Magera

Founder of Mojo Links.

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