17 Essential Link Building Statistics and Trends for Enhanced SEO

As we delve into the evolving landscape of SEO, understanding the current state and link-building trends becomes crucial. This comprehensive overview combines the latest statistics from various studies, offering insights into the efficacy of backlinks in today’s digital marketing strategies.

The Quest for Backlinks!

Do you ever wonder how some websites appear first on Google when searching for something? Well, as two explorers, Zoe and Marco, discovered, unique backlinks to a website help it get found more quickly! Backlinks are kind of like endorsements from other sites. The more relevant, high-quality sites that link back to your own site, the more Google trusts your content and wants to share it when people search.

But link-building sounds confusing! Zoe and Marco wanted to learn the latest tricks that other experts use. Luckily, they uncovered a recent report filled with clever tips…

Shockingly, most websites have no backlinks at all! Out of 1 billion pages studied, over 66% had zero sites linking to them. No wonder it’s hard to get found! The top pros aim to score 30-35 backlinks because that brings over 10,000 visitors every month on average.

Now Zoe and Marco had hope. Next, they learned the highest-ranked sites do pay for backlinks sometimes. However, cheaper links from unimportant sites could actually hurt their quest! Instead, by making great content that sites want to share on their own, they have a better chance of scoring those endorsement backlinks.

The explorers read how press releases and guest articles have become popular ways to earn links while showcasing expertise. Over 50% of pros rated this content marketing as the best link performer. Almost half said it takes about 1-3 months to start seeing results from new link campaigns too.

Armed with the latest link secrets, Zoe and Marco now felt ready to ask well-matched, relevant sites to link back to their content. Stay tuned to see if their website makes it to the top of the Google Treasure charts!

The goal was to tell the story in an engaging way while covering some key statistics like how many sites have no backlinks, how many backlinks help with rankings, the timeframes, and content marketing tactics that work well, and the importance of relevant sites. Please let me know if you would like me to modify or improve the rewrite in any way!

Editor’s Choice: Key Link Building Statistics

1. Prevalence of Pages Without Backlinks: A staggering 66.31% of web pages lack a single backlink, underscoring the untapped potential in link-building strategies (Ahrefs).
2. Cost of Paid Backlinks: The average cost of a paid backlink is approximately $361.44, with a notable correlation between the cost and the site’s domain authority (Startup Bonsai).
3. Backlinks and Organic Traffic: Sites with over 30 backlinks tend to garner upwards of 10,501 monthly organic visits, highlighting the significant impact of backlinks on web traffic (Ahrefs).
4. SEO Experts’ View on Backlinks: Around 67.5% of SEO professionals recognize the substantial role of backlinks in search engine rankings (uSERP).
5. Preferred Link-Building Tactics: Digital press releases, content marketing, and guest posting are identified as the most effective link-building tactics by 50% of SEO experts (uSERP).

In-Depth Link Building Statistics

1. 66.31% of Pages Without Backlinks: Analysis of over 1 billion pages revealed a majority without external links, indicating vast opportunities for link-building (Ahrefs).
2. Average Paid Backlink Cost: The price of a backlink correlates with domain rating; lower-rated domains pay under $400, while higher-rated ones exceed $600 (Startup Bonsai).
3. Link-Building Budgets: A substantial portion (46.5%) of SEO professionals allocate between $5,000 and $10,000 monthly to link-building efforts (uSERP).
4. Impact of Backlinks on SEO: A majority of SEO experts believe in the significant impact of backlinks on search engine rankings (uSERP).
5. Sites with 30-35 Backlinks and Traffic: There’s a direct relationship between the number of backlinks and organic search traffic, with sites having 30-35 backlinks receiving over 10,501 monthly visits (Ahrefs).
6. Quality vs. Quantity in Link Building: 56.3% of SEO experts emphasize the importance of both quality and quantity in link building (Adam Connell).
7. Keyword Rankings as SEO Indicators: Keyword rankings are considered the primary indicator of SEO performance by 43.9% of marketers (Adam Connell).

Link-Building Strategy Statistics

8. Timeframe for Link-Building Results: 49% of marketers report that it typically takes one to three months to see results from link-building strategies (Aira).
9. Relevance of Backlink Topic: The topic of a backlink is deemed most critical for relevance by 62% of SEOs (Aira).
10. Content Marketing in Link Building: 41% of marketers leverage content marketing strategies as their primary link-building tactic (uSERP).
11. Effectiveness of Content Marketing Tactics: 50% of SEO experts rate content marketing strategies, including digital press releases and guest posting, as the strongest for link building (uSERP).
12. Buying Backlinks: Around 69% of SEOs consider purchasing backlinks an effective strategy for positive ranking influence (Aira).
13. Value of Nofollow Links: Despite not transferring link equity, 88% of SEO professionals believe nofollow links still contribute to domain authority and ranking (uSERP).
14. Backlinks to Target Pages: 58% of SEOs prioritize acquiring backlinks directly to the page they aim to rank (Aira).
15. Niche-Related Backlinks: Most (72%) of SEO experts focus on obtaining backlinks from sites within their niche (Aira).

Link-Building Tool Trends

16. Growth of the SEO Software Market: The global SEO software market is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2027, growing from $626.5 million in 2020 (Blogging Wizard).
17. Popular Link-Building Tools: Google Search Console is the most widely used tool among SEO professionals, followed by Semrush and Ahrefs (uSERP).

These statistics show that link-building is vital to any successful SEO strategy. However, it’s important to note that not all backlinks are created equal. High-quality backlinks are more valuable than low-quality backlinks.

Here are some tips for building high-quality backlinks:

• Create high-quality content that people want to link to.
• Reach out to other websites in your niche and ask for backlinks.
• Use social media to promote your content and attract backlinks.
• Submit your content to directories and other online resources.

In addition to the statistics above, here is some additional information about link building:

• The average cost of a backlink is $361.44.
• It takes an average of 3 to 6 months to see results from link-building.
• There are a number of alternative link-building strategies that you can use, such as broken link-building and unclaimed brand mentions.

Average Cost of Backlinks

The average cost of a backlink is $361.44. However, the cost of a backlink can vary depending on the quality of the website, the authority of the domain, and the difficulty of obtaining the backlink.

How Long Does It Take to See Results from Link-Building

It takes an average of 3 to 6 months to see results from link-building. However, the amount of time it takes to see results can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the quality of your website, the quality of your backlinks, and the competitiveness of your keywords.

Alternative and More Effective Link-Building Strategies

There are a number of alternative and more effective link-building strategies that you can use, such as:

• Broken link building: This involves finding broken links on other websites and then contacting the website owner to let them know about the broken link and suggesting that they replace it with a link to your website.
• Unclaimed brand mentions: This involves finding websites that mention your brand but are not linked to your website. You can then contact the website owner and ask them to add a link to your website.

Some tools that can also help you build your online business and traffic. Grammarly, SemRush, Invideo, Squirly Products like Squirly SEO, Gravity Forms, Wpforms, OptinMonster, Buy Website Traffic, AI-powered Marketing, Press Release Distribution Made Easy, Track and Protect your Online Marketing, #1 Press Release Distribution Service, Email lists and Distribution Tech, Placeit Envato, Monster Insights, SmashBallon, WPwebHost, Rytr, Canva, QuillBot, Shortly AI, Market Muse, Content Studio, Social Pilot, Strinkingly, CircleBoom, TailWind, Hotjar, The Hoth, Linkilo, CleanMail, HexoWatch, NetPeak, SerpStat, SiteChecker, SproutSocial, WeVideo, Social Dog, EzMob, Sign Now, Tidio, WP Data Tables, Copymatic, HeyGen, Synthesia, Fliki, ElevenLabs, ADcopy, Beehiiv, EduBirdie

Final Observations

The statistics paint a clear picture: link building remains a vital aspect of SEO. Effective strategies include leveraging digital press releases, content marketing, and guest posting. Additionally, the emphasis on acquiring niche-related backlinks and recognizing the importance of dofollow and nofollow links are key, and how trends or shaping the link-building landscape in 2024 and beyond. In conclusion, Link building is an important part of any successful SEO strategy. By following the tips above, you can build high-quality backlinks that will help your website rank higher in SERPs and attract more traffic.