Reassessing the Role of Links in SEO: What the Data Tells Us

The debate over the importance of connections has been a recurring theme in SEO.

Recently, Google’s Gary Illyes once again sparked discussions around the topic when he stated that “people overestimate the importance of links» and it hasn’t been among the top three ranking factors for some time.

Such statements by Google have been made in the past, causing SEO professionals and businesses to reconsider their strategies.

It got me thinking about how essential connections are today. What would the data show?

To find out, I analyzed 100 random keywords covering various categories, collecting data on the top 100 websites, including referring domains and backlinks. This comprehensive dataset included over 10,000 rows of URL ranking data.

It’s important to note that correlation does not imply causation, especially given Google’s stance on the ever-changing nature of ranking factors. However, exploring the data can give us an idea of ​​where links are more important as a category.

Data analysis and main conclusions

Given Illyes’ comment, I initially expected that we would find a moderate connection between backlinks and rankings, but nothing that suggested this was the key to improving rankings.

Probably for the first time in a long time, the data were consistent with this hypothesis.

To conduct this analysis, I divided the 100 keywords into specific categories: Electronic, Health and beauty, Entertainmentand more.

In correlation analysis, a higher value indicates a stronger relationship between the two variables, while a value closer to zero means a weaker relationship.

In our analysis, where the goal is to reach the top rank, an ideal score is -1. This means that as the number of backlinks increases, the ranking “goes down” or gets closer to the top position.

Here are the takeaways from the data:

• No keyword group or individual keyword was greater than -0.4. This means that no two sets of data were very highly correlated.
• There were keywords and groups that, as the number of links increased, the rankings decreased (these would be positive correlations given that the ranking numbers increase). However, again nothing was higher than 0.4.
• The highest correlation groups were Outdoors and sports And health and wellbeing.
• The groups in which links caused a decrease in ranking were Home and kitchen And E-commerce and online services.

• At the keyword level, “fisherman’s hat” and “oat milk” had the highest correlation, while “MLB fitted hats” and “acrylic studs” were the lowest. (The chart below that shows keyword level only represents the top and bottom five.)

The importance of links today: 3 key points to remember

Knowing that the correlation coefficient aligns with Google’s view, what should we do with this information? How should we modify or think about your own brand’s link profile?

Here are three takeaways and recommendations from this dataset for your SEO strategy.

1. Links are a great signal that users like your content

Although Google emphasizes that links are not as powerful a ranking factor as in previous years, they are still a valuable signal.

Consider them an indicator of user and website approval of your content and products. If a specific blog post or product generates a substantial increase in links, it signals user appreciation.

Redirect your efforts accordingly – create more content or products in that area or step up your promotion.

These links provide essential intent-based data to optimize your time, even if it doesn’t always translate into higher rankings.

2. You should always evaluate your competitors and your specific data sets

With over 10,000 data points, our data set is large, but it’s not tailored to your brand or industry. Use this article as a guide to analyzing your own data for insights.

Examining your top 100 keywords will clarify your competitive landscape, allowing for more focused strategic development.

If other brands in your space have many more links, that signals a challenge, but remember that links aren’t the only ranking driver. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, use this data to inform and refine your strategy.

3. Fundamentals have been and always will be the North Star of organic research

The original goal of SEO is to improve brand rankings, a goal that remains relevant today.

However, the focus now has been on providing a great user experience, as reflected in Google’s strategy. EAT framework: experience, expertise, authority and reliability.

EEAT highlights the importance of user experience and values. They do not advocate link acquisition as a primary strategy, but rather emphasize the importance of creating a website that improves the value of your goods or services to end users.

This user-centered approach should be your guide.

Reevaluate the Role of Links in Your SEO Efforts

I found this dataset interesting because it covers diverse sectors and consistently suggests that while links are important, they are not the only determinant.

I will be closely monitoring how the data evolves with large language models incorporating more links, which could reshape link values ​​and website visibility.

This is an exciting time for research, marked by innovation, and data will be our compass for assessing the evolving landscape. I can’t wait to see how links continue to influence rankings in this next phase.