Why Backlinks matters
Backlinks are one of the long-standing signals that search engines use to judge how trustworthy and useful a page is. They also bring direct referral traffic from the sites that link to you.
Quality matters far more than quantity. A few links from relevant, reputable sites are usually worth more than many links from low-quality or unrelated ones.
How to read it
Look at the number of unique domains linking to you rather than the raw number of links, since many links from one site count for much less than links from many different sites.
Also look at relevance and where the link sits. A link inside a useful article about your topic is a stronger signal than a link in a footer or a directory list.
How to improve it
- Create content that is genuinely worth linking to, such as data, tools and detailed guides.
- Reach out to sites that already mention your topic or your brand.
- Reclaim broken or lost links when pages move.
- Contribute expert comments and guest content for reputable publications.
- Review your link profile regularly for spammy or unnatural links.
Common mistakes
- Buying links or joining link schemes, which can lead to search penalties.
- Counting raw links instead of unique referring domains.
- Chasing quantity over relevance and quality.
- Forgetting to monitor which links are lost over time.
“How many new referring domains did I gain and lose this quarter, and which pages earned the most links?”
Connect Ahrefs and ask in plain English. You get the number, the evidence behind it, and the next step.
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