Can you rank in the top 10 of Google with very few links? Not according to a new analysis published today by Internet Marketing Ninjas. It found that:
Why we care. Google has been saying that links are no longer one of the top three ranking signals and needs “very few links to rank pages.” However, clearly, websites that rank well tend to have more backlinks. But it’s also true that webpages that rank well tend to attract a lot more backlinks – because they rank so well.
The results. Here’s a table showing the overall findings:
Some other interesting findings from the backlink analysis:
But. As the study notes, not all links have equal value. Variables that could influence the value of a link include the authoritativeness of the linking site, anchor text and whether people actually click on the links.
About the data. The results are based on an analysis of the top 10 Google Search results, consistenting of 1,113 unique websites, for 200 random commercial intent keyword phrases.
The study. You can read it here: Backlinks Google Study
Dig deeper. Search Engine Land contributor and SMX speaker Eric Enge has done multiple studies in past years showing that links have value:
