One of the number questions I routinely get asked is how many backlinks do I need to rank for a specific keyword… And there is no magic answer, but my reply is always the same: Go analyze the keyword, the SERP and most importantly, the competitors already taking up the top 3-5 spots.
The ONLY way you get to really know how many links you NEED to rank, is by seeing what Google has decided is worthy of already ranking, and then at the very least matching those competitors, but ideally, we want to outdo them.
Stop chasing arbitrary numbers, start chasing authority, relevancy and trust.
In this guide, I’m going to break down exactly how to figure out the right backlink strategy for your site, your niche, and your level of competition. No guesswork, just actionable insights that cut through the noise, based on what’s ranking NOW, not last year’s outdated info.
The Current State of Backlinks in Google
Let’s get one thing crystal clear: Google still loves backlinks! Links are THE #1 ranking signal in the algorithm right now, and Google is heavily reliant on them for everything from anti-spam to fact checking to actual rankings… But not just any backlinks. The golden age of spammy PBN blasts, automated link farms, and shady link exchanges has been replaced by an era where authority reigns supreme.
In practical terms, that means:
- Authority beats quantity: A handful of links from highly trusted sources like mainstream media domains, industry publications, and established blogs outrank thousands of low quality, irrelevant links.
- Relevance and topical authority dominate: Google now evaluates the topical relevance of your backlinks. A link from a site or page tightly related to your niche weighs far more heavily than random placements on generalist blogs.
- Anchor text is still powerful (but tricky): Optimized anchor text still works wonders, but over optimization will get you slapped. Today’s game is all about balance: carefully controlled anchor texts mixed with branded and natural anchors.
- Link freshness and velocity matter: Your link profile needs consistent growth over time. Google isn’t stupid, throwing 100 guest post backlinks at a brand new site overnight is a big red flag… You want to make your links
With all that being said, Google is moving away from expensive algorithms, antispam systems and large amounts of processing power in an effort to consolidate all its available resources into the AI efforts. That means it’s easier to get flagged by the remaining systems and have your page or site tanked, but it’s also easier to get away with more aggressive tactics, obfuscation and cloaking, which is allowing bad actors to run rampant in certain niches and geos.
How to Analyze Your Competitors’ Link Profile
Now you know Google’s current game: Authority, Relevance, and Consistency. But the real question remains: how do you pinpoint the exact backlink strategy required to dominate your chosen keyword?
This is where competitor analysis steps in! It’s the backbone of any powerful SEO strategy, but especially important for links. It lets you reverse engineer what’s already ranking, and then create a blueprint to surpass it.
Before we analyze competitors to figure out the number, quality, and type of backlinks required to get ahead, we need to first figure out what it is we are trying to rank: The entire site? A page? A category cluster?
Once you know what you want to rank, then we need to figure out who are the competitors are, and what pages we need to analyze, so let’s identify them.
Step 1: Identify the True Competitors
First, use a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush to identify the top ranking pages for your target keyword.
Here’s the process:
- Enter your keyword in Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer and analyze the SERP overview.
- Extract the top 5 ranking pages into a spreadsheet for in-depth analysis.
Step 2: Analyze Backlink Metrics
You’re not just looking at the quantity of backlinks; you need a snapshot of several key metrics:
- Domain Rating (DR): A high DR indicates a powerful site. If the top competitors are all DR 70+, you’re playing in the big leagues.
- Referring Domains (RD): The number of unique domains pointing to their page. It’s crucial to differentiate RD from the sheer number of backlinks—one strong referring domain often beats hundreds of lower-quality backlinks.
- Domain Traffic: Traffic can indicate genuine user engagement and authority. Domains with solid traffic often carry more weight.
If you want to run dozens of competitors at the same time, then use Ahrefs Batch Analysis tool, just throw in your competitors’ URLs and instantly get all these metrics in a clean overview.
Step 3: Dig into Link Quality and Relevance
This is where most SEOs get lazy… But remember, we’re not trying to match average competitors, we’re looking to outdo them. Dive deeper into the quality and topical relevance of competitor links:
- Click on each competitor in Ahrefs, head to their Backlink Profile > Referring Domains, and sort by DR or Traffic to identify the strongest links.
- Check topical relevancy: Are competitors getting niche specific placements or broad news site links? Aim to match and exceed these placements.
- Assess Anchor Text Strategy: Identify competitors’ top anchor text profiles. If they’re conservative (branded, URL anchors), you can gain an edge by introducing carefully optimized anchor texts, but tread carefully, anchor text spam still gets slapped hard!
Step 4: Evaluate Link Freshness and Velocity
You can’t just look at total numbers; you must understand how your competitors acquired their links over time:
- Ahrefs’ Backlink Growth chart is your friend, examine their link velocity over the past 12 months. You’re aiming for natural looking growth patterns, which you should replicate or exceed slightly.
- Pay close attention to spikes or dips. Consistency often trumps bursts of rapid link acquisition.
A great example of velocity is our own domain, where you’ll see the # of referring domains (the blue line) naturally track up along with the organic traffic –
It should be a natural progression, not huge spikes or drops.
Step 5: Create Your Competitive Blueprint
With the above analysis, you now have actionable data. Your competitive blueprint should answer these questions:
- How many referring domains and backlinks do your competitors have on average?
- What’s the average DR and Domain Traffic?
- What kind of links (niche edits, guest posts, digital PR, or editorial) dominate the profile?
- What anchor text strategy should you implement based on competitor profiles?
- What link velocity looks natural and achievable?
- How many of the existing links are spam vs. links actually powering the rankings?
- Are most of the links pointing at supporting pages or directly to the money pages?
- Can we steal any of the best domains linking to our competitors?
Map this out into a simple spreadsheet. This gives you a complete roadmap of exactly how many and what quality links you need to outrank your competition.
Step 6: Go Beyond Competitors (Bonus Tip)
Always look for what your competitors are missing. If you see their backlink profile lacks local press or industry-specific authority sources, that’s your opportunity to pull ahead. Competitor analysis isn’t just about matching, it’s about exploiting gaps and weaknesses.
Also bear in mind that competitors have had years to make mistakes or go with the wrong providers, so analyze for what is bad too! Make sure you aren’t making those same mistakes that could hold your rankings back by weeks or even months.
How To Execute Your Backlink Strategy
Now you have the competitive data and insights you need, you’re now ahead of 90% of SEOs already. But data alone won’t rank your pages; executing a clear, focused link building strategy will. So let’s dive into how you actually get these links and ensure you’re building authority, relevancy, and trust in a way that doesn’t trigger anti-spam systems and get you nuked.
Choose Your Link Types Wisely
Google is smart, but it’s also predictable. Diversifying your link profile helps keep your growth natural looking, and prevents your site from standing out like a sore thumb. Your backlink strategy should blend:
- Guest Posts: Ideal for direct control over your anchor text and context. Aim for quality blogs in your niche, or relevant guest columns on mainstream and trusted domains.
- Niche Edits (Link Insertions): Powerful if placed contextually. Find pages already ranking or indexed well for your keywords and get your link naturally integrated into them.
- Digital PR & Editorial Links: The gold standard. Harder to land, but they carry massive authority and topical relevance. Leverage industry news, statistics, or trendjacking to gain mentions from powerful publishers like Forbes, BBC, or niche-specific leaders.
- Pillow Links & Citations: These are foundational trust signals, think citations, business directories, industry association pages, social media profiles, and nofollow links that Google expects to see. These won’t move the needle alone but protect you from algorithmic slaps.
Remember: It’s never one-size-fits-all. Use your competitor analysis to match and surpass link type distribution in your niche.
Create a Clear Anchor Text Roadmap
Anchor texts are powerful, so don’t wing it! Create a clear anchor text roadmap based on your competitor analysis:
- Branded & Variant anchors (40–50%): Safe, natural, and essential for trust.
- Topically relevant partial match anchors (20–30%): Contextually relevant variations that build topical authority without exact-match spam.
- Exact-match anchors (5–10%): Carefully placed to maximize impact while avoiding over-optimization triggers.
- Generic anchors (“click here,” “read more”) (5–10%): Keeps your profile looking natural, but are exclusively reserved for the “weakest” signals, not the authoritative powerhouses that should be sending keyword signals through.
This roadmap keeps you disciplined and stops you from making short term moves that hurt your long term rankings, and potentially provides lifelong revenue for the business.
Master Link Velocity (aka Link Building Pace)
Link velocity can make or break your site’s progress. Your competitors have provided a baseline of what’s safe, your job is to replicate a slightly more natural but consistent growth pattern.
- Start slow and ramp up: If your site is brand new, start slowly (e.g., 3-5 solid links per month, not including entity stacking) and gradually increase to match your competitive analysis benchmarks.
- Consistency beats bursts: Never spike links dramatically without reason (unless you have legitimate press coverage), as this risks algorithmic scrutiny.
- Keep a balanced profile: Always combine powerful, authoritative placements with consistent drip fed niche edits, guest posts, and pillow links.
Leverage Your Competitors’ Best Backlinks (Ethically, Of Course)
Since you’ve already identified your competitors’ most powerful referring domains, use them as your prospecting targets. Follow these steps:
- Pitch personalized guest posts to these sites.
- Negotiate link insertions in existing content that’s already ranking or well-indexed.
- Leverage broken link building to replace broken competitor links with your better quality content.
Don’t forget to run an outreach campaign to secure these placements, especially if your competitors have clearly missed easy opportunities or are featured in contexts where your brand deserves equal or better coverage.
Monitor Closely & Adjust Fast
Building backlinks is half the battle, monitoring, managing and maintaining your backlink profile proactively is the other half. Check regularly using tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to:
- Monitor link velocity: Adjust your strategy if you detect unnatural spikes or drops.
- Identify toxic or spammy links: Disavow proactively to keep your profile clean.
- Measure your rankings progress: Closely watch how new backlinks impact your rankings and refine your tactics accordingly.
Being proactive helps you avoid costly mistakes that could set your rankings back by months or even years.
Prepare for Google’s Future Moves (And Don’t Panic)
As Google shifts resources toward AI and trims traditional algorithms, expect volatility and unpredictability. In the short term, you might see bad actors gaining quick wins, but don’t get distracted.
Focus your strategy on:
- Long term authority: Secure backlinks from trusted, authoritative sites.
- Contextual relevancy: Prioritize niche-specific placements that align with your site’s core topics.
- Diversified anchor texts: Mix branded, topical, and generic anchors strategically.
- Consistent velocity: Steady growth beats aggressive spikes every time.
If Google’s AI-powered future rewards those who build genuine authority, relevancy, and trust, then let that be the base of your strategy. Follow these guidelines, monitor closely, adapt quickly, and stay disciplined.
That’s how you execute a backlink strategy designed not just for today’s SERPs, but ready to dominate tomorrow’s as well.
Final Thoughts: Play to Win, Not Just to Compete
If you’ve made it this far, congrats, you’ve just leveled up your link building knowledge beyond 95% of SEOs… But let’s recap and simplify so you can immediately take action:
- Authority Over Numbers: Remember, it’s always about quality over quantity. Google rewards trust and genuine authority, not high volume spammy tactics.
- Relevancy Is King: Backlinks from niche specific, authoritative sources always win. Don’t waste your time and budget on random, irrelevant placements.
- Anchor Text Balance: Get strategic, but don’t push your luck. Google is smarter, so diversify anchor texts intelligently to avoid unnecessary penalties.
- Velocity & Consistency: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Steady, sustained growth beats quick spikes every day of the week.
- Exploit Competitor Weaknesses: Never settle for merely matching competitors, identify gaps and seize those opportunities aggressively.
At the end of the day, the best backlink strategy isn’t just a number, it’s about constructing a web of trust, relevance, and authority around your domain.
If you play your cards right, you’ll build an impenetrable moat that your competitors will struggle to overcome.
But remember this: algorithms evolve, AI progresses RAPIDLY, and Google’s playbook will continue changing. Stay agile, test constantly, and never settle!
As always, execution beats theory every single time. Now go get those links, outrank your competition, and start printing that traffic and revenue.
