Until recently, link building was, to a certain degree, a numbers game. But Google’s March 2024 core algorithm update introduced sophisticated measures to truly discount backlink volume in favour of backlink quality.
For you, this means that old link-building strategies may no longer be effective. Understanding these changes is important for maintaining and improving your site’s visibility and ranking.
Read on to learn how to align your link building strategies with the new standards set by Google.
What is link building?
Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These are known as backlinks. They signal to search engines that your site is a credible and authoritative source that others find useful, potentially resulting in higher placement on SERPs.
What's changed? - de-emphasis of backlinks as ranking factors
Google has de-emphasised backlinks as ranking factors, meaning they no longer hold the same SEO weight they once did.
While it may seem a sudden shift, the deprecation of backlinks has been in steady motion for some time now.
A brief history of backlinks
The early days:
In the early days of Google’s algorithm, backlinks were one of the most trusted signals for determining a website's credibility and relevance. The more backlinks a site had, the more authoritative it was considered by Google.
2012:
With the introduction of the Penguin update, Google made significant changes to how backlinks were evaluated, focusing more on quality over quantity. Penguin targeted manipulative or spammy link-building tactics, discounting the value of low-quality backlinks and penalising sites that engaged in link schemes.
2016:
In March 2016, Google Search Quality Senior Strategist Andrey Lipatsev confirmed that backlinks, along with content and RankBrain, remained among the top three ranking factors.
However, by this time Google was increasingly focused on quality over quantity. The way Google evaluated backlinks had shifted, meaning it was not just about how many links a site had, but also how those links were perceived — particularly regarding the anchor text used and whether it reflected spam signals.
2020:
By 2020, Google's stance had shifted further. John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate, tweeted that “links are definitely not the most important SEO factor.” This indicated that while backlinks still mattered, other ranking factors like content quality, user experience, and search intent were becoming more prominent.
2023:
At the September 2023 Pubcon event, Gary Illyes, a Google Search Analyst, remarked: “I believe they [backlinks] are important, but I think people overestimate their significance. I don’t believe that they are in the top three [ranking signals]. They haven’t been for some time.”
This reflected Google's ongoing trend of downplaying the value of backlinks as newer, more sophisticated signals—such as content understanding through AI—took precedence.
2024:
In March 2024, during the rollout of Google’s Spam Update, the language in Google’s Spam Policies regarding backlinks was changed:
- Before: “Google uses links as an important factor in determining the relevancy of web pages.”
- After: “Google uses links as a factor in determining the relevance of web pages.”
The March 2024 core update also introduced more advanced metrics to assess link quality, and Google began saying that they only look at a handful of backlinks for each website.
Need help adapting to these changes?
Contact TDMP to ensure your SEO strategy is current, results-driven, and adaptable.
Why has Google de-emphasised backlinks as ranking factors?
By de-emphasising the ranking power of backlinks, Google is reducing the incentive to use them for manipulation. Previously, backlinks could be acquired art scale, creating a misleading perception of trustworthiness. This approach allowed low-quality websites to gain traction, negatively impacting the overall search experience.
Google now considers the quality of backlinks, focusing on relevant and honest links that genuinely indicate the usefulness of the content. The anchor text associated with these links also plays a significant role, as spammy or irrelevant anchor text can lead to penalties or lower rankings.
What’s more, with Google incorporating more AI-driven systems for analysing content, like RankBrain, BERT, and MUM, they no longer need backlinks to assess webpage quality.
How is Google rebalancing ranking priority after de-emphasising backlinks?
While Google is unlikely to explain exactly how their ranking systems have shifted, it makes sense that the SEO weight once carried by backlinks would be shared among the following:
- Content quality
- User experience
- On-page SEO
- User engagement signals
- Structured data
Is link building still important for SEO?
Backlinks may not hold as much importance as they did prior to the March 2024 core algorithm update, but that doesn’t mean link building is obsolete. It remains a key element of SEO and broader digital marketing strategies.
A Semrush study, published as part of their Ranking Factors ‘24 report, found that earning backlinks from unique domains continues to be significant for establishing both page-level and domain-level authority. However, this only applies to high-quality, relevant backlinks.
It’s important to note that Google doesn’t have anything against backlinks in of themselves. On the contrary, Google very much values backlinks. But they now understand that allocating too much ranking influence to backlinks conflicts with their goal of improving their service, increasing their user base, and seizing monetisation opportunities.
There can often be conflicting signals from Google spokespeople and Industry leading analysts which have to be analysed themselves for a better understanding of effective and preferred backlink strategies. The primary emphasis for TDMP since the 2012 Penguin Update has been quality over quantity, and this has remained the focus of our team’s strategy.
Relevance factors and targeted and varied anchor text are essential in conforming to spam search signals. Our acquisition objectives are always a combination of either creating naturally linkable/shareable content or directly targeting high value industry and topic related referring domains, both methods focusing on NAP data consistency for trust signals and varied anchor text relevant to subject matter.
What does the new approach to link building look like?
Google may have adjusted the ranking weight of backlinks, but the right backlinks can still significantly boost your website’s visibility.
The kind of links Google rewards are those that serve as genuine recommendations of your content. In other words, Google likes links that are either given unprompted as opposed to “acquired” or those earned from high authority, relevant domains whose backing carries a lot of weight.
This is achieved through two primary strategies: creating naturally linkable and shareable content, and building relationships with high-authority sites, both of which TDMP has advocated for years.
We’ve long prioritised quality over quantity, which is why our campaigns consistently withstand Google’s algorithm updates.
What is "linkable" content?
Linkable content is any content that people might want to share, either on social media, their own website, or in digital research documentation.
Easily defined… not so easily created.
As a general guide, you can improve linkability by following established rules for producing quality content:
- Be original
- Showcase subject expertise
- Prioritise human readers
- Address search intent within the content
- Use correct style, spelling and grammar
But it’s also important to note that certain types of content are naturally more linkable than others - and should be incorporated into your content strategy where possible.
Here are some examples of highly linkable content.
Statistical content
Statistical content is data rich, offering empirical evidence and quantitative analysis related to the topic.
Not only does hard data establish your content as credible; it can be linked to by social media users, bloggers, and journalists to back up their own arguments.
Original data is particularly valuable, so wherever possible, conduct your own research, then share your insights with the world.
Infographics
Infographics present complex information in a visually engaging and easily digestible format.
Their shareable nature makes them highly linkable, as people often embed infographics in their own content alongside accreditation.
How-to guides
How-to guides are practical and actionable resources that help readers accomplish specific tasks or solve common problems.
They are widely shared across online communities via social media and forums, and content creators often link to them as reference material.
Listicles
Listicles organise information into clear, concise lists, making it easy for readers to digest and share.
According to BuzzSumo research, listicles generate more backlinks than any other form of content.
Interviews with industry experts or influencers
Interviews provide exclusive insights or opinions, making them valuable content others will reference or link to when discussing relevant topics.
Interactive content
Interactive content, such as quizzes, calculators, and tools, encourages user participation and often generates links because of its unique, engaging experience.
Final thoughts
Google’s shift to prioritising link quality over quantity means that traditional link-building tactics are no longer effective. To stay competitive, you need to adapt by creating content that naturally attracts high-value links.
Don’t let your SEO strategy fall behind. Contact TDMP today to ensure your link-building efforts are aligned with the latest updates and designed to drive real results.