20 linking statistics to influence your SEO strategy

Here at Embryo, we understand the importance of link building and how gaining high-quality links impacts your overall SEO performance. According to Google, links are the 3rd most important ranking factor after content strategy and keywords.

Are you struggling to believe the importance of links in your SEO strategy? We’ve got you covered! Here is a list of 20 statistics that reveal how big of a deal the links are for your online presence. So, let’s dive into it!

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Making the link: 20 stats that will have you eager to link!

1. Long-form content gets 77% more links compared to short-form content, which proves that producing long-form content of +3000 words  (Backlinko)
2. Around 95% of web pages have zero backlinks, which means only 5% of the web pages have high-quality backlinks. (Forbes)
3. On average, the top search results have 3.8 times as many backlinks as the results that appear in lower positions on page one of the SERP. (Forbes)
4. The articles starting with “Why” and “What”, and infographics generate 25.8% more links than “How-to” and video content. (Backlinko)
5. Based on a survey, 36% of companies use independent contractors or freelancers to help implement their link-building strategy. (Aira)
6. More than 80% of in-house marketers spend up to 50% of their SEO budget on link building. (Aira)
7. According to Databox, 79% of experts claim that backlinks are the third most important SEO ranking factor. (Linkdoctor.io)
8. More than 40% of marketers believe that content marketing is the best strategy for generating passive links. (Adam Connell)
9. 65% of marketers claim that domain authority is the most important aspect when it comes to assessing the quality of backlinks. (Adam Connell)
10. As many as 63% of in-house marketers believe that purchasing links has a positive impact on their website rankings. (Adam Connell)
11. 93.8% of link builders believe that the quality of links is more important than the quantity. (Linkdoctor.io)
12. 78.1% of SEO experts said they achieved a positive return on investment from their link-building activities. (Linkdoctor.io)
13. According to Ahrefs, a page’s search traffic and the number of websites linked to it are positively correlated. (Ahrefs)
14. A survey has shown that 74.3% of link builders pay for links. (Authority Hacker)
15. In 2024, the average cost of a paid link is $83, based on a survey. (Authority Hacker)
16. The average time to notice some positive outcomes of link building on search ranking is 3.1 months. (Authority Hacker)
17. As of 2024, guest posting appears to be the most popular link-building tactic. (Authority Hacker)
18. Research shows that 46.5% of companies spend $5,000 to $10,000 a month on link building in 2022. (uSERP)
19. 85% of users survey respondents claim that link building has a significant impact on their brand authority. (uSERP)
20. According to 59% of marketers, backlinks will become more important in the next years. (uSERP)

Let us help you take your links strategy to the next level

If, after reading this article, you still have questions about how backlinks work, and why you should ensure they are part of your SEO tactics, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can send us an email to [email protected] or give us a call at 0161 327 2635.

As an award-winning digital marketing agency, we help a range of businesses and sectors improve their online presence. So, if you feel like you want to invest in your link-building strategy, our SEO team of link builders can help you take your website to the next level.

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