Internet Marketing Ninjas recently published a study underscoring the prominence of backlinks in reaching Google’s top 10 rankings. Roughly 96% of the highest-ranking websites hosted above 1,000 unique domain backlinks, while a mere 0.3% had less than 100 backlinks. This reveals the pivotal role of backlinks in achieving a high page ranking on Google.
Google itself has acknowledged the importance of backlinks for good search rankings. Correspondingly, this study highlighted that a higher number of backlinks correlates with higher-ranking websites. Nonetheless, not just any backlink will do. The quality and relevance of the backlinks also bear great significance. Sites with high-quality backlinks from reliable and authoritative sources rank higher than those with numerous lower-quality links.
Additionally, multiple other key factors were examined in the study. Most notably, Amazon emerged supreme in Google’s top 10 rankings for 164 out of 200 chosen keywords, overshadowing its closest competitor, Walmart, which only seized 57 keywords in the top 10.
Backlinks’ significant role in Google rankings
This difference indicates the contrasting SEO strategies employed by these two retail powerhouses.
A strong correlation was also found between the number of backlinks and a webpage’s Google ranking. However, quality over quantity is of utmost importance due to Google’s algorithm’s ability to recognize and appreciate high-quality links.
The study also noted that longer content tends to rank higher on Google. On average, the top 10 pages contained 50% more content than those ranked 11th to 20th. Yet, the relevance of content should not be sacrificed for length.
To conclude, the study suggests that amalgamating these elements and regular strategic efforts can significantly increase a website’s visibility and ranking on Google’s results page.
A single website with just 54 unique backlinks managed to secure 6th place in Google’s local search term rankings, demonstrating the impact of other ranking factors. Alongside the quality and quantity of backlinks, other elements, such as the use of keywords, the quality of the website’s content, and the site’s relevance to the search query, also play a significant role.
The study also stressed that not all backlinks are created equal. The value of a backlink can be dramatically influenced by factors such as the credibility of the linking website, the anchor text, and the actual clicks the link receives. It’s, therefore, essential to focus not just on backlink quantity but also on quality.
Lastly, the study was based on an analysis of the first 10 Google search results for 200 commercially driven keyword phrases, with 1,113 unique sites examined. For a more detailed look, all these findings are accessible on the Internet Marketing Ninjas’ website.
