Since the dawn of digital marketing, backlinks have had a high impact on how Google ranks a website. A backlink is a link from another website to a page on your website. Google considers it a key factor in determining the popularity and authority of your website.

In its early days, Google used very few factors to determine website rankings, and the number of backlinks was given more importance. However, soon, SEO Professionals started abusing the criteria, and millions of fake websites were generated solely to place backlinks. Soon, the internet became increasingly polluted, and Google had to adjust its ranking factors. It was time for a complex algorithm to determine which site should be shown on the first page and which shouldn’t.

Even in the present digital landscape, backlinks continue to hold their ground as a crucial element in SEO. Google employs a multitude of factors to ascertain the quality of links to your website, reaffirming their enduring significance.

The 45 Factors Google Uses to Measure Backlink Quality

Today, backlinks remain essential, and Google considers many factors to determine whether links to your site are of high quality or not. In this chapter, I identify the specific factors that Google uses in its ranking algorithm.

01. The number of words on the page on which backlinks are located. A link from a page that contains 1,500 words of content is many times more valuable than a link on a page with only 150 words.

02. The quality of content. The quality of content on the target backlink site is not just important, it’s essential. When a backlink is placed on a simple, small website, its impact is minimal. However, when a backlink is placed on a multimedia website with numerous valuable pages and high-quality content, it provides your website with a significant boost in authority, empowering your SEO efforts.

03. Guest Blogging When you write informative articles and blog posts for other websites, you can link to your website to get a quality backlink. Most high-quality websites allow you to place your links either in your biography or in an article that is actually helpful to the readers. A link in your bio or about me section is less effective than a link in a contextual article.

04. Age of domain: A link from an older domain has a greater impact than a link from a new domain. It’s because age gives authority to the target site, which is passed on to your website.

05. Number of root domains linking to your website. The number of linking root domains is one of the most important ranking factors. For example, you have 5,000 backlinks to your website, but only 25 linking root domains. Google then examines the number of unique websites that link to you, followed by the total number of backlinks. The more domains that link to you, the better.

06. Links coming from different Class C IP addresses mean that your website attracts a broad audience, which has a positive effect on your ranking.

07. Number of linking pages on your website. The total number of linking pages is also a factor in your ranking. Even if these pages are part of the same domain, it helps your ranking.

08. Words around your links. When you post content around your links with words like “sponsor partners,” “paid by,” or “sponsored post,” it adversely affects the value of the link. Google considers it as a paid backlink. Such links give very little value compared to a link posted on articles whose content is relevant to your website.

09. Contextual Links. Further to the last point, when the content of the page is relevant to the content and niche of your website and is of high quality, the links have higher value than those placed on a page with low-quality and non-relevant content. The context in which the link is placed is also important.

10. Backlinks from competitors and their link partners. Competition research is an integral part of any link building campaign. Researching competitors’ links provides more targets and helps a website rank higher than its competitors.

11. Number and quality of Social Media shares, likes, and other activities. With the rise of social platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, the internet has become a hub for social media. People from all over the world log in to those websites to share helpful information. That’s why Search engines nowadays give high value to the links coming from social media websites. Real shares from people who genuinely seem interested in your website or its niche lend it high value in the eyes of search engines.

12. Backlinks from high authority people and sources. High-authority sources and experts sharing and discussing your website give it the much-needed publicity. It also improves its ranking on Search engines.

13. Link from a website of high authority. Google recognizes some websites as authorities in their respective fields or topics. For example, forbes.com is an authority when it comes to business. CNN and The Guardian are reputable news sources. A contextual link originating from sites like these is given higher value than a link from general and low-authority websites.

14. Number of OBL (outbound links) OBL stands for Outbound Links. If a page has many OBLs, that will reduce the value of your backlink. The more backlinks a page has, the less link juice it passes. Therefore, obtaining links from pages with low OBLs lends more authority to the link.

15. Forum Profile Links: There are links Google will no longer value in a forum profile. Some companies are using “robots” or programs to create and post links across multiple profiles, generating backlinks. It’s crucial to avoid initiating this type of campaign, as it is easily penalized by search engines. Upholding ethical practices in your SEO strategies is key to maintaining the integrity of your site.

16. 301 Links Links coming from a 301 redirect do not mean they have less influence than a direct link. This aligns with past Google statements, which have consistently stated that a link from a 301 redirect has the same value as a direct link.

17. The Glorious Age of the Backlink. The older the backlinks are, the more weight and value they possess compared to newly installed or created backlinks. This means that the earlier you start building your backlinks, the better they will be.

18. Spam Blogs Vs Real Websites. It is no secret. Google values a link from a “real website” more than a link obtained from a spam blog (Splog). A splog is essentially a fake blog. A site’s authenticity is determined by its brand and user signals. Obtain links from genuine websites to ensure your work is credible.

19. Authenticity of Link Portfolio: Real websites that post authentic links will always rank better. Posting your own backlinks may take time, or you might find it too dull. If you plan to buy backlinks or hire someone to create them for you, ensure that the person or service provider generates them in a fair manner. This will also protect you from future Google updates.

20. .edu or .gov domain Links. While past statements suggested that TLD does not affect website authority, links from websites with a .edu or .gov extension are generally perceived to have added value due to the inherent high trust and vetting required to obtain them.

21. Acquiring Authority from Page Links We use metrics like Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR) to help us determine the potential value of a backlink. Having multiple backlinks from sites with low authority will not boost your site’s authority. It is better to have 10 backlinks from a high-authority website. Link wisely, not focusing on quantity.

22. Linking Domain Authority We have emphasized in our tips before about the effect of authority pages on your backlinks. The same principle applies to the authority of a domain in general.

23. Links with the NOFOLLOW Attribute A nofollow link is a link that follows the nofollow attribute. This means the link may not directly pass “link equity” or “juice” to your site. However, since 2019, Google treats nofollow links as a “hint” rather than a directive, meaning they can still influence ranking. Crucially, they also drive traffic and make a link profile look natural.

24. Homepage Links. If the link points to the homepage of your website, then it should be emphasized because that plays a special role in ranking. This has the most weight when it comes to backlinks, so special handling is required.

25. Internal Link Anchor TextInternal links and their anchor texts are also relevant to your campaign. It has been argued that an anchor text of a “link back” has a slightly higher value.

26. Link Title Attribute The link title attribute is not counted heavily, but it is still considered an essential attribute of backlinking. Title attributes will appear when you place your mouse on a link and do not move it.

27. Location within content If you place a backlink within the main body text of interest, that link will have a better value. Ensure that you put the link early in the description, rather than at the end of your text.

28. Location within the page Link placement within a page is also critical. A link in the sidebar or footer will have much less value compared to a link within the content page.

29. Domain relevance: Make sure that your links are also placed in domains or websites that are similar to your niche. This builds authority. A link from a website discussing fashion, if placed within a website about automotive, will not generate the necessary dominance that you require.

30. Page Level Relevance Working wisely and networking with the right niche is needed with SEO and backlinking. A link from a page that is relevant to yours and holds a high authority will do more for your site than a page that is not connected to your niche or page. This helps boost your algorithm.

31. A keyword in a title. When a page has a title containing a keyword relevant to the page it links to, Google will give it a high rating. The title is the first thing that tells search engines about the niche and content of the website, helping them decide where to rank a page.

32. UGC (User Generated content) left Google can tell the difference between content created by the website owner and content posted by a user or visitor, for example, in the comment field of a blog. A link posted by a user in the comment section is far less potent than the link posted by the publisher in the actual content field. (Modern Update: Google now recommends using the rel= “ugc” attribute for user-generated content links).

33. Schema.org microformats. Pages with microformats, such as reviews in the form of yellow stars, sometimes rank higher than pages without any microformats. It might be due to two reasons: either Google directly gives them importance in their search algorithm, or they are known to improve the CTR, and thus, it indirectly leads to an increase in ranking. In any case, visit Schema.org and examine the various microformats available. If you find any relevant information for your webpage, implement it on your website.

34. Trust Rank of the linking website. The trustworthiness of the linking website is significant. A backlink from a website passes its trust score to your website. To achieve a high trust rank, it’s essential to obtain links from sites with a good trust score. Trust rank can be checked using third-party tools.

35. Site-Wide Links A link that is distributed several times within the same website is regarded as one link.

36. A link from a ‘bad neighborhood’. A link from a bad neighborhood can lead to a ranking drop and a penalty by Google. Make sure to research properly before starting any link building campaign. And if you find that your website is being linked by another site from a bad neighborhood, contact the webmaster of that site for removal of the link, and also use Google’s Disavow tool to disavow that link. Once it’s done, Google will dissociate that link with your website.

37. Alt tag for images. An alt tag is an anchor text for images, informing search engines about the image’s content. It has a minuscule effect on rankings. However, it can help your website rank higher in Search engine image search.

38. Diversity of backlinks. Google has stopped giving much value to links coming from Forum signatures and profiles, etc., because they’ve been spammed to death by webmasters. That’s why Google now considers the diversity and relevance of your backlink sources. Make sure you are getting links from diverse sources (social media, multimedia websites, relevant blogs, and high-quality press releases).

39. Excessive 301 links to your website. While a single 301 redirect passes value (as noted in point 16), an excessive amount of redirects pointing to your page can hurt performance and indicate an unnatural link pattern, which does not provide any benefit in ranking.

40. Anchor text with the backlinks. The anchor text of a backlink no longer holds the value it once did, as it has been overused and abused by web administrators. Despite that, it lets Google see if the backlink is relevant to your content.

41. Links from TLD domain names: TLD represents countries and different types of organizations. When you receive a backlink from country-specific TLDs, it benefits your website with ranking improvement in that country. For example, your website has links from .co.uk domains, which will help it rank better in the United Kingdom. It works the same with all other countries.

42. Text near or around your backlink: Google can see whether the text that is written about your link is positive or negative about your website. It’s possible that someone has posted a negative review on their website and is linking back to yours. Google is smart enough to see this as a negative backlink. The same applies, of course, to a positive review or text around your backlinks.

43. Good link velocityLink velocity is the speed with which your website gains and loses backlinks. A page with good link velocity is often ranked higher than websites with poor link velocity. If your website is gaining or losing links that seem unnatural too fast, then it’s a sign for Google that something is wrong with your website, and it’s not good enough to retain the links.

44. Environment of the link. The words around your link tell Google what your page is about. Is this relevant? This will have a very positive effect on your ranking. Link environment refers to the quality of the site from which your website is receiving links. If that website is involved in some shady or spammy SEO program, it can lead to your website getting penalized for being part of their environment.

45. Reciprocal Links. Naturally, reciprocal links can be good for your website. But, swapping links on each other’s websites just to manipulate Google rankings can lead to a penalty by Search engines. That’s why web admins these days avoid this link building technique and focus on long-lasting content-centric campaigns, which help a website gain authority.

Building links is less about volume and more about strategic, quality acquisition. By focusing on the 45 factors outlined here, you can move beyond simple link requests and develop a sophisticated strategy that earns the trust and authority Google rewards with high SERP rankings.