Links and authority
Are backlinks still a ranking factor? Yes, but less than you have been told.
Backlinks were the currency of SEO for two decades. Then Google spent years saying they matter less than they used to, and in 2024 a leak of Google's own documents suggested they still matter more than Google admits. Both things are true. Here is what the evidence actually says, and what it means for where you spend your effort.
In short
Yes, backlinks still count, but they matter less than they used to. Google's Gary Illyes said in 2023 that links are not a top-three ranking factor and had not been 'for some time,' and Google can rank a strong page on very few links. The 2024 documentation leak confirmed links are still in the system as a trust signal. So the modern goal is fewer, better, earned links, not volume.
What Google actually said
In 2023, Google's Gary Illyes said at a search conference that he would not put links in the top three ranking factors, and that it had not been the case 'for some time.' He named content as the more important signal, and pointed to a site that ranked at number one with no backlinks at all, found by Google purely through its sitemap. Google has separately said it needs very few links to rank a page well.
That is a real shift. Back in 2016, a Google strategist listed links as one of the top three signals, alongside content and RankBrain. So the public message moved from 'links are near the top' to 'links matter, but people overestimate them.'
But the 2024 leak says links are still in the system
In May 2024, roughly 2,500 pages of Google's internal Search documentation leaked, and Google confirmed they were authentic. Among the findings: Google runs multiple versions of PageRank, its original link-based algorithm, and feeds them into its ranking systems. Every document Google stores has a link-based signal attached to it.
So do not read 'not a top-three factor' as 'links do not matter.' They are still an input to how Google judges trust and authority. The honest reading is that links matter less than they did in the 2010s, not that they stopped mattering.
So which is it? Both.
The reconciliation is simple. Google got much better at understanding whether a page actually answers a query, so it leans on links less than it used to. But links are still one of the ways it decides which of several good pages to trust most, especially for competitive terms and for newer sites that have not yet earned a track record.
What changed most is quality over quantity. A handful of relevant, editorial links from real sites now does more than hundreds of low-quality ones, and the low-quality ones can actively hurt you under Google's spam policies.
What this means for your SEO
For most businesses, the biggest wins are still on the website itself: content that matches real searches, a fast and crawlable site, and clear structure. That is the controllable majority of the work, and it now carries more weight than it used to.
Links are the slower trust layer on top. Earn a few relevant ones rather than chasing volume, lean on genuinely useful content and real relationships, and never buy links or join schemes. If you are a new site competing on hard national terms, links are specifically the lever that closes the authority gap against established competitors. For everything else they are a supporting act, not the headline.
At a glance
How the role of backlinks has shifted
| Then (2010s) | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight in ranking | Often decisive | One signal among many, not top three |
| What counts | Volume of links | Relevance and quality of a few |
| Can strong content rank without them? | Rarely | Yes, Google says it needs very few |
| Low-quality links | Tolerated or helpful | Ignored or penalised under spam policies |
| Best use of effort | Get more links | Earn a few relevant, editorial ones |
Related questions
Quick answers.
Are backlinks dead for SEO?
No. Google still uses link-based signals, confirmed by its own leaked documentation in 2024. They are just less dominant than a decade ago, because Google got better at judging content directly. Links matter most now for competitive terms and newer sites.
How many backlinks do I need to rank?
Fewer than most people think. Google has said it needs very few links to rank a page, and has pointed to pages ranking at number one with none. For low-competition and long-tail terms, strong content on a sound site can rank with almost no links. Competitive terms need more, but quality and relevance beat raw volume.
Do backlinks still help a new website?
Yes, arguably more than for an established one. A new domain has no track record, so a few relevant, credible links help Google decide to trust it. This is the main lever for a newer site competing against established players on hard terms.
Is buying backlinks worth it?
No. Paid links that pass ranking signals violate Google's link spam policies and can get a site's rankings suppressed. The risk is not worth it, and the modern algorithm rewards a few earned, relevant links far more than a pile of bought ones.
Keep reading
Related guides.
Primary sources
The sources behind this guide.
See also
Related across the site.
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