Backlinks are essential for website ranking. If you’re doing SEO work for your website, you’ve probably asked yourself how many backlinks you need to build to rank above your competitors.
There’s no set limit on how many backlinks a website needs to rank. This guide explains how to build backlinks, providing real-world data, strategies, and references.
Will Backlinks Still Matter in 2026?
Yes, absolutely. Quality content, along with user experience and backlinks, are crucial. These are all crucial for any site to rank in search engines.
Google has significantly changed its ranking factors over the years. Google no longer values only the number of links. Today, the search engine’s algorithm evaluates rankings based on the quality and naturalness of the link profile.
Tools to Monitor Your Backlinks
| Tool | Price | What to use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Free | View backlinks that Google already knows |
| Ahrefs | ~$99/month | In-depth analysis of backlinks and competition |
| SEMrush | ~$119/month | Backlink analysis + full audit |
| Moz Link Explorer | Free / $99/month | DA/PA metrics and link analysis |
| Ubersuggest | Free / $12/month | A cost-effective option for competitor analysis |
| SE Ranking | ~$44/month | Very complete and affordable |
| Lookkle | Free / $19/month | Search and analysis of websites in the sector |
How to Analyze Your Competitors’ Backlinks
Before building backlinks for your site, it’s important to conduct a competitor analysis. The most effective way to find out how many backlinks you need.
- Analyze your backlink profile with tools like Lookkle, Ahrefs, SEMrush, SE Ranking, or Ubersuggest.
- Note the number of referring domains
- Calculate the average number of reference domains
- That average is your minimum target to compete
Make a note of backlinks created by competitors, so you can now obtain backlinks from those same sites. This can save you the effort of searching for backlinks.
Mistakes that Destroy Your Backlink Profile
- ❌ Buying massive, low-quality backlinks
- ❌ Massive link exchanges (link farms)
- ❌ Anchor text is always exact — it varies between brand, URL, and generic terms
- ❌ Obtaining all links in a short time (abnormal speed)
- ❌ Ignore toxic backlinks — review them and use Google’s Disavow Tool if necessary
- ❌ Focusing solely on backlinks and neglecting content and technical SEO
Some professionals make mistakes when building backlinks, which can cause their websites to fail in search rankings. However, following the right strategy can help your site rank at the top in search engines by simply creating a few backlinks.
