An employee of Google responded to a query concerning backlinks and rankings in an SEO office hours video, mentioning the surprising fact that backlinks have less influence as a ranking indication than it did in the past.
A user ask : “Why does Google keep using backlinks as a ranking factor if link building campaigns are not allowed?Why can’t Google find other ranking factors that can’t be easily manipulated like backlinks?”
Google’s answer:
“There are several things to unpack here. First, backlinks as a signal has a lot less significant impact compared to when Google Search first started out many years ago.We have robust ranking signals, hundreds of them, to make sure that we are able to rank the most relevant and useful results for all queries.”
“Second, full link building campaigns, which are essentially link spam according to our spam policy.We have many algorithms capable of detecting unnatural links at scale and nullify them.
This means that spammers or SEOs spending money on links truly have no way of knowing if the money they spent on link building is actually worth it or not, since it’s really likely that they’re just wasting money building all these spammy links and they were already nullified by our systems as soon as we see them.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TepFVYrBVg0&t=368s
Just 20 days back On November 4, 2022
Google John Mueller has recently said that links don’t carry as much weight as they used to. This means you may need to take different approaches when it comes to your SEO strategy.
John Mueller said at the 13:52 mark in the recording when asked about links:
“Well, it’s something where I imagine, over time, the weight on the links. At some point, will drop off a little bit as we can’t figure out a little bit better how the content fits in within the context of the whole web. And to some extent, links will always be something that we care about because we have to find pages somehow. It’s like how do you find a page on the web without some reference to it?”
“But my guess is over time, it won’t be such a big factor as sometimes it is today. I think already, that’s something that’s been changing quite a bit.”
Former Googler Matt Cutts echoed these sentiments around eight years ago, and the trend toward giving less importance to links has only continued.
What is store in future ?
Changes in Search Engine Algorithms
In the past, search engine algorithms relied heavily on links to determine the relevance of a website. Links from other websites were seen as a sign of trustworthiness and authority, and websites with more links were given higher rankings. However, search engine algorithms have changed significantly over the years, and now rely more on other factors such as content quality and user engagement. As a result, links have become less important in determining search engine rankings. For example, Google’s algorithm now takes into account the quality of content on a website, as well as how often users interact with it. Websites with high-quality content and a high level of user engagement have more chances to higher rankings than those with a large number of links. This has significantly reduced the impact of links on search engine rankings.
The rise of social media
The rise of social media has also had an impact on the importance of links. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow users to share content quickly and easily, without the need for links. This has made it easier for users to find content without having to rely on search engines. As a result, links have become less important in driving traffic to websites. For example, many businesses now use social media to promote their products and services. They can post content directly on their social media pages, without having to rely on links from other websites. This has made it easier for businesses to reach their target audience without having to rely on links.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, links have become less important in driving traffic to websites and increasing search engine rankings. This is due to changes in search engine algorithms and the rise of social media.
Links are still important for SEO purposes, but they are no longer as powerful as they once were.
As such, businesses should focus more on creating high-quality content and engaging with their target audience on social media in order to increase their visibility online.
