Link Building Metrics 101: Measure and Track for SEO Success

Backlinks are still the biggest ranking factor.

Quality content, topical relevance, page speed, and many other things also play a crucial part in helping a website rank higher.

But backlinks remain the biggest ranking factor.

Now, think of a website that has 2,000+ quality backlinks but the poorest content.

It won’t rank higher.

Similarly, a website with high-quality content and no backlinks will not rank.

Just as with backlinks, it's also important to understand link metrics.

This guide is all about link-building metrics.

Everyone says that backlinks are important, but this link-building metrics guide will help you do it yourself.

What are link building metrics?

Link metrics in SEO are the characteristics of a backlink.

It is a combination in which you need to use third-party tools.

The data from those tools helps you learn more about the nature of backlinks and the potential benefits they bring to your website.

Do not miss my previous articles about comment backlinks and web 2.0 backlinks.

Link-building metrics will help you understand why many SEO specialists don’t consider them highly useful.

To learn more from this guide, read the article where I discuss popular link-building types in SEO.

Without spending more time here, let’s explore the backlink metrics that make a backlink more powerful.

10 link building metrics you need to measure and track for SEO success

1. Domain Relevancy

While many consider authority as the main metric, I would list domain relevancy as the number one link-building metric.

You don’t have to be an SEO guru to find this—nor do you need an SEO tool.

You can simply look for websites that are relevant to yours.

Let’s assume I have “Repute Post,” and its URL is https://reputepost.com/.

My website falls under marketing > SEO.

So before I start building links, I have to ensure other websites are relevant to mine.

I break this into four parts:

• 75-100% Relevant: Websites with content relevant to SEO.
• 50-75% Relevant: Websites with content relevant to digital marketing or social media marketing.
• 25-50% Relevant: Websites with content relevant to content writing, copywriting, etc.
• General or Irrelevant: Websites with content related to celebrities, pets, games, or any other topic.

Now think about forums.

There might be a few threads or discussions relevant to your website but not exactly on-topic.

This is mainly why forum backlinks shouldn’t be your go-to link-building strategy.

Now that we discussed relevancy, here’s the next thing.

2. Authority

For years, top SEOs and Google representatives have denied that Google uses anything like authority.

This is because third-party SEO tools like Moz, Ahrefs, Semrush, and others have their own authority metrics:

• Moz has Domain Authority
• Ahrefs has Domain Rating
• Semrush has Website Authority

While the formula for each of these is different, they serve similar purposes—indicating the authority of a website.

Google has consistently denied using any of these metrics.

This left many SEOs puzzled and split into 2 types.

1. Those who only focused on da metric for link building
2. Those who didn’t rely on higher domain ratings or authority.

However, the Google Search Algorithm Leak 2024 proved that Google does use authority as a major ranking factor.

This means domain rating or authority is among the main link-building metrics you should consider.

First, consider relevancy, and after that, domain ratings.

Oftentimes, a relevant, high-authority backlink is better than dozens of links from smaller websites.

3. Content quality

It is another extremely important metric that nobody discusses!

While a website must be relevant and have high authority, it should also have quality content.

If you land on a website with poor content or raw AI-written text, move away.

Google algorithm updates can disrupt things significantly.

In the March Core Update 2024, they penalized websites with raw AI content.

So, even if a website has some traffic and authority, it may get penalized in the future.

A link on such a website can increase problems, so consider this link-building metric as important.

Key thing: If you’re doing a guest post, make sure the content you provide is relevant to the site and well-written. It will increase the chances of this link providing more value.

4. Page authority or URL rating

As we discussed previously, Google does use authority as a ranking factor.

It is commonly believed and proven that page authority and URL rating also play a part.

And yes, this metric is among the popular link-building metrics you should be keeping an eye on.

Different tools provide different values, but the meaning and purpose are the same.

It is typically more helpful when you are considering adding links to an existing article.

This is known as “link insertions or niche edits” and is perhaps the strongest of the backlinks.

You can find thousands of link insertion opportunities on our niche edits services page.

5. Spam Score

We at Repute Post do not consider spam score as a strong link-building metric.

This metric is outdated and generic, often showing irrelevant data.

However, many others use spam score as a key metric for link building, and it can sometimes be helpful too.

But do not give it more value and time than other metrics; try to consider others above it.

You can also audit this metric by yourself to see if it earns your trust.

Remember: To build high-authority backlinks, you have to go deep into such things.

Otherwise, your backlinks will not help your website perform the way you want it to.

6. Link placement

Oftentimes, a content writer or SEO specialist messes this up.

I earlier discussed how crucial it is to have quality content.

The same applies to you.

You need to provide useful and genuine content to get a backlink.

And your link placement holds the key.

Link placement within an article is among the strongest metrics Google will take into account.

A link (either internal or external) should be within the most relevant section of the article.

Example:

Let’s assume I am writing a guest post article for a relevant website.

My topic is: Why are SEO agencies more interested in outsourcing backlinks?

I want to include a link to “white-label link-building services”.

I would like this content to have data and relevant statistics with proof.

Furthermore, I will also discuss backlink outsourcing and best practices.

It would be bad for my website if I added that link in my initial headings, like the heading where I discuss link outsourcing or Google’s perspectives.

The best place would be when I show someone how others benefited, and as a reference, I could include a link to my page as well.

This is perhaps the easiest definition I have provided.

Now let’s move ahead to learn about other link-building metrics.

7. Anchor text

From website relevancy to link placement to anchor text, all these metrics are vital in SEO.

As the content around your backlink should be relevant, the anchor text must be the same.

I’m not advocating that you go after the same anchor text all the time, but there should be some consistent relevancy.

I will use the previous example, and my anchor text could be:

• White label link-building services
• White label backlinks
• Outsourcing white label backlinks, etc.

These anchor texts will ensure my backlinks are readable as well as authoritative.

8. Link attribute

Link attribute is another extremely valuable link metric.

“DoFollow” is the term for which we are doing all of this.

I’m not gonna lie but we are all obsessed with “Dofollow backlinks”.

To build quality backlinks that help pass page rank, the link type or backlink attribute should be “DoFollow.”

But what if it isn’t the following backlink? Will it not be counted?

The short answer is, “It depends.”

As per Google’s guidelines, if you’re doing a guest post, the link should be “NoFollow.”

In case you’ve paid for the backlink, they want the link relation to be “Sponsored.”

Similarly, the comment backlinks are usually tagged as “UGC” and “NoFollow” at the same time.

Remember: Only the following link passes page rank or link juice that helps your website get stronger.

Other link attributes are good for specific reasons, like branding, but they do not add much SEO value.

9. Link Velocity

Have you ever thought about “how many backlinks should you build monthly”?

If yes, this leads you to link velocity.

It is a term that Google representatives call a “made-up term.”

And mostly, professional SEOs won’t answer this question as well.

This is because a higher number of backlinks can’t help you rank number one on Google SERPs.

Your backlinks should be highly authoritative and natural instead of high in numbers.

Furthermore, the number of backlinks you need depends on the competition and niche you are in.

If you have gigantic competitors building backlinks at scale, you should try to compete with them in terms of good backlinks.

But if the competition isn’t that high and your website is new, try to build content and trust before thinking about backlinks.

10. Page Rank

It's a crucial backlink metric that you can’t calculate.

In fact, there isn’t a tool that calculates page rank or link juice.

It is basically a term that is associated with curated backlinks when done the right way.

For instance, a highly relevant backlink with proper considerations will definitely pass more page rank.

This link equity helps your website get stronger in the eyes of search engines.

These were some of the main link building metrics.

They make a backlink stronger and more helpful.

Similarly, a good solid backlink profile helps a website get more SERP visibility and rank higher.

Wrapping up

I hope this guide will help you learn more about backlinks and key considerations. When it comes to link building, quality and relevancy always beat the numbers.

Try to analyze a website more critically before getting a backlink.

Above metrics will help your website get more link equity and page rank out of backlinks you are building.