Do backlinks still matter for White Hat SEO?

[Mystic Flow]

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor. If you only use White Hat SEO, do you still build backlinks, or just rely on topical authority and content hubs?

 

[tazarbm]

If you only use White Hat SEO, do you still build backlinks

these 2 exclude each other. Either you're not building any links at all (which means you're doing WH), or you're building links, in which case this is not WH anymore. WH means playing by google's rules and google never advocates for building links, so you can't achieve both of these simultaneously

just rely on topical authority and content hubs?

I've been out of the game for 5 years, but I'm trying to get back in and I will probably do both. For the websites that I like and am having in mind at the moment I will probably not build any links initially (for a few years) since I'm not interested in making a killing with those sites, I'm mostly interested in providing quality content and ideas to newbies in those niches.

For the ones I intend to monetize, backlinks are a must. Even if I don't build links (and not for google, I am pretty much fed up with google's smoke and mirror tactics and constantly moving the goalpost shenanigans), other sites in my niche will build them and they will outrank me. If I rank in google, so be it, but this time I am more interested in trying to make other search engines work as I've heard quite a few people saying that they're getting traffic and better conversions from Bing and DDG, so I want to try those

Anyway, I digressed a little, but the point I wanted to make is that you either focus on WH, or build links, you can't do both at the same time and still think you're doing WH, that's not how it works. And yes, backlinks still matter, even for google they still matter, I'd assume even moreso for other SEs that are decades behind google in technology and innovation...

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor.

I don't think they're dead, but they're not as heavily impactful as they used to be and now you can rank (at least in the short term) with mostly content and other important signals (trust, user engagement, good site structure and topical authority, etc). But if you don't have them, you might still not rank, so I'd say you should still get them...

 

[Starblazer]

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor.

I still hardly find non-authority in SERPs, so backlinks are still relevant. Google, for that matter any search engine, won't trust new domains and untrustworthy sites. Backlinks are a trust signal and carry considerable weight in ranking a page. If backlinks are dead, the first sign would be that the parasites disappear from SERPs. As long as that didn't happen, you can continue to build backlinks.

 

[SEO JOKER]

Backlinks are still valuable and definitely not dead. If you are sticking to White Hat SEO, focus on earning quality, relevant links while also building strong topical authority and content hubs to keep things balanced.

 

[GenesisOne]

The best SEO model is to build a website with such unique and attractive content that backlinks will come to it naturally.
This means that you'll need a professional staff of content creators instead of paying for fake backlinks.

 

[primavera]

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor. If you only use White Hat SEO, do you still build backlinks, or just rely on topical authority and content hubs?

I think backlinks remain key even in white hat SEO. They're combined with comprehensive, reliable, and quality content, as organic links from relevant sites are a powerful trust signal for search engines.

 

[sarahfarneendaz]

internal and external both linking matters,

 

[seo crazy]

Backlinks still matter, but quality and relevance now count more than the total number.

Good links help you build both trust and authority.

 

[spidermon]

Backlinks continue to play a significant role in White Hat SEO, though their impact has evolved. Search engines increasingly prioritize topical authority and high-quality content, yet naturally acquired, relevant backlinks remain an important factor in establishing credibility and trust. While focusing on content hubs is effective, integrating a well-planned backlink strategy can enhance overall performance. I’m interested to hear how others approach this balance in their SEO efforts.

 

[allisonward]

Content and authority are important, but links give your pages real ranking power.

 

[charan897]

Backlinks are still relevant and valuable, but focus on getting high quality backlinks.

 

[rovash]

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor. If you only use White Hat SEO, do you still build backlinks, or just rely on topical authority and content hubs?

I’d say backlinks aren’t dead it’s just evolved. If you’re doing pure white hat sEO, focus on earning natural links through solid topical authority, content hubs, and digital pr. Quality backlinks still matter, but they come naturally when your content actually deserves them.

 

[404Ninja]

Backlinks still matter because they boost your site’s trust and authority. But having strong content and topical authority is important too. The best approach is to focus on both create quality content and get backlinks from relevant sites to make it more natural.

 

[Tahseen779]

Yes, backlinks still matter for White Hat SEO, but only high-quality, relevant, and natural ones.

 

[MichaelGreen]

Yes, backlinks still matter. I've seen better results when I mix quality links with good content and internal links.

 

[seothatranks]

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor. If you only use White Hat SEO, do you still build backlinks, or just rely on topical authority and content hubs?

You can build with good backlinks. But there are other factors also involved. Like, you need to support with good content.

 

[_sandy]

Some say backlinks are dead, others say they’re still the #1 ranking factor. If you only use White Hat SEO, do you still build backlinks, or just rely on topical authority and content hubs?

Backlinks still matter, but it’s really about quality over quantity.

 

[SEO Duke]

Backlinks aren’t dead.
They’re just smarter now; build authority first, then let quality links come naturally.

 

[brave warrior]

Don’t ignore backlinks, but don’t obsess over them either. The best White Hat strategy is a mix — strong content structure + relevant backlinks = long-term authority.

 

[samideveloper]

Good content and topic depth matter most
but quality links still help.