Do Backlinks Still Matter as Much in White Hat SEO?

[katie_brooks]

Hot take maybe… but in some projects, backlinks don’t seem to move the needle like they used to.
On others, they still make a huge difference. So I’m torn.
Curious to hear which niches you’re seeing this in. Let’s compare notes!

 

[tazarbm]

I voted "secondary to content and UX", but I don't think this applies to all niches and keywords, but to a fair chunk of them

 

[tawfiq_raslan]

Backlinks still matter, but their impact seems much more dependent on the query and the strength of the page receiving them. In a narrow niche, a page that matches intent and has a strong internal support can move with very few links. In tougher SERPs, uh, relevant editorial mentions still help, especially when they bring real referral traffic rather than only a metric boost.

 

[Starblazer]

Backlinks are undoubtedly #1 ranking factor. We can beat any low authority site in the world with a parasite. Even if you give that credit to their brand value, people are still able to rank random sites with paid backlinks alone for moderate difficulty keywords. So, backlinks still hold their crown.

 

[Rank Zen SEO]

Backlinks still matter, but quality, relevance and strong content determine thier overall SEO impacts.

 

[Nikolaos]

Hot take maybe… but in some projects, backlinks don’t seem to move the needle like they used to.
On others, they still make a huge difference. So I’m torn.
Curious to hear which niches you’re seeing this in. Let’s compare notes!

For our pest control websites content is KING. Backlinks are useful, however, not as good as content.

 

[seoboyz01]

Yes, Backlinks are still the top factor for Google ranking.
A website without backlinks will hardly rank on top in its niche.

 

[Ladet02]

Try to focus on good contents and quality of backlinks.

 

[rel4xe]

Based on what I have observed, high-quality backlinks are still capable of making an impact.

 

[alonelywriter]

Backlinks are still an important part of seo, it doesn't matter what kind of it is or how you are doing it. Doesn't matter if they are informational keywords or commercial one's - backlinks are important.

 

[Abdullah_Links]

Hot take maybe… but in some projects, backlinks don’t seem to move the needle like they used to.
On others, they still make a huge difference. So I’m torn.
Curious to hear which niches you’re seeing this in. Let’s compare

 

[Carlos Kaiser]

Backlinks still matter, but strong content, relevance, and solid on-page SEO seem to have a bigger impact than before.

 

[RkGrowthhouse]

I voted Important, but not everything. In my opinion, relevant backlinks still help, but they work best when combined with strong content, good on-page SEO, and a solid user experience. Quality always beats quantity.