Do Backlinks Still Matter as Much in White Hat SEO?

How important are backlinks for you in 2026 (white-hat only)?

  • Still the #1 ranking factor

    Votes: 1 14.3%

  • Important, but not everything

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Secondary to content & UX

    Votes: 4 57.1%

  • Barely noticeable anymore

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    7
katie_brooks

katie_brooks

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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!
 
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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
 
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.
 
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.
 
katie_brooks said:
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!
Click to expand...
For our pest control websites content is KING. Backlinks are useful, however, not as good as content.
 
Yes, Backlinks are still the top factor for Google ranking.
A website without backlinks will hardly rank on top in its niche.
 
Try to focus on good contents and quality of backlinks.
 
Based on what I have observed, high-quality backlinks are still capable of making an impact.
 
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.
 
katie_brooks said:
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!
Click to expand...
Backlinks still matter in white hat SEO, but relevance, content quality, and topical authority often have a bigger impact today.
 
katie_brooks said:
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
Click to expand...
 
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