There is no point in doing seo without making backlinks. Other factors also determine ranking but most important factor are backlinks.
Good on page SEO, strong content, and internal linking can get certain pages to rank, but in 2025 backlinks are still a key factor for competitive terms. In the long run, the best results usually come from combining high quality content with solid link building.
Yes — White Hat SEO can still be powerful without backlinks in 2025 if your content truly satisfies user intent. With Google’s focus on E-E-A-T and helpful content, high-quality, well-optimized pages can rank through strong on-page SEO, topical authority, and user engagement — but backlinks still accelerate growth and trust.
That's a great point. On-page SEO and good content can definitely get you far, especially since Google is putting more and more emphasis on helpful content and user intent. But backlinks are still very important for moving pages from page 2 to page 1. A balanced approach with strong on-page optimization, topical authority, and a few high-quality backlinks looks like it will work best in the long run in 2025.
White-hat SEO alone can get you decent results, especially for low-competition terms, but backlinks still carry weight in 2025. Strong content and structure help, yet authority links remain key for breaking past page 2.
I’ve noticed similar patterns. Pure white-hat SEO — good content, strong on-page optimization, and smart internal linking — can sometimes get pages to rank decently, especially for low-competition or long-tail keywords. But in most competitive niches, backlinks still make a noticeable difference. Google continues to use them as a strong signal of authority and trust. Often, the pages that stay stuck on page 2 or 3 lack that external authority boost. That said, solid on-page foundations and topical depth are still essential, and focusing on them first is smart. Over the long term, a balanced approach — strong content, technical health, and quality backlinks — usually proves more reliable than relying on just one factor.
