Backlinks remain one of the most important Google ranking factors driving SEO success. However, with Google continuing to advance its algorithms, some have questioned whether backlinks retain importance following recent core updates.
The answer is an emphatic yes – backlinks continue to play a pivotal role. However, evolving search algorithms demand an updated approach focusing more on quality over quantity when earning links.
If you currently view links as low ROI busywork, it may be time to reassess their vital role within modern technical SEO stacks.
Impact of Link Signals on SEO Rankings Over Time
Understanding modern link-building requires a quick look into history…
The Early Days
In the 2000s, Google couldn’t yet effectively filter low-quality links at scale. As a result, ranking algorithms heavily favored backlink quantity.
Savvy webmasters realized this flaw could be exploited. They tapped gray hat tactics like:
- Comment spam across blogs
- Directory link lists
- Link exchange networks
Sparking a race to amass as many links as possible from any site willing to reciprocate.
By the mid to late 2000s, comment spam, directories, and link exchanges accounted for a large portion of many sites’ total backlink profiles.
Google Begins Fighting Back
As link spam raced out of control, Google began releasing major algorithm updates specifically targeting manipulative tactics:
Google Penguin (2012) – The launch of Penguin represented a major shift in how link signals were evaluated. The update was designed to catch sites aggressively buying links or building questionable link networks. Penguin had the power to devalue spam sites or remove them entirely from search rankings.
Over the ensuing years, iterations of Penguin helped clean up the SERPs significantly. But the update also created collateral damage across sites that built links too aggressively yet still offered legitimate value to visitors.
Google Hummingbird (2013) – While still focused on link metrics, Hummingbird worked to understand semantic search quality and connections behind user queries at a deeper level. The update further helped downgrade sites abusing keyword stuffing and excessive link exchanges.
Google Panda (2014) – Whereas Penguin targeted spammy links, Panda went after low-quality and thin content. The update introduced severe penalties for sites publishing repetitive, scraped, or auto-generated content solely to chase search volume.
A Focus on Quality Emerges
Each successive Google update helped search algorithms get exponentially better at analyzing links on an individual basis. Simply tallying up the total number of backlinks no longer provided enough signal to rank well. More advanced page quality and relevance signals took hold.
By the mid-2010s, low-value link building offered minimal ROI yet carried significant downside risks. SEO shifted toward an editorial link-building mindset – securing contextual links from reputable sites whenever possible.
But for some industries, the opportunity to chase shortcuts with manipulative linking strategies still proved too tempting…
Google March 2024 Spam Update
Over time, Google observed persistent different linking spam practices. In March 2024, Google launched a broad core update specifically targeting spammy link networks and low-value content sites. 
Google reported an expected 40% reduction in spammy and thin content pages surfacing in search results.
The update included new policies against tactics like:
Scaled content farms
Sites that publish large amounts of cheap, low-quality content to generate traffic and sell links. A particularly large increase has been seen in AI-generated content farms, which flood the Internet with low-quality clickbait articles.
Google penalizes sites that have backlinks from low-quality or spam sites, as it views this as an attempt to manipulate rankings.
Expired domains
It’s common to launch websites on expired domains with strong reputations (high DA and PA) to quickly improve search rankings, even if the sites don’t offer much value to users.
It used to be a go-to strategy and could give a website an instant SEO boost before. However, search engines have wisened up, and now it’s not as effective anymore.
Comment spam rings
These are similar to regular comment spam but are typically posted on forums or in the comments section of posts, whether or not they are related to the niche, in order to attract traffic to the site and increase its ranking.
Typically, the tactic is as follows: new users ask for recommendations. They then receive replies with recommendations and a link to a promoted site from a similar user and discuss it in a thread that is actually part of the spam ring. This is basically a self-answering scheme.
In the past, a site with links from spam comments wouldn’t hurt. Google bots could just discount them as if they meant nothing. However, this tactic can now backfire when search engines pick up on a pattern from repeated spam.
Site reputation abuse
Some site owners try to boost their sites by publishing pages on a well-known, reputable site without oversight. They’re mostly doing this to game the search engine system by taking advantage of the host site’s ranking signals. These pages can be anything, and they usually don’t have much to do with the main purpose of the donor site.
The March 2024 update caused turbulence for sites using manipulation to rank. But those with expertise and original, useful content weathered it well. A huge number of sites were deindexed during the spam update roll-out. Glenn Gabe from G-Squared Interactive summarizes that out of the 1,000 sites he checked that were deindexed by “Pure spam” manual action, none have returned to the index.
For many industries the update served as a wakeup call – link quality now outweighed quantity. Authentic, relevant links from legitimate sites drive sustainable growth. Chasing shortcuts risks catastrophe.
Link Building in 2024
In the aftermath of Google’s ever-intensifying war against link spam and manipulation, a new approach emerges – authoritative backlinks must be built sustainably over time. The days of shortcuts disappeared long ago.
Crafting an ethical, effective link-building framework requires refocusing on a few core guiding principles:
Link Quality Trumps Quantity
A few contextual links from genuinely reputable sites within your industry prove exponentially more valuable than thousands of links from irrelevant properties. Assessing factors like domain authority, subject matter expertise, and audience trust should steer target selection.
Prioritize securing links placed on pages with healthy overall linking profiles – look for existing links from known publications, educational domains, and vendors in your space. Their endorsement offers significantly more influence than buried links on barren pages.
Manually review each site considered for outreach to ensure they meet integrity guidelines. Analyze factors like niche relevance, website’s reputation, content quality, and organic traffic.
Niche Relevance & Context
In addition to general domain authority, assessed relevance between the linking and linked-to sites now carries tremendous weight. Consider the implied context – does an endorsement make logical sense based on respective topical focuses and content formats?
For example, a salsa recipe blog reference linking to a fellow cooking site feels inherently different than the same link hosted on a sports car review site. Even if two domains have similar metrics, the quality of their backlinks can still vary. Prioritize niche relevance in your outreach cadence.
Promote Link-Worthy Content
When you create engaging and visually striking content, you’ll generally get more people linking to it than you would with just generic blog posts. As such, be sure to actively promote these link-worthy assets across social media channels to maximize discovery. Consider:
- Evergreen content – timeless and valuable information that remains relevant over time
- Videos or podcasts – dynamic and audio-visual content
- Infographics – information in a visually appealing and easily digestible format
- Research studies and analysis – insights, and findings that provide authoritative content
- Interactive tools – allow users to engage directly with the content
Wrap-up
In 2024, genuine links still serve as the lifeblood of sustainable SEO strategies. But pathways for cultivating authoritative links require continuous adaptation as Google’s ranking algorithms march on against spam. Google is improving its ranking systems to spot better and prioritize quality content. It’s cracking down on content that was created to manipulate search engine rankings and promoting content that actually offers a positive user experience and real value.
To effectively monitor the impact of your backlink efforts, consider adding a rank tracker to your SEO toolset. Rank trackers allow you to monitor your website’s position in the SERPs for targeted keywords over time. By correlating ranking changes with your link building activities, you can gain insights into which backlinks are most effective at improving your search visibility. This data-driven approach enables you to refine your link building strategy and focus on acquiring the types of links that yield the best results for your specific website and niche.
About the Author
Nataly Shevchenco is the Editor-in-Chief at Crowdo.net, a leading international SEO and digital agency. She is dedicated to driving editorial excellence and delivering high-quality content to their clients.
