Do backlinks help SEO?

Author: Semrush Team
1 min read
Jan 10, 2025

Yes, backlinks help SEO. They signal to search engines that other sites trust your content. This trust can encourage search engines to improve your rankings in search results. 

Beyond signaling trust, backlinks play a key role in how search engines determine the authoritativeness and relevance of your content for specific search queries. The more authoritative your site appears, the more likely Google is to reward you with higher placement in its results.

However, not all backlinks are equal. Links from reputable, authoritative sources carry more weight than those from low-quality sites. By building a strong, diverse set of high-quality backlinks, you show search engines that your content offers real value to users and is worth promoting. Over time, this strategy can lead to higher rankings, greater search engine traffic, and a stronger online presence.

Further reading: How to Get Backlinks

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