24 Link Building Statistics Backed by 100+ SEO Professionals

What’s the real deal with link building today?

Yes, we all know what link building is, how it works, and why we need it, but with the algorithms and strategies always changing there’s a lot of uncertainty in the air.

Well, to make things a bit clear we went straight to the source!

We surveyed more than 100 SEO professionals, gathered some real-world data, and combined it with insights from trusted sources to uncover the latest trends in link building today.

The results? Eye-opening statistics, some surprising challenges, and actionable takeaways to help improve your strategy.

Whether you’re already a seasoned professional or just dipping your toes in the world of SEO and link building, this article is packed with everything you need to navigate the world of link building.

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

24 Link Building Statistics and Insights by SayNine

Okay, now let’s get to the real deal and explore all the recent link building statistics you might need.

1. Are You a Pro or Just Starting Out?

According to our survey, the majority of respondents (51.1%) have been working in this industry for only 1-3 years. What this tells us is that SEO is still attracting newcomers and a significant part of professionals are still in the early stages of their careers.

Meanwhile, 25.7% have 4-6 years of experience, and 8.9% are what we’ll consider seasoned experts with over 6 years in the field.

2. 95% Agree: Link Building Is a Must for SEO

An overwhelming 95% of SEO professionals believe that link building is crucial for achieving success when it comes to search engine rankings.

This near-universal agreement proves just how crucial backlinks are for boosting website authority, improving rankings, and driving organic traffic. Love it or hate it, statistics don’t lie – link building is here to stay!

3. Which Websites Do You Build Backlinks For?

Running a SaaS link building agency we always knew that SaaS websites are a big deal in the world of SEO, but to see that a staggering 86.1% of SEO professionals prioritize these websites is still very impressive.

This goes to prove the competitive nature of the SaaS industry, where good, authoritative backlinks are essential for gaining visibility and standing out in a crowded market. It’s clear that link building plays a vital role in growing SaaS brands!

4. Where Do You Prefer to Get These Links From?

We already mentioned above that the majority of link builders build links for SaaS websites. However, we also checked to see how many of them get those backlinks from SaaS websites as well.

Well, apparently a whole 90.2% prefer to get links from SaaS domains. Is this surprising though?

Probably not, because as we said before SaaS sites bring high value when it comes to authority and relevance, so it makes sense that they are the go-to of that many link builders and SEO specialists.

5. Apparently, Websites Also Have Red Flags?

One of the challenges we face when building backlinks is assessing the quality of websites.

There are too many metrics to take into account and too many small details you need to know in order not to fall into sneaky traps. However, according to our survey, poor SEO metrics are the top-voted “red flag” with 87.4% when it comes to website evaluation for a link insertion.

Closely following this option are CBD, casino, and similar topics with 76.7%, irrelevant content with 71.8%, and poor website design with 58.3%.

These warning signs serve as signals helping link builders identify websites that could harm their SEO efforts rather than boost them.

6. Relevance, SEO metrics, UX – what matters most?

Okay, with the previous statistic we identified what serves as red flags, but what do link builders pay attention to the most?

According to our survey, SEO professionals overwhelmingly prioritize relevance, with 74.5% focusing on whether the site aligns with their industry. This ensures that the link not only feels natural but also provides maximum value in terms of SEO.

In addition to this, 92.2% pay close attention to SEO metrics, which is not surprising, as these metrics are really easy to track and check.

You can simply use a dedicated SEO tool to check them and it takes just seconds. Plus no creative processes involved, just you and your numbers.

Reputation also plays a role, with 54.9% of professionals considering the site’s overall trustworthiness. And surprisingly, only 31.4% look at website design and user experience.

7. Wait, You Guys Do Link Prospecting?

Link prospecting is definitely not something everyone does, some people just focus on building links whenever they can, however they can. But those who practice a solid link building strategy don’t really have a choice. They must always look for ways to identify websites that they can get backlinks from.

So here are the most popular link prospecting methods according to our survey results.

Guest Posting (70.6%): This strategy remains a favorite, with constantly using tools like Ahrefs and even Google to find relevant websites in their industry that they can write guest posts for.
Competitor Backlink Analysis (68.6%): By analyzing competitor backlink profiles, SEO experts identify new link opportunities and strategies to outrank them.
Resource Page Link Building (50%): Looking for existing resource pages where you can add your links is yet another famous link prospecting method.
Broken Link Building (24.5%): This method involves finding broken links on industry websites and offering your content as a replacement, benefiting both parties.
HARO (14.7%): Help a Reporter Out connects journalists with experts, creating opportunities for valuable backlinks from reputable and trusted media outlets.
Skyscraper Technique (12.7%): This approach involves finding popular content, creating a better version, and asking sites that linked to the original to link to your improved content instead.

Some of our respondents also mentioned link exchanges as a way of link prospecting, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

8. 20+ Hours Spent on Link Prospecting Each Week?

According to our survey, 40.8% of SEO experts dedicate more than 20 hours to link prospecting and looking for link building opportunities.

Taking into account the fact that people usually work 40-hour weeks, this number is quite impressive. But this time-intensive process highlights the importance of identifying the right prospects to ensure successful link building campaigns.

From researching competitors to thoroughly analyzing backlink profiles, it’s clear that strategic prospecting is at the base of effective SEO and high rankings.

9. Link Exchanges Give The Best Results

An impressive 90.2% of SEO professionals report that exchanging links delivers the best results for their campaigns. This tactic stays a favorite because of its straightforward nature and mutual benefits for all parties involved.

Right behind link exchanges is guest blogging with a whole 50%, which shows its value in building backlinks while also establishing authority through content.

10. How Many Links Do You Build in a Month?

Link building efforts vary and depend on a lot of different factors starting with the role of the respondent. But according to our research 38.2% build 10–30 links per month while 28.4% build 30-50, and an impressive 13.7% of respondents claim to build more than 80 links in a month.

These numbers are really interesting but do you think it’s the quantity that matters?

11. Quality > Quantity or the Other Way Around?

An overwhelming 92.1% of SEO specialists agree that quality beats quantity when it comes to backlinks.

Links from authoritative and relevant websites hold far more weight than a whole bunch of low-value links. And don’t just take our word for it because the numbers speak for themselves.

So make sure to build meaningful connections and focus on links that truly matter for SEO.

17. In an Ocean of SEO Metrics, Which Ones Matter the Most?

With so many different SEO metrics from so many different sources, it’s easy to lose sight of what you should actually be paying attention to when building links.

However, according to this study, 87.3% of SEO professionals prioritize organic traffic as the most important metric.

Domain Authority (75.5%) comes in second, highlighting its role as a trusted indicator of a site’s credibility and influence. Meanwhile, Spam Score (46.1%) and Backlink Profile Diversity (34.3%) round out the list, showing that while technical metrics matter, traffic and authority are still pretty important.

The reason behind this is that DR, DA, and similar metrics are relatively easy to manipulate, while, organic traffic which was the top choice is not. Therefore it serves as the best indicator of the website’s true status.

13. Does Link Building Come With Challenges?

Link building wouldn’t be link building without its hurdle. If you’ve ever tried it, you know it’s true. But what are the biggest challenges in this industry?

According to our survey, 55% of professionals struggle with a lack of partnerships, making collaboration one of the most pressing challenges.

Close behind, 51% state a lack of quality content is what disrupts their workflow, which shows just how important creating “link-worthy” material can be.

And finally, 38.2% struggle most with competition and budget constraints.

All these challenges reveal just how demanding link building processes may be, especially if you do it for a long time, as resources are quite limited, and there’s only so much you can do.

14. Spreadsheets Are The Way to Go

When it comes to managing link building campaigns, spreadsheets are the undisputed champion, with a surprising 92.2% of professionals relying on them.

Despite all the advancements in technology and the emergence of new tools and software, this simple yet quite effective tool remains a favorite for organizing outreach, tracking progress, and even managing links. With platforms like Google Sheets enabling real-time collaboration, they’re perfect for team projects and dynamic updates.

Outreach tools (38.2%) and project management tools (16.7%) follow and interestingly enough only 14.7% use CRM software, showing that while automation is on the rise, many still prefer the flexibility, simplicity, and familiarity of spreadsheets.

15. Are You Strong and Independent Enough For Text Edits?

Link building and link insertions would probably be a pretty small industry if text alterations were not a part of it. But thankfully they are, and the question is do link builders and SEO professionals make these edits themselves or not?

Well, it turns out that a significant 82.4% of SEO professionals prefer to make text edits for link insertions themselves. Only 11.8% reported that editing the texts is not a part of their tasks and the rest claim that they either do it themselves or have a content writer help out.

16. Is Paying For Links Still a Thing?

The link-building world is divided!

42.2% of SEO professionals admit to paying for links, while 52% stick to organic methods. The rest of our respondents fall in the gray area, saying they sometimes pay for links.

This split only goes to prove the ever-present debate around buying backlinks and their role in ethical, effective SEO strategies.

Whether it’s a necessity or a risk, the decision to pay for links clearly depends on individual beliefs and goals.

17. Outreach As a Crucial Part of SEO

81.4% of SEO professionals actively run outreach campaigns to discover new link building opportunities. Whether it’s cold emails, personalized pitches, or relationship building with site owners, outreach is and will probably remain a huge part of link building.

Besides being a good way to build links, it also helps network, build relationships in the industry, and increase brand awareness.

18. Emails Are the Way To Go For Link Building Outreach

A whole 92.2% of SEO professionals rely on email as their primary channel for link building outreach.

It’s no surprise as email remains one of the most direct and effective ways to connect with website owners and other link builders in order to build valuable relationships and, of course, links.

Social media also plays a significant role in these processes, with 75.7% of respondents using platforms like LinkedIn to reach out. While other methods like Slack, contact forms, and paid outreach tools make up the rest, email and social media clearly run the outreach game.

19. The Real Struggles of Link Building Outreach

Link building outreach isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Here’s what SEO pros are dealing with:

79.6% are fighting low response rates: No matter how many emails you send, some days it feels like you’re talking to a brick wall.
24.3% face high rejection rates: Even when you get a response, rejection seems to be the default answer.
35% can’t find the right contacts: The search for the perfect contact feels like a treasure hunt, except you’re going in blind with no maps.
22.3% deal with high costs: Link building can seriously eat into your budget, especially if you decide to run outreach campaigns alongside building links.
18.4% say outreach is too generic: Personalization is super important, but it’s tough when everyone’s sending the same outdated emails.

Creating the most ideal outreach campaign is no easy task and this territory is full of challenges. But remember, no strategy is perfect, you just have to try your best.

20. 56.9% Keep Outreach Personal but Add a Template Twist

While working in the world of SEO, you’ve probably received emails starting with “Hey Sir/Madam”. Well, we decided to check how many of our respondents stick to these generic outreach emails and how many go for the personalized approach.

Turns out most SEO pros (56.9%) are all about that personal touch while mixing it with some templates.

It’s the perfect approach that helps keep the balance between making outreach feel special and saving time.
What’s even more surprising is that a solid 29.4% are fully committed to personalizing every single email – no shortcuts here!

21. How Many Emails is Too Many?

When an outreach email goes unanswered, 43.7% of SEO pros don’t give up after the first try – they send a follow-up email twice!

Still no answer, well a solid 28.2% will push a third time for a response, showing they’re not afraid to be persistent.

However, according to this study, 19.4% of our respondents stop after one follow-up, preferring to move on if they don’t get a reply.

22. The Most Common Rejection? “Not Interested in Link Exchanges”

When it comes to rejection in outreach campaigns, 67.6% of SEO professionals hear the same thing: “Not interested in link exchanges.”

Whether it’s a matter of strategy or simply not seeing the value of link building and SEO, many sites aren’t eager to exchange links or collaborate.

However, the 2 other most popular reasons in our top 3 are lack of relevance and the fact that the recipient is already working with someone else. So make sure to do your proper research before launching your outreach campaign to reach the best results.

23. Top Platforms for Staying Connected with Partners

The most crucial part of link building is keeping in touch with your partners, and as we discovered 91.3% of surveyed experts rely on email for this responsible function.

Social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, etc.) follow close behind at 72.8%, showing that digital connections are just as important as email. And 70.9% are using Slack for more instant communication with a huge base of partners.

24. The Ultimate SEO Tool Showdown

For our last piece of statistics, we decided to talk about SEO tools. Everyone has a favorite, and we know you do too!

With so many tools available in the market it is not easy to choose, but let’s see what our respondents think.

Ahrefs reigns with 88.3% of SEO professionals swearing by it. SEMrush comes in second with 28.2%, while Moz and Screaming Frog follow with 16.5% and 10.7% respectively.

Well, looks like Ahrefs is the go-to weapon of choice for most link builders and SEO experts.

Link Building in 2024 – It’s Here to Stay

Despite the challenges, shifting algorithms, and many different opinions on tactics, one thing is clear: Link building continues to be one of the basics of successful SEO strategies in 2024.

Our survey of over 100 SEO professionals revealed lots of valuable insights – from the ongoing debate between quality and quantity to the tools and strategies that work best.

Sure the world of link building is constantly changing, and it may seem overwhelming at times, but it’s also full of so many exciting opportunities. We truly believe that by understanding the latest trends and applying the insights gathered in this article, you’ll be ready to take your SEO game to a whole new level.

So, keep building those backlinks, stay on top of new trends, and remember – link building isn’t just a tactic, it’s a crucial part of your growth journey!

24 Link Building Statistics and Facts You Need Today

Top 5 Most Crucial Link Building Statistics