Link Velocity: How Fast Should You Build Backlinks?

Looking to grow your backlink profile naturally and steadily? Yep, that’s the dream for anyone who wants to build a top-performing website.

But to reach that goal isn’t as easy as it seems. This process is about following effective link building strategies, including keeping the right link velocity rate.

But let’s not rush anywhere and first understand what it is and how we ensure the natural growth of your backlink profile.

What is Link Velocity?

Link velocity is a rate showing how quickly a website gets new backlinks. It’s usually measured by the number of new links built each month.

Here’s how you can check all the backlinks you’ve built over the past month.

• Step 1: Sign in to your Ahrefs account
• Step 2: Type your domain into Site Explorer and go to Backlinks
• Step 3: Choose New and filter by Last month

Here you can see all the information about backlinks you’ve built over the last month, which shows the link velocity rate. Plus, you can see where they’re coming from, aka the referring domains.

Now, we’ve reached the most interesting part: whether backlink velocity impacts website rankings or not. To give you a complete answer on the importance of link velocity, let’s first discuss Google’s approach to it.

What’s Google’s Stance On Link Velocity?

First things first, link velocity is NOT a Google ranking factor. Still, it’s a topic that gets a lot of attention in the SEO world. So, we took a closer look at what Google thinks about it.

Let’s rewind a bit. An older Google Patent mentions that a sudden spike in backlink growth could be a red flag:

“While a spiky rate of growth in the number of backlinks may be a factor used by search engine 125 to score documents, it may also signal an attempt to spam search engine 125. Accordingly, in this situation, search engine 125 may actually lower the score of a document(s) to reduce the effect of spamming”.

Then, in 2019, Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller added more context. When asked about backlink velocity in one of the Google Webmaster Central office hours, he explained:

“So it’s not so much a matter of how many links you get in which time period. It’s really just… if these are links that are unnatural or from our point of view problematic then they would be problematic”.

So, what does that mean?

While SEO professionals still debate how much link velocity really matters or is safe, here’s what we know for sure: Google cares more about quality and natural backlink profiles than the speed at which you get them. There’s no set rule or ideal link velocity. What matters is how and where you’re getting those links.

We recommend sticking to white-hat strategies, focusing on relevance instead of trying to meet a specific backlink pace.

Our Approach to Link Velocity 

Let’s walk through how we approach link velocity in our work.

We specialize in SaaS link building: getting backlinks from legit SaaS websites for SaaS businesses. Even though there are about 20,000 to 30,000 SaaS websites, we work only with those that meet specific criteria: websites with a Domain Rating (DR) of 50+ and traffic 1K+. Still, not all are open to link building, meaning that only a few thousand are actually good for getting relevant backlinks for our clients.

Because of this limitation, it’s not realistic or possible to build links at an unnatural pace. Our process results in steady growth, which is the kind that looks natural to Google and helps our clients build strong and healthy backlink profiles over time.

How to Grow Your Backlink Profile: Our Best Tips

So, how exactly do we ensure effective link building results without worrying so much about the link velocity? Let’s find out!

Get Your Website Ready to Make Some Friends (aka Links!)

The first thing we recommend for website owners considering link building is to check whether their website is ready for it. 

These are the points they need to go through:

• The website’s content is compelling.
• The website doesn’t have any technical issues.
• This website’s on-page SEO has been properly optimized.

Now, your website is ready for link building campaigns.

Get the Right Number of Backlinks

How many backlinks do I need? A question that bothers many businesses is whether to invest in link building.

Our recommendation is this. If your website is new, start with 30 backlinks, and don’t worry about high velocity. You’re safe as long as you get good backlinks from legitimate SaaS websites. 

At SayNine, we offer monthly packages starting at 10 backlinks to support steady growth. But if you’re targeting competitive keywords, you’ll likely need more, about 30 backlinks per month to stay ahead of your competitors.

Want to know what fits your business best? Take a look at our backlink packages to find the perfect match.

Balance Quality and Quantity

Focus on quality, rather than quantity. 

You’ve probably heard this a lot when it comes to backlinks and link velocity. We also believe that the number of backlinks isn’t as important as their value. But that’s not completely true, because our experience shows that:

Both the quantity and quality of backlinks are important. 

Let’s say you have one great backlink from a well-known platform like HubSpot or Ahrefs with 90+ traffic. Is that enough to improve your backlink portfolio? Of course not. 

Getting backlinks from good, aka non-shitty, websites will make a real difference. So, don’t aim for perfect or ideal backlinks but focus on getting good and valuable ones instead.

Now, you might be wondering what a good backlink means to us. It comes from a website that:

• Is a legitimate business.
• Has a Domain Rating (DR) of 50+ and at least 1,000 monthly visitors. But don’t overlook sites with lower link building metrics. Many of them are real, valuable businesses, and backlinks from these domains can still help your website.
• Is relevant to the industry it’s linking to.

But the key is to stay consistent. Don’t give up link building after doing it for a while. Instead, we recommend building backlinks steadily to see some good results.

How to Track the Growth of Your Backlink Profile

Tracking your backlink progress is just as important as building the links themselves.

That’s what we do for our clients to spot any issues that can slow down the website’s growth. It includes link velocity and other factors that may signal unnatural progress.

So, we prepare monthly link building reports for our clients. If there is growth, and the website rankings gradually and naturally improve, great. If not, we bring attention to that issue. 

Let’s look at one of our case studies. By combining a strong content strategy with valuable backlinks we built, our client saw significant improvements in their website rankings, which proves that consistent tracking and teamwork really pay off.

To Wrap Up

Link velocity might seem complicated, but the takeaway is simple: focus on steady, natural growth. There’s no magic number of backlinks or perfect speed. What matters most is building valuable links over time from relevant websites.

If you’re looking for support with your link building strategy, we’re here to help. Contact us for a quick consultation, and we’ll guide you through it.

FAQ about link velocity