There is no single number. How many backlinks a website needs to rank depends on the keyword, the industry, the competition, and the current state of the site’s authority. The question “how many backlinks is good?” is better answered by looking at what competitors are earning than by finding a universal target.
That said, some useful data points exist. A June 2024 Search Engine Land study of 200 commercial-intent keywords found that 96% of sites in Google’s top 10 have links from more than 1,000 unique domains, and that an average of 164 unique referring domains appeared to be the minimum to rank in the top 10 for local search terms. The weakest site in top-10 positions had just 54 referring domains.
Those numbers illustrate the range. Some competitive positions require thousands of referring domains. Others are attainable with dozens. Understanding which situation you’re in is what this article helps you figure out.
What Determines How Many Backlinks a Website Needs?
Website Age and Existing Authority
Newer domains typically need more deliberate link acquisition than established ones because they haven’t had time to accumulate the organic mentions, brand citations, and natural links that come with a longer history.
An established brand may rank for moderately competitive keywords with fewer targeted backlinks than a new site would need for the same positions. The backlink profile is built into the brand’s history.
New websites should prioritize link acquisition earlier, even for less competitive keywords, while established sites can often focus on improving link quality and targeting links to specific underperforming pages.
Industry Competition Level
A local plumber competing for “plumber in Austin” faces a very different backlink requirement than a SaaS company competing for “project management software.” The more competitive the category, the higher the referring domain threshold typically is for top-10 positions.
Industries where high backlink authority is commonly required:
- Finance, insurance, and legal services (YMYL categories with intense competition)
- Enterprise software and SaaS tools in crowded markets
- Health and wellness, particularly product categories
- E-commerce categories dominated by large retailers
Target Keywords and Ranking Goals
A site doesn’t need the same backlink profile to rank for all its target keywords simultaneously. Individual pages compete individually. A service page targeting a high-difficulty commercial keyword needs more referring domain support than a blog post targeting a niche informational query.
Ahrefs’ research confirms that roughly 1 in every 6,671 pages with no backlinks gets more than 1,000 monthly search visits. For competitive queries, the correlation between referring domain count and position is strong.
Content Quality and Search Intent Match
Strong content reduces the number of backlinks needed to rank, because pages that serve a query well generate engagement signals, earn natural mentions, and retain visitors. Content quality and backlink strategy should be developed together: a weak page supported by many backlinks often underperforms a strong page with fewer links.
For guidance on why backlinks remain important alongside content quality, read are backlinks still important for SEO, or has search changed?
How to Estimate the Backlinks Needed to Compete
Rather than asking how many backlinks a website should have as an absolute target, the more useful question is: how many does it need to outcompete the current top-10 results for a specific keyword?
Analyzing Competitor Backlink Profiles
Start by looking at who ranks for your priority keywords. Pull the backlink profiles of the top 5-10 ranking pages in Ahrefs or Semrush. For each result, note:
- Number of referring domains pointing to that specific page
- Domain Rating or Authority Score of the ranking website
- Topical relevance of the links the page has earned
- Whether the links come from recognizable, credible sources in your industry
This gives you a practical competition map. The #1 result in Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than positions #2 through #10, according to Search Engine Land’s September 2025 analysis. But that doesn’t mean you need to match the #1 position to earn traffic. Positions 3-8 often receive meaningful clicks, and those positions frequently require substantially fewer referring domains than the top spot.
Tip: Sort the SERP results by referring domain count in Ahrefs. Look at positions 3-7 rather than only position 1. These are the realistic targets your content strategy should aim for first, and they usually have a much lower backlink requirement than the dominant top result.
Identifying the Backlink Gap
Once you know what competitors have, the backlink gap is simply the difference between their referring domain profiles and yours for a specific page or topic.
Key gaps worth investigating:
- Publications that link to two or more competitors but haven’t covered your brand
- Content topics in your category that consistently attract links and that you haven’t published
- Industry directories, associations, or resource pages that list competitors but not you
- Broken links on relevant sites pointing to content you could replace
The gap analysis points directly to where outreach and content investment should be focused, rather than building links without a strategic target.
Setting Realistic Growth Targets
Most top-ranking pages gain followed backlinks from new websites at a pace of 5% to 14.5% per month, according to Ahrefs’ ongoing research. Use that benchmark to calibrate your goals: if you need 200 referring domains and currently have 80, at 3-4 new domains per month you know how long organic growth takes and where you may need to accelerate. Build targets around specific pages and keywords, not site-wide totals.
How Many Backlinks Do Different Types of Websites Typically Need?
Different website categories have meaningfully different backlink requirements based on their competitive environment and the type of authority signals that support their rankings.
| Website type | Typical referring domain range | Primary challenge |
|---|---|---|
| New websites | 10-100 to start ranking for low-difficulty terms | Building initial credibility from zero |
| Small business / local | 20-200 for local competitive terms | Local relevance signals and niche directories |
| Established content sites | 500-5,000+ across priority pages | Improving quality and targeting underperforming pages |
| Competitive enterprise / SaaS | 1,000-10,000+ for commercial keywords | Ongoing acquisition and digital PR at scale |
These are approximate ranges based on industry patterns, not guaranteed thresholds. The actual number depends heavily on who you’re competing against in your specific keyword set.
New Websites
New domains face the steepest early-stage challenge. Without brand recognition or accumulated natural links, every backlink has to be earned deliberately. Focus first on:
- A small number of highly relevant links from trusted sources in your industry
- Listings in legitimate industry directories and professional associations
- Partnerships and supplier or client relationships that generate natural mentions
- A core content asset worth linking to, such as original research or a comprehensive guide
Small Business and Local Websites
Local backlink needs are typically lower in absolute number than national competition, but topical and geographic relevance carries more weight. A link from a local newspaper or chamber of commerce often outperforms a generic high-authority link for local ranking signals.
Prioritize local business associations, community event sponsorships, and partnerships with complementary local businesses.
Established Websites
Sites with strong existing authority often get more value from improving link quality and targeting than from adding volume. Focus shifts toward:
- Earning links specifically to underperforming commercial pages
- Replacing or reclaiming lost links that once supported priority pages
- Auditing the topical relevance of existing referring domains
Competitive Enterprise Websites
Large sites competing in high-value commercial categories require ongoing link acquisition as a permanent program. Competitors are continuously earning links, so maintaining position requires matching their pace. Digital PR, original research, and proactive media relationships are the standard tools at this level.
Why More Backlinks Do Not Always Mean Better Rankings
Focusing on backlink quantity at the expense of quality is a common and costly mistake. A site with 10,000 low-quality backlinks from irrelevant, low-traffic websites typically performs worse than a site with 500 links from relevant, authoritative sources.
The risks of chasing quantity over quality:
- Unnatural link patterns that trigger algorithmic penalties or manual review
- Irrelevant referring domains that contribute noise rather than topical authority signals
- Wasted outreach resources on links that provide no ranking or referral value
- Anchor text over-optimization that makes link profiles appear manipulative
Google’s spam detection has become significantly more effective at identifying patterns of manipulative link acquisition. The shift in best practice over the last decade has been consistent: fewer, better links from genuinely relevant sources consistently outperform high-volume, low-quality profiles.
Building a Backlink Profile That Grows With Your Business
How many backlinks to rank for a given keyword is a question best answered by looking at your specific competition, not by applying a universal number.
The sites holding the positions you want tell you the authority threshold you need to reach. Working backward from their referring domain profiles gives you a realistic target and a strategic acquisition roadmap. Growing toward that target with relevant, quality links produces sustainable rankings that persist through algorithm updates.
Track progress against specific page and keyword targets rather than site-wide totals, and review the competitive environment regularly as competitors’ profiles evolve.
For a practical framework on how to build and execute the acquisition process, read how to build a backlink strategy that supports business growth.
Want to understand exactly how your backlink profile compares to the competition for your priority keywords?
Devenup works with businesses on SEO strategy, link acquisition planning, and authority building.
