The 10 best metrics for link building
Why use metrics for link building?
Link building is a crucial element of any successful SEO strategy. It involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. Monitoring the effectiveness of your link-building efforts is necessary to understand the impact of these links on your site's authority and search engine rankings. Trackable metrics provide invaluable insights into the quality and effectiveness of your link-building campaigns, guiding you toward better decision-making and refined strategies.
The top 10 metrics for link building
1. Domain Authority (DA)
Domain Authority (DA) is a score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It's a critical metric for evaluating the potential impact of links from different sites.
How DA is calculated
DA is calculated using various factors, including linking root domains, the number of total links, and other SEO metrics. It scores from 1 to 100, with higher numbers indicating a greater ability to rank.
What tools can be used to get DA data
What average, good, and best in class look like for DA
- Average: 20-30
- Good: 40-50
- Best in Class: 60-100
2. Page Authority (PA)
Page Authority (PA) is similar to Domain Authority but focuses on the ranking strength of individual pages rather than entire domains.
How PA is calculated
PA is calculated using an algorithm similar to DA, factoring in link metrics like total links and linking root domains to a specific page.
What tools can be used to get PA data
What average, good, and best in class look like for PA
- Average: 20-30
- Good: 40-50
- Best in Class: 60-100
3. Number of Referring Domains
The number of referring domains indicates how many unique domains link to your website. More referring domains generally mean a broader and potentially more influential backlink profile.
How the number of referring domains is calculated
It is calculated by counting the number of unique domain names that link to your website over a given period.
What tools can be used to get referring domains data
What average, good, and best in class look like for referring domains
- Average: 50-100
- Good: 500-1,000
- Best in Class: 5,000+
4. Backlink Growth Rate
The backlink growth rate tracks the speed at which your site acquires new backlinks. A consistent, positive growth rate can indicate successful link-building efforts.
How backlink growth rate is calculated
It is calculated by comparing the number of new backlinks acquired over different time periods, usually month-over-month.
What tools can be used to get backlink growth rate data
What average, good, and best in class look like for backlink growth rate
- Average: 3-5 new backlinks per month
- Good: 10-20 new backlinks per month
- Best in Class: 50+ new backlinks per month
5. Anchor Text Diversity
Anchor text diversity refers to the variety of anchor texts used in the backlinks pointing to your site. Overuse of exact-match anchor text can be seen as manipulative by search engines, making diversity critical.
How anchor text diversity is calculated
It is calculated by analysing the variety of phrases used as anchor texts linking to your site.
What tools can be used to get anchor text diversity data
What average, good, and best in class look like for anchor text diversity
- Average: Limited variety, overuse of one or two anchor texts
- Good: Balanced use of various relevant anchor texts
- Best in Class: High diversity with organic-looking anchor texts
6. Toxic Links
Toxic links are spammy or low-quality links that can harm your site's SERP rankings and overall SEO health. Identifying and disavowing these links is vital.
How toxic links are identified
Tools evaluate the spam score, the relevance of the linking site, and other metrics to identify potentially toxic links.
What tools can be used to get toxic links data
What average, good, and best in class look like for toxic links
- Average: 5-10 toxics links in total
- Good: 1-5 toxic links in total
- Best in Class: 0 toxic links
7. Trust Flow
Trust Flow is a metric developed by Majestic that evaluates the quality of your site's backlinks. Higher Trust Flow indicates a larger number of high-quality links.
How Trust Flow is calculated
It is calculated based on the quality of the sites linking to your site, factoring in the Trust Flow of those linking sites.
What tools can be used to get Trust Flow data
What average, good, and best in class look like for Trust Flow
- Average: 0-15
- Good: 15-30
- Best in Class: 30-100
8. Citation Flow
Citation Flow measures the influence of a website based on the number of sites linking to it, without considering the quality of those links.
How Citation Flow is calculated
It is calculated as the number of backlinks and their combined influence.
What tools can be used to get Citation Flow data
What average, good, and best in class look like for Citation Flow
- Average: 0-20
- Good: 20-40
- Best in Class: 50+
9. Organic Traffic
Organic traffic measures how many visitors come to your site from search engines, which can indicate the effectiveness of your link-building efforts.
How organic traffic is calculated
It is calculated by analysing the number of visitors arriving via unpaid search results.
What tools can be used to get organic traffic data
What average, good, and best in class look like for organic traffic
- Average: Varies by industry and site size
- Good: Steady month-over-month growth
- Best in Class: Significant month-over-month growth with high visitor numbers
10. Keyword Rankings
Keyword rankings track where your site appears in the SERPs for specific targeted keywords. Successful link-building efforts should result in improved rankings for relevant keywords.
How keyword rankings are calculated
It involves tracking the positions of target keywords in search engine result pages over time.
What tools can be used to get keyword rankings data
What average, good, and best in class look like for keyword rankings
- Average: Position 50-100
- Good: Position 11-50
- Best in Class: Position 1-10
How to track metrics for link building
Tracking metrics for link building can be a complex and time-consuming process. By using reliable SEO and analytics tools, you can simplify this task. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz provide comprehensive data to help you monitor these metrics effectively. Additionally, a goal-tracking tool like Tability can save time and help teams stay focused on the right metrics to improve. Tability allows you to set goals, measure results, and stay aligned with your link-building strategy.
FAQ
Why is Domain Authority crucial for link building?
Domain Authority helps assess the potential impact of a backlink from a specific site, guiding you to more valuable link-building opportunities.
What is the difference between Domain Authority and Page Authority?
While Domain Authority evaluates the ranking potential of an entire domain, Page Authority assesses the ranking ability of individual pages.
How often should I track these link-building metrics?
It's generally recommended to monitor these metrics monthly to identify trends and make timely adjustments to your strategy.
Can multiple low-quality links hurt my site's SEO?
Yes, multiple low-quality or spammy links can negatively impact your SEO by associating your site with disreputable sources, making it crucial to manage and disavow toxic links.
What is a healthy backlink growth rate?
A steady backlink growth rate varies by industry but aiming for at least 10-20 new high-quality backlinks per month is generally considered good.
By focusing on these top 10 link-building metrics, you can create a more effective and data-driven link-building strategy, leading to better SEO performance and higher rankings.
