Is there a relation between number of backlink and SERP?

[faisalnlm]

I want to calculate that how many backlinks i need, in order to get in higher SERPs? is there a way to calculate? One is obvious that check number of backlinks of websites that are ranking in top 5 positions. But i guess it is not true any more...

So please help

[TomRayner]

Hi Andrew

Well, there is some sort of correlation between backlinks and SERPs position.  More specifically, there is some correlation between high quality, authority backlinks and SERPs.

However, it should always be remembered that correlation =/= causation.

Don't approach link building in the sense that "If I get x links, I will get y" - it simply does not work that, well, simply, and you'll only end up being frustrated.

Instead, ask yourself the kind of authority sites that people in your industry are getting links from and think "How can I get those links too?" - Maybe it's producing a quality blog post, producing an infographic, some white-label documents. The possibilities are endless.

I'd have a good look at the SEOMoz guide found here, as it can explain how the algorithm works in much more detail, while helping to build your all-round SEO knowledge.

[faisalnlm]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your answer and i completely understand  your point. The real problem is when you try to educate your CEO about this; they get all confused and start asking some frustrating questions. So i was looking for an answer that, OK, this is how many links i would try to get and then there will be X  change in SERP as a result of those links.

I hope you got my point?

[TomRayner]

Oh I completely see your point - it's a frustrating conversation I myself have had a number of times with previous clients.

I mean, you could say that with 20 high authority links, you should expect to see movement in the SERP after 2-3 months.  But again, that's so dependent on a number of factors, such as how authoritative your competitors' links are, where you get those links from (associated niches etc.) and so on.  It might take more links, it might take less links, it might not be the defining influence at all.

What I'd do is audit your competitors and compare their Moz metrics with your site and see how far apart you may be.  Then approach it to your CEO with how much work you can do month on month.  So if you say, I will be able to do x number of articles, y infographics, z number of press releases, x number of doc shares and y high quality directory submissions in 1/3/6 months.

It simplifies things massively and doesn't take into account any Google updates that might come our way and slam certain sites - which may require you to do a whole bunch of link cleaning due to the previous SEO's efforts.

The reason why content marketing is so popular is that it allows you to earn links from a number of places, hopefully influencing your SERPs, but if not - at the very least you've developed great contacts and have hopefully introduced great content for relevant users, increasing your brand awareness and maybe even referral traffic via links to your site.

With that in mind, it may be the place to start with your CEO.

[faisalnlm]

Excellent Tom, very useful comments.