Member Avatar for theemerchant

Hi,

Just wanted to ask which is now more important?

Getting a backlinks or getting your keyword on the first page of the Google SE?

Thanks in advance

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by kristenmart

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Short answer: neither is strictly "more important" — getting a keyword onto page one is the goal, while backlinks and on-page signals are the inputs that move a page toward that outcome. Many of the original replies from , , and point to the same idea: keywords matter for relevance, links matter for authority. Google’s systems combine hundreds of signals when ranking results. (How Search Works). (developers.google.com)

Data from large studies shows a strong correlation between link authority (and the number of referring domains) and higher rankings, and top-ranked pages often acquire more links over time. That makes earning relevant, high-quality links important — but correlation is not the same as causation: great content attracts links, and links help boost visibility. Focus on relevant, editorial links instead of low-quality paid networks or spammy schemes. (Backlinko analysis, Ahrefs backlink-growth study). (backlinko.com)

On-page relevance, user intent, and demonstrable E‑E‑A‑T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) are equally critical — especially for YMYL topics. The Search Quality Rater Guidelines explain how Google evaluates page quality; signals like clear sourcing, author credentials, accurate information and useful structure matter even if they are not a single numeric “score.” Practical checklist: map intent (informational vs transactional), write one deep page per primary intent, include author/credentials and citations, fix technical indexability, and add structured data where useful. (sites.google.com)

Simple, repeatable workflow (prioritization and troubleshooting):

  1. Content & intent first — make the page the best answer for its query.
  2. Technical health — confirm indexing, canonicalization, CWV and no manual actions via Google Search Console. (). ()
  3. Outreach — promote and earn links from relevant, authoritative sites; run periodic backlink audits and disavow only after careful review. Expect link gains and ranking movement to take weeks or months, not days. For modern off‑site signal trends (brand mentions / AI overview visibility), see recent Ahrefs research on off‑site factors. (ahrefs.com)

Example title/H1 pattern (HTML snippet):

<title>Best budget road bikes 2024 — independent reviews and buying guide</title>
<meta name="description" content="Independent reviews, pros/cons and a buying guide to the best budget road bikes.">
<h1>Best budget road bikes of 2024</h1>

Summary: treat backlinks and keyword rankings as complementary. Build pages that match user intent and demonstrate E‑E‑A‑T, fix technical issues, then earn high-quality links to scale visibility.

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for joelchrist

Definitely , Keyword ranking is more important, but with out back links you cant get good keyword rank on google.

Member Avatar for marc84

Hi,

Just wanted to ask which is now more important?

Getting a backlinks or getting your keyword on the first page of the Google SE?

Thanks in advance

Both are inter related as accumulating quality back links leads to higher postions in GOOGLE.

Member Avatar for Dani

Backlinks are what get's you onto the first page of Google.

Member Avatar for Tiggerito

If you don't use the keywords you don't have a chance.

Backlinks improve your chance.

Member Avatar for kevinp2012

Its still imortant to have your website linking up a reputed pages on the internet and if its related that will be like iceing on the cake to get the link juice!!!

Thanks!

Member Avatar for movielinks

I believe getting "Keyword on the first page" is the outcome of having good backlinks

Member Avatar for jaysh4922

which one is better its more difficult for answer...cause both r interconnected..if you want to see ur keyword in top on google then you have to needed strong backlinks :)

Member Avatar for kristenmart

Backlinks are main for every website...and also it is fuel of SEO..By the help of backlinks we can increase our Targeted Keyword Positions along with good traffic..So backlinks are main thing..

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