Many websites spend time and money on link building but don’t see much improvement in their backlink profile or website authority. This often happens because they’re not tracking the right link building metrics.
In fact, 70% of marketers struggle to measure the true impact of their link building efforts.
To succeed in 2025, you need to focus on the 10 key metrics that can shape your strategy and lead to better results. These metrics are not just numbers—they’re insights that can guide you toward smarter decisions and stronger rankings. Understanding them is the first step to making your link building work.
Top 10 Link Building Metrics to Watch in 2025
By paying close attention to these metrics, you can fine-tune your link-building strategy for the best possible SEO outcomes.
1) Domain Authority (DA)
DA is a powerful link building metric that is essential for measuring your website’s ranking potential. Let’s dive into why DA is so important and how to improve it:
- What is DA? Developed by Moz, DA is a score between 1 and 100 that predicts how likely a website is to rank on search engines based on its overall quality and backlink profile.
- Why does it matter? A high DA score indicates your website has a strong backlink profile, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. This can lead to higher search rankings and increased visibility.
To boost your DA, consider these tips:
- Create high-quality content that appeals to your target audience and encourages other websites to link to you.
- Pursue valuable backlinks from authoritative websites within your niche.
- Regularly audit your backlink profile to identify and disavow spammy or low-quality links.
2) Page Authority (PA)
PA is an essential metric that helps you understand the ranking potential of individual web pages. Let’s explore why PA matters and how to enhance it:
- What is PA? Similar to Domain Authority, PA is a Moz metric with a score between 1 and 100 that predicts the ranking potential of individual web pages based on their quality and backlink profile.
- Why is it important? A high PA score signals that a specific page is more likely to rank well on search engine results pages (SERPs), driving organic traffic and boosting your website’s visibility.
Here’s how page authority will be visible when checked on Moz:
To improve your PA, consider these strategies:
- Optimize on-page SEO by targeting relevant keywords, crafting compelling meta titles and descriptions, and using header tags effectively.
- Build internal links to connect your high-authority pages with other relevant content on your site.
- Earn quality backlinks for your web page from reputable websites in your niche.
3) Referring Domains
This vital metric offers insight into your website’s backlink profile. Let’s uncover the importance of referring domains and how to boost their numbers:
- What are Referring Domains? These are unique domains that link to your website, showcasing the diversity of your backlink sources.
- Why do they matter? A higher number of referring domains indicates that various websites find your content valuable, signaling to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.
To check the referring domains of a website, you can use tools like Semrush. Here are steps to check the referring domains:
- Login to your Semrush account, then click on the Backlink Analytics button on the menu present on the left.
- Enter the competitor URL and click on the Analyze button.
- You will see a complete domain analysis. Click on Referring Domains.
- Here, you can analyze new and lost referring domains very easily.
To increase your referring domains, consider these strategies:
- Create share-worthy content that appeals to a broad audience and encourages websites to link to your site.
- Connect with influencers, bloggers, and industry experts through blogger outreach to request them to share your content and earn quality backlinks, expand your reach, and increase brand awareness.
- Utilize guest posting to contribute high-quality content to authoritative websites in your niche, with a link back to your site.
4) Anchor Text Distribution
This crucial metric reveals valuable insights about your backlink profile. Let’s discover the importance of anchor text distribution and how to optimize it:
- What is Anchor Text Distribution? It refers to the variety and distribution of clickable text (anchor text) within your backlinks, providing context to search engines about your linked content.
- Why is it essential? Analyzing anchor text distribution helps identify over-optimization issues or uncover new keyword opportunities, ensuring a natural and diverse backlink profile.
To find your anchor text, you just have to repeat the steps while finding referring domains. Then, just click on the Anchors, and you will find various anchor texts used for your domain.
To optimize your anchor text distribution, consider these tips:
- Aim for diversity by using a mix of exact match, partial match, branded, and generic anchor text to create a well-balanced profile.
- Avoid over-optimization by steering clear of excessive use of exact-match keywords, which can raise red flags for search engines.
- Create high-quality content that naturally attracts diverse backlinks, encouraging a broad range of anchor text variations.
5) Link Velocity
This essential metric can offer valuable insights into your website’s growth. Let’s delve into the significance of link velocity and how to maintain a healthy rate:
- What is Link Velocity? It refers to the pace at which your website acquires new backlinks over time.
- Why does it matter? Consistent link velocity indicates that your website continuously produces valuable content, which can positively influence your search engine rankings.
To maintain a healthy link velocity, consider these strategies:
- Create evergreen content that remains relevant over time, attracting backlinks consistently.
- Establish a content calendar to ensure a steady stream of fresh content for your audience and potential backlinks.
- Leverage social media to share your content, increasing visibility and inviting more backlinks from diverse sources.
6) Link Position
This key metric helps you understand the value of your backlinks. Let’s unravel the significance of link position and how to optimize it for maximum impact:
- What is Link Position? It refers to the placement of a backlink within a webpage’s content, which can affect its SEO value.
- Why is it important? Links placed higher up on a page or within the main content are generally considered more valuable, as they’re more likely to be noticed and clicked on by users.
This is even written in a patent by Google that the top the position the anchor text the more value it carries.
To optimize your link position, consider these tips:
- Target valuable placements by aiming for backlinks within the main content, near the top of the page, or in contextually relevant sections.
- Craft compelling content that encourages others to naturally link to your site within the body of their articles or posts.
- Forge relationships with influencers and industry experts, who may be more likely to place your links in prominent positions on their web pages.
7) Follow vs. Nofollow Links
Understanding the difference between these two types of links is crucial for a successful SEO strategy. Let’s explore their importance and how to strike the perfect balance:
- What are Follow and Nofollow Links?<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> Follow links pass SEO value to the linked site, while Nofollow links do not. Nofollow links tell search engines not to consider them when calculating a site’s ranking.
- Why do they matter? A healthy mix of both link types creates a natural-looking backlink profile, which search engines prefer.
Here’s how they look in HTML:
No-Follow Link:
<a href=”https://yourwebsite.com” rel=”nofollow”>Your Website</a>
Do-Follow Link:
<a href=”https://yourwebsite.com”>Your Website</a>
To optimize your Follow and Nofollow links, consider these strategies:
- Aim for a natural balance by acquiring a mix of both Follow and Nofollow links to mimic organic link growth.
- Engage in guest posting on reputable sites that offer Follow links while also participating in social media and blog comments, which typically generate Nofollow links.
- Regularly audit your backlink profile to ensure a balanced mix of link types and adjust your link building efforts accordingly.
8) Link Relevancy
This vital metric can significantly impact your website’s search engine rankings. Let’s uncover the importance of link relevancy and how to optimize it for maximum effect:
- What is Link Relevancy? It refers to the topical connection between the linking and linked websites, ensuring that the backlink is contextually relevant and valuable.
- Why is it essential? Relevant backlinks signal to search engines that your content is valuable within your niche, leading to improved rankings and enhanced credibility.
Here’s an example of how Outreach Monks got a link placed on a website offering digital marketing services. This shows how important link relevancy is while building links.
To optimize link relevancy, consider these strategies:
- Create niche-specific content that resonates with your target audience and attracts relevant backlinks.
- Pursue backlinks from industry-related websites; some may choose to buy backlinks. If you do, make sure to buy from a reputable authority service provider that uses ethical practices and provides high-quality backlinks.
- To foster natural and relevant backlink opportunities, participate in niche-specific forums and communities to share your expertise.
9) Link Diversity
This essential metric can significantly impact your website’s credibility and search engine rankings. Therefore, let’s dive into the importance of link diversity and how to optimize it for maximum benefits:
- What is Link Diversity? It refers to the variety of sources, types, and anchor texts within your backlink profile, ensuring a natural and organic growth pattern.
- Why does it matter? A diverse backlink profile signals to search engines that your website is a valuable resource, leading to improved rankings and credibility.
To optimize link diversity, consider these tips:
- Create share-worthy content that appeals to a wide audience, encouraging different websites to link to your site.
- Engage in various link-building strategies such as guest posting, influencer outreach, and creating infographics to attract diverse backlinks.
- Monitor and audit your backlink profile regularly to ensure a healthy mix of sources, types, and anchor texts.
10) Traffic from Backlinks
This vital metric can greatly influence your website’s overall performance. Let’s explore the importance of traffic from backlinks and how to optimize it for the best results:
- What is traffic from backlinks? It refers to the number of visitors that reach your website by clicking on external links pointing to your site.
- Why is it important? High-quality backlinks not only improve your search engine rankings but also drive targeted traffic, resulting in more leads and conversions.
To check the referral traffic coming from your backlinks, follow these steps:
Google Analytics account > Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.
You will get this result when you follow the above steps. Here, you can see total traffic as well as referral traffic.
To optimize traffic from backlinks, consider these strategies:
- Target authoritative websites by pursuing backlinks from high-traffic and reputable sources to attract more visitors.
- Focus on relevancy by acquiring backlinks from websites related to your niche, increasing the likelihood of targeted traffic.
- Monitor and analyze the performance of your backlinks, identifying the sources that drive the most traffic and focusing on similar opportunities.
Conclusion
Link-building metrics are vital for a successful SEO strategy. Firstly, they help website owners assess link quality, adjust strategies, and identify collaboration opportunities. Secondly, by focusing on high-quality, relevant links, website owners can improve rankings, drive more traffic, and achieve business goals.
Understanding and tracking link-building metrics is essential for building a strong online presence and driving organic growth. Therefore, if you need assistance in optimizing your link building efforts, you can take help from a professional link building service provider who can help you achieve your goals more efficiently.
FAQs on Link Building Metrics
How long does it take for link building metrics to improve?
It can take several months to a year to see significant improvement in link building metrics.
Can I use social media links for my link building strategy?
Social media links are not as valuable for SEO purposes as links from authoritative websites.
What is the impact of internal linking on link building metrics?
Internal linking can help to improve link building metrics by spreading link equity throughout the site and improving the overall website structure.
Should I remove low-quality or spammy links to improve my link building metrics?
Yes, regularly monitoring and removing low-quality or spammy links can improve link building metrics and overall SEO performance.
Can I use link building metrics to track the success of my content marketing strategy?
Yes, link building metrics can be used to identify what types of content are most effective at attracting links and adjust content strategy accordingly.
