Why Link-Building Is Critical for SEO,
&
Why Some Agencies Won’t Tell You the Truth
If you’ve spoken to digital marketing agencies, you may have heard conflicting opinions about link-building. Some agencies claim it’s outdated, irrelevant, or even harmful. But here’s the reality: link-building is still one of the most powerful ranking factors in SEO, and any agency that tells you otherwise is either misinformed or avoiding the hard work it takes to do it right.
At Sierra Delta Digital, we believe in transparency. Let’s break down why link-building is essential for SEO and why some agencies might have contradicting opinions.
Why Link-Building Is Essential for SEO
Search engines like Google use backlinks as a measure of trust and authority. When high-quality, authoritative websites link to your site, it signals to Google that your content is valuable, relevant, and trustworthy.
Here’s why link-building remains crucial:
✅ Backlinks Are a Top Ranking Factor
Google’s algorithm considers backlinks one of the most important ranking signals. In fact, numerous SEO studies confirm a strong correlation between high-ranking pages and the number of quality backlinks they have.
✅ Links Drive Referral Traffic
Not only do backlinks help with rankings, but they also drive real traffic to your website. A well-placed link or a local citation listing on a trusted site like Angie’s List can bring highly targeted visitors who are already interested in your services and products.
✅ Links Build Authority & Trust
In the SEO world, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is crucial. High-quality backlinks contribute to your site’s credibility, making Google more likely to rank your content higher for the keywords you’d like to see your site perform with.
Insights from the 2024 Google Algorithm Leak
- Backlinks Remain Crucial: The leaked documents confirmed that Google uses a “siteAuthority” metric to evaluate the trustworthiness of a website, heavily influenced by the quality, quantity, and ratio of linking domains:links pointing to your site from external sources. This contradicts previous public statements downplaying the importance of backlinks.
- Anchor Text Matters: The leak also highlighted that the anchor text of backlinks plays a significant role in determining a page’s relevance for specific keywords. However, over-optimization or excessive use of exact-match keywords can trigger penalties.
Why Some Agencies Say Link-Building Isn’t Important
If backlinks are so important, why do some agencies claim otherwise? The truth is, link-building is difficult, expensive, and requires strong industry relationships. Here’s why some agencies avoid it:
❌ Link-Building Is Hard Work
Earning high-quality links isn’t as simple as posting content and waiting for links to appear. It requires:
- Outreach to reputable websites
- Guest posting and content partnerships
- Building relationships with industry influencers
- Knowledge of organic anchor text variations to avoid penalties
Many agencies simply don’t have the expertise or the partnerships to execute a strong link-building strategy, so they tell clients it’s unnecessary or irrelevant.
❌ Link-Building Can Be Expensive
Effective link-building requires time, money, and resources. Many agencies don’t want to invest in the process, so they downplay its importance or resort to low-quality, spammy tactics that do more harm than good.
❌ It’s Easier to Sell ‘Content-Only’ SEO
Some agencies push a “content-only” SEO strategy, hoping that great content will attract links naturally. While content is a crucial part of SEO, even the best content won’t rank without backlinks. You will certainly gain organic backlinks to a relevant and moderately ranking page or blog post on your site, however, there is no telling how long that may take organically.
How to Choose an SEO Agency That Actually Delivers Results
If an agency tells you that link-building doesn’t matter, ask them:
- How do they expect to compete with businesses that have strong backlink profiles?
- Can they show proof that a site has ranked well without backlinks?
- What strategies do they use to build authority if they don’t do link-building?
A trustworthy SEO agency will:
✅ Have a clear, ethical link-building strategy
✅ Focus on high-quality, relevant backlinks
✅ Be upfront about the costs and effort involved
✅ Display knowledge of the pitfalls and how to avoid them for a successful strategy
At Sierra Delta Digital, we prioritize real, effective SEO strategies and that includes high-quality link-building. We build relationships with authoritative sites, ensuring you get legitimate, white-hat backlinks that drive long-term success.
If you’re serious about ranking on Google and driving organic traffic, link-building isn’t optional, it’s necessary for continued growth and performance.
Want to work with an agency that actually does SEO the right way?
Contact Sierra Delta Digital today!
Note: The insights from the 2024 Google algorithm leak underscore the critical role of backlinks in SEO. While Google has cautioned against drawing conclusions from leaked documents, these revelations align with long-standing SEO best practices.