Backlink Correlation with Rankings: Key Statistics for 2026
Backlinks remain one of the strongest ranking signals in Google's algorithm. The quality and quantity of referring domains consistently correlate with higher search positions.
Key Statistics
The #1 result in Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than positions 2 through 10
Source: Backlinko (2024)
Audit your marketing freePages with at least one backlink rank in the top 10 for 56% more keywords
Source: Ahrefs (2024)
Audit your marketing free66.31% of pages on the web have zero backlinks pointing to them
Source: Ahrefs (2024)
Audit your marketing freeThe average cost of buying a backlink is $361
Source: Ahrefs (2023)
Audit your marketing freeReferring domains is the strongest correlation factor with higher rankings
Source: Moz (2024)
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Key Takeaway
Backlinks remain essential for ranking competitively, yet the vast majority of web pages have none at all. Focusing on earning links from unique referring domains is more impactful than total link count.
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