Backlink is a very important factor considered by Google while ranking pages in search results. It is also a top considered factor that determines your blog’s page rank.Today, I selected 50 bloggers and asked about their opinion on which is important : quality of backlinks or quantity of backlinks, below is a graphical representation of the result:

Though I sent this question to many fellow bloggers but only got 50 replies. OK, lets talk about the results:
- 80% (40 votes) of bloggers thinks that quality is important than quantity
- 4% (2 votes) bloggers thinks that quantity is important than quality.
- 16% (8 votes) of bloggers thinks that both quality and quantity have the same importance.
My view on quality of backlinks and quantity of backlinks
I also think that both quantity and quality holds the same importance. To need high page rank and to get top search results you not only requires quality backlinks but also requires as many quality backlinks as possible(quantity).
As you know, a single quality backlinks passes authority and Google trust to the linked site, more the number of backlinks more will be Google trust and the higher your article will appear on Google SERPs.
What are quality backlinks
I’ll define quality backlinks as, the backlinks that your website gets from other authority and trusted websites/blogs, that has a high page rank are termed as quality backlinks. There are few rules that a backlink must follow in order to be called as a quality backlinks:
- The backlink must be from relevant blogs
- The link must be in the post content area
- The backlink must be from a trusted site with high page rank
Lets talk about these points in detail:
The backlink must be from relevant blogs : Suppose your blog is about food and cooking recipes and you are getting a backlink from a high page rank site which is a tech blog. Such a backlink is not a quality backlink because it is not from a relevant site. Though the backlink will hold some importance but will not be called as a quality backlink. So, a quality backlink is always from a site that is on the same topic as yours.
The link must be in the post content area : Google treats all the links on a page in a different manner. Links in footer hold very less or negligible value and links in sidebar have more importance than the links in footer. Google gives special attention to the links in the post content area i.e the area where we write our articles/posts, so if you are getting a backlink it must be from the post content area in order to be called as a quality backlink.
The backlink must be from a trusted site with high page rank : To rank higher there is a term called Google Trust, Google keeps those sites on top in which it has more trust. Google thinks that trusted sites always provide correct information to the users. So, a quality backlink is always from a trusted relevant site. Well, I do not know how Google build this trust factor, its still a mystery for me.
Quality backlink does not come from:
- Blogroll
- Directory submission
- .gov or .edu site (until and unless you’ve an education site)
- Social bookmarking sites
- Non niche related sites
How 2 quality backlinks helped a blogger to get his blog from Google PageRank 0 to PR4 in two months
Marco Saric over HowToMakeMyBlog shares his experience that how 2 quality backlinks helped him to get page rank 4 in just two months.
How to get quality backlinks
I’ve divided this article into two parts, so subscribe to my blog for my next article on How to get quality backlinks to your site.
Special thanks
Thanks to all the fellow bloggers who replied me with their views. Thanks again, I am sorry for not including your name in this article.
Do share your views on quality of backlinks or quantity of backlinks, I am waiting for my readers opinion now.


{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice Gagan, Thanks for contacting me and post the link to me.
Best Wishes.
Well as the stats says quality matter a lot. Thank you for asking my opinion about it Gagan.
Well written. But I do have some reservations when you say .edu or .gov backlinks are not quality links.
What if your site is in education niche?
Yea, if you site is an education site then .edu links will surely help but if you’ve non edu site then Google will treat that link as a simple backlink. I’ve updated the article.
Read more about edu backlinks here : http://www.creativebloggingideas.com/truth-about-edu-and-gov-backlinks-google-mythbuster-series-part-2.html
Yup.. i saw the MC’s Youtube video about it – But sometime, they could have told it so that people target and hunt for these edu and gov sites. These links should come naturally . although it is my view..
I won’t believe 100% of things that Googlers say..
My percentage would be by removing the two zeroes from cent percent or less than that.
Hi Siva,
Any special reason why you do not believe 100% on Googlers ?
Glad to see that as many as 80% of other bloggers felt the same as I do. Thanks for asking me for my opinion and I’d look forward to your 2nd part of this post.
Thanks for considering my opinion. Both Quality and Quantity are important but more emphasis should be given to quality backlinks.
Its always quality which matters not quantity but the question is that how many of us prefer quality everyone going behind quantity no one is caring about quality.
Thanks Gagan for taking my views on this.
Hey good to know that 80% feel that quality matters just like me
.Thanks for taking my opinion.
You’re welcome Shabnam
What I would like to add to this post is that, 10 Quality back-links are better than 100 irrelevant back-links. Just adding up to the quantity of back-links results in zero productivity, since you are not getting targeted audience. For eg: A back-link to a mobile phone related site from a insurance related blog is of no use. It will just add up to the quantity of back-link but in turn gives you nothing, since the audience who comes to your site through that site may not be interested in mobile and may not click on the ads that are displayed on your blog/sites since those ads too are related to mobile phones, after all, we all are here for making some money->which comes from clicks-> which comes from targeted audience->So QUALITY OF BACK-LINKS
Very true Pradeep,
You might have read the in my post, how a blogger got page rank four through 2 quality backlinks.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
First Thanks For Contacting me ! i This Many Thinks the Same about QUALITY Back links, Hope Your Second Part will be Published Soon!
I am Glad to see the result that most of the bloggers feel that Quality of Backlinks is Important
Thanks for having me as one of your 50
Quality is always a bonus with the search engines, as a link with a site that is of similar niche etc is more useful than a link to a site that may be just a collection of links and not much else
I already voted for Quality Back links. Your post told all, Only 2 back links can increase page rank up to 4.
Hi…
Thanx a lot for contacting me….
Quality of Backlinks….
Quality is always the king. Great article
Thanks Gagan for taking my opinion quality backlinks is good as compared to quantity links..waiting for next post on this series
I am always with the quality backlinks. If your blog or website has a good reputed website backlinks.. Than your page rank and overall blog is going to be benefited.
After an year of blogging, any blogger would say “Quality of Backlinks” is important than Quantity.
- Robin
It is always Quality over quantity.
Quality always matters in case of PR.
Nice post .:-)
Thanks Jeyaganesh
Great post Gagan, I agree with your having 1 relevant and quality backlink is better than having 100 backlinks from unrelevant sites
It depends at what stage your blog is at. If you are writing a lot of breaking news type of posts you might want a lot of quantity as in many blogs linking to you.
If you are writing timeless posts then quality links are better. What do you say?
Great question, I would like to see this asked on a larger scale. Like you said, to get the most out of backlinks you need a lot of (quantity) backlinks with good quality, fresh and relevant.
tthanks brother for your information
Its really worth and well informative , as in present time for the sake of rankings all just put concentration on quantity to take their rankings in top in search results , in terms of more quantity they are actually doing spam. i am waiting for your second part .