If you’re getting started with link building, you probably know it’s a big deal for your SEO. But did you know that just creating backlinks isn’t enough? In fact, over 65% of marketers find it tricky to measure how well their backlinks are working. And here’s the kicker: businesses that track their backlinks properly are 33% more likely to rank higher in search results.

To really see results, you need to keep an eye on the right metrics. Let’s break it down into five simple categories: Authority Metrics, Trust Metrics, Relevance and Quality Metrics, Performance Metrics, and Link Juice Metrics. Ready to make your link-building efforts count? Let’s dive in!

1. Link building Metric - Authority Metrics, Measuring the Power Behind Your Links

If we talk about proprietary metrics, authority metrics is one of those. It's all about the strength and credibility of the links pointing to your site. Think of them as the backbone of your link building strategy. Domain and Page Authority metrics is essential to track in 2024.

1.1 Domain Authority (DA) Metric

What It Is: This metric, created by Moz, predicts how well your website will rank in search engine results.

Why It Matters: The higher your DA, the more likely your backlinks are from trusted sites. Domain authority metric is an essential link building metric that you need to track in 2024.

Example: Let’s say your site has a DA of 40, and you get a link from a site with a DA of 80, like The New York Times. That link carries significant weight and can boost your rankings.

Pro Tip: Aim for linking root domains with a DA of 50 or higher. It’s like getting a recommendation from a trusted friend!

1.2 Domain Rating (DR) Metric

What It Is: Developed by Ahrefs, this metric assesses the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a scale of 1 to 100.

Why It Matters: Higher DR means the site can pass more SEO “equity” to you.

Example: If you’re targeting a niche market and can secure backlinks from reputable websites like TechCrunch with a DR of 85, that can significantly boost your authority.

Pro Tip: Use Ahrefs to track the DR of your linking sites, and focus on building links from those with a higher DR than yours. This is a good SEO strategy.

 1.3 URL Rating (UR)

What It Is: This is Ahrefs' way of measuring the strength of a specific page’s backlink profile.

Why It Matters: A page can have a high UR even if the overall domain isn’t stellar.

Example: If you manage to get a backlink from a blog post on Smashing Magazine, known for its design and development content, which has a UR of 75, that link can provide significant value to your site, especially if you're in a related niche.

Pro Tip: Look for high UR pages to target when you're link building. They’re worth their weight in gold which is often a neglected link building metrics!

 1.4 Authority Score

What It Is: SEMrush’s metric that evaluates a domain’s overall quality and influence based on its backlinks and traffic.

Why It Matters: This helps you pinpoint which sites are truly valuable for your link building strategy.

Example: If your site is in the finance niche and you get a link from Investopedia, which has a high authority score, it can significantly impact your rankings.

Pro Tip: Compare authority scores of multiple domains to make sure you’re linking to the best of the best, a great way to build link profile in 2024!

2. Trust Metrics You Need to track in 2024 to Gauge the Credibility of Your Links

Trust metrics measure how trustworthy the sites linking to you are. You definitely want to avoid links from spammy sites—those could hurt your SEO efforts!

2.1 Trust Flow (TF)

What It Is: Trust Flow is a metric used in SEO to measure the trustworthiness and quality of a website based on its backlink profile. It was developed by Majestic, an SEO tool, and is designed to help evaluate how trustworthy a site’s backlinks are.

Here’s how it works:

• Quality Over Quantity: Trust Flow doesn’t just count how many links point to your site; it looks at the quality of the sites linking to you. If your site is linked to by high-quality, authoritative sites (like trusted news sites or respected blogs), your Trust Flow will be higher.
• How Links Pass Trust: If a website with a high Trust Flow links to you, some of that "trust" gets passed on to your site. This helps search engines view your site as more credible.
• Linking Sources Matter: For example, a link from a top-tier site like BBC.com or Harvard.edu will have much more impact than hundreds of links from unknown or spammy sites.

Why It Matters: Links from high-trust sites can give your SEO a real boost and increases your chances of ranking higher in search engine result pages.

Example: If you receive backlinks from established sites like Harvard Business Review or MIT Technology Review, your Trust Flow is likely to increase significantly. 

Pro Tip: Aim for backlinks from domains with a high TF to build a solid, trust-rich profile and rank on search engines.

2.2 Toxicity Score

What It Is: SEMrush’s way of identifying potentially harmful backlinks.

Why It Matters: Too many toxic links can lead to penalties from search engines.

Example: If you discover that a spammy blog linked to your site, like one that promotes dubious products, and it has a high toxicity score, you should remove that link immediately.

Pro Tip: Regularly check your backlink profile and remove any toxic links. Think of it as decluttering your digital space!

2.3 Citation Flow (CF) 

What It Is: Another metric from Majestic that measures the quantity of links to a site.

Why It Matters: A high CF combined with a low TF could mean the site has many low-quality links.

Example: If a site has a CF of 50 but a TF of 20, it might indicate that the site has many low-quality links. Avoid pursuing links from such sites.

Pro Tip: Look for a balance in TF and CF. You want to have quality links, not just a pile of them.

2.4 Spam Score 

What It Is: Moz’s way of assessing how likely a domain is to be penalized by Google.

Why It Matters: A high spam score can signal trouble for your own site.

Example: If you find that a blog frequently publishes low-quality content and has a spam score of 20%, that’s a red flag for link acquisition.

Pro Tip: Always check the spam score before pursuing a backlink. It’s better to play it safe! 

3. Relevance and Quality Metrics, Track in 2024 to Assess the Value of Your Links

Not all backlinks are created equal. These metrics help you determine how valuable a link really is in context.

3.1 Relevance of the Linking Page

What It Is: This measures how closely related the linking page is to your content.

Why It Matters: Links from relevant pages carry more weight and authority as they are high quality backlinks.

Example: If you run a travel blog and receive a link from a site like Lonely Planet, that’s a match made in heaven!

Pro Tip: Target links from websites in the same niche to acquire relevant backlinks.

3.2 Anchor Text Distribution

What It Is: The anchor test is a clickable text used in your hyperlinks. 

Why It Matters: The right anchor text helps search engines understand what your content is about.

Example: If you’re targeting “best coffee makers,” using that phrase in your anchor text on a site like Consumer Reports can help search engines understand your content better.

Pro Tip: Use a natural mix of branded, partial-match, and exact-match anchor texts. Avoid overdoing the anchor text with exact matches; that can raise red flags.

3.3 Follow vs. NoFollow Links

What It Is: Dofollow links pass SEO “link juice” to your site, while nofollow links do not.

Why It Matters: Both have their place, but dofollow links are more valuable for SEO.

Example: If a well-known blog like HubSpot links to your site with a dofollow link, that boosts your authority. However, a nofollow link from a reputable site like Quora can still drive valuable traffic.

Pro Tip: Strive for a healthy balance—aim for about 70% follow and 30% nofollow links.

4. Performance Metrics: Metrics You Need to Track for the Impact of Your Link Building

Performance metrics show how your link-building efforts directly affect your site’s performance and is a crucial metric for link building.

4.1 Organic Traffic

What It Is: The number of visitors coming to your site through unpaid search results.

Why It Matters: A robust backlink profile can lead to increased organic traffic.

Example: After launching a backlink campaign that included links from Moz and Search Engine Journal, you might see a 30% increase in organic traffic over three months.

Pro Tip: Use Google Analytics to see how your backlink efforts correlate with traffic spikes.

4.2 Change in Rankings

What It Is: This measures how your keyword rankings change due to your link-building efforts.

Why It Matters: Directly correlates to the effectiveness of your backlinks.

Example: If you target the keyword "vegan recipes" and notice your site climbs from 10th to 5th position after acquiring backlinks from high-authority sites, that’s a clear win!

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on keyword movements with tools like SEMrush to see how your links are performing.

4.3 Backlink Growth Rate

What It Is: The pace at which you’re acquiring new links over time. 

Why It Matters: A consistent growth rate signals a natural approach.

Example: If you gain five new high-quality links each month, you’re building a solid foundation without looking spammy.

Pro Tip: Focus on building backlinks from other websites steadily rather than trying to amass a huge number all at once.

4.4 Link Velocity

What It Is: The rate at which number of new backlinks are built to your site.

Why It Matters: A steady link velocity helps maintain credibility with search engines.

Example: Suppose a tech startup releases a groundbreaking app and earns 50 new backlinks in the first month, 70 in the second month, and then 100 in the third month. This increasing link velocity indicates growing interest in their product and can positively impact their SEO. However, if they suddenly gained 500 backlinks in a week, that might raise red flags for search engines, potentially indicating manipulative practices. 

Pro Tip: Monitor your link velocity to ensure it aligns with best practices—avoid sudden spikes!

4.5 Keyword Rankings

What It Is: Tracks how your site ranks for specific keywords.

Why It Matters: Indicates the impact of backlinks on your authority for those keywords.

Example: If you notice a rise in rankings for your target keywords after gaining backlinks from authoritative sources like HubSpot, it’s a sign of success. 

Pro Tip: Regularly use rank-tracking tools to see how your link-building efforts affect your rankings.

5. Link Equity: Link Building Metrics You Need to Understand the Value Passed by Backlinks

Link equity (or link juice) refers to the value passed from one site to another through links. Here’s how to measure it: 

5.1 Link Juice

What It Is: The value a link provides based on authority, relevance, and whether it’s dofollow or nofollow. 

Why It Matters: High link juice means a stronger boost for your site.

Example: A link from a high-authority site like Harvard Business Review can pass significant link equity to your site compared to a low-authority directory. 

Pro Tip: Focus on acquiring backlinks from high-authority sources to maximize link equity.

5.2 Number of Backlinks

What It Is: The total number of backlinks pointing to your site.

Why It Matters: While quality is key, having a healthy number of backlinks can positively impact your rankings.

Example: According to Ahrefs, as of 2023, BuzzFeed had over 15 million links from around 2.5 million referring domains due to its viral content, quizzes, and shareable article. This vast number of backlinks contributes significantly to it’s strong search engine visibility and authority.

Pro Tip: Track the number of backlinks with tools like Ahrefs to gauge the success of your link building campaigns.

5.3 Number of Referring Domains

What It Is: The count of unique domains linking to your site.

Why It Matters: More unique referring domains generally lead to improved SEO.

Example: Neil Patel has over 22,000 referring domains linking to his site. His valuable content and tools attract diverse websites, boosting his authority and SEO performance.

Pro Tip: Focus on increasing the number of unique referring domains for a diverse and strong backlink profile.

5.4 Spammy Links

What It Is: Links from low-quality or spammy sites that could hurt your authority.

Why It Matters: Too many spammy backlinks can lead to penalties and harm your overall SEO efforts.

Example: An eCommerce site selling handmade jewelry accumulated links from irrelevant directories and spammy comments, leading to a drop in search rankings after a Google algorithm update. After disavowing these links, the site began to recover its visibility.

Pro Tip: Regularly audit your links and disavow any spammy backlinks to keep your profile healthy.

Conclusion 

Link building remains one of the top SEO metrics. Measuring the success of your link-building efforts involves tracking a variety of metrics, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. By focusing on authority, trust, relevance, performance, and link equity metrics, you can get a clear picture of how your link building strategy is performing. 

Remember, quality always beats quantity when it comes to backlinks. So keep your eyes on these metrics, adjust your strategies as needed, and watch your site soar in the search engine rankings! This was a quick snapshot of the link building metrics you need in 2024. Happy link building!