E1220: Can you rank on Google without backlinks? I break down what five SEOs say about ranking a new website without building links, share my own take, and play a clip from SEO expert Kyle Roof explaining his 3-to-1 internal linking rule on this podcast.
A new website can rank without backlinks, but the keywords you choose matter. If established websites have strong backlink profiles and dedicated pages targeting the same keywords, competing without links can be difficult.
The better opportunity is finding high-intent keywords that other websites aren't targeting with a relevant page.
I cover:
- What five Reddit commenters say about ranking on Google without backlinks
- Why low-competition keywords are easier to rank for, even on brand-new websites
- How to find keywords that established websites rank for without specifically targeting them
- Why search intent matters more than vague claims about "high-quality content"
- How to use long-tail keywords and overlooked search queries to get initial rankings
- How to structure supporting pages and internal links to strengthen your most important pages
- Kyle Roof's 3-to-1 rule: Three internal links of similar value can equal one external backlink of that value
- Why internal linking can reduce the number of backlinks you need to rank
- Easy ways to build backlinks through directories, podcast appearances, and journalist requests
- Why ranking for a keyword with 137,000 monthly searches doesn't necessarily bring in customers
- How to turn informational traffic into something more valuable through internal links
- Why targeting bottom-of-funnel keywords can generate more revenue than chasing high search volume
I also discuss a business whose article ranked at the top of Google for "apples," a keyword with an estimated 137,000 monthly searches, but generated zero additional business.
That example demonstrates the difference between vanity traffic and traffic that brings revenue. However, a popular informational page can still be valuable when you use internal links to direct traffic and ranking strength toward commercial pages.
I also examine PDFfiller, a website generating $106 million annually with 860,000 paying customers. Its homepage ranks for keywords it isn't directly optimized for, illustrating what prolonged time building authority and backlinks can accomplish.
Whether you're doing SEO for a local business, ecommerce website, SaaS company, or new website, this episode explains when you can rank without backlinks, how to use internal links to strengthen your pages, and why consistently building backlinks can make it easier to rank for more lucrative keywords.
⭐️ The Reddit thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/seogrowth/comments/1xibhdy/can_a_new_website_rank_on_google_without_building/
⭐️ The Apples X post - https://x.com/roblabonne/status/2118072363057369325
⭐️ Ep 1218 - How to Build Local Backlinks for Under $500 vs. $5,000 a Month - https://youtu.be/GjbkLBWmDxQ
⭐️ Ep 1213 - Kyle Roof Ranked Gibberish #1 on Google. Then Google Deindexed 20 of His Sites. - https://youtu.be/LCrW28jb9UM
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Can You Rank Without Links
00:30 Reddit Says Long Tail Wins
01:23 Internal Linking Content Clusters
02:30 What High Quality Means
03:46 Pattern is Low Competition Queries
05:47 My Take is Build Some Links
06:17 Easy Link Building Tactics
07:24 Apples Case Study
08:33 Internal Links Boost Money Pages
10:37 Kyle Roof Internal Links Math
11:56 Wrap Up And Goodbye
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #linkbuilding #digitalmarketing