SEO GLOSSARY

What is Link Velocity?

Link velocity refers to the rate at which new backlinks are accumulated by a website over time. It provides an indication of how rapidly a site’s link profile is growing through the acquisition of new referring domains.

Link velocity is an important metric in SEO because it can impact search engine rankings. Google and other search engines view a high velocity of new links as a positive ranking signal, especially when those links come from relevant, high-quality sites.

How Link Velocity Impacts Rankings

• Shows growth and momentum – A website that is rapidly accumulating new links signals that it is an active, up-and-coming site that is gaining traction and popularity on the web. This growth and momentum are looked upon favorably by search engines.
• Indicates relevance and authority – If many industry websites are continually linking to a given site, it’s a strong sign that site is providing value and is being endorsed by trusted sources. This helps establish relevance and authority.
• Outpaces link decay – All sites lose some links over time through domain deletions, redesigns, etc. A high velocity of new links helps counteract that natural link decay.
• Overcomes negative links – For sites recovering from manual link penalties or negative SEO attacks, a rapid influx of new, positive links from trusted sites can help dilute and offset those bad links.

How to Improve Link Velocity

• Create link-worthy content – Content that provides unique value and insights is more likely to attract natural links. Identify content gaps and user needs.
• Conduct outreach – Proactively connect with webmasters in your industry to pitch relevant guest posting and partnership opportunities.
• Leverage digital PR – Distribute press releases and build relationships with journalists to get placed in news stories and roundups.
• Promote content – Share your best content across social media, forums, Q&A sites, etc. to expand its reach and link earning potential.
• Refresh old content – Update and repurpose evergreen content to make it timely and link-worthy again. Outreach to previous linkers.
• Acquire expired domains – Carefully acquire and redirect expired domains with existing links to your site to recapture value.
• Fix technical issues – Improve site speed, mobile optimization, broken links, etc. to make your site more link-worthy.

Measuring and Monitoring Link Velocity

To assess your current link velocity and optimize your acquisition of new links, be sure to:

• Use link tracking software – Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic, etc. provide data on new links over time.
• Set link growth goals – Establish monthly or quarterly goals for new referring domains and monitor progress.
• Identify high-quality link sources – Prioritize links from .edu, .gov, and other authoritative sites.
• Watch for unnatural patterns – Avoid unnatural spikes that could trigger a manual action by Google. Strive for steady, natural growth.
• Compare to competitors – Review link velocity benchmarks for sites ranking for your target keywords to inform goals.

With a comprehensive strategy focused on increasing high-quality links at a natural, steady pace, you can leverage link velocity for improved search visibility and rankings over time.