When Should You Start Building Backlinks? (And How Many Do You Really Need?)
If you’ve spent any time reading about SEO, you’ll know backlinks are often talked about like some magical shortcut to the top of Google.
But if you’re a local business with a new-ish website, do you really need to worry about backlinks yet? Or can you focus on your content and on-page SEO for now?
Let’s break it down simply.
Why Backlinks Matter
A backlink is just a link from another website to yours.
To Google, these links act like votes of confidence: if other sites link to you, your content must be worth trusting. The more credible the site linking to you, the stronger the “vote.”
That’s why backlinks help you move up the rankings, especially when competing for competitive search terms.
But, and here’s the key, backlinks matter more at some stages of your SEO journey than others.
The SEO Progress Ladder: When Backlinks Start to Matter
Here’s a simplified way to think about your site’s SEO journey:
1. Pages 70–100+: “Sandbox & Discovery”
You’re newly indexed. Google knows you exist but doesn’t fully trust you yet.
Focus on: Good content, proper on-page SEO, and getting your site technically sound.
Backlinks? Nice to have, but not urgent.
2. Pages 50–69: “Baseline Trust”
You’ve moved up a little, and Google sees some value in your content.
Focus on: Internal linking, content improvement, and adding local citations.
Backlinks? Start grabbing a few easy, low-effort ones (e.g., LOCAL directories, a guest post or two).
3. Pages 30–49: “Competitive Testing”
You’re on pages 3–5. Google is testing you against mid-tier competitors.
Focus on: Building authority.
Backlinks? Yes. This is the sweet spot. Add high-quality, relevant backlinks to give Google a reason to rank you higher.
4. Pages 11–29: “Traffic Potential Zone”
You’re on page 2–3. Close, but not quite there.
Focus on: Strong backlinks and refining content to target exactly what searchers want.
Backlinks? Essential if you want to break onto page 1.
5. Page 1 (Positions 1–10): “Established & Trusted”
You’re competing with the best.
Focus on: Ongoing link building, optimising for click-throughs, and growing topical authority.
So, When Should You Start Building Backlinks?
For most local businesses:
Don’t rush in immediately (when you’re buried on page 10).
Begin lightly when you hit page 5–6 (positions 50–69).
Make backlinks a priority when you’re on pages 3–5 (positions 30–49).
That’s when backlinks make the biggest difference - when Google already trusts you enough to put you in the running.
How Many Backlinks Do You Really Need?
For a small local business site? Not loads.
Foundational: 5–10 local citations (Google Business Profile, Yell, Thomson Local, any industry directories).
Contextual: 3–5 backlinks from relevant local blogs, suppliers, or collaborations.
Ongoing: 1–2 high-quality backlinks per month once you’re in the competitive zone (30–50 positions).
That’s enough to steadily build trust without looking unnatural.
A Simple Backlink Action Plan
Stage 1 (70+): Focus on content & technical SEO. Grab basic citations.
Stage 2 (50–69): Add 2–3 easy backlinks (guest post, local collab).
Stage 3 (30–49): Start a regular backlink-building habit (1–2/month).
Stage 4 (11–29): Target authoritative backlinks (industry blogs, PR).
Backlinks are Powerful
But only when Google already sees your site as worth ranking.
If you’re still at the deep end of the search results, get your foundations right first.
Once you’re climbing into the middle pages, backlinks can be the push that gets you noticed.
Do I need backlinks right away for a new website?
Not necessarily. If you’re buried on page 10+, focus on content and on-page SEO first. Start building backlinks once you reach page 5–6.
How many backlinks does a local business need?
Usually, 10–20 solid backlinks (a mix of citations and contextual links) is enough to make a noticeable difference for a local site.
Are all backlinks equal?
Links from relevant, trusted websites carry far more weight than random, low-quality links.
Be careful. Google can penalise manipulative link schemes. Stick to natural, relevant backlinks (e.g., local blogs, suppliers, collaborations).
