Backlink strategy: deciding whether links are the lever, and how many you need

You run SEO or marketing for a B2B company and have to decide where a link budget goes. A backlink strategy does not start with looking for sites: it starts with one question asked page by page, "is the link the lever?". Here is the method to answer it, set a link target for each URL, prioritise pages, stay within Google's rules and prove the result, including in the answers of generative engines.

Is the link the lever? Start from the page, not the profile

A link strategy creates a measurable edge on the pages that drive your acquisition. It fits into the process described in our link building guide (diagnosis, choice of publishers, campaign, proof) and covers its first stage: deciding where a link helps, how many you need and in what order.

What Google and generative engines do with links

Search engines use links to assess trust, and they also judge why a link exists. Three facts frame every decision, at the time of writing:

• Penguin has been part of Google's core algorithm and has run in real time since 2016.
• Google's spam policies target link schemes: undisclosed paid links, large-scale exchanges, PBNs, automated links.
• ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and AI Overviews cite sources: being named counts in these answers, with or without a link.

The link carries the SEO signal, the brand mention carries the GEO signal: the two add up.

Segmenting your existing profile across four dimensions

Before investing, read your profile across four dimensions, each tied to an action. A full link building audit remains the one-off assessment; here, segmentation only steers the strategy:

• Referring domains: where you're already credible, and where you're absent.
• Destination pages: which pages receive authority, and which strategic pages lack it.
• Anchors: balance between brand, partially optimised, exact-match and generic anchor text.
• Topics: consistency between the Topical Trust Flow of the sources and the subject of the target pages.

This reading shows which pages lack links, not whether a link is the right remedy: that is the job of the per-URL diagnosis.

Diagnosing each URL: the five states

For each URL and its keyword, the diagnosis cross-references ranking, content and link weight compared with the top 10. It ends in one of five states, each calling for an action:

Only the "to strengthen" state directly justifies a campaign; the others stop you spending where a link will change nothing.

Content first: when the link is not the answer

A page that has never ranked rarely suffers from a lack of links. More often it answers the search intent poorly, covers a different topic from the top 10 results or stays too thin. Rewrite it, let it settle, then run the diagnosis again.

To defend and another page ranks: the two misleading states

A "to defend" page seems fine, but its lead rests on content, not links: a competitor that closes its gap can overtake it. A few quality links protect the position.

The "another page ranks" state reveals cannibalisation. Decide which page owns the query, adjust internal linking, then point the links at it.

Setting the link target: the top 10 median

"How many links do I need?" has no universal answer, but every keyword has its own. The page ranking in position 1 has 3.8 times more backlinks than positions 2 to 10 (Backlinko, 2026): link weight clearly separates results, and it is measured keyword by keyword. The method runs in four steps:

• Read the top 10: record the number of unique dofollow referring domains of the 10 organic results for the keyword.
• Take the median: that is your URL's link target.
• Measure the gap: target minus the dofollow referring domains your URL currently has.
• Prioritise: a small gap on a "to strengthen" page comes first.

The metric counts unique dofollow referring domains, not backlinks: ten links from the same site move the target forward by only one domain. A publisher that only places nofollow links does not move this target, even if it can count for GEO.

Why the median rather than the first result

The first result is often an exception (a media outlet, an established brand): aiming for its level inflates the budget with no guarantee. The median describes the normal link weight needed to appear on page one. It gives you an achievable target.

Reading competitors' TF/CF profile

The number of referring domains doesn't tell the whole story: you need to know where competitors' links come from. A domain's Trust Flow / Citation Flow ratio places its profile in one of three families, detailed in the article on backlinks and their metrics:

• Trusted profile (ratio ≥ 0.80): the link volume is a real target to catch up with.
• Standard profile (ratio from 0.55 to 0.80): the target remains valid, with sources sorted.
• Volume without trust (ratio < 0.55): directories, link farms, networks; don't try to match it.

Don't match volume without trust

A competitor ranking first with a "volume without trust" profile does not give you a target, it shows you a risk. Don't try to match it: stick to the top 10 median.

Choosing publishers that move you forward

Each publisher is judged on how attractive it is for your domain, not on absolute authority. Five criteria count:

• Trust Flow gap: +5 to +15 points above yours is very good; beyond that, even better; below, weak.
• Shared topics: a Topical Trust Flow close to that of your target pages.
• Traffic trend over 24 months: growing, stable or declining.
• Existing link: a site that already links to you brings no new referring domain.
• GEO performance: "GEO gem" if ChatGPT cites the domain very often, "cited" if it does so sometimes.

Between paid publishers, compare the price per Trust Flow point: this value-for-money ratio stops you paying a lot for a domain that doesn't move you forward.

Prioritising the URLs to strengthen

You will have more "to strengthen" pages than budget. The order is decided on observable criteria that you can review at every wave:

For an equal gap, a solution page comes before an informational article. Pillar pages and proof assets also deserve their place: they redistribute authority through internal linking.

Deciding what to get first: domains, deep links and mentions

In most B2B contexts, the most robust order of priorities stays the same from one wave to the next:

• New referring domains: they move the target forward, unlike a second link from a site you already have.
• Deep links: to the pages that matter, not just the homepage.
• Brand mentions: with or without a link, in credible contexts, they serve generative answers.

Prohibited, acceptable, recommended: the practice grid

A link obtained to influence rankings rather than to serve the reader becomes a liability: Google can neutralise its value, or even trigger a manual action. The following grid applies to every link building decision:

The line comes down to one point: real editorial collaboration, or a non-transparent popularity transaction? If in doubt, ask whether the link helps the reader understand or verify something.

Risk signals in a profile

Risk rarely comes from a single link; it comes from a repeated pattern, to be spotted in your profile as well as in your plans:

• Over-represented exact-match anchors on a page or set of pages.
• Acquisition spikes unrelated to your editorial activity.
• Off-topic sources and pages that look like link lists.
• Sitewide links (footer, sidebar) that are numerous and lack editorial justification.

Cleaning up an exposed profile and disavowing, which is reserved for manual actions or for schemes you created yourself, belong to profile analysis.

Since March 2020, Google has treated nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints rather than directives. A paid link or one that comes from a partnership is declared with the sponsored rel attribute.

Budget, horizon and pace

The budget follows from the target. As a benchmark, the median budget for an engagement that includes link building is €4,000 excl. VAT (La Fabrique du Net, 2026), though the share spent on links cannot be isolated. Your budget mainly depends on four variables:

• the number of "to strengthen" URLs selected for the wave;
• the cumulative gap between their referring domains and their targets;
• the price per Trust Flow point of the selected publishers;
• article writing, handled by you, by the publisher or by a provider.

Start with low-gap, high-stakes URLs: they give the first readable signals.

Spreading the effort in waves

Your pace should look like normal growth for your site and sector; a sudden spike in links, especially with repeated anchors, becomes a red flag. Work in waves: a few URLs, staggered publication, a review of results, then the next wave. Don't boost a page immediately after publishing it.

Strategy KPIs: prove without over-interpreting

A link plan without monitoring becomes a cost that's hard to justify. Strategy indicators connect the effort to the target set for each URL, then to results:

Correlation, never causation

Compare each page with itself, before its first link and today. A ranking or a citation gained after a wave of links is a correlation in time, not proof: content, competitors and Google move too. Document every decision (publisher, target page, anchor) to learn what truly moves your pages.

Depending on your situation

Depending on where you are, the next step is here:

• You have your URLs and targets: organise the link building campaign, from choosing publishers to the anchor profile and the brief.
• You want links without buying them: compare the methods to get backlinks by effort, lead time and risk.
• You need to frame a budget for paid publishers: apply the eligibility grid for buying backlinks and the price per Trust Flow point.
• Your current profile worries you: start with backlink analysis, which also covers toxic links and disavow.
• Your priority is to be cited by AI: see how links and mentions count for generative engines.

To run the diagnosis without a spreadsheet, the Incremys Offsite media module assigns each URL one of the five states and calculates its link target from the median of the dofollow referring domains of the 10 organic results for its keyword. At the time of writing, reporting then tracks link presence, rankings and ChatGPT citations by question.

FAQ on backlink strategy

These answers cover the most frequently asked questions about link strategy.

How do you know whether a page needs backlinks?

A page needs backlinks when its content is done, it already ranks and its dofollow referring domains remain below the top 10 median for its keyword: that is the "to strengthen" state. If the page has never performed, rework the content first.

How many backlinks does a page need?

A page's target is the median number of unique dofollow referring domains among the top 10 organic results for its keyword. You count domains, not links: several links from the same site don't move the target forward. The gap between this median and your current domains gives the number of links to obtain.

Should you aim for as many links as the competitor ranking first?

No, especially if its profile is "volume without trust", with a Trust Flow / Citation Flow ratio below 0.55. Its links then come from directories, link farms or networks that you should not imitate. Aim for the top 10 median rather than its level.

Which link building practices are prohibited?

Google penalises link schemes: undisclosed paid links, large-scale link exchanges, PBNs and automated links. They expose you to links being neutralised, or even a manual action. A sponsored article declared with rel="sponsored" or a genuine editorial partnership remains acceptable; citable content and digital PR are recommended.

What budget does a backlink strategy need?

The median budget for an engagement that includes link building is €4,000 excl. VAT (La Fabrique du Net, 2026), though the share spent on links cannot be isolated. Yours depends on the number of URLs to strengthen, their gap to target, the price per Trust Flow point of publishers and writing. Start with low-gap URLs.

How long does it take to see visible results?

It depends on your starting gap, competition and the quality of the target pages. The first signals are intermediate: impressions, ranking stability. Clear gains come as links accumulate in regular waves on pages that meet intent well.

Is guest blogging still acceptable?

Yes, as long as it stays editorial: original content, a genuinely relevant site, limited links to your site and natural anchors. If publication involves any consideration, the link is declared with rel="sponsored". Published at scale with the same anchor, it tips into link schemes.