Be consistent, add backlinks every month

How many backlinks should you build each month?

If you’ve dipped your toes into SEO, you’ve probably heard how important backlinks are. But here’s the real question: how many backlinks should you be building each month to actually move the needle — without getting penalised or wasting time?

If you’re a small to mid-size business owner, this guide is for you.

First, what are backlinks?

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours. Google sees these as votes of confidence. The more quality links you have, the more trustworthy your site appears — and the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.

But not all backlinks are created equal. It's not about how many you have — it's about where they come from and how natural they look.

So… what’s the magic number?

New businesses or websites

If your site is less than a year old, aim for 10-20 high-quality backlinks per month. This shows steady, organic growth and avoids raising any red flags with Google.

Established sites with some authority

If you’ve been online for a while and already have some content and domain trust, you can ramp things up. 30–50+ quality backlinks per month is reasonable — as long as it matches your content output and traffic levels.

Be consistent, not flashy

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make? Buying a batch of 200 backlinks in one month… then doing nothing for the next six.

Google’s algorithm prefers natural, consistent backlink growth. Instead of spikes and dips, stick to a steady pace that reflects your content and marketing activity.

Final takeaway: a safe backlink strategy

For most small to mid-sized businesses, a smart backlink plan looks like:

• 10–30 new, quality backlinks per month

• Spread across blog posts, directory listings, guest articles, image submissions, PDF submissions and media releases (PR)

• Focus on relevance and authority, not just volume

This slow-and-steady approach keeps your SEO growing without risking penalties or wasted spend.

Focus on quality over quantity

Getting 100 links from dodgy directories or spammy blogs won’t do you any favours.

But a single backlink from:

• A respected industry blog

• A local news site

• A government or education domain
  can be more valuable than dozens of low-quality ones.

Tip: Aim for backlinks from websites that are:

• Relevant to your industry

• Trusted by search engines (you can check their Domain Authority using free SEO tools)

• Actively visited by real humans (not just bots!)

Here’s the honest answer: there isn’t one. But there is a smart range to aim for, depending on your situation.

"We recently embarked on an SEO campaign with Buzz and managed to reach page 1 Google in a highly competitive industry in only a few months! Having been left with only disappointment after engaging with multiple other marketing companies, I can highly recommend Buzz Marketing."

Alex Cowan

Precision Painting & Decorating

Ready to start building backlinks?

Think all this sounds time consuming and needs a focused approach... you're right!

Need help finding backlink opportunities that work for your industry and budget? Whether it’s crafting guest blog pitches, identifying local listings or setting up a link-building strategy — we’re here to help.