What Is Link Velocity? How It Impacts SEO and Rankings

Link velocity refers to the speed at which a website earns or loses backlinks over a given period. Search engines like Google use this to understand how your website is performing in terms of popularity and authority across the web.

Suppose Doobie & Co., an imaginary pet supply store, launches a brand-new blog about “Top 10 foods for pets” on Monday. By Friday, it had 5,000 new backlinks from coupon directories and irrelevant forums. 

But why would a coupon directory link to a “pet food” blog? 

That’s exactly what Google’s algorithm detects.

In this article, we’ll explore link velocity in detail to understand why it’s important and how you can avoid common mistakes.

SEO“>Why link velocity matters in SEO

Link velocity helps search engines assess the naturalness of a website’s backlink growth. A steady, organic link-building pace builds trust and authority. But sudden spikes or unnatural link patterns can look manipulative. 

Let’s see how Google handles these situations. 

Google’s historical stance on link schemes

Link schemes are any deliberate tactics that manipulate a website’s ranking in Google search results through unnatural or deceptive link-building.

And Google has a long history of cracking down on manipulative link tactics. 

The Penguin update, rolled out in April 2012, was the most notable one. 

It was designed to derank websites that were clearly gaming the system, with tactics like buying links, using link farms (a group of websites created solely to give each other backlinks), or participating in sketchy reciprocal linking networks.

But what does this mean? 

Suppose Doobie & Co., our imaginary pet supply store, wants to rank higher on Google, fast. So, they:

• Buy 500 backlinks from a service that promises “high-authority domains”
• Get listed on a network of unrelated blogs (a classic link farm), all linking to the same page
• Join a group of local businesses that agree to link to each other’s websites, even though their niches don’t match

Sure, their link count would go high overnight. But so does Google’s suspicion. Because these tactics create an unnatural link pattern that algorithms like Penguin are designed to catch.

So if you suddenly gain hundreds of links in a day without creating quality content or press-worthy news, Google may notice the unusual spike. And if that looks suspicious like a pattern of spammy backlinks or manipulative behavior, your website rankings may suffer. 

Organic vs. artificial backlink growth

Since not all backlinks are created the same way, search engines look beyond the number of links to understand how those links were acquired.

There are two types of growth:

1. Organic link growth happens naturally. It’s when people discover your content, find it useful, and link to it.
2. Artificial link growth, on the other hand, involves shortcuts like paying for links on Fiverr gigs or mass-submitting to directories. It tends to happen in bursts and leaves behind a footprint that Google can detect.

Let’s go back to the Doobie & Co. store example. 

Suppose their blog post about “pet food” gets shared by a well-known vet on TikTok, so a few niche pet bloggers also notice it. That’s how it gradually earns backlinks over several weeks. That’s organic.

But if they buy 500 backlinks from unrelated websites and get them all in two days. That’s artificial and risky.

Why?

Because when those links come from irrelevant sources, it signals manipulation. So, Google may choose to ignore those links entirely, or worse, penalize the site. 

Domain trust and authority signals

Domain trust (sometimes referred to as “domain authority”) is built over time. It shows how reliable and credible your website appears to search engines. 

But this is not a one-time thing. It’s built over time through consistent high-quality content, positive user behavior, and a natural backlink profile. And for a strong backlink profile, how your backlinks grow is a key factor.

Here’s how search engines might interpret your link velocity:

• Consistent, relevant growth = trustworthy site, likely creating valuable content
• Sudden spike from random sites = manipulation attempt, potential penalty
• Drop in links = content decay or negative SEO, possible ranking instability

For example, if the “best food for pets” blog of Doobie & Co. consistently earns backlinks from trusted pet blogs and product review sites, this would build domain authority over time. But if their link profile suddenly spikes with links from irrelevant websites, Google may consider it spam.

That’s why you should maintain a healthy link velocity. 

Good vs. bad link velocity

Both good and bad velocity have a few characteristics that help us differentiate between the two:

Characteristics of a good link velocity

Let’s look at the characteristics of good link velocity first:

1. Consistency over time: You gain a few links every week or month, depending on your publishing activity and niche. 
2. Diverse referring domains: Instead of getting 50 links from one blog network, you’re earning links from different blogs, publishers, and directories. 
3. Relevance to your industry: You get backlinks from websites in your niche. For example, if you run a pet blog like Doobie & Co., a backlink from PetMD is a strong signal. But a backlink from a poker site? Not so much.

Characteristics of a bad link velocity

Like good link velocity, bad link velocity also has some red flags that can alert Google:

1. Sudden link spikes: Let’s say a website goes from 10 backlinks to 400 in two days, without any newsworthy content or PR campaign. That’s a big red flag. 
2. Low-quality linking sources: These are links from spammy websites, unrelated blogs, private blog networks (PBNs), or auto-generated content farms. 
3. Overuse of exact match anchors: If all 50 backlinks to your article about “best foods for pets” use the anchor text “best pet foods,” it looks scripted.

Let’s say you compare your pet store’s link performance with one of your competitors. 

• Doobie & Co. builds backlinks through digital PR, niche guest posts, and influencer shout-outs. Their link velocity grows gradually over six months.
• Their competitor buys 500 links via a cheap service. The velocity spikes within two weeks, then flatlines.

Six months later:

• Doobie & Co. ranks for over 20 keywords and consistently receives traffic.
• But the competitor has dropped off Google completely after a manual Google action.

How to measure and analyze link velocity

You can measure link velocity using the following popular SEO tools:

• Semrush provides day-by-day link acquisition data, historical growth trends, and alerts for new or lost referring domains.
• Ahrefs gives you an incredibly detailed view of your website’s backlink growth. 
• Majestic provides access to the “Fresh Index” and “Historic Index” data, so you can track the acquisition of backlinks and their sources.
• Google Search Console is like going straight to the source. While it doesn’t show advanced visualizations, it provides a basic “Links” report that shows your top linking websites, the most linked-to pages, and internal links (which are useful for gauging internal link velocity). 

But let’s see how you can measure link velocity using Semrush and Google Search Console (GSC). 

To check link velocity using Semrush:

1. Go to “SEO.” 
2. Under “Link Building,” go to “Backlink Analytics.”
3. Enter your domain.

4. Navigate to the “Referring Domains” tab.

Here, you’ll see a graph showing both new and lost referring domains.

You can use this chart to see how many referring domains you’ve gained or lost over the past 6 months. This will help you understand whether your link-building efforts are working or not. 

To view a basic “Links” report in GSC:

1. Go to “Google Search Console” and sign in.
2. Select your website (property) from the sidebar.
3. Scroll down and click on “Links” in the left menu.

From here, you can now view: top linked pages, top linking sites, and top linking text (anchor text).

You can now use this report to identify which pages are attracting the most links, who’s linking to you, and what anchor text they’re using. While it’s not as detailed as paid tools, it’s a reliable way to ensure your most valuable pages are getting the attention they deserve.

Metrics to understand your link velocity 

Let’s say you’ve pulled your backlinks report using the method we described above. Now you should look at the following metrics to better assess link velocity:

Referring domains over time

This metric shows how many unique domains are linking to you and how many backlinks you currently have, as well as those that have been newly gained or lost.

Link type distribution

A healthy profile has a balanced, natural-looking link distribution. This “link type distribution” metric displays the types of backlinks and link attributes you’re receiving like follow vs. nofollow or text vs. image links.

To see this using Semrush:

• Go to “SEO” > “Link Building” > “Backlink Analytics.” 
• Enter your domain and scroll down to the “Backlink Types” and “Link Attributes” section.

Ideally, you should see a mix of follow (Dofollow) and Nofollow links, with the majority being follow from relevant sources. And a natural profile will also include a variety of link types—mostly text-based, but some image or form links are fine too. 

But if you see 100% follow links, it might look manipulative.

Anchor text variation

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. This “Anchor text variation” metric shows the different anchor texts used to link to your pages. 

Healthy backlink profiles show diversity, which means they will have a mix of anchor texts like:

• Branded anchors (“YourSite” or “YourSite.com”)
• Partial match anchors (“SEO tools” instead of “best SEO tools for link building”)
• Generic anchors (“click here,” “this post”)

To see anchor text variation using Semrush:

• Go to “SEO” > “Link Building” > “Backlink Analytics.” 
• Enter your domain.
• Go to “Anchors.” 

See how the data above shows a mix of anchor texts. 

You should also look for a healthy mix of branded, partial match, and generic anchor texts. Because if most of your links use the exact same keyword-rich phrase, it can look unnatural. 

New vs. lost links

This shows you how many links you’ve gained recently and how many you have lost. If you’re gaining links quickly but losing them just as fast, your link velocity may appear erratic.

To see a full report of new vs. lost backlinks in Semrush:

• Go to “SEO” > “Link Building” > “Backlink Analytics.” 
• Enter your domain.
• Go to “Backlinks.” 

The data above shows how many backlinks you’ve gained and lost over the last 6 months. Now this is a good way to spot trends. 

A healthy profile will show steady link growth with minimal loss, as you can see in the image above.

What a healthy link velocity curve looks like

There’s no “ideal” number of links you should be getting each month. It depends on your industry, competition, domain age, and site authority.

However, there are patterns to watch for, such as the natural growth curve and the unnatural spike. 

Example 1: Natural growth curve

Let’s say Doobie & Co. publishes a blog post about “best food for your dogs” that gradually gains attention. 

Over time, it gets featured in pet care newsletters, shared in niche forums, and mentioned in industry roundup posts. That way, they gained backlinks quickly, and that too mostly from relevant, pet-focused domains.

So, that’s a natural link velocity curve: gradual, consistent, and credible.

But let’s consider a different scenario.

Suppose you posted on social media about “a new SEO tactic you tried and it worked.” Now, if that post went viral and you get a considerable number of backlinks to your website, search engines are smart enough to understand the context. So, you may not be penalized for that.

Why not?

Because if you work in the SEO industry and go viral for content related to your niche, the people linking to you will likely be relevant. A plumbing blog isn’t going to link to an SEO case study. 

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Note: It’s not the spike itself that’s the problem; it’s the quality and source of the links that matter.

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Example 2: Unnatural spike

Now, imagine another blog post on “best food for cats” suddenly gets 300 backlinks in one week.

None of the sites is related to the main industry. Many have suspicious domain names. And most links use the same anchor text.

That’s an unnatural spike, and could signal a purchased link package or an automated campaign.

So what’s a “normal” link velocity?

It depends. 

A small pet supply blog like Doobie & Co. might earn five to 15 backlinks per month from pet directories, blog mentions, and niche forums. That’s completely normal for a newer site in a specialized space.

But a major pet publication could easily gain 50+ links per week if it’s producing high-quality content or launching new products consistently. That kind of growth doesn’t raise red flags because it matches the site’s authority and activity level.

So here’s the rule of thumb: Compare your link velocity to others in your niche, not the entire internet.

To do so, you can use competitor research tools to analyze how fast similar websites are gaining links. 

Here’s how you can see domain competitors and their backlinks overview using Semrush:

• Go to “SEO” > “Link Building” > “Backlink Analytics.” 
• Enter your domain.
• Go to “Competitors.” 

You can use this data to benchmark your link velocity against competitors in your niche. If their growth is steady and yours seems to lag behind, it’s time to reassess your backlink strategy.

Link velocity red flags: What can go wrong

Once you start tracking your link velocity, patterns will emerge, and not all of them are good. Certain spikes, link types, or anchor text behaviors may signal manipulation.

So here’s what you should watch out for.

Sudden link spikes trigger Google’s spam radar

Let’s say Doobie & Co. usually gets around five to 10 new referring domains each month from pet directories and occasional roundup posts. But then, suddenly, 200 backlinks appear in just 48 hours. 

What happens then?

It alerts Google because Google has strict spam policies, and such sudden link spikes can violate them. 

Why? 

Because natural link growth tends to follow a steady, organic curve. It might accelerate slowly if your brand gains traction, but wild spikes without corresponding growth in search volume or traffic can be misleading.

A one-off link spike may not always result in a penalty, but if you have low-quality thin content, poor UX, or irrelevant anchor text, Google might act. That action could include:

• Devaluing the new links
• Demoting the page
• Triggering a manual review or action

Declining link velocity = declining authority

Just as too much high link velocity, too fast, can be suspicious, a sharp drop in link acquisition can also be a problem.

Suppose the Doobie & Co. store starts losing backlinks. 

Now it’s not just a numbers game. They’re also losing the trust signals those links once sent to Google. Because fewer backlinks from credible sources mean less perceived authority.

But why would you lose backlinks?

That could happen due to a couple of reasons, like:

• Lost media coverage
• Old blog content being deleted or restructured
• Broken inbound links (404s)
• Changing CMS platforms or URLs without proper redirects
• Manual link removals from webmasters

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Note: A slow loss of backlinks may not be alarming. 

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But if Doobie & Co. store drops from 1,000 referring domains to 650 within a day, that’s alarming. 

The thing is, even authoritative domains can lose links over time, so this isn’t uncommon. But it becomes a problem when:

• You don’t know where the losses are coming from
• You have no plan to regain or replace them
• You rely too heavily on a few high-value links

To understand these aspects, you can do a backlink audit using Semrush’s backlink audit tool, Ahrefs’ lost backlinks report, or Moz’s backlink checker.

Here’s how you can get a backlink audit report using Semrush:

• Go to “SEO” > “Link Building” > “Backlink Audit.” 
• Enter your domain and that’s it. 

After some time, your audit will be complete, and you can see the full report to understand your declining velocity. 

This report helps you identify which links you’ve lost, why they may have disappeared, and which ones are worth reclaiming so you can take action before your authority declines.

Quick summary: What to watch for

Keep an eye out for these link velocity warning signs: 

Common causes of unnatural link velocity

If your link profile shows sudden, unexplained surges, chances are, something’s off. Because unnatural link velocity usually isn’t random. It’s often the result of shortcuts to speed up growth.

Let’s understand the main causes so you know what to avoid (or fix fast if it’s already happening).

Viral PR with no relevance

A viral hit sounds like a win until you realize that 90% of the backlinks came from websites outside your industry.

Suppose Doobie & Co. gets featured in a listicle of “Best pet supply stores.” It gains 150 links in a week, but from humor blogs and random news aggregators.

While those links might seem exciting, they dilute your topical authority. Google may view them as noise, not trust signals. And if this keeps happening, it can skew your backlink profile and confuse search engines about your core niche.

Link-building services that overpromise

Many website owners get burned by “white-hat” link-building providers who promise 5000 links in 30 days. 

Why?

Because these links come from:

• PBNs (Private Blog Networks)
• Link farms
• Low-quality guest post networks

Here’s an example of a service provider who claims to provide guaranteed 9000 backlinks. That’s a red flag. Because there’s no such thing as “guaranteed” in SEO. 

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Note: Don’t fall for bulk backlink offers or “done-for-you” services unless they’re transparent about link sources and you can vet each domain.

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Negative SEO or competitor sabotage

Competitor sabotage, also known as negative SEO, is when another website (usually a competitor) deliberately tries to harm your rankings by manipulating your backlink profile.

Let’s say Doobie & Co. suddenly gained 1,000 links from gambling or pharma websites over a weekend, and they didn’t even do anything to cause it. Now, this could be sabotage.

It’s rare, but it happens. 

A competitor might point hundreds of spammy links to your website, hoping Google penalizes you.

While Google is usually smart enough to ignore most of these, excessive bad backlinks in a short time frame might still hurt your rankings, if they mimic patterns from known spam attacks.

Here’s what you should do if you suspect this:

• Monitor with GSC
• Document spammy domains
• Use the disavow tool only if the links are clearly unnatural and harming your rankings

Case study: When link velocity went wrong 

A real-world example is the case of Interflora, a UK-based flower delivery service. 

In 2013, Interflora faced a penalty from Google after it was discovered that they had engaged in a paid link campaign. It seemed they were offering flowers/gifts to bloggers in exchange for do-follow links.  

This practice violated Google’s Terms of Service (TOS), so Interflora’s website was removed from Google’s search results entirely.

It took considerable effort, including the removal of unnatural links and a comprehensive reconsideration request, for Interflora to recover its rankings.  

How to build healthy link velocity

Let’s see how you can build healthy link velocity over time, the right way.

Create content people want to link to

This might sound like a cliché, but it’s still the foundation.

You can’t build a healthy link velocity without giving people something worth linking to. So write the kind of content that people want to link to. 

Here’s what tends to attract links naturally:

• Original research like data-driven content or survey results
• In-depth guides like evergreen content
• Tool walkthroughs

If you’re not sure whether your current content is worthy enough to get backlinks, ask yourself, “If this page disappeared, would anyone miss it?” If the answer is no, you probably shouldn’t expect backlinks either.

Build authority through digital PR

You don’t have to land a New York Times feature to see results from PR.

You just need a consistent strategy to get relevant publications, bloggers, and journalists aware of what you’re publishing.

A few PR strategies that support healthy link velocity are:

• Press releases tied to real news or research
• Reactive PR (responding to trending stories via platforms like HARO or Help a B2B Writer)
• Guest comments and contributor quotes
• Founder or team interviews on niche podcasts or blogs

Why are these important?

Because your goal should be to earn credibility. And credibility builds trust, which strengthens your domain authority over time.

Offer contributor quotes and expert roundups

You can build both links and relationships by contributing to others’ content.

Here’s how:

• Look for websites doing expert roundups so you can be a part of their list (e.g., “20 marketers share their favorite SEO tool”)
• Use platforms like Featured and Qwoted to share your insights with others and get featured
• Pitch your blogs to niche-specific websites regularly 

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Pro Tip: Start small because a link from a relevant mid-tier blog is more valuable than a forced one from a high-authority site that doesn’t match your niche.

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Use internal link velocity to your advantage

Internal link velocity refers to the frequency with which you link your own pages together as your website grows. It’s often overlooked but contributes to:

• Better crawlability
• Stronger topical authority
• Improved link equity distribution

Here’s how to do it well:

• Every time you publish a new piece, link to two to five relevant existing articles
• Add internal links back to the new piece from older, high-performing pages
• Use clear, short anchor text that matches user search intent

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Dig Deeper: 10 ways to build quality backlinks for any website

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Use AI strategically

AI content tools have changed the SEO game. You can now publish more frequently and test faster. But the key to link-worthy AI content is augmentation, not automation.

So, what do we mean by “augmentation” in this context?

It’s like a collaboration. Augmentation means using AI as a creative assistant, not a full-on content machine. Instead of letting a tool write entire articles without supervision, you guide it.

You bring the strategy and context, and AI helps with speed, structure, and ideation. That’s the kind of content that earns trust and links.

Here’s how to keep link velocity natural with AI:

• Use AI to draft topic clusters and outlines, but add your voice and experience
• Use AI-powered content tools like Clearscope to identify link-building opportunities

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Note: Never rely on AI to create fluff content that you hope will earn links because people only link to what helps them.

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Faster link velocity is fine if you’re already established

New domains that grow too fast are suspicious. But older, established websites can usually accelerate their link growth without consequences.

Here’s why:

• They have a longer backlink history
• Google already understands their niche, topic relevance, and trustworthiness
• Their visibility (brand searches, mentions, shares) increases in tandem with links

But remember: SEO is a long game.

If your strategy includes spammy tactics, artificial link schemes, or quick spikes from questionable services, you’re building your house on sand.

It might stand for a little while, but the moment Google’s algorithm shifts or a manual review hits, everything can collapse. 

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Note: Sustainable rankings are built on solid ground: relevance, trust, and consistency.

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So, instead, focus on sustainable link acquisition. That means:

• Publish consistently
• Promote content across platforms
• Build real relationships in your industry
• Encourage backlinks through value, not pressure

Want to build a sustainable link velocity?

Monitor your link growth using Semrush or Google Search Console. They will help you identify unhealthy spikes, track referring domains, and keep your strategy grounded in quality and relevance.

But don’t get overwhelmed by all the different backlink types in your audit report. To understand them and focus on the important ones, check out our guide on the types of backlinks. It breaks down what each type means and how to earn more of them.