Will backlinks really lose their importance in Google's ranking?

Why is Google announcing this change in the role of backlinks?

Since the original PageRank, backlinks have been the backbone of Google's ranking system. They served as a vote of confidence between sites, allowing the distinction between relevant pages and others. However, this system has always been exploitable.

Google is heavily investing in machine learning and language models to understand content quality without solely depending on external signals. The idea is that a text written by a recognized expert, even on a poorly linked site, should be able to rank if the content precisely addresses search intent.

What does "their weight will decrease" actually mean?

This wording remains deliberately vague. Google does not say that backlinks will disappear from the algorithmic mix, but that their relative coefficient will decrease. Other signals will gain power in the overall weighting.

In practice, this means that a page with 50 backlinks of average quality could be surpassed by a page with 10 backlinks but significantly superior content, a recognized author signature, and strong expertise signals. Links remain important, but they no longer consistently compensate for mediocre content.

What signals will take the place of backlinks?

Google mentions content quality and the writings of recognized experts. This directly refers to the E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) that have been at the core of the Quality Rater Guidelines for several years.

Likely signals include: the depth of topic treatment, the thematic coherence of the site, mentions of authors with verifiable credentials, citations from reliable sources, and user satisfaction rates measured via behavioral data. Google seeks to identify true specialists, not just the best SEOs.

• Backlinks continue to be a major ranking signal for the coming years, this is not a sudden disappearance
• Their relative weight will decrease in favor of intrinsic content quality signals
• The expertise and authority of the author become differentiating criteria
• This evolution fits into Google's machine learning strategy to understand content without relying solely on links
• The precise timing and extent of this decrease have not been disclosed

Is this statement consistent with what we observe on the ground?

Yes and no. In recent years, it has indeed been observed that pages with a modest link profile but exceptional content can rank in the top 3, especially on informational queries with a strong E-E-A-T component. Health, finance, and legal sites show this trend.

But let's be honest: on competitive commercial queries, backlinks remain massively decisive. An e-commerce site with 500 referring domains will still outperform a competitor with 50 referring domains even if its content is slightly better. The quality gap needs to be huge to offset a significant link gap. [To be verified]: Google does not provide any figures on the extent of this decrease in weighting.

What nuances should be added to this announcement?

First nuance: Google talks about several years. This can mean anywhere from 3 to 10 years. This vague timeline allows Google not to commit to a specific schedule. In practice, algorithms evolve continuously, not through sudden breaks.

Second nuance: this statement likely aims to dissuade abuses of aggressive link building. Google has always had an interest in communicating that link manipulations are becoming less effective, even if reality on the ground shows that they still work. It's also a message sent to content publishers: "Focus on quality, not just links."

In what cases does this rule not fully apply?

Queries with high transactional intent remain dominated by sites with high domain authority, built largely on backlinks. Amazon, Fnac, and Cdiscount won't lose their positions because their produced content is average.

Similarly, sectors where expertise is hard to detect algorithmically (technical B2B, industrial niches) will continue to value backlinks heavily as a proxy for reputation. Google still cannot distinguish a true expert in metal heat treatment from a competent writer.

What should be adjusted in your SEO strategy right now?

First priority: enhance the E-E-A-T signals of your content. This involves clearly identifying authors, adding detailed biographies, and highlighting verifiable credentials (degrees, publications, experience). If your articles are signed "Editorial Team," now is the time to change.

Second adjustment: invest in in-depth content that demonstrates real expertise. Rather than 10 articles of 800 words, produce 3 guides of 3000 words with original data, diagrams, and concrete examples drawn from your practice. Google increasingly values differentiation through added value.

Should netlinking budgets be reduced because of this?

No. This is the trap of this announcement. Backlinks remain indispensable for "several years" according to Google itself. What changes is the allocation: prioritize extreme quality over quantity.

A backlink from a thematically relevant site with true editorial coherence will be worth more than 10 links from general blogs. Focus your efforts on sustainable partnerships with authoritative sites in your field, co-creation of content, and citations in case studies. Contextual and relevant links retain their full value.

How to check if your site is ready for this evolution?

Audit your content from the E-E-A-T perspective: who is speaking, why is this person legitimate, what evidence of expertise is visible? If you cannot clearly answer this for each page, there is work to do.

Also analyze your link profile: do you have a solid base of natural editorial backlinks, or do you depend heavily on purchased or low-quality links? If it’s the latter, diversify your sources and upgrade your quality. A fragile link portfolio will become increasingly risky.

• Implement detailed author bios with verifiable credentials on all content pages
• Identify strategic content and enrich it deeply rather than producing new superficial content
• Maintain link building efforts but prioritize targeting thematic authority sites
• Add sources and citations from recognized references in your articles to enhance credibility
• Measure user engagement metrics (reading time, qualified bounce rate) as indicators of perceived quality
• Clean toxic or low-quality backlinks via Search Console