The Impact of Backlinks on Indexing and SEO
- Jeong Hyeon
- Mar 1
- 4 min read
Backlinks are one of the most crucial elements in SEO (Search Engine Optimization). A backlink refers to a link from another website pointing to your site, playing a significant role in how search engines evaluate a website's credibility and authority.
However, just how much of an impact do backlinks have? Have you personally observed or experienced their effects? In this article, I’ll provide real-world examples and data-driven evidence to demonstrate the influence of backlinks on indexing.
What is Indexing?
Indexing is the process where search engines collect and store web pages in their database. Simply put, it’s a way of organizing and categorizing websites so that search engines can efficiently retrieve information when users perform a search.
Before indexing happens, search engines first go through a crawling process.
Indexing Process
1️⃣ Crawling: Search engine bots (e.g., Googlebot) visit and analyze the content of web pages.
2️⃣ Indexing: The crawled data is stored in the search engine’s database.
3️⃣ Search Results Display: Only indexed pages can appear in search results.
💡 If a website is not indexed, it won’t show up in search results!
How Backlinks Affect Indexing
1️⃣ Encouraging Crawlers to Visit More Frequently
Backlinks help search engine crawlers discover and revisit pages more often.
✅ Receiving backlinks from high-authority websites increases the chances of faster indexing because search engines recognize the page as valuable content.
❌ On the other hand, pages with few or no backlinks may experience slower crawling and indexing speeds.
2️⃣ Speeding Up Indexing for New Pages
When a new page is created, search engines take time to find and index it.
✅ However, if an indexed website links to the new page, search engines are more likely to discover and index it faster.
🔹 Backlinks from high Page Quality (PQ) sites significantly boost indexing speed.
3️⃣ Increasing Search Engine Trust
Backlinks are a key factor in how search engines evaluate a website's credibility.
✅ Pages with many high-quality backlinks gain search engine trust, improving their indexing priority.
❌ However, spammy backlinks from low-quality sites can negatively impact SEO, leading to deindexing or ranking penalties.
4️⃣ Maximizing Indexing Efficiency with Internal Links
Strategically combining backlinks with internal linking enhances indexing speed.
Case Study: The Impact of Backlinks on Indexing
To test the impact of backlinks on indexing speed, I created two versions of the same content—one in English and one in Korean.
English content was shared on LinkedIn (a high-authority site) with backlinks.
Korean content was not shared externally.
Results:
✅ English pages (with backlinks) were fully indexed.
❌ Korean pages (without backlinks) were not indexed at all, even though indexing requests were submitted at the same time.
🔎 Observations:
Google indexed all English pages quickly due to backlinks from LinkedIn.
Korean pages without backlinks were completely ignored by Google’s indexer.
Bing did not index either language (suggesting Bing’s indexing process may be different).
📌 Example Backlinked Posts on LinkedIn:
📌 The Importance and Usage of Sitemaps in SEO – Google Search Console https://www.allmarketingagency.com/post/the-importance-and-usage-of-sitemaps-in-seo-google-search-console LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-sitemaps-matter-seo-how-use-them-jeonghyeon-seok-pv2ac/?trackingId=E8I%2Bxc3sQv2dNIz23SJhMQ%3D%3D
Don't Run Meta(Instagram, Meta) Ads If You Don't Know This! https://www.allmarketingagency.com/post/don-t-run-meta-instagram-meta-ads-if-you-don-t-know-this LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/simple-dont-run-meta-instagram-facebook-ads-you-know-jeonghyeon-seok-qrywc/?trackingId=E8I%2Bxc3sQv2dNIz23SJhMQ%3D%3D
Instagram Grid (Feed) Layout Change: 4:5 Reels and Grid - How to Fix 'Fit to Feed' Issues! https://www.allmarketingagency.com/post/instagram-grid-feed-layout-change-4-5-reels-and-grid-how-to-fix-fit-to-feed-issues LInkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/instagram-grid-feed-layout-change-45-reels-how-fix-fit-seok-8aloc/?trackingId=E8I%2Bxc3sQv2dNIz23SJhMQ%3D%3D
Backlink O | 📌 The Importance and Usage of Sitemaps in SEO – Google Search Console | Don't Run Meta(Instagram, Meta) Ads If You Don't Know This! | Instagram Grid (Feed) Layout Change: 4:5 Reels and Grid - How to Fix 'Fit to Feed' Issues! |
Index |  |  |  |
Backlink X | 📌 SEO에서 사이트 맵(Sitemap)의 중요성과 사용법_구글 서치 콘솔(google Search consloe) | Meta 광고 이거 모르면 광고하지 마세요. | 인스타그램 그리드(피드) 영역 변경: 4:5 릴스, 그리드 모두 '피드 맞추기' 해결 방법!! |
Index |  |  |  |
From bin not indexed all pages
Other Methods to Speed Up Indexing
Aside from backlinks, here are additional strategies to speed up indexing:
1️⃣ Use Social Media Platforms
Platforms like Twitter, Reddit, Quora, and Medium help search engine crawlers discover new pages faster.
❌ Instagram has limitations since direct links aren’t easily shareable.
2️⃣ Submit XML Sitemaps via Google Search Console
Uploading a sitemap and using the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console can significantly improve indexing speed.
3️⃣ Use Internal Links from Indexed Pages
Linking new pages from already indexed pages helps search engines discover and crawl them faster.
💡 Example:
Adding internal links from high-traffic blog posts can increase indexing speed for new content.
When Should You Prioritize Backlinks for Indexing?
🚀 If your page is not being indexed or indexing is delayed, you should consider backlinking strategies in the following cases:
1️⃣ If your page hasn’t been indexed after a week
Even after submitting an indexing request in Google Search Console, if your page remains unindexed for over a week, search engines may not see it as a priority. Getting backlinks can help!
2️⃣ If your website has limited content
Websites with small amounts of content or many new pages might have lower crawling frequency. Backlinks help attract search engine bots.
3️⃣ If your website is less than a year old
New websites generally have lower authority and crawling frequency. Backlinks help search engines recognize the site faster.
Conclusion: Backlinks Are Key to Faster Indexing
Backlinks significantly impact indexing speed and search engine trust.
🔹 High-quality backlinks help search engines prioritize pages.
🔹 Low-quality (spam) backlinks can harm SEO.
🔹 Strategic backlinking combined with internal links boosts indexing efficiency.
📢 How do you use backlinks in your SEO strategy? Share your experiences in the comments! 🚀
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