Written by Fraser McCulloch. Last Updated 28th March 2022Can you use a link intent study to earn more than 30 links for an SEO article?
A blind squirrel could create something and earn 1 or 2 links.
I wrote about Shopify SEO and got 6 links.
I wrote about chrome extensions for SEO and got 3 links.
Sometimes when I provide keyword research services to clients, I’m asked to research the best link building opportunities.
But first, a quick refresher on backlinks.
What is a backlink ?
A backlink is a mention of your web page in the body of another web page that includes a link back to your web page.
Why are backlinks important ?
To quote Ahrefs, “Google has even confirmed that backlinks are one of their top 3 ranking factors“.
We’ve waited 6-9 months but we’re not ranking well or getting traffic from Google
To rank better, your website needs links.
The more your website is mentioned (linked to) by other websites, the more likely Google will trust you, and the higher your pages should rank for the search queries relevant to that page.
How backlinks boost website and page rankings
Sometimes a diagram is the best way to explain how external backlinks boost your website rankings and traffic.
What is link intent ?
I read an interview with Britney Mueller from Moz about link intent; here’s the quote :
So keywords with link intent are things like your industry, statistics, your topic facts.
It’s finding the keywords that have statistics, facts, data, other things that have link intent built in between because people are putting resources together and they want to link out and reference research, they want to reference a statistic.
Britney Mueller – Moz.com
How many SEO articles were published last year
In this example, there are 104,015 pages published in the last year with “SEO” in the title.
Next, sort these pages in descending order to view the pages with the most links (ref domains).
You can create a filter to view the list of pages with 1 or more links.
There are 16280 pages with one or more links.
Just over 15% of pages published last year with SEO in their title earned a link.
Now you can scroll through this list of pages and try and find some ideas about what to create if you want to earn backlinks to a page.
How do find SEO articles with 30 or links ?
My train of thought is to discover what earns the most links and see if I can reverse engineer their approach.
Just filter pages by 30 or more referring domains.
Less than 1 percent of pages published last year about SEO earned 30 or more links.
So I downloaded all these pages and analysed the most frequent words used in their pages titles.
I stripped out some brand names from the title of these pages and excluded words such as _ | and, or, with, &, the, your, a, of, all, numbers and of course SEO.
You can see that “how” appears 148 times in the 950 most linked pages about SEO.
That’s twice as many occurrences as pages that also include “Google”.
Most Linked SEO Pages containing How
Here’s a list of the top 10 most linked-to articles published last year about “SEO” and “how”.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 646 | How Google Evaluates Links for SEO [20 Graphics] |
| 329 | E-A-T and SEO: How to Create Content That Google Wants |
| 326 | How Google’s Nofollow, Sponsored, & UGC Links Impact SEO |
| 195 | How to Use Domain Authority 2.0 for SEO – Whiteboard Friday |
| 177 | Vue.js And SEO: How To Optimize Reactive Websites For Search Engines And Bots |
| 176 | How Google approaches SEO – Think with Google |
| 173 | Announcing the New Moz SEO Essentials Certificate: What It Is & How to Get Certified |
| 156 | What is SEO? How to Optimize Your Site for Google |
| 150 | How to Use Schema for Local SEO: A Complete Guide |
| 139 | How to Perform an In-Depth Technical SEO Audit |
“How” appears 148 times in top-ranked SEO articles.
Knowing that an “SEO“ and “How” article is the most linked to is great to know.
But what kind of “how” article?
So I decided to analyse the best-linked articles that contain “SEO” and “how”.
As you can see, “Google” is featured the most.
Such topics such as :
- How Google Evaluate SEO for links
- SEO : How to create content Google wants
- How Google Links Impact SEO
- Google Nofollow links how it affects SEO
- How to optimise your site for Google
- How to use schema for local seo
- How to perform technical seo audit
- How to create a global seo strategy
- How to boost your on page seo
- How Google’s new layout predicts the future of seo.
So the angle you may want to focus on is something Google has done or impacted the search results and how you can action, respond or improve a website as a result of it.
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Google
Of the 950 most linked pages about “SEO”, 72 of them contained “google” in the page title.
Here are the top 10 most linked-to articles about “SEO” and “google”.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 646 | How Google Evaluates Links for SEO [20 Graphics] |
| 329 | E-A-T and SEO: How to Create Content That Google Wants |
| 326 | How Google’s Nofollow, Sponsored, & UGC Links Impact SEO |
| 245 | Topical SEO: 7 Concepts of Link Relevance & Google Rankings — Beginner-to-Advanced |
| 223 | Google Ranking Factors 2019: Opinions from 1,500+ Professional SEOs | SparkToro |
| 176 | How Google approaches SEO – Think with Google |
| 156 | What is SEO? How to Optimize Your Site for Google |
| 149 | 7 Best SEO Tools to Help You Rank Higher in Google |
| 142 | Google Shares Top 3 SEO Factors – |
| 131 | I will boost your google ranking with high quality SEO backlinks for $15 on www.fiverr.com |
But what kind of Google + SEO articles do the most linked-to articles write about?
You probably want to write about Google and rankings.
- How Google evaluates links for seo
- SEO : how to create content google wants
- How Google’s new links impact seo
- How to use domain authority for seo
- SEO: how to optimise your site for google
- How to use xml sitemaps for seo
- How to do seo for zero click searches
- How to get more traffic without doing any seo
- Bing SEO : how to increase search traffic
And if you can manage to obtain quotes or interviews from Google’s John Mueller, that’s another topic to consider.
Most Linked SEO Pages containing 2019
Of the 950 most linked pages about “SEO” published, there are 60 that contained “2019” in the page title.
Here’s the top 10.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 1625 | The Ultimate Adult SEO Guide 2019 – All You Need to Rank Higher |
| 322 | 12 Local SEO Stats Every Business Owner and Marketer Should Know in 2019 [Infographic] |
| 253 | Best Platforms For Parasite SEO In 2019 |
| 223 | Google Ranking Factors 2019: Opinions from 1,500+ Professional SEOs | SparkToro |
| 206 | These Are The Biggest SEO Trends Of 2019 |
| 177 | 14 SEO Predictions for 2019 and Beyond, as Told by Mozzers |
| 165 | 9 Tips for Creating Your Best SEO Content in 2019 |
| 132 | 6 SEO Marketing Trends in 2019 That Entrepreneurs Should Know About |
| 129 | The 2019 SEO Services Report |
| 119 | 7 Advanced SEO Techniques To Use In 2019 | Neil Patel |
It’s too easy to write about SEO trends or SEO predictions for the current or next year.
And you can see that some of the most linked SEO articles about “2019” write about trends and predictions.
But what were the most frequent words that appear in the most linked to “SEO” and “2019” articles?
So out of the 60 “SEO” + “2019” articles, the most frequent word is “local”.
So perhaps it’s a good idea, based on last year, to write the “Best Local SEO Guide for 2020” to rank better?
Or
- Local SEO Statistics in 2020
- Local SEO blogs to read in 2020
- Local SEO Checklists for 2020
- A crowdsourced article from Local SEO Experts in 2020
Topical content research; based on hard data!
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Guide
Of the 950 most linked pages about “SEO” published, there are 60 that contained “guide” in the page title.
Here’s a list of the 10 most linked to SEO articles containing “guide”.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 1625 | The Ultimate Adult SEO Guide 2019 – All You Need to Rank Higher |
| 1135 | On-Page SEO | The Beginner’s Guide to SEO |
| 476 | Measuring & Tracking SEO Success | Beginner’s Guide to SEO |
| 468 | The Ultimate Guide to SEO Meta Tags |
| 316 | The One-Hour Guide to SEO – 6 Free Videos |
| 273 | Technical SEO | The Beginner’s Guide to SEO |
| 238 | The Ultimate Guide to JavaScript SEO | Onely |
| 219 | Guide to SEO Competitor Analysis (+ Free Template) |
| 189 | SEO Glossary of Terms | The Beginner’s Guide to SEO |
| 181 | The 38+ Hour Guide to Becoming a Certified SEO Expert & Ensuring Your Web Pages Hit the First Page of Search Results |
But what kind of SEO guide ?
68 articles about “SEO” + “guide” earned more than 30 links last year.
What were the most popular words they contained?
“Ultimate” features most frequently with “complete” not far behind.
So consider these topics.
- The Ultimate Guide to SEO tags
- Ultimate Guide to Javascript SEO
- Ultimate SEO Link Building Guide
- Ultimate Local SEO Guide
- Ultimate Guide to SEO Guest Posting
Go on then!
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Marketing
Of the 950 pages most linked “SEO” pages, 67 of them also contained “marketing” in their page title.
Let’s review some of these best linked “SEO” + “marketing” pages.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 647 | Free SEO Tools & Scripts | Digital Marketing Agency |
| 338 | best digital marketing agency SEO company in hyderabad india. |
| 222 | Phoenix SEO – Phoenix Digital Marketing & Internet Marketing | NEXTFLY |
| 207 | Boise SEO Agency and Idaho Internet Marketing Services | Crevand SEO |
| 180 | Rural Local SEO: A Marketing Package Strong on Education |
| 142 | Learn All You Need to Know (66.5 Hours!) About Digital Marketing, SEO, Copywriting, & More to Build Your Self-Employed Empire |
| 132 | 6 SEO Marketing Trends in 2019 That Entrepreneurs Should Know About |
| 125 | Take on Every Facet of Digital Marketing with 38 Hours of Training in SEO, Social Media Marketing, Copywriting & More |
| 121 | NH SEO | Search Engine Optimization Services – Digital Marketing Partnerz |
| 114 | Wix SEO: Hyperlocal Digital Marketing | Expert Wix SEO Guide Tutorial |
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th top linked pages in this look somewhat suspect, so I’d ignore those pages.
Sadly you don’t learn much from top linked SEO pages containing “marketing”; you need to look at each page in isolation.
Most Linked SEO Pages containing What
Of the 950 most linked “SEO“ pages, 44 of them also contained “what” in the page title.
Here are the top 10 most linked to “SEO“ + “What“ pages.
| Referring Domains | Page Titles |
| 342 | What Is Schema Markup & Why It’s Important for SEO |
| 241 | What is the best SEO strategy for 2020? – SEO MALAYSIA |
| 173 | Announcing the New Moz SEO Essentials Certificate: What It Is & How to Get Certified |
| 156 | What is SEO? How to Optimize Your Site for Google |
| 140 | What Happens When SEO and CRO Conflict? |
| 134 | What are LSI Keywords? And Why They Matter For SEO [New Guide] |
| 106 | The Truth About Domain Authority: What Every SEO Needs to Understand – |
| 98 | A Breakdown of HTML Usage Across ~8 Million Pages (& What It Means for Modern SEO) |
| 94 | SEO Basics: What Does It Take to Be an SEO Copywriter in 2019? |
| 87 | Google’s Shift from Answers to Journeys: What Does It Mean for SEO? |
Let’s drill down a little deeper into these “SEO” and “what” pages.
Pages containing “SEO” and “what” are predominately educational articles.
- What is
- What do
- What does
- What are and why does x matter
- What, why, how
- What is and why is important
- Domain Authority: What Every SEO Needs to Understand
- Future of SEO: What SEO & Marketing Pros Need to Understand
- The Intersection of SEO & Influence: What B2B Marketers Need to Know
- SEO for Creatives: What Designers, Artists, Photographers & Writers Need to Know
- Is It Time To Outsource SEO? Here’s What You Need To Consider
- Partnering with an Enterprise SEO Agency: What You Need to Know
- AI and SEO in the Post-BERT World: What Marketers Need to Know
So time to get teaching what an SEO topic is and what people need to know.
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Content
Of the 950 most linked “SEO“ pages, 44 of them contained “content” in the page title.
Let’s dig a little deeper and look at the most linked to “SEO” and “content” pages.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 331 | I will write quality, native english website content that is SEO optimized for $5 on www.fiverr.com |
| 329 | E-A-T and SEO: How to Create Content That Google Wants |
| 238 | 10 Basic SEO Tips to Index + Rank New Content Faster – Whiteboard Friday |
| 165 | 9 Tips for Creating Your Best SEO Content in 2019 |
| 126 | How to Build Your Brand’s Authority with Strategic Content & SEO |
| 115 | It’s Content and It’s Links – Are We Making SEO Too Complicated? |
| 111 | Acquire Your First 1,000 Customers Using Social Media, Content & Video Marketing, PR, SEO, SEM, FB, Instagram, & More |
| 104 | SEO Content Strategy Tips to Boost Your Ranking in 2019 |
| 102 | 5 Trends to Know in SEO & Content Marketing |
| 88 | How to Mine the SERPs for SEO, Content & Customer Insights |
The topic is so vast to let’s drill and see what other words appear in the most linked to “SEO” and “content” pages.
The top word contained in the most linked pages about “SEO” and “content” is “how”.
- SEO : how to create to content
- Build authority with content and seo
- Mine SERPS for seo and content insights
- How to leverage seasonal content for seo
- How much should you pay for seo content
- How to recruit seo content writers
The above list is some interesting angles if you’re considering writing about SEO and content.
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Rank
Of the 950 most linked pages about “SEO“, 53 of them contained “rank“ or “rankings“ in the page title.
Here’s the top most linked to “SEO” and “rank” pages.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 1625 | The Ultimate Adult SEO Guide 2019 – All You Need to Rank Higher |
| 319 | 7 SEO Title Tag Hacks for Increased Rankings + Traffic – Best of Whiteboard Friday |
| 245 | Topical SEO: 7 Concepts of Link Relevance & Google Rankings — Beginner-to-Advanced |
| 238 | 10 Basic SEO Tips to Index + Rank New Content Faster – Whiteboard Friday |
| 223 | Google Ranking Factors 2019: Opinions from 1,500+ Professional SEOs | SparkToro |
| 149 | 7 Best SEO Tools to Help You Rank Higher in Google |
| 146 | This SEO Analysis Tool Helps You Optimize Your Site’s Search Rankings & Keep Track of Competitors |
| 135 | Elevate Your Site’s Search Ranking with a Detailed SEO Audit & Actionable Fixes |
| 131 | I will boost your google ranking with high quality SEO backlinks for $15 on www.fiverr.com |
| 125 | Better Website Rankings & More Visitors: Seobility SEO Software Lifetime Deal is a Chance You Shouldn’t Miss! |
As you can see from the bar chart below, “Google” and “how” feature the most frequent in the best linked “SEO“ and “rank“ articles.
Including “Google” in an SEO ranking article seems pretty apparent, but what about how articles about “SEO” and “ranking”?
Here’s some of the most linked to pages.
- How nofollow links affect seo
- How to understand searcher intent to boost seo
- How to outrank big companies with no seo budget
- Local seo: how to rank
- Youtube SEO : how to rank
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Tips
Of the 950 most linked “SEO“ articles, 45 of those pages included “tips“ in the page title.
Here’s the top 10 most linked to pages about “SEO“ and “tips“ created last year.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 238 | 10 Basic SEO Tips to Index + Rank New Content Faster – Whiteboard Friday |
| 174 | Image SEO: 7 Tips to Optimize Images the Right Way |
| 165 | 9 Tips for Creating Your Best SEO Content in 2019 |
| 134 | Actionable SEO Tips and Strategies That Work |
| 114 | 7 Tips to Optimize Crawl Budget for SEO |
| 112 | SEO Tips For Beginners – Google Boost Your Web Site |
| 110 | 5 Tips for Choosing Your Next SEO Firm |
| 104 | SEO Content Strategy Tips to Boost Your Ranking in 2019 |
| 103 | 6 SEO Tips to Benefit Any Business |
| 76 | Top On-Site SEO Tips to Rank High on SERP |
“Content” appears 3 times in the top 10 most linked to pages about “SEO” and “tips “.
And yes, “content“ is the most frequently found word in the most linked to pages about “SEO“ tips.
Let’s look at the most linked to SEO tips and content pages.
- SEO tips to index and rank new content faster
- Tips for creating best seo content
- SEO Content Strategy tips
- 6 tips to create seo friendly content
- SEO : 9 tips for writing great content
Most Linked SEO Pages containing Local
Of the 950 most linked pages about “SEO“, 44 of them contained the word “local”.
Here are the top links to pages about “SEO” and “local” created last year.
| Referring Domains | Page Title |
| 322 | 12 Local SEO Stats Every Business Owner and Marketer Should Know in 2019 [Infographic] |
| 297 | New York SEO – [View Our Local SEO Packages] |
| 249 | New Jersey SEO – [View Our Local SEO Packages] |
| 180 | Rural Local SEO: A Marketing Package Strong on Education |
| 155 | Local SEO Holiday Checklist |
| 150 | How to Use Schema for Local SEO: A Complete Guide |
| 116 | Local SEO: The Ultimate Guide |
| 114 | Wix SEO: Hyperlocal Digital Marketing | Expert Wix SEO Guide Tutorial |
| 111 | SEO Services for Businesses by Pinpoint Local – Local Seo Services |
| 102 | The Top Local SEO Blogs to Read in 2019 |
I think we can safely ignore how the 2nd and 3rd most linked-to pages got their links.
I’ll ignore the pages that contain 2019 and look at “how” and “guide” articles about “SEO“ and “local“.
- How to use schema for local seo
- Local seo : how to rank where it counts
- How to do local seo during holidays
- How to build authority in local seo
- Seo : how distance and intent shape local pack
- Local SEO : how to rank
- Local SEO : ultimate guide
- Guide to strength local seo
- Local seo guide for small businesses
- Local SEO for lawyers : advanced guide
- Guide to local seo for large enterprises
Some of these topics are very advanced, but industry or sector-focused local SEO guide is perhaps a good angle.
Summary
There’s a saying in sport; you’re only as good as your last game.
In other words, what happened in the past, don’t expect it to happen next time around.
Just because I’ve reverse-engineered the most linked to SEO articles doesn’t mean you’ll earn links by focusing on these topics.
The average domain rating of the top linked pages about SEO is 79.
So these are big, authoritative websites that probably earn most of their links organically with little outreach.
They can just publish an article, share it socially and email it to their list.
And bang; links.
However around 10% of these 950 pages have a domain rating of 50 or less.
My website is a domain rating of 50, and outreach and link building is a ball breaker.
Yet, these low to average domains are earning on average 78 links to their SEO articles.
So, earning 30 + links to an article about SEO, regardless of how tough an industry it is, is absolutely within your grasp.
I hope reverse engineering the best link pages can help inspire your next SEO article or help research client link building opportunities.