Link Building
Link Velocity
Quick definition
Link velocity is the rate at which a website acquires new backlinks over time.
Link velocity tracks how fast referring domains are being added. A consistent, steady curve looks natural; sudden spikes (especially with bad anchors) look like an active manipulation attempt.
Why Link Velocity matters
Google does not penalize fast growth that's clearly explained by a real event — a product launch, a press hit, a viral piece. It does scrutinize unexplained anomalies in your link graph.
How Link Velocity works in practice
When planning campaigns, target a sustainable monthly cadence of new referring domains. A 'hockey stick' jump that fades immediately is both ineffective and risky.
Need help applying this to your SaaS?
Get a free strategy call with our team — no pitch, just a clear next step.
Related terms
Backlink
A backlink is an inbound hyperlink from one website to another, used by search engines as a vote of confidence in the destination page.
Referring Domain
A referring domain is any unique website that points at least one backlink to your site.
Link Profile
A link profile is the complete picture of all the backlinks pointing to a website, including anchor text distribution, source quality, and link types.