SEO · Backlinks
Media coverage for high-authority backlinks
By the S99 PR editorial team · Updated August 2026 · 5 min read
In short
Backlinks remain a core ranking signal, but quality and relevance now matter more than volume. The best links are from trusted, relevant domains, in-content, and editorial, earned through genuine coverage. Digital PR builds them the sustainable, penalty-safe way.
Key takeaways
- Links still matter, but quality and relevance beat quantity.
- Strong links are trusted, relevant, in-content, and editorial.
- No-follow links still add referral, brand, and discovery value.
- Earn links through coverage; manipulative link schemes risk penalties.
In this guide
Why it matters
Backlinks still count, but quality rules now.
Backlinks remain one of the most important signals search engines use to judge authority. But the model has matured: it is quality and relevance, not raw quantity, that counts. A single link from a trusted, relevant outlet can outweigh hundreds of low-value ones, and a pile of cheap links can do nothing at all, or worse.
What makes one strong
Four traits of a high-authority link.
A high-authority backlink usually shares four traits. It comes from a trusted domain with real authority. It is topically relevant to your field. It sits in the content, contextually, rather than in a footer or a directory. And it is editorial, earned through genuine coverage rather than a manipulative scheme. Links with those traits add durable value; links without them add little.
Do-follow vs no-follow
No-follow is not the same as no value.
Do-follow links pass ranking signal; no-follow links carry a tag telling search engines not to. Press-release and wire links are typically no-follow, and Google now treats no-follow as a hint rather than a strict rule.
Even a no-follow link from a major outlet has value: it drives referral traffic, builds brand awareness, and helps search engines and AI tools discover and corroborate who you are. We explain the press-release side in press release vs media feature.
The safe way
Earn links through coverage, not schemes.
The sustainable way to earn high-authority links is through genuine coverage, often called digital PR: real stories, data, and expertise that outlets want to publish. It compounds over time, and unlike manipulative link buying, it does not put your site at risk.
Google’s guidelines are clear that links intended purely to manipulate rankings can be penalized. Editorial links from real coverage are the opposite: they are a byproduct of being genuinely worth covering.
How we help
Coverage first, links included.
Our Authority Press work earns coverage in credible outlets, and the links that come with it. For the wider view of how coverage supports search, see media coverage for SEO and search visibility.
By the numbers
What the data says about links.
0 x
more backlinks point to the average #1 result than to positions 2 through 10.
Backlinko, 11.8M results
0 %
of online content has zero backlinks, and only 2.2% earn links from more than one site.
Backlinko & BuzzSumo
r= 0
referring domains are the single strongest ranking correlation of any factor measured.
Backlinko
Related
Keep exploring.
FAQ
Common questions.
Yes. They remain one of the most important ranking signals, but the emphasis is now firmly on quality and relevance rather than volume.
A link from a trusted, authoritative domain that is topically relevant to your field, placed contextually in the content, and earned editorially rather than through a scheme.
They are usually no-follow, so they pass little direct ranking value, but they still help with referral traffic, brand awareness, and discovery. A unique editorial feature does more.
Do-follow links pass ranking signal to your site; no-follow links carry a tag telling search engines not to. Google now treats no-follow as a hint, and no-follow links still have real value.
Buying links purely to manipulate rankings violates Google's guidelines and can trigger penalties. The safe route is to earn links through genuine coverage, which is what digital PR does.
Yes. Links help search engines and AI tools discover, corroborate, and trust who you are, which supports both rankings and AI visibility.
Earn the links
Want links that actually count?
Book a call and we’ll map the coverage that earns high-authority, editorial links, the sustainable way that holds up over time.