Definition
Link relevance is a fundamental criterion in Google's evaluation of backlink quality. A link from a site topically related to your business carries more value than a link from an unrelated site. Google analyzes relevance at multiple levels: source domain relevance, source page relevance, the content surrounding the link, and the anchor used. This approach fits within Google's Reasonable Surfer Model, which estimates that a link placed in a relevant context is more likely to be clicked by a user and therefore deserves more weight.
Key Points
- Google values links from topically related sites
- Relevance is evaluated at domain, page, and link context levels
- A relevant low-authority link can be worth more than an irrelevant high-authority link
Practical Examples
Relevant link
For LemmiLink (a link building platform), a backlink from a well-known SEO blog discussing link building strategies is extremely relevant and valuable.
Irrelevant link
A backlink from a cooking recipe site to a link building platform has little topical relevance and will provide less SEO value despite a good DA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Analyze the source site's topic, the source page's content, the text surrounding the link, and the anchor used. Tools like Majestic (Topical Trust Flow) measure a domain's topical relevance.
Ideally both, but if you must choose, topical relevance is often more important. A relevant DA 30 link can have more impact than an irrelevant DA 70 link.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07