Link Growth and Link Decline

Definition

Link growth describes the increase in referring domains or URLs pointing to your site. A healthy backlink profile should show steady, natural growth over time. Link decline—the loss of backlinks—can occur when pages are removed or websites shut down.

Why It Matters for SEO

Rapid spikes may signal manipulative tactics and trigger penalties, while long periods of stagnation can reflect a lack of visibility. Monitoring growth versus decline helps identify campaign effectiveness and detect potential issues early.

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