Backlinks are crucial elements that strengthen the reputation and authority of your site in the digital world. These links from other websites can boost your SEO performance and increase your potential to rank high in search results.
Backlinks show search engines that your site is reliable and valuable, thus helping you attract organic traffic and improve your online visibility. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Therefore, in this guide, we will provide detailed information on the definition, importance, and the most beneficial types of backlinks. Here’s what you need to know about backlinks:
What is a Backlink?
Backlinks are created when links from other websites direct users to your site. In the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), these links are like votes of confidence from other sites. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher the chances of your website ranking at the top of search results. Backlinks enhance the credibility and authority of your site, making it more valuable in the eyes of search engines. This is crucial for attracting organic traffic and improving your online visibility.
Why are Backlinks Important?
Backlinks are fundamental elements that determine a website’s authority and reliability in the eyes of search engines. Each backlink from other websites tells search engines, “This content is valuable, reliable, and useful.” Therefore, the more backlinks you have, the higher your chances of ranking at the top on Google and other search engines. The use of backlinks in search engine algorithms is not a new practice; in fact, backlinks were the foundation of Google’s original algorithm, PageRank. Despite thousands of changes to Google’s algorithm, backlinks remain a significant ranking signal. For instance, an industry study we conducted showed that backlinks are Google’s most important ranking signal. Google has also confirmed that backlinks are one of the top three search engine ranking factors. Beyond search engines’ perception, backlinks play a critical role in driving direct traffic to your site. Users are directed to your content by clicking on these links from other websites. This not only increases your site’s traffic but also enhances brand awareness, allowing you to reach a broader audience organically.
What Types of Backlinks are Valuable?
Not all backlinks are equal. If you want to rank higher in SERPs, you should focus on high-quality backlinks. In other words, a single high-quality backlink can be more powerful than 1,000 low-quality backlinks. High-quality backlinks generally share the same core attributes. Here are some of these attributes:
Come from Trusted and Authoritative Websites: Would you rather get a backlink from Harvard or from a random person’s website? Google thinks the same way. This concept is known as “Domain Authority.” Essentially, the more authoritative a site is, the more authority it can pass to your site (through a link). Because this link comes from an authoritative site, Google places significant weight on it. After TechCrunch linked to me, I noticed an immediate increase in my organic search engine traffic. Are these types of links hard to get? Absolutely. Are they worth it? Definitely.
Include Your Target Keyword in the Anchor Text: As a reminder, anchor text is the visible text part of a link. In general, you want your links to have anchor text that includes your target keyword. In fact, a recent industry study found a relationship between keyword-rich anchor text and higher rankings for that keyword. But a quick warning: Don’t overdo it with keyword-rich anchor text. Google’s algorithm includes a filter called “Google Penguin.” Google Penguin targets websites that use blackhat link-building strategies and focuses on sites that build backlinks with exact match anchor text.
What is a Dofollow Backlink?
A dofollow backlink is a link that passes authority or “link juice” from one webpage to another. It tells search engines to follow the link and consider it as a vote of confidence for the linked website. Dofollow backlinks are the most valuable type of link in SEO because they contribute to a website’s domain authority and boost its search engine rankings.
What is a Nofollow Backlink?
A nofollow backlink is a link that does not pass any link juice or authority to another website. The nofollow attribute tells search engines not to follow the link or consider it as a vote of confidence for the linked website. Nofollow links were originally created to combat spam and low-quality links. While nofollow links do not directly contribute to a site’s SEO, they can still drive traffic and increase visibility.
The Most Valuable Types of Backlinks
There are many types of backlinks in the backlink market. However, knowing which ones are valuable and which ones are harmful can prevent your site from being blacklisted. Below are the most valuable types of backlinks:
- Editorial Backlinks: Editorial backlinks are mentions of your site within relevant, high-quality content that includes a link to your site. Generally, editorial backlinks occur when your content (such as an article or infographic) is cited as a source of information, a representative of your business is quoted, or your site is included in a compilation of links related to a specific topic. To earn editorial backlinks, consistently create engaging content that positions you as a thought leader, establish your site and brand as a go-to source for interviews and industry expertise, and create content with the potential to go viral and be easily shared. Utilize SEO tools to identify hot keywords and topics that your competitors have mastered but your site has not yet addressed.
- Guest Blogging: When you submit articles for guest blogging to established websites, it’s often possible to include an editorial link back to your site. Guest blogging efforts should be a significant part of nearly any SEO plan. You should strive to find high-quality sites for these opportunities.
- Business Profile Backlinks: When you create business profiles for your business’s digital presence on various platforms like business listing sites, social networks, industry directories, and review sites, you usually have the option to link back to your website (or websites). Search engines see these listings as proof that a site has been around for a while.
- Comment Backlinks: When you leave comments on blog posts, you often have the permission to provide a link back to your website. However, spammers frequently abuse this and use it to build bad links. Nevertheless, when people leave genuine comments on high-quality blog posts, sharing a link can help drive traffic to your site and increase brand awareness.
- Press Release Backlinks: These are backlinks obtained from news releases published by various news sites. For these backlinks, a site editor or relevant writer is asked to publish a promotional release about the site from which the backlink will be taken. These types of backlinks are usually acquired for a fee. However, because Google frowns upon such backlinks, obtaining them from a niche-related site and ensuring the content is beneficial can increase your website authority and web traffic.
