Backlinks

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks are links on other websites that point to your website. In the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), they’re like votes of credibility from other sites. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website is likely to rank in search results.

For example, here is a link from Forbes to my website.

Because that link points directly to a page on my website, it’s a “backlink”.

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Why Are Backlinks Important?

Backlinks are the cornerstones of website authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

They are basically votes from other websites. Each of these votes tells search engines: “This content is valuable, credible and useful”.

So the more of these “votes” you have, the higher your site will rank in Google and alternate search engines.

Using links in a search engine algorithm is nothing new. In fact, SEO backlinks formed the foundation of Google’s original algorithm (known as “PageRank”).

Even though Google has made thousands of changes to its algorithm since then, backlinks remain a key ranking signal.

For example, an industry study that we conducted found that links remain Google’s key ranking signal.

And Google has confirmed that backlinks remain one of their three most important search engine ranking factors.

Beyond just search engine perception, backlinks are also pivotal in driving direct traffic to your site.

When users click on these links from other websites, they are led straight to your content. This not only boosts your site’s traffic but also enhances brand awareness, drawing in a broader audience organically.

To understand more about the importance of backlinks in your SEO strategy, sign up for a free SEO course at Semrush Academy.

There are dozens of options, including Brian Dean’s best courses. And you also get a certification after the final tests.

What Types of Backlinks are Valuable?

Not all backlinks are created equal.

In other words, if you want to rank higher in the SERPs, focus on quality backlinks.

Put another way:

A single-quality backlink can be more powerful than 1,000 low-quality backlinks.

As it turns out, high-quality backlinks tend to share the same key traits.

Trait #1: They Come From Trusted, Authoritative Websites

Would you rather get a backlink from Harvard… or a random guy’s website?

As it turns out, Google feels the same way.

This concept is known as “Domain Authority”. Essentially, the more authority a site has, the more authority it can pass on to your site (via a link).

For example, here’s a link that I got from TechCrunch.

According to Semrush, TechCrunch is an extremely authoritative domain.

Because that link comes from an authority site, Google puts lots of weight on it. In fact, I noticed a boost in my organic search engine traffic right after TechCrunch linked to me.

Are these links hard to get? Definitely.

Are they worth it? Absolutely.

Trait #2: They Include Your Target Keyword In The Link’s 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.

Now, a quick word of warning:

You don’t want to go overboard with keyword-rich anchor text. In fact, Google has a filter in their algorithm called “Google Penguin”.

Google Penguin filters out websites that use black hat link building strategies. And it specifically focuses on sites that build backlinks with exact match anchor text.

Trait #3: The Site (and Page) Linking to You Is Topically Related To Your Site

When a website links to another website, Google wants to see that the two sites are related.

This makes sense if you think about it:

Imagine you just published an article about running a marathon.

In that case, Google will put MUCH more weight on links from sites about marathons, running, fitness vs. sites about fishing, unicycles, and digital marketing.

Trait #4: The Link Is a “Dofollow” Link

Google and search engines like Google ignore links with the “nofollow” tag attached to it.

(In other words, nofollow links don’t count search engine ranking algorithms.)

Fortunately, the vast majority of links on the web are “dofollow” links.

And most of the links that have the nofollow tag aren’t that valuable to begin with. For example, links from these sources tend to be nofollow:

• Blog comments
• Press releases
• Paid advertisements

These links aren’t super helpful for SEO anyway, so it’s not a big deal that they’re nofollow.

Trait #5: The Link Is From a Domain That Hasn’t Linked to You Before

Let’s say you get a link from Website A.

Great.

Well, let’s say Website A links to you again. And again. And again.

Are the second, third, and fourth links as powerful as the first one?

No.

As it turns out, links from the same website have diminishing returns.

Or put another way:

It’s usually better to get 100 links from 100 different websites than 1,000 links from the same website.

In fact, our search engine ranking correlation study found that the number of sites linking to you (not the total number of backlinks) correlated with Google rankings more than any other factor.

Now that you’ve seen what types of backlinks are the most helpful for your Google rankings, it’s time for me to show you how to start building them.

Best Practices

Create a Linkable Assets

If you want people to link to your website, you need something on your site worth linking to.

(Also known as “Linkable Assets”.)

A Linkable Asset can be a blog post, a video, a piece of software, a quiz, a survey… basically anything that people will want to link to.

In most cases, your linkable asset will be an amazing piece of content (which is why search engine optimization and content marketing are so closely tied together).

For example, when I first started my blog, I published this list of 200+ Google ranking factors.

One day I read that Google uses 200 ranking signals. Which made me curious: “What are these 200 signals?”.

Of course, Google wasn’t about to announce them to the world. So I started compiling statements from Google and patents that I found online.

Compiling these 200 factors was extremely time-consuming (it took me over 2 weeks). But in the end, I FINALLY compiled a list of 200 ranking factors that Google might use in their algorithm.

To date, this single piece of content has generated over 35,600 backlinks from 8,400 domains.

How about another example?

One of my most successful posts to date (in terms of backlinks and organic traffic) is my ultimate guide to YouTube SEO.

When I started writing this post I was starting to have some success with YouTube marketing. So I decided to compile and share what I learned in the form of an ultimate guide.

I also decided to include a lot of examples in my guide:

(Something that most of the other content on this topic lacked.)

Even though this post hasn’t generated nearly the same amount of links as my Google Ranking Factors post, it’s still racked up quite a few backlinks.

Build Backlinks from Link Roundups

Imagine if people published blog posts with the sole purpose of linking out to quality content.

(The type of quality content that you publish on your site already.)

It’d be pretty great, right?

Fortunately, that’s a real thing. And they’re called link roundups.

Here’s an example:

Link roundups are daily, weekly or monthly blog posts that link to outstanding content.

Here’s an example of a backlink that I built from a roundup:

Here’s the step-by-step process.

1. Find Link Roundups In Your Niche: Use search strings in Google search, like ““Keyword” + “link roundup”.
2. Pitch Your Resource: (Gently) suggest that they include your linkable asset to the roundup.

And if your post is a good fit for that person’s roundup, you’ll get a high-quality link.

(They may also share your content on social media.)

Use The Moving Man Method

Here is the 3-step process:

1. First, you find web pages, resources or businesses that are outdated, rebranded or recently changed names.
2. Then, find the sites that are still linking to these outdated resources.
3. Finally, you email people to let them know that they’re linking to something that’s out of date.

Let me show you how this works with a real-life example…

About 11 years ago, I read that a website for a big SEO agency website suddenly shut down.

This meant that they had lots of pages on their site that weren’t working anymore…

…pages that lots of people were still linking to.

Specifically, I noticed that an infographic about SEO on their site wasn’t working anymore. Which was perfect, because I had just published my own SEO-focused infographic.

So that was the first step.

Next, I had to see who actually linked to that infographic.

So I fired up Semrush and pulled all of their links:

Finally, I emailed everyone that linked to the infographic to let them know the image wasn’t working anymore. I also let them know that my infographic would make a great replacement for the BlueGlass one.

Here’s the script I used:

Hi [Name],

I was searching for some content to read about [Topic] this morning. And I came across your excellent post: [Post Title].

Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice that you mentioned [Outdated Resource] in your article.

As you may have heard, [Problem With Outdated Resource].

Here’s a screenshot of where that link is located: [Screenshot]

Also, I recently published a piece of content about [Topic]. It might make a good replacement for the [Outdated Resource].

Either way, I hope this helps you and have a great day!

Thanks,
[Your Name]

As you can see, people were more than happy to link to me:

Broken Link Building

This strategy is similar to the Moving Man Method you just learned about.

The difference is that with broken link building, you’re only looking for pages that have 404 errors.

To find and fix broken links, including the 404 links, you want to focus on resource pages in your niche. So if you’re in the fitness niche you’d search in Google using these search strings:

• “fitness” + “resource page”
• “fitness” + “resources”
• “fitness” + “recommended sites”
• “fitness” + “links”

And you’d find pages like this.

Now you could email the site owner and ask for a link. But I’ve found that begging doesn’t work very well.

Instead, let the site owner know about any broken links that you find.

You can easily find broken links on any page. Just use the nifty Check My Links SEO Chrome extension.

This program quickly finds any broken links the page happens to have. It also highlights them in red to make them easy to find:

The last thing you need to do is email the site owner about their dead link.

Hi [Site Owner Name],

I was just browsing around your resources page today, and among the lists of great resources, were some broken links.

Here’s a few of them:

[URL 1]
[URL 2]
[URL 3]

Oh, and I have a website, [Your Website], that also regularly posts quality content related to whatever. If you think so too, feel free to post a link to it on your resources page.

Either way I hope this helps and keep up the good work!

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Guest Posting

Is guest posting dead?

Not really.

In fact, when you’re first starting out, guest blogging is one of the BEST ways to get links to your site.

In fact, when I first started Backlinko, I wrote over 50 guest posts and interviews in 12 months!

And the links I got from guest posting definitely gave my organic traffic a boost.

That said, I was very strategic about things. I made sure to only write guest posts for quality sites in my niche.

So if you run a site about the Paleo Diet, and write a guest post on a site about iPhones, that’s going to look spammy to Google.

But when you write mind-blowing guest posts for quality websites in your industry, those links DO help.

The thing is, finding places to guest post can be a HUGE pain.

But there’s an easier way…

Here’s how it works:

First, find someone in your industry that writes a lot of guest posts.

Next, go to one of their published guest posts. And grab the headshot they use in their author bio:

Finally, pop the URL of that screenshot into Google reverse image search.

And you’ll get a list of places that published guest posts on.

Infographics and Other Visual Assets

Do infographics work as well as they used to? Probably not.

But they’re still an effective link building strategy.

In fact, when we looked at what types of content generate the most links, infographics came out near the top.

For example, one of the first infographics I ever made took only a few hours to put together (I also hired a professional designer to make it look professional).

Even though this infographic didn’t go viral, it led to some solid backlinks:

To be clear: I didn’t just publish my infographic and hope for the best.

Like any piece of content that you publish, you need to strategically promote your infographic. And to do that, I recommend using an SEO strategy called “Guestographics”.

I outline exactly how Guestographics work in this post.

Submit Testimonials

Companies big and small love to show off customer testimonials.

And you’re using a product or service that you love (or at least like), consider sending them a testimonial.

To show that you’re a real person they’ll often add a link to your website… without you even having to ask.

Here’s an example:

Blogger Reviews

If you have a piece of software, physical product, consulting service or ANYTHING of value that you sell, you can easily turn that into dozens of high-quality backlinks.

How?

By offering your product to bloggers for free.

Here’s how:

1. Find bloggers in your niche that might be interested in what you have to offer. If you sell an information product that teaches people how to make their own soaps, you’d Google things like “soap making”, “make soap at home” etc.
2. Your results will be a mixed bag of blogs, news websites and “how to” websites like eHow. Filter out how-to sites or news sites. You’ll be left with a solid list bloggers that might be interested in your offer, like this one:
3. Reach out to them with this email script:Hey [Site Owner Name],
   I was searching for [Some Homemade Soap Recipes] today when I came across [Website].
   Awesome stuff!
   Actually, I just launched a guide that [Teaches People How To Make Luxury Soaps At Home]. I usually charge [$X], but I’d be more than happy to send it over to you on the house.
   Let me know how that sounds.
   Cheers,
   [Your First Name]
   

One word of warning: You want to be VERY careful about the language you use for this strategy.

Note how you don’t offer your product in exchange for a link or review… which would violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

Instead, send them the product and let them decide if it’s worth a mention on their blog.

Link Reclamation

Link reclamation is simple:

First, find mentions of your company that don’t link to your site.

Here’s an example:

See how the author of that article above mentioned my website… but didn’t link to it?

That’s where link reclamation comes into play.

Instead of saying “I wish they linked to me”, you proactively reach out and ask them to link.

In my experience, a friendly reminder is usually enough to get most people to log into WordPress and add your link.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Use an SEO tool like Semrush’s Brand Monitoring, BuzzSumo or Mention.com to find mentions of your brand online. When you do, you’ll get a heads up whenever someone writes about you:
2. Check to see whether or not the person that mentioned you also linked back to your site (either your homepage or internal page). If they linked to your site, you’re set.If not, move onto step #3…
3. Send them this friendly email.Hey [Name],I just wanted to reach out and say “thanks” for mentioning [Your Brand] in your excellent article yesterday.
   We really, really appreciate it.
   I’m reaching out today to ask if you could add a link back to our site. That way, people can easily find us while reading your article.
   Either way, thanks for the shout out and keep up the great work!
   Thanks,
   [Your First Name]
   

Use a PR Link Building Platform

PR link building platforms are one of the best ways to get high authority backlinks from news sites.

Note: While HARO was long considered the leader in this space, it closed in early 2024. Its successor, Connectively, will also cease operations in December 2024. However, several HARO alternative platforms continue to thrive in this space.

Here’s how these platforms generally work:

1. Sign up as a source on the platform.
2. Receive regular emails with journalist queries seeking expert sources.
3. Respond with your credentials and some helpful tips.

Easy right? You give a reporter a quote and they’ll hook you up with a backlink.

That’s all there is to it.

For example, here’s a sweet link I got from Entrepreneur.com by replying to a HARO request:

Reverse Engineer Your Competitor’s Backlinks

Every industry has its own set of link building opportunities.

So I recommend setting aside some time to reverse engineer your competition. That way, you can find link opportunities that only exist in your niche.

How about an example?

Let’s say you run a health and fitness blog.

And one of your competitors is Nerd Fitness.

Well, when I check out that site’s backlink profile in a backlink checker, I notice that A LOT of their links come from podcasts:

Specifically, people from that company (especially the founder, Steve Kamb) appear on other people’s podcasts as guests.

Just like that you have a nice list of places that you can go to get backlinks to your website.

(Obviously, you need to reach out to the people that run those podcasts and pitch yourself as a guest. Which takes work. But at least you know where to start.)

Stick to Content Formats That Generate Links

Like I mentioned earlier, infographics are one content format that’s ideal for building backlinks.

But it’s one of many.

We also found that, even though they didn’t generate lots of social media shares, “Why posts” and “What posts” tended to get linked-to fairly often.

Learn More

How to Get High Quality Backlinks (7 Top Strategies): This is an updated list of link building strategies that focus on building new backlinks from authority websites.

10 Awesome Link Building Tools: If you’re serious about link building, you’ll need tools to help you do the job. Here’s a list of the best of the bunch.

How to Do a Basic Backlink Analysis on Your Competitors: Learn how to evaluate your competitors backlinks.

Backlinks: What Are They and Why Are They Important for SEO? Clear Up All Your Questions

Backlinks are a crucial aspect of Link Building and an important strategy for Off-Page SEO. Many SEO experts agree that building backlinks is one of the top factors in improving Google Rankings. However, many beginners in SEO tend to focus too much on keywords or other techniques, neglecting backlinks, which can result in a website having great content but not improving its rank due to a lack of credibility.

For those asking, "What are backlinks?" or "Is it true that the more backlinks a website has, the better its ranking?" this article from Relevant Audience will dive deeper into backlinks and help clarify everything for you.

What Are Backlinks?
Think of a situation where you post something on social media platforms like Facebook. If a celebrity or well-known person comments or shares it, it increases the credibility of the post. The same principle applies to backlinks on websites. When a high-quality website with high Domain Authority (DA) links to your site, it boosts your website's credibility. Google uses this as a measure to assess the PageRank of your website, which helps with SEO and makes it easier for your site to rank higher.

To give a simple example: If you’re looking for a yoga mat on a shopping app, you’ll likely feel more confident about a store with many reviews compared to one without reviews. The store with positive reviews seems more credible.

Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?
By now, you should have a clearer picture of why backlinks are so important for websites. Here are four key reasons why backlinks matter:

1. Helps Google’s Algorithm Understand Website Content:
   Google uses bots to crawl websites and gather data for ranking. When your site is linked to by other credible websites with high DA, it signals to Google that your site is trustworthy, helping your ranking improve.
   
2. Helps Your Website Pass the E-A-T Criteria:
   E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is a Google ranking factor that relates to the quality of content. If your content has good backlinks, it enhances the content's credibility, making it more likely to meet the E-A-T criteria and rank better.
   
3. Direct Impact on Page Ranking:
   Backlinks are one of the most important factors in SEO rankings. The more high-quality backlinks your website has, the more credibility it builds, which helps Google rank your site better.
   
4. Increases Website Traffic:
   High-quality backlinks also attract more users to your site, particularly organic traffic. The more clicks you get from reputable sites, the more traffic will flow to your website.
   

What Makes a Good Backlink?
If you’re new to Off-Page SEO and backlinking, you may wonder: "If backlinks are important, should I just get as many as possible to boost my SEO?" While quantity is good, the quality of the backlinks is what truly matters. Having a lot of low-quality backlinks won’t improve your rankings, and could even harm your SEO efforts.

Google’s John Mueller has stated that having millions of irrelevant or poor-quality backlinks won’t impact how their algorithm works. What Google values is quality over quantity. So if you’re wondering whether the backlinks on your website are good enough, here are some signs to check:

• Do the backlinks come from reputable, authoritative websites?
  
• Are the backlinks relevant to your content?
  
• Are the backlinks organic and not spammy?
  

Let’s Start Building Backlinks!
By now, it should be clear how important backlinks are for SEO. If you’re a business owner wanting to improve your SEO rankings, don't forget to focus on building high-quality backlinks. The more you can build a trustworthy and authoritative web presence, the better your SEO results will be.

Stay tuned for more tips and techniques in future articles!

Source: SEJ

Digital Marketing Consultation at Relevant Audience
Relevant Audience is a Digital Performance Marketing Agency with the goal of helping businesses reach their target audience at the right time, place, and device across various online channels. Our services cover Search Marketing, Social Media Ads, Search Ads, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and Influencer Marketing. We are also part of Google Partners.

For more information, feel free to inquire with us.

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Why Does Link Building Matter for GiftTree NZ?

Link building is a core element of effective SEO, and it's critical for your website's growth. Backlinks are like votes of trust from other websites, helping Google assess your site’s credibility.

With more backlinks, your website is seen as more trustworthy, which improves your rankings. That's why GiftTree NZ works with the best link building strategies – the return on investment is unmatched.

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How GiftTree NZ Does Link Building

At GiftTree NZ, we take a different approach to link building. We don’t rely on shortcuts. We focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources that enhance your site’s credibility and improve your Google rankings.

Our services include:

• Improving Domain Authority (DA)
  
• Increasing Referral Traffic
  
• Expanding Brand Exposure and Awareness
  
• Maintaining Strong Google Rankings
  
• Ensuring Your Site Is Visible to Search Bots and Your Audience
  

We work with you to create a robust, results-driven backlink strategy, bringing in customers and increasing your leads on autopilot.

The Power of Link Building for GiftTree NZ’s SEO

GiftTree NZ has helped over 150+ clients dominate their industries, including notable brands like:

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• CityWatches NZ
  
• Boundaryline Company
  

Link Building Results:

• Average Revenue Increase: 335%
  
• Average Organic Traffic Growth: 335%
  

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What Are Backlinks In SEO and Why Are They Important?

What are backlinks?

Backlinks, or inbound links, are hyperlinks from one website to another. They signal trust, showing that one site values another’s content. Search engines like Google use backlinks as ranking factors, treating them as “votes of confidence” that indicate a page’s authority and relevance in search engine optimization.

Earning backlinks from reputable sources tells search engines that content is valuable, helping it rank higher. Backlinks also contribute to a site’s E-E-A-T** (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), a key factor in how Google evaluates content.

For example, a British hedgehog website links to a hedgehog sighting map as a helpful resource. The map receives a backlink from the hedgehog site, typically appearing as underlined, clickable text within the content.

Backlinks are often blue and underlined, but site owners can style them differently. Hovering over a link changes the cursor to a pointer and shows the destination URL in the browser’s bottom-left corner.

What Are Backlinks in SEO and Why Do They Matter?

Understanding Backlinks: What Are They?

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are essentially hyperlinks that connect one website to another. These links serve as a “vote of confidence,” showing that one site trusts the content of another. For search engines like Google, backlinks are crucial ranking factors that help determine a webpage’s credibility and its relevance in search results.

A practical example: If a well-known hedgehog website links to a hedgehog sighting map, Google views that as a form of validation, telling the search engine that the map's content is worth referencing.

While backlinks are typically blue and underlined, website owners can customize their style. When you hover over a link, the cursor changes to a pointer, and you can see the destination URL in the browser's bottom-left corner.

Why Are Backlinks So Important for SEO?

Backlinks play an essential role in SEO, providing critical signals of trust and authority. Below are some of the primary reasons why backlinks should be a key focus in your SEO strategy:

1. Help Search Engines Gauge Content Relevance and Authority

Google uses backlinks to assess a webpage’s authority. The more high-quality backlinks a page has, the more likely it is to rank well. Google’s algorithm treats backlinks as trust signals, making them essential for SEO success. For instance, HubSpot’s dominance in Inbound Marketing is partly due to the numerous high-quality backlinks pointing to their content, which boosts their Page Authority.

2. Drive Higher Rankings in Search Results

Google ranks pages based on many factors, but backlinks remain one of the most powerful signals. Pages with a greater number of quality backlinks are typically considered more authoritative, which improves their chances of ranking higher in search results. However, not all backlinks are created equal—links from trusted and relevant sources hold more value than those from random or low-authority sites.

For example, when searching for "pram for triplets", you’ll notice that top-ranking pages for this keyword have a high volume of backlinks, boosting their visibility on competitive search terms.

3. Generate Referral Traffic

Backlinks aren’t just beneficial for SEO—they also serve as a gateway to direct traffic. When an authoritative site links to your content, its audience can click through, driving relevant visitors to your site. Unlike paid advertising, referral traffic from backlinks can deliver sustainable, long-term value.

For instance, if you search for "research on walking", Harvard Health ranks highly for that keyword. A deeper look via Moz Link Explorer reveals that this page is drawing referral traffic from reputable sources like Healthline, CNET, and The New York Times.

4. Build Your Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority is a metric that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine results pages. A strong backlink profile, especially one built through various trusted sources, contributes to a higher DA. Websites with a high DA are generally seen as more reliable by search engines.

5. Improve How Search Engines Crawl and Index Your Site

Search engines like Google use automated bots to discover and index new content, and backlinks play a crucial role in this process. A page needs to be found before it can be ranked, and backlinks help search engines navigate the web. Google also considers links from prominent websites as an indication of content quality, improving your chances of ranking higher.

The Power of Backlinks for SEO Success

Backlinks are more than just a ranking factor; they also drive traffic, enhance authority, and improve how search engines evaluate your site. By focusing on earning backlinks from reputable sources, you improve your chances of boosting rankings, gaining traffic, and building long-term credibility.

Links create pathways across the web, allowing search engines to continuously discover new content.

Improving Competitive Intelligence with Backlink Analysis

Backlinks are a crucial factor influencing SEO rankings. By analyzing the backlink profiles of your competitors, you can uncover valuable link-building opportunities. Websites linking to industry competitors are often highly relevant sources for your own content.

The Key Goal: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity

Instead of chasing irrelevant or low-value links that might appear as spam, the goal is to earn backlinks from authoritative, topically relevant websites. This will significantly enhance your SEO efforts.

Example

If you’re aiming to rank for the keyword "how to code", first analyze the search engine results (SERPs) to see which sites are ranking for that keyword. For instance, Code Academy ranks highly for the keyword. To see which sites are linking to them, install the free MozBar, reload the page, and click on Links.

This will take you to Moz Link Explorer, where you can view link metrics for that specific page. Upon analysis, you’ll discover that Code Academy is receiving backlinks from authoritative sites like CNBC and GitHub, which pass significant authority to their page.

If you were competing for the same keyword, you would need to strategize on acquiring backlinks from similar high-authority websites.

Find Link Building Opportunities at Scale Using Moz Link Explorer

Types of Backlinks

Understanding the different types of backlinks is essential for building a robust and valuable link profile. Below are some key types:

1. Dofollow Backlinks

Dofollow backlinks pass link equity from one website to another, contributing to improved search rankings. These links signal to search engines that the linked content is valuable and relevant. Most backlinks are dofollow unless specified otherwise.

2. Nofollow Backlinks

Nofollow backlinks include a tag that tells search engines not to pass ranking value. While they don't directly impact rankings, they can still drive referral traffic, increase brand visibility, and potentially lead to further link-building opportunities.

Use Moz Link Explorer to view both dofollow and nofollow backlinks. Simply navigate to Inbound Links, enter the page URL, and use the filter to select follow or nofollow links.

If a link is nofollow, consider reaching out to the author or webmaster to request making it a dofollow link.

3. Editorial Backlinks

These are naturally earned when authoritative websites link to your content because they find it valuable. Editorial backlinks are particularly effective for SEO, as they come from trusted sources without direct influence from the site being linked to.

For example, if you write a blog post about the importance of brand in SEO, and other sites like Page One Power and Sparktoro link to your research, it adds value to your content.

4. Guest Post Backlinks

Guest blogging allows you to contribute content to other websites in exchange for backlinks. These backlinks establish credibility and drive traffic. However, excessive guest posting on low-quality sites may appear manipulative and have little SEO value.

For example, Nick LeRoy wrote a guest post for Moz and included links to his website, earning valuable dofollow backlinks from an authoritative site.

5. Directory and Resource Page Links

Submitting your website to reputable directories and resource pages can generate backlinks. Although these links generally don’t carry as much ranking value as editorial links, they’re still helpful for local SEO and increasing brand visibility.

For instance, Prime Solicitors is listed in multiple directories, including The Law Society.

6. User-Generated Content (UGC) and Sponsored Links

UGC links (from forums, blog comments, etc.) are typically tagged with a UGC attribute to indicate they weren’t placed by the website owner. Similarly, sponsored links are tagged to signal a paid relationship. These types of links do not pass ranking authority but can drive traffic and enhance brand visibility.

For example, a forum user might recommend running shoes, linking to relevant websites, driving referral traffic and brand recognition.

7. Social Media Links

Links from social media platforms typically carry a nofollow tag but can still drive traffic and increase brand awareness. Engaging in industry discussions and sharing valuable content can lead to organic link building.

What Makes a High-Quality Backlink?

Several factors contribute to the strength of a backlink:

1. Relevance

Links from websites related to your industry or content carry more weight. Search engines prioritize relevant backlinks, which signal stronger ranking potential. For example, a veterinary clinic receiving a backlink from a well-known pet care blog is a high-relevance backlink.

2. Authority

Backlinks from high-authority websites pass more ranking value. Trusted, reputable domains with a strong online presence are more likely to boost your SEO rankings. For instance, a backlink from the World Health Organization (WHO) to a nutrition research paper holds far more authority than a link from a new personal blog.

3. Placement

The placement of a link on a page matters. Links within the body of content tend to be more valuable than those in footers, sidebars, or comment sections. Contextual links are more likely to be clicked and trusted by users.

For example, a link to a handmade jewelry shop within the body of a fashion influencer's blog is more powerful than one placed in the footer.

4. Anchor Text Optimization

Anchor text refers to the clickable words in a link. It should be descriptive and relevant to the linked page’s content. Optimized anchor text gives context to search engines, improving the link’s impact. However, avoid over-optimized or keyword-stuffed anchor text, as it can trigger penalties.

For example, "Explore these expert-recommended kitchen remodeling ideas" optimizes the anchor text for both search engines and users.

5. Editorial Value

Editorial backlinks are the most valuable type. These are earned because other sites find your content worth linking to. Google prioritizes these organic, high-quality links, which act as indicators of trust and credibility.

For example, a fashion retailer being mentioned in Vogue’s article about upcoming trends is far more valuable than a link placed in a directory of clothing stores.

How to Earn High-Quality Backlinks

1. Content Marketing

High-quality, informative content encourages natural backlinks. Resources like opinion pieces, guides, original research, and case studies are likely to be cited by other websites.

2. Broken Link Building

Find broken links on other websites and offer your content as a relevant replacement. Use tools like Moz Link Explorer to identify broken links and reach out to webmasters with a helpful fix.

3. Directory and Resource Pages

Submit your website to industry-specific directories and resource pages. This helps with local SEO and brand visibility.

4. Networking and Partnerships

Collaborate with other businesses, bloggers, and organizations to create link-building opportunities. You can partner on webinars, research reports, or even sponsor events for mentions.

5. Digital PR

Earn backlinks through media coverage and mentions from authoritative sources. Pitch unique stories, provide expert insights, and distribute press releases to gain backlinks.

How to Track and Manage Backlinks

Using tools like Moz’s Link Explorer, you can view your backlinks, analyze competitors, and find new opportunities. Here’s how:

• Check Link Quality: Identify and disavow toxic backlinks.
  
• Monitor New Links: Track new backlinks to understand what content is attracting attention.
  
• Fix Broken Links: Address lost or broken backlinks to avoid missed SEO value.
  
• Analyze Competitor Links: Discover how your competitors are ranking and where their backlinks are coming from.
  

Summary

Building a high-quality backlink profile is a strategic, ethical process. Focus on earning backlinks through valuable content and strong relationships. Avoid shortcuts that could harm your site’s credibility. With tools like Moz Link Explorer, you can analyze your current links and optimize your backlink-building strategy for long-term SEO success.

What Are Backlinks? How Do They Work, and Where Can You Place Them?
Tags: SEO, Martech Knowledge, All, 2023

For anyone running a business website, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a well-known concept. However, some may not fully understand the role of backlinks in SEO, which are a key factor in improving website credibility, boosting SEO rankings, increasing organic traffic, and creating more business opportunities. Building backlinks is thus an essential digital marketing strategy for any business looking to attract new customers via their website.

Table of Contents:

• What Are SEO Backlinks? Competing with Market Leaders Through Backlinks
  
• Types of SEO Backlinks
  
• Characteristics of Good SEO Backlinks
  

What Are SEO Backlinks? Competing with Market Leaders Through Backlinks

Backlinks, or links from other websites that point to your own, increase Google’s recognition of your website and improve its credibility. Particularly, when backlinks come from websites within the same industry or those with higher authority, Google gives your site more trust and improves its chances of ranking higher in search results.

Google assesses a website’s credibility based on the quantity and quality of backlinks, rather than considering factors like the business’s reputation, years in business, or market share. This explains why new websites that execute SEO strategies well can surpass long-established companies and market leaders in search rankings.

Types of SEO Backlinks

1. Natural-Editorial Backlinks
   These backlinks are earned through high-quality content on your site. When visitors find your content valuable, other websites will reference and link back to it, enhancing your site’s reach and providing free backlinks without any cost.
   
2. Manual Link Building
   These are backlinks that are deliberately created and placed across different online platforms. There are two types:
   
   • Buying Backlinks: This involves purchasing backlinks to be inserted into articles on other websites. If you choose this option, ensure the content and website quality is legitimate and not spammy or bot-generated, as low-quality backlinks can harm your site’s credibility.
     
3. Non-Editorial Backlinks
   These backlinks are placed without creating articles or original platforms. They are often found in comments or forums, such as on popular websites like Pantip, where people ask questions and leave helpful comments with links to relevant pages. You may also find them on social media platforms like Facebook, where links are included in comments. However, beware of posting the same link repeatedly, as it may be flagged as spam and negatively affect your website’s ranking.
   

Characteristics of Good SEO Backlinks

1. Backlinks from Content That Adds Value
   Good backlinks should come from content that provides value to readers.
   
2. Backlinks from Trustworthy Websites
   Backlinks are more valuable if they come from credible and authoritative websites.
   
3. Backlinks from Websites Related to Your SEO Keywords
   The backlinks should come from websites that are relevant to your own content and SEO keywords.
   
4. Backlinks from Websites with Fresh, Up-to-Date Content
   Backlinks from websites that consistently update their content provide better SEO benefits.
   

Websites that strategically plan their backlink building process have a higher chance of surpassing even larger competitors on Google, even if they are new to the market. Similarly, large businesses can still become industry leaders both online and offline by focusing on both on-page SEO and the process of backlink building.

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