Backlinks are an important factor in SEO. In this post, we're going to help you learn about what backlinks are, why they are important, and how you can get them for your website.
We will also delve into other important details regarding backlinks, such as their types.
Let’s get started.
What is the meaning of a backlink?
Here is the definition of a backlink:
A backlink is a link that points from one website to another. Backlinks are also known as incoming links. If website A creates a link on its webpage that points to website B, we will say that website B acquired a backlink from website A.
Example of a backlink:When you read an online article, you will often find that the author adds a link to anything that they have taken from another source. Sometimes, the author will also leave a link on a word or a concept that they think is difficult to understand. That way, the reader can check the external source and learn more from it.
Why are backlinks important?
Backlinks are an SEO ranking factor. They are important because they tell search engines like Google that your website is trustworthy and reliable.
Think of backlinks as a token of confidence and trust that is given from one website to the other. When a website backlinks to another, it is basically telling Google “Hey, I know this guy. He can be trusted.”
When a high-authority website gives a link to a website, Google understands that the second website is reliable.
That way, the ranking of the website increases.
In a nutshell, we can say:
Backlinks are important for SEO because high-quality links leading to your website can make it rank higher.
How can you get backlinks for your website?
Webmasters engage in backlink-building campaigns so that their websites can get a higher rank in the SERPs. If you have a website and you want to know how you can backlinks for it, here are some common ways to try:
- Guest post collaborations:Guest posting is one of the most straightforward and popular methods of backlink building. In guest post collaborations, you write content and then submit it to a website. The website publishes the content and gains the benefit of the content. The content also contains a backlink to the submitting website. This backlink helps the submitting website get a higher rank in the SERPs.
- Directory backlinks: This is another ethical and effective way to build backlinks. The concept behind directory backlinks is simple. All you do is find an online directory of websites and submit yours to be listed in it. Some SEO experts are of the opinion that this method is not that effective any longer. However, when the right directory is selected, it can help. Such directories include Yelp, Best of the Web,etc. One way to get backlinks is to use PDF submissions. PDF submissions involve submitting PDF files (containing your website link) to online websites and platforms. We have written a post on PDF submission sites that you should check out.
- Natural links through quality content: The most natural way to acquire backlinks for your website is by creating quality content. That way, people can be inclined to add your content as a source in their own blogs and articles on their own websites. For example, in this post, you will find that we’ve added a few links here and there on terms that we thought you might want to learn about. The reason why we selected those particular websites is because they are reliable and they have quality content. If you make your website reliable and full of quality content, you can likewise become an option for people to naturally link to.
What are the different types of backlinks?
There are different types of backlinks. The types of backlinks differ from the tags that are added to them in the HTML code. In the world of SEO, you may have come across these terms yourself.
The main types of backlinks include:
- No-follow links
- Do-follow links
- Sponsored links
What is a no-follow backlink?
A no-follow backlink contains the tag rel="nofollow”This tag tells the search engine that it should not follow the backlink to the website that it is leading to.
A no-follow link does not pass on authority from one website to the other. It does not give the other site “link juice.” It’s like someone saying “You can go to that website to check the content out but take it with a grain of salt. I don’t 100% trust it.”
Read More: Check out this post that we've written on the question of "Are No-Follow Links Useless for SEO?"
What is a do-follow backlink?
A do-follow backlink is a link that tells the search engine that it should go to the linked page and crawl it as well. It passes on authority and link juice to the linked website. This is the best kind of backlink.
What is a sponsored backlink?
A sponsored backlink contains the tag rel=”sponsored”It tells the search engine that the link has been placed by the request of the linked website and that it has been acquired after monetary compensation.
Basically, if website A tells website B to place a link pointing towards it (A), then website B will add the “Sponsored” tag to let search engines know that the link is paid for.
Sponsored links also don’t pass authority or link juice to the linked website.
What makes a high-quality backlink?
A high-quality backlink is one that is naturally acquired, comes from a high-authority site, is placed naturally in the text on a good anchor text, and is relevant.
Let’s discuss these points in more detail.
A good backlink is one that is naturally acquired
Engaging in spammy or black-hat techniques to acquire backlinks is never a good idea. If you do this, Google can penalize your website and the backlinks you get can end up harming you more than benefiting you.
This is why the best backlinks are the ones that are naturally acquired. The links that you don't have to do anything for. Rather, a website on the Internet automatically gives you a link due to your quality content.
A good backlink is one that comes from a high-authority website
The more high-authority and reliable a website is, the better its backlink. There are a number of different factors that decide the authority of a website. For example,
- Organic traffic
- Domain Rating (DR)
- DA (Domain Authority)
A good backlink is that which is placed naturally on a good anchor
If a backlink is not placed properly in the text, it can be seen as spammy by search engines. The best backlink is the one that is placed naturally inside the content on a descriptive anchor text. The anchor text is the piece of text that holds the backlink for people to click on.
A good backlink is one that is relevant to both sites
If you have a blog on digital marketing, the best backlink you can get is from another website in the same niche. This is so because both websites are relevant to one another.
On the other hand, if a digital marketing blog gets a backlink from a fashion or sports website, it won't be as effective because they are not relevant or related to one another.
Final Thoughts on Backlinks
Backlinks are important for SEO. Nowadays, semantic search and semantic SEO are getting more and more relevant, which is why your focus should be on creating high-quality natural backlinks. You can do that by publishing good content on your website and then sharing it so that it becomes well-known.