Backlinks are one of the most critical elements of SEO success. These inbound links from external websites to pages on your site serve as votes of confidence that boost your authority in the eyes of search engines. The quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to your content can significantly impact your website's search rankings, referral traffic, and overall online visibility.
This comprehensive guide will explore backlinks, why they matter, strategies for acquiring quality backlinks, and real-world examples demonstrating the power of leveraging backlinks to elevate your digital marketing efforts. With strategic backlinking, you can dramatically enhance your website's search performance.
Interested in elevating your brand's online presence but short on time? Get the essentials with our quick brand tip on backlinking.
Backlinks are links from one website to a page on another website. Imagine you're reading an article on Website A about the importance of data analytics in shaping customer experience.
In the article, a hyperlink leads you to a comprehensive guide about customer journey mapping on Website B. In this case, Website B gained a backlink from Website A.
Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to decide how to rank pages in search results, and website backlinks are among the key factors considered. The algorithm does more than count backlinks; it evaluates their quality based on various criteria, which we cover further down.
Most content management system (CMS) platforms offer built-in settings to manage hyperlink attributes when adding backlinks to your content. These settings typically allow you to easily specify whether the link is 'dofollow,' 'nofollow,' 'sponsored,' or 'ugc,' giving you control over how search engines interpret the link. Let’s take a look at what those attributes mean.
Ever heard of 'link juice'? No, it's not a drink – link juice is an expression that describes the distribution of backlink equity through hyperlinks.
DoFollow backlinks pass link juice or SEO value from the linking page to the linked page. In the case of our previous example, the linking page is Website A, and the linked page is Website B.
These website backlinks are strong indicators of the linked page's quality and relevance. They give search engines the green light to follow the link and count it as a vote of confidence in the linked page's favor.
NoFollow backlinks include a rel="nofollow" attribute in their HTML code. This attribute tells search engines not to give link juice or SEO equity to the linked page. A NoFollow backlink serves as a kind of 'don't consider this for ranking' signal to search engines.
Initially, the NoFollow attribute combatted spam and prevented abuse, particularly in comment sections of websites and forums where users could easily create low-quality backlinks to their sites.
Over time, the NoFollow attribute became widely used for paid links, sponsored content, and other links that website owners don't want to endorse or pass authority to.
NoFollow backlinks don't generally contribute directly to your website's search ranking, but they can still offer value in other ways:
These links are purchased from a website owner or publisher to appear on their site. Unlike organic website backlinks — naturally occurring and freely given – sponsored links are part of a financial arrangement. Businesses often buy these links to improve their website's visibility and potentially boost their search engine rankings.
Search engines like Google have specific tags for sponsored links to distinguish them from organic links. This distinction helps to maintain the integrity of search results, ensuring paid strategies don't influence the relevance or quality of information provided.
Thus, sponsored links usually come with a rel=sponsored attribute, signaling to search engines that the link is paid for and shouldn't pass link juice like organic backlinks do. While sponsored links can drive traffic and increase visibility, they don't carry the same weight as DoFollow backlinks.
If you're considering a sponsored link strategy, check that it aligns with your overall marketing objectives and complies with search engine guidelines to avoid penalties. Always focus on delivering genuine value to your audience rather than simply seeking a quick SEO boost.
UGC stands for User-Generated Content, and UGC links need the attribute rel="ugc". This attribute tells search engines that since the link is user-generated, it might not have undergone the same level of scrutiny as the content on the website itself. Consequently, search engine algorithms don't typically weigh UGC links as heavily as DoFollow links.
In community forums where users can link to other sites in various threads, the forum software might automatically tag this outbound link with the rel="ugc". If you manage a platform allowing user-generated content, it's good practice to automatically mark outbound links with the correct attribute to guarantee you're following search engine guidelines.
There are other types of backlinks, but these primary backlinks are important to know because they are each identified by specific attributes that clarify your relationship with the linked page to Google and other search engines.
Incorporating website backlinks is a cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy. They have multiple purposes — improving rankings, driving traffic, and establishing authority — collectively contributing to better visibility and higher credibility online.
Backlinks serve as endorsements from other sites, signaling to search engines that your content is worth sharing. High-quality backlinks from authoritative sources can significantly boost your site's credibility and search engine rankings.
Moreover, when someone reads an article or blog post that links to your site, they may click to find out more. This referral traffic can be highly targeted and can increase the chances of user engagement and conversion.
The number of backlinks a website should have is a very common question in the SEO world, and it doesn't have a straightforward answer. It depends on several factors, such as the website's age, the industry it operates in, and its goals.
This article from link-building service FATJOE does a great job of delving into the intricacies of this question and whether you should even be asking it. You're welcome for the backlink, Joe!
Remember, quality backlinks trump quantity; a few high-quality links from authoritative and relevant websites will impact your rankings more significantly than dozens or even hundreds of low-quality links.
The importance of backlinks in SEO can't be overstated. They are pivotal in improving website visibility, driving traffic, and enhancing credibility.
However, not all website backlinks are created equal. A well-thought-out backlinks SEO strategy must consider domain authority, page authority, and anchor text.
Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by the popular SEO tool Moz. The DA score, which ranges from 1 to 100, gauges a website's likely success in search engine ranking. A higher DA score suggests a better chance of ranking well on search engine results pages.
The score is calculated based on factors like the number and quality of backlinks and domain age. Getting backlinks from websites with high DA scores is more beneficial than those websites with low DA scores.
Like DA, Page Authority (PA) is another Moz metric scored from one to 100. However, while DA measures the ranking potential of entire sites, PA gauges the ranking potential of individual web pages.
When strategizing for website backlinks, aim to get links from pages with a high PA, as they can positively influence your rankings.
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink — generally blue and underlined — that links to another webpage or a different section of the same website. Anchor text helps search engines understand the subject matter and relevance of the page being linked to.
As a result, it's crucial to use descriptive and relevant anchor text when creating backlinks. However, over-optimized anchor text with keywords can lead to penalties, so maintain a natural and varied anchor text profile.
When linking internally, we recommend using all or part of the H1 title for the internal page. For instance, at Brand 3, we have another blog post about increasing search rankings titled "Search Engine Rankings: Getting on the Front Page of Google" — Here, the anchor text is the complete title.
This approach offers a clear cue to both users and search engines about the linked page's content. But remember, variety is key; don't hesitate to diversify your anchor text to make it natural and relevant.
Understanding the theory behind website backlinks is important, but seeing real-world implementation can help clarify their role and function. Here are some illustrative examples of various types of backlinks commonly used in SEO strategies:
A marketing blog publishes an article on "Best Marketing Strategies for 2023" and includes a link to your article about content marketing, providing readers with additional resources.
You publish a guest post on another blog in your industry. While the blog agrees to link back to your website, it uses a "NoFollow" tag because it's their policy for all external links or perhaps because the content is somewhat promotional.
You run a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign that links to your website, and the ad platform marks this link as "Sponsored" to show that it's a paid connection.
You host a forum on digital marketing techniques, and one of your members shares a helpful post about SEO tools that includes a link to an article. If you’re following best SEO practices, you would have set your forum up to automatically tag this link as “UGC” to indicate that it originates from content created by users rather than you or your editorial team.
By recognizing these examples in practice, you can better understand how backlinks function and how they can fit into your broader SEO strategy.
When building a backlink portfolio for your website, here are some types of backlinks and strategies you should avoid:
Links from spammy or irrelevant sites or sites with low domain authority can negatively impact your search rankings.
Excessive link exchange ("I'll link to you if you link to me") can appear manipulative and result in penalties. While some reciprocal linking is natural, avoid making it the core of your backlink strategy.
These are websites created solely to host backlinks. Search engines can easily identify these and may penalize websites that participate in link farming.
Purchasing website backlinks can be risky and is against Google's guidelines unless disclosed as sponsored. Undisclosed links can result in penalties.
There are plenty more backlinks to avoid — James Speyer at Exposure Ninja has a comprehensive list if you want more guidance.
What is commonly referred to as White Hat SEO involves using ethical techniques and strategies to improve your website's search engine ranking. These methods comply with search engine guidelines and focus on creating a positive user experience.
Conversely, Black Hat SEO uses manipulative or deceptive practices that violate search engine guidelines to improve rankings. These techniques might deliver quick gains, but they come with significant risks.
Penalties can severely impact your website's ranking; in some cases, the search index may remove your site altogether. We advise focusing on ethical techniques for a sustainable and risk-free SEO strategy.
Building a portfolio of high-quality website backlinks is essential for SEO, credibility, and web traffic. Here are some effective strategies for acquiring those coveted links:
Applying these strategies can effectively build a robust network of high-quality website backlinks that substantially boost your SEO performance.
Let's move past theory and look at a real-world backlinking success story from Joshua Hardwick at Ahrefs. Joshua and his team wanted to rank a new page at the top of search results for the keyword "SEO stats." Taking a systematic approach, they researched popular statistics pages with existing backlinks.
They curated the most frequently cited statistics, updated any outdated figures, and assembled a well-organized, compelling page. Using automation tools, they found contact information for potential backlink prospects and sent personalized emails, pitching their freshly minted, updated statistics resource.
The result? They sent out a total of 515 outreach emails and secured 36 backlinks from 32 different websites. The new page now sits at the #1 position for "SEO stats."
What makes this case study especially illuminating is the quality of the website backlinks acquired. Nine of the referring domains had a domain rating of 70 or above. One of the sites contributing to their backlinks receives over 1 million organic visits.
This case study shows the monumental impact a well-planned and executed backlinking strategy can have on search engine rankings. It wasn't just about the number of backlinks but the quality, relevance, and strategic approach to acquiring them.
Understanding the intricacies of backlinks, their types, and the strategies to acquire them is necessary in the digital age. By optimizing your backlink profile, you're improving your search engine rankings, building credibility, driving targeted referral traffic, and, ultimately, increasing revenue.
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