Backlinks, also known as “inbound” or “incoming links,” are an essential aspect of search engine optimization (SEO). They are links from one website to another page, serving as votes of confidence that signify a page’s relevance and authority. Pages with more high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search engine results. Here, we will discuss more about What are Backlinks , Types and Best Practices.

Importance of Backlinks in SEO

Search engines can tell that your content is trustworthy, helpful, and essential if it has backlinks. Sites with more backlinks do better in Google and other search engines. Since Google’s “PageRank” system, backlinks have shown how well a page ranks. Backlinks are still important for SEO, even though algorithms constantly change.

An industry study conducted by our team found that links continue to be Google’s primary ranking signal. Google has confirmed that backlinks are among its three most important ranking factors.

Types of Valuable Backlinks

Not all backlinks are equal. For better search engine rankings , focus on quality backlinks. High-quality backlinks share vital characteristics:

Quality #1: They Are Obtained from Reliable, Respected Sources

Stronger backlinks come from authoritative websites. Google assesses a site’s authority when linking to yours. Linking to TechCrunch, a reputable site, can enhance organic search engine traffic.

While obtaining links from authoritative sites may be challenging, their benefits make the effort worthwhile.

Trait #2: In the anchor text, they use your target keyword.

Anchor text refers to the visible text part of a link. Having anchor text that includes your target keyword can positively impact your rankings. However, it is essential not to overuse keyword-rich anchor text, as Google’s algorithm filters out sites that use black hat link-building strategies.

Trait #3: The site or page linked to you is related to yours somehow.

Google values links between related websites. When a website links to another, Google expects the two sites to be topically related. Therefore, it is essential to focus on obtaining backlinks from sites that are relevant to your content. For example, if you write an article about running marathons, fitness or running-related websites will carry more weight than links from unrelated sites.

Trait #4: It’s a “do follow” link.

The “nofollow” tag tells Google and other search engines not to follow links. Therefore, obtaining “do follow” links is essential and valuable for SEO. Fortunately, the majority of links on the web are “dofollow” links. Most links with the “nofollow” tag, such as those found in blog comments, press releases, and paid advertisements, are not particularly helpful for SEO.

Trait #5: That Domain Has Never Linked to You Before

While getting multiple links from the same website may seem beneficial, obtaining links from various websites is generally more advantageous. The impact of additional links from the same webpage diminishes over time. Therefore, having 100 links from 100 different websites is more effective than 1,000 links from the same site. Our research also found that the number of unique sites linking to you correlates with higher Google rankings.

Leveraging Social Media for Backlinks

Social media networks can be incredibly useful for increasing website traffic and backlinks. Explore strategies for utilizing platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to attract backlinks, engage with influencers, and amplify your content’s reach.

Monitoring and Analyzing Backlink Performance

Improving your SEO strategy requires a solid grasp of tracking and analyzing your backlinks’ efficacy. Remember, each backlink is a step towards improving your search engine rankings. Learn about tools and techniques for monitoring backlinks, evaluating their quality, identifying opportunities for improvement, and measuring the impact of backlinks on your search engine rankings.

Best Practices for Building Backlinks in SEO

Now that we understand the types of backlinks that are valuable for SEO let’s explore some best practices for building them:

Create Linkable Assets

To attract backlinks, you need to have valuable content worth linking to. This content, known as “linkable assets,” can take various forms, such as blog posts, videos, software, quizzes, surveys, or anything that provides value to users. Focus on creating exceptional content that people will naturally want to link to. For example, a comprehensive list of Google ranking factors or an ultimate guide to YouTube SEO can serve as linkable assets.

Build Backlinks from Link Roundups

Blogger posts called “link roundups” list great content and include links to it. They present an opportunity to get high-quality backlinks. Use search strings in Google to find roundups in your niche to leverage link roundups. Once you identify relevant link roundups, gently suggest including your linkable asset in the roundup. If your content is a good fit, you’ll receive a valuable link and gain exposure through social media shares.

Use the Moving Man Method

The Moving Man Method involves finding websites, resources, or businesses that have become outdated, rebranded, or changed names. By identifying sites that still link to these obsolete resources, you can contact them and suggest relating to your up-to-date content instead. For example, if you notice that a website’s infographic is no longer working, you can offer your infographic as a replacement.

Utilize Broken Link Building

Broken link building involves finding pages with 404 errors and offering a suitable replacement link. Focus on resource pages in your niche and use the Check My Links Chrome Extension to identify broken links. Get in touch with the site owners, inform them about the broken links, and propose your material to replace them. Providing a helpful solution increases the chances of receiving a backlink.

Guest Posting

You can write and post articles on other websites in your business through guest posting. This approach can help you get more exposure, show you are an expert, and gain valuable backlinks. Find trustworthy websites that let you post as a guest, and then send them your ideas. Ensure your material is relevant to their audience and gives them helpful information. Guest posting is a great way to meet new people, get more backlinks, and build your online profile.

Create Infographics and Other Visual Assets

While the effectiveness of infographics has diminished over time, they still serve as an effective link-building strategy . Research shows that infographics generate a significant number of backlinks. Create visually appealing infographics that provide valuable information to your target audience. Promote your infographics strategically through “Guestographics,” where you offer your infographic to relevant websites, increasing the chances of receiving backlinks.

Submit Testimonials

Many companies showcase customer testimonials on their websites. If you have used a product or service you genuinely appreciate, consider contacting the company and offering a testimonial. In return, they may include a link to your website. Testimonials provide social proof and are a great way to obtain backlinks without directly asking for them.

Blogger Reviews

If you have a valuable product, service, or expertise, consider contacting bloggers in your niche. Offer them your product or service for free and ask for an honest review. If they find value in your offer, they may write a positive review and include a link to your website. This strategy helps you gain exposure, build credibility, and attract backlinks.

Link Reclamation

Link recovery is finding online references to your brand that lead to something other than your site. By contacting the author or website owner, you can politely request that they add a link to your site. Use tools like BuzzSumo and Mention.com to find these mentions. Proactively reclaiming these links can increase your backlink profile and improve your search engine rankings.

Use Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

The HARO platform matches reporters and journalists with sources who can give them information. By signing up as a source, you can respond to queries related to your industry and provide valuable insights. When your quotes are used in an article, you receive a backlink to your website. HARO is an excellent opportunity to showcase your expertise, gain exposure, and obtain high-authority backlinks from news sites.

Reverse Engineer Your Competitor’s Backlinks

You can discover unique link-building opportunities within your niche by analyzing your competitor’s backlinks. Focus on websites that link to your competitors and identify ways to obtain similar links. For example, if a competitor receives backlinks from podcasts, consider reaching out to those podcast hosts as a guest. Reverse engineering your competitor’s backlinks allows you to tap into their strategies and gain valuable insights.

Stick to Content Formats That Generate Links

Specific content formats tend to attract more backlinks. Infographics, “Why posts,” and “What posts” are examples of content formats that often receive significant backlinks. Creating content in these formats increases the likelihood of attracting backlinks and improving your search engine rankings.

SEO relies on backlinks to establish a page’s credibility. High-quality backlinks from authoritative, topic-related websites boost search engine ranks. Best practices like creating linkable assets, building backlinks from link roundups, using the Moving Man Method, broken link building, guest posting, infographics, testimonials, blogger reviews, link reclamation, HARO, reverse engineering competitor backlinks, and using content formats that generate links can help you build a strong backlink profile and improve SEO. These tactics boost your website’s visibility, organic traffic, and search engine ranks.