What Is A Backlink And Why Do Websites Need Them?

Find out how many backlinks you need and how do you acquire them for your website.

​What is a backlink?

A backlink is simply a hyperlink (highlighted or bolded text) from another website that sends users back to yours, often using relevant anchor text to describe the linked content. Why are backlinks important?Think of these as recommendations from other websites telling people to trust and visit your website, Google likes these! Below is one of our other blogs posts that links out to Google for more information on using Google search Console.

Definition and Importance of Backlinks

A backlink is a link from one website to another
A backlink is essentially a reference from one web page to another, they can be marked as 'dofollow', 'nofollow' links, 'sponsored' or other tags but we will get into that later. Think of it as a digital endorsement; when one website links to another web page, it’s like giving a nod of approval. These links, also known as inbound links or incoming links, link building is crucial in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO). They help create a network of connections across the web, guiding users and search bots alike from one piece of content to another.

Backlinks are important for search engine optimisation (SEO)
Backlinks play a pivotal role in SEO because they act as signals to Google about the credibility and relevance of a website or web page. When a site accumulates a substantial number of high-quality backlinks, it sends a strong message to Google that the content is valuable and trustworthy. This can significantly boost the website’s Google rankings, making it more visible in web results. In essence, strong backlinks are like votes of confidence that can propel your site to the top of search engine results pages.

They help Google understand the relevance and authority of a website
Backlinks are a way for websites to vouch for each other, helping Google understand which sites are authoritative and relevant. When a reputable site links to your content, it’s essentially telling Google that your site is a reliable source of information. This endorsement helps search engines determine where your site should rank in search results. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more likely search engines are to view your site as an authority in your niche.

Types of Backlinks

What is anchor text?
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink that users see on a webpage. It is often highlighted in a different color and underlined to indicate its clickable nature. Anchor text plays a crucial role in SEO as it provides context to both users and search engine bots about the content of the linked page. When used effectively, anchor text can enhance the relevancy of the linked content, helping search engines understand the relationship between the linked pages. Utilising relevant keywords within anchor text can improve the search engine ranking of the linked page, but don't over optimise for this, make sure exact match anchor text is used in less than 10% off all links

doFollow or nofollow what is the difference?

When it comes to backlinks, understanding the distinction between 'nofollow' and 'dofollow' links is crucial for effective search engine optimisation. A 'dofollow' link allows search engine bots to follow the link to the target page, passing on link equity, which can positively influence the search engine rankings of the linked site. These links are valuable in building a website's authority and visibility in search results.

On the other hand, a 'nofollow' link includes a specific HTML attribute that tells search engine bots not to follow the link or pass on link equity. While 'nofollow' links do not directly contribute to a site's search engine rankings, they can still drive traffic and provide exposure, which is still great news for businesses. They are often used for paid advertisements, sponsored, user-generated content, or any links that a site owner doesn't want to endorse fully. Both types of links play a role in a well-rounded link building strategy, with 'dofollow' links being more impactful for SEO.

Valuable backlinks come from authoritative websites
Not all backlinks are created equal. The most valuable backlinks come from authoritative websites that are relevant to your content. These are sites that search engines already trust, such as government websites, educational institutions, and well-established news organisations. When you earn a backlink from one of these sources, it can have a significant positive impact on your search engine rankings. These strong backlinks signal to search engines that your site is a credible and trustworthy source of information, which can help improve your visibility in Googles results.

​Should you buy links from Fiverr?

Use caution when buying backlinks through services like Fiverr, this can be risky for your website’s SEO. There are many services on Fiverr that will flood your website with thousands of backlinks which may sound great but usually these are from fake websites with no real authority and no relevancy to your industry whatsoever, this is bad! In that case these links can be harmful to your site. While dofollow links can significantly boost your SEO by passing link equity, acquiring them from low-quality sources can and usually will harm your site's credibility.

​Should you buy high strong backlinks?

Technically buying backlinks is against the rules! Read googles rules: Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. You’ll get a penalty if you get caught doing this, getting a penalty from Google will completely ruin your current rankings, so try to avoid that as much as possible. Google's Webmaster Guidelines also recommend using nofollow links for paid advertisements to avoid passing page rank and influencing search rankings.
​
However in the world of SEO it is common practice to indirectly buy a link, you can do this from feature posts, or even paid advertising that leaves a link to your website is technically a paid link. These backlinks are unlikely to receive a penalty as they are deemed more natural than a paid link on a random website with no relevancy.

Are there good and bad backlinks?

Stop before you backlink! Yes, there are good and bad backlinks, for example, if you had a website about starting a business and you got a link back from ‘Forbes’ this would have a huge impact as it’s a super relevant website with amazing website authority scores. But what about bad/toxic links, well toxic backlinks can destroy a website and any rankings it has, read our latest blog on 5 Toxic backlinks to avoid! We list 5 types of backlink and why some backlinks bad news for your rankings.
​
One effective strategy for acquiring stronger backlinks is broken link building, which involves identifying non-functioning links on popular websites and proposing your own relevant content as a replacement.

Quality or Quantity -  whats best  for SEO?

When building your website backlink profile, important factors are the quality and relevance of the other sites that are linking to you. Relevant backlinks from authoritative sites send strong signals to Google and other search engines that your website or webpage is useful and should be ranked for more search queries.

While the number of backlinks is important, it's crucial to focus on acquiring high-quality and diverse links to improve your search engine rankings. Tip remember to check your highest ranking competitors backlinks as a guide on whats working in your industry.
​
If we had to pick one it would always be quality, quality links from relevant website are the most powerful type of backlink and the more organically built backlinks of this type the stronger your website will become. Strong websites can rank for more competitive keywords.

Conclusion

In conclusion, acquiring backlinks from other trusted websites in your industry is a way to increase your site’s authority and credibility in the eyes of Google. Be careful not to just focus on the number of backlinks but their quality instead. Genuine backlinks of value are hard to get and often very expensive, for new local businesses free backlinks from ‘business directory websites’ for example, can be an easier place to start. However, to compete in competitive organic search results link building over time is necessary and would take some investment in either time, money or most likely both.

Other blogs you may like...

4 Google tools you need

5 Toxic backlinks to avoid
​
Why isn't my website on Google?

Author: Dean

Founder of Smart SEO Cornwall. I will be sharing some useful posts on SEO and how to grow your business in Cornwall. Connect with me here on LinkedIn.