In this post, I aim at answering two frequently asked questions; (what are Backlinks? And, how are Backlinks useful in SEO?) And, to make this as simplified as possible, I am going to break down this post into five related questions.
- What are Backlinks
- Types of Backlinks
- Factors That Impact The Value of A Backlink
- The Best Types of Backlinks
- How are Backlinks useful in SEO?
Therefore, by the time you are finished reading this post, I want you to have understood both the basics and advanced terms of use surrounding the term backlinks.
So, let us get started.
1. What are Backlinks
The easy term for a Backlink is a citation. A link that has its source from another website pointing directly to your website, article, image, or a web page is what is called a Backlink.
Backlinks are important in SEO they also influence SERPs.
Depending on where a Backlink originates from, a search engine can understand the authority and importance of the referent website.
The quantity of Backlinks is not as important as the quality, this we shall understand why as we proceed forward.
2. Types of Backlinks
There are several types of Backlinks that you can expect to come across. I have listed below some of which we will expand on;
Guest Posting Backlinks
Writing guest posts on websites within your niche is another great way to gain trust and authority amongst your competitors.
To gain this type of a Backlink, make sure that for every post you submit, you include an editorial link.
I recommend you include a link directed to your most important content.
By so doing, you will drive traffic to your site while at that same time raise your overall website rankings in terms of authority.
A point to note: Always provide a link that has multiple internal links within your content.
This way, you can drive traffic to your other content when visitors click on them.
Acknowledgment Backlinks
These types of links usually arise when a website mentions another. It can be as a result of sponsorship, and occasionally some sought of a relationship.
These links are usually brief. They never include what a brand does or its content whatsoever. It is just a simple mention.
To acquire these types of links, you will need to use a Backlinks analyzer such as the Neilpatel.com backlinks tool to check for Backlinks on your competitors’ site.
Once you have discovered the Backlinks origin, use the same tactics they used to get some of those links too.
An easy tip that works is writing better content using the keyword they have previously used.
Guest Post Bio Backlinks
These links are found on sites that do not allow or won’t include a link in the main content.
Therefore, these sites will only allow adding a link in the authors’ bio; this is what is termed as a guest post bio link.
Also, you should know that these links are not as powerful as guest post Backlinks.
But, they can still hugely improve your website portfolio value.
Backlinks By Badge
This type of a Backlink is created by adding a link to badges you award other sites, mainly for the value they have provided to your site.
Badges symbolize the value and status of that particular site.
There are many ways you can earn badge Backlinks.
An easy way is to list down some of the sites that have guest posts on your site.
Then, create badges and award them based on the value they have brought to your site.
These badges are displayed on their respective websites, attach a link in them. This is the only way you will gain a backlink using these badges.
Do follow Backlinks
Do follow is an attribute coded in HTML that allows a search engine bot to follow that particular link.
Do follow backlinks are followed by bots; hence, they can generate link juice.
Getting a Do follow Backlink from a site with high authority will be of a great boost to your DA score.
Do follow Backlinks simply means a referrer site guarantees good quality of whatever the link leads to.
No follow Backlinks
They are the exact opposite of a Do follow Backlink.
No follow is an attribute written in Html to instruct search engines to ignore a certain hyperlink.
This concept was introduced back in 2005 by Matt Cutts and Jason Shellen.
Its primary intention was to do away with spam indexing.
Therefore, in places where you do not intend to pass on link juice, a no follow attribute is what you should apply.
Acquiring a No-follow backlink does not do much for you in terms of raising your domain authority.
But, it’s still important as it can result in a tonne of traffic, and who knows, maybe a do-follow Backlink awaits you there.
Business Profile Backlinks
These types of backlinks are commonly seen when the owner creates an online profile for their business.
Business profiles can be created on social media, business listings, or even specific directories in some industries.
Therefore, having your links on these platforms is a great way of establishing your authority on the web to search engines.
The easiest way to generate business backlinks is by creating business profiles.
You can start by submitting your profile to directories specific to your industry and review sites. Some of these sites are Yelp, Capterra,, Foursquare, etc.
3. Factors That Impact Backlinks Value
Backlinks do not always carry the same weight. Several factors impact the quality of a Backlink. Among them are:
Whether A Backlink is A do-follow or a non follow
Do follow / Non follow attributes can either give you a good rating or a flat rating.
Both do-follow and non follow links are important in SEO.
For a person looking to provide a Backlink to a low ranking site, a No-follow attribute is always recommended.
But, when looking for a link from an authoritative site, within your niche, a do-follow Backlinks is what you should always work towards acquiring.
To check whether a link has a do-follow or a no-follow attribute, you can use free tools like the Nofollow Simple Chrome Extension or the inspect attribute on a chrome browser.
Authority of the referrer website
Another factor that influences the quality of a Backlink is the referrers’ websites authority rankings.
Acquiring backlinks from a site with a high domain authority is not only good for SEO but also drives quality traffic to your site too.
In comparison, a single link from a high DA website can out-weight a couple of links from crappy sites.
In fact, acquiring many backlinks from low DA sites will hugely harm your websites’ authority.
To check whether a site has a low DA, tools such as MOZ and Alexa Rank come in handy.
Position of Backlink on referrer website
We all know that websites are broken down into sections, depending on where your link is positioned, a Backlink can either be of low, or high quality.
That said, for a high-quality backlink, the position of the link is a factor you should consider.
Links found within the body of the content are more authoritative, unlike those found either in the header, sidebar, or footer.
Therefore, having your link show up in the body of the content is what you should always aim for.
4. The Best Types of Backlinks
First, the best backlinks come from authoritative sites in your niche.
These high domain sites are less likely to have been penalized while on the rise for having not adhered to goggles’ webmaster guidelines.
Some of the links you should strive to acquire are:
- Acknowledgment Backlinks
- Guest Posting Backlinks
- Badge Backlinks
Point to note: These backlinks are only quality enough with a do-follow attribute.
5. How are Backlinks useful in SEO?
Having an authoritative site within your niche link to you is very important for SEO; this is because a link from such a site is a sign of trust and confidence in what you have to offer.
For your content to show up in the SERP, backlinks from high DA sites is a must.
Backlinks initiate some sought of communication with the search engines.
It’s assumed that the better they are, the more the value of the content they link to.
Bottom line, backlinks value is the key when it comes to building an authority amongst your competitors.
Therefore, for SEO, it is quality and not quantity.
Conclusion
“What are Backlinks?”
This is a question any webmaster looking to become an influence in their niche should deeply understand.
If you are new to this I highly recommend that you start building your links using Accessily, They have made Backlink building so much easier.
Backlinks play a vital role in SEO. So, continuing with research related to backlinks should always be considered every once in a while.
If you are looking for the best types of Backlinks, make sure you do thorough research on the referrer site before going for that link.
I recommend you use this tool SEMrush.
Make sure the site has no penalties as that can impact negatively on your site.
Go for in-content backlinks (found in the body of the content), and always make sure the link you provide has a good interlinking within your site.
This way in terms of traffic, you can always drive more.
If I have left out anything, kindly let me know in the comments.
Copyright: Johnny @ nomadicsense
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