When you are new to the field of SEO, one of the initial terms you would be introduced to is backlinks. They are significant in ranking of websites on Google and the majority of beginners get puzzled about what are backlinks, how they operate, and what the importance of backlinks is.
In this guide, you will get to know What Are Backlinks in the easiest manner available in the form of examples, pictures (explained) and a convenient comparison table. By the conclusion, you will clearly know how your website grows with the help of backlinks.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What Are Backlinks? (Simple Definition)
A backlink refers to a link between one site and another site.
When Website A links with Website B, Website B receives a backlink with Website A. Imagine one of the backlinks is a vote of confidence.
Whenever a third-party webpage links to your webpage, it is providing Google with the following information:
- “This is a helpful site and should be recommended”.
Due to this reason, Google takes into account backlinks as one of the best ranking factors.
Example of a Backlink in the real world
Suppose that you had written a paper on healthy eating.
Some food blogger reads your article and follows it, hence they place a link to your article on their webpage.
This link that leads to your article is termed as a backlink.
Textual Exploration (Graphical):
FoodBlog.com/ links to YourWebsite.com/ healthy-eating-tips.
You get a BACKlink with FoodBlog.com.
Why Are Backlinks Important? (Beginner-Friendly Benefits)
Backlinks are important since they assist in:
1. Improve Google Rankings Websites that have good back links are ranked highly in search engines.
2. Build Trust and Authority The Google believes your site when good quality sites refer to you.
3. Bring Referral Traffic Individuals use other websites to click the link -You have more traffic.
4. Assistance to Google Find Your Pages Quickly. Backlinks allow the search engines to find new pages in a short time.
Backlinks Types (Simple examples).
The knowledge of the various types of backlinks will enable you to determine which ones work in regards to SEO.
1. Dofollow Backlinks (Best in SEO) These are power delegating and assisting in prioritizing. Example: A blog links naturally in your article in their content.
2. Nofollow Backlinks They fail to pass SEO value, but are capable of producing traffic. Example: Comments with links or certain social media posts.
3. UGC Backlinks UGC = User Generated Content (forums).
4. Sponsored Backlinks Paid links; the paid links should be labelled as rel=sponsored to comply with Google regulations.
Table: Backlinks vs their SEO Power.
| Type of Backlink | Passes SEO Value? | Where It Comes From | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dofollow | Yes | Articles, blogs, news sites | Ranking purposes |
| Nofollow | No | Comments, social media | Traffic + branding |
| UGC | Sometimes | Forums, Q&A sites | User engagement |
| Sponsored | No (should be marked) | Paid promotions | Ads/branding |
How To Have a Backlink of High Quality?
Not all backlinks are equal. There are those that can make your website rank higher and those that can make it rank low.
The backlinks are of high quality and are provided by:
- Authoritative and trusted websites.
- Relevant websites to your niche.
- Real content, not spam.
- Organic placements in the articles.
Poor quality backlinks consist of:
- Spam comments
- Link farms
- Unrelated websites
- Sponsored links are not indicated as such.
- It is about quality rather than quantity.
Basic examples of Good Backlinks.
The following are just a few examples of what are backlinks- Good one would be like:
1 ️ A news brand talks about your brand. Example: Times of India that points to your business story.
2 icovers your product on a blogger. They contains a connection with your product page.
3.You write a guest post The site gives you an opportunity to add a link to your site.
4.You can be found on a page of helpful resources. An example would be to have a page of your tool linked to the Top SEO Tools page.
Expert Examples of Bad Back Links.
- Unrelated links (e.g. gambling sites to your SEO blog)
- Links from spam comments
- Links from hacked sites
Links on the websites that sell links. These can damage SEO.
How Do You Get Backlinks? (Simple Methods)
The following are some of the easiest entry-level methods of acquiring backlinks:
1. Write Quality and Helpful Material. Humans have the tendency to be associated with useful material.
2. Guest Posting Write posts on other blogs and place an organic link.
3. Create Infographics Numerous websites are fond of visual content.
4. Use HARO (Help a Reporter Out) Journalists can refer to your site in case you offer expert quotes.
5. Publish Original Research Statistics are distributed around.
6. Create “How-To Guides” Guidelines that are helpful lead to links in the long run.
What Google Says about Backlinks.
One of the significant elements of the ranking system by Google is the use of backlinks:
- Backlinks = trust
- Trust = higher rankings = Increased rankings = increased traffic.
Google is however also punitive towards sites that attempt to purchase backlinks or cheat the system. Then always aim at natural, moral actions.
Are All Backlinks Equal? (Simple Visual)
- Backlink from a small blog: Value = Medium
- Backlink Wikipedia/Forbes: Value = Very High!
- Backlink of spam or unsafe websites: Value = -(may be detrimental to your ranking)
This is the reason why quality is always better than quantity.
Backlinks vs. Internal Links (Entry Comparison)
Novices perplex themselves over back links and internal links hence simplifying;
Backlinks Internal Links Inter-site links Intrasite links.
Enhance control Enhance navigation.
Harder to get Easy to create Large influence on SEO Assistive yet not a ranking force.
Conclusion:
What Are Backlinks (Final Summary) Backlinks Backlinks are merely links which other websites have with your website. They are similar to the votes and they tell Google that your website is worth it and is reputable. The better the quality of the backlinks you possess, the better your site will be ranked.
SEO is based on the understanding of What Are Backlinks. Having mastered backlinks, you open the door to the ability to expand traffic, earn authority, and expand your presence in the Internet.
Quote 1 (Easy & Explicit)
“Knowing what are backlinks and how they serve as trust signals for Google is a good place to start if you really want to grow your website.”
Second Quote (Beginner-Friendly)
“Learning what are backlinks is the first step in SEO because backlinks are the links that link your website to the rest of the internet.”
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