Whether you’re a marketing freelancer or considering hiring a digital marketing agency to help boost your SEO, it’s likely that you’ve heard of link-building or backlinks. But with so much technical jargon surrounding everything to do with SEO (which, as we should probably point out, stands for ‘search engine optimisation’), it can be a little daunting to know where to start.
But what are backlinks?
Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are links from one website to another. They play a significant role in how search engines like Google rank websites.
What are the different types of backlinks?
Not all backlinks are created equal – and for good reason – so there are different kinds of backlinks which are each handled differently by Google. If fancy delving into a website by right clicking and hitting the ‘inspect’ option on a link, you’ll see that these often have a “rel” attribute within the html/website code. This stands for ‘relationship’ and it gives search engines a bit of context around what kind of link it is.
- Dofollow backlinks are typically hyperlinks from one website to another. This is the default kind of website link and they’re also known as ‘follow’ backlinks. These can be helpful for both websites because they tell Google that the two are related to one another
- Nofollow are used to discourage crawl bots from following onto the linked page. These links will be dismissed by Google so they won’t have any baring on SEO but they can still be useful in guiding users of one website to another one
- Sponsored backlinks are paid links and are generally viewed as less trustworthy than other forms of backlinks. This helps to make the internet more equitable because it prevents companies from paying for backlinks on other, strong websites to boost their SEO performance
- UGC backlinks (User Generated Content) also known as affiliate links. They are typically seen on social media or forums. These don’t have a particularly strong impact on SEO, but, again, it can help engagement by directing users from one site to another.
Why are backlinks so important for SEO?
Overall, all backlinks are useful but it’s only really Dofollow backlinks that have significant value for SEO. For that reason, for rest of this article, we’ll only focus on these types of links because there are tons of benefits that come with prioritising these for your website. Here are some that will make the biggest difference:
Backlinks are a vote of confidence
Backlinks act as votes of confidence from one website to another. When a reputable site links to your content, it’s essentially vouching for the quality and relevance of your content.
Search engines view these votes as signals that your content is valuable and trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks your site has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
They enhance organic rankings
Search engines use complex algorithms to determine where a website should appear in SERPs. Backlinks are a critical factor in these algorithms.
Websites with a higher number of quality backlinks tend to rank better than those with fewer backlinks. This is because backlinks are one of the primary ways search engines assess the authority and relevance of your site.
They help search engines discover your content
Search engines use web crawlers, also known as bots or spiders, to index web pages. Backlinks help these crawlers discover your website by linking to your content from other sites.
If your website has a lot of backlinks from well-established sites, search engines are more likely to find and index your pages quickly. This means that backlinks not only help in ranking but also in getting your content noticed faster.
Backlinks drive referral traffic
Backlinks do more than just boost your website’s visibility; they can also drive significant amounts of referral traffic. When users click on a backlink from a high-traffic website, they are directed to your site, which can result in increased visitors and potential customers.
This referral traffic is often highly targeted, as it comes from users who are already interested in the content related to your niche.
They build brand authority
Earning backlinks from already authoritative websites can help to establish your brand as an industry leader. When your website is frequently cited by reputable sources, it signals to both search engines and users that your content is credible and valuable.
Over time, this can build your brand’s authority and trustworthiness, which are essential components for long-term SEO success.
They foster relationships and networking
Backlink building often involves reaching out to other websites, bloggers, and influencers in your industry. This outreach not only helps you secure backlinks but also fosters relationships within your niche.
These relationships can lead to more collaboration opportunities, guest blogging, and even partnerships, all of which can further boost your SEO efforts.
They encourage content creation
Knowing that quality backlinks can significantly impact your SEO encourages the creation of high-quality, shareable content. When you produce content that is informative, engaging, and useful, other websites are more likely to link to it.
This in turn, creates a positive feedback loop where good content attracts backlinks, and backlinks boost your content’s visibility and authority.
Demonstrates relevance to search engines
Search engines are designed to provide users with the most relevant results. Backlinks help signal the relevance of your content to a particular topic or keyword.
When multiple websites link to your content using specific anchor text, it indicates to search engines that your page is relevant to that keyword. This relevance is a key factor in ranking for specific search terms.
Get started with your link building campaigns
One of the best ways of getting new, strong backlinks is through PR. By sharing news about your company with news organisations and business groups or contributing to articles, you can hope to also secure some good links to your site. They can also be secured through directory listings, joining community or business groups or building good relationships with other organisations.
Backlinks remain a crucial element for achieving higher search engine rankings and building a strong online presence. They serve as votes of confidence, drive referral traffic, enhance organic rankings, and build your brand’s authority.
However, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity. Building backlinks from reputable, authoritative websites will yield far better results than simply acquiring a large number of low-quality links. As a business owner, this can be a hard task to take on by yourself, as finding quality backlinks can be a time consuming challenge.
Over time, a strong backlink profile can be the difference between being on page one of the search results and being lost in the digital wilderness.
At Carrington, our team of marketers are experienced in acquiring quality backlinks and digital leads for our clients to help transform their website into a relevant and popular space for their customers. By working closely with external, trustworthy news agencies, event organisers and local businesses, we’re equipped to gain relevant and helpful backlinks to help boost any digital marketing campaign.
To learn more about what we get up to, get in touch with our friendly team today.
