Backlinks for better SEO

What is a backlink?

When one site links to another, it’s called a backlink. Backlinks are also called “inbound links” or “incoming links.” They are essential to your SEO.

Example of backlinks

Why are backlinks relevant?

Backlinks are especially important for SEO because they represent a “vote of self-confidence” from one website to another.

In essence, incoming links to your site are a signal to search engines that others vouch for your content. If several sites link to the same website or webpage, search engines can assume that content deserves connecting to, and for that reason worth showing up on a SERP. So, making these inbound links can have a positive effect on a site’s ranking position or search visibility.

Receiving and giving…

Receiving incoming links is a vital part of your off-site SEO. The process of getting these links is known as link earning or link building.

Some backlinks are naturally more important than others. Followed backlinks from trustworthy, popular, and high-authority sites are viewed as the most favored inbound links to earn. While backlinks from low-authority, potentially spammy websites are usually at the other end of the spectrum. Whether a link is followed or not is absolutely important. However, do not totally discount the value of nofollow links. Even being mentioned on premium websites can provide your brand a boost.

Some inbound links are better than others, links you produce to other sites also differ in value. When linking to an external website, the choices you make relating to the page from which you link the anchor text you utilize. Whether or not you choose to follow or nofollow the link and any other meta tags connected with the connecting page can have a significant impact on the value you give.

Competitive backlink research study

That’s where competitive backlink research comes in. By examining the backlink profile to a rival that’s currently ranking well for your target keywords, you can get some insight into the link building that may have assisted them. A tool like found on hrefs.com can help discover these links so you can and target those URLs in your own link building strategies.