Today every business owner and marketer wants backlinks because it helps their website stand out in the crowd. Simply, it is like getting a thumbs-up from other websites. They are like recommendations. When a popular website links to your site, it is like they are saying, “Hey, this site is great!”
If you get backlinks from big, trustworthy websites, it makes your own site look more reliable. Search engines, like Google, trust your site more, which helps you rank higher. It means, more people will find your brand online, and your site will get more visitors.
But not all backlinks are good. Some of them can even hurt your site’s ranking. The problem lies in getting quality links from websites that actually matter. Building these links can be difficult, and you need to know the different types of backlinks to avoid mistakes and penalties. You will learn all about the types of backlinks in SEO in this blog, so let’s dive without further delay.
What Are Backlinks?
It is best to refer to backlinks as ‘votes’ for your website. This is because when other websites link to yours, they are endorsing you by saying, “This website has a product and/or service that is worth using.” The more votes or backlinks that your website accumulates, the more credibility it gets from major search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. This can be beneficial in increasing your site’s chances of appearing on the first pages of search results.
Backlinks have been around for a long time and were heavily relied upon in the first algorithm Google created, called PageRank. While this is not true for every Google site, as there have been many updates to the original link, many of these updates have not diminished the power of backlinks in any way. In fact,‟ backlinks are on the top three ranking factors alongside quality.
The problem is, not all backlinks are created equal. it is better to have high-quality backlinks from specific, popular, and trusted websites than to have a lot of low-quality backlinks. For every poorly built link, one great link can be worth 100 others. In fact, sites with high-quality backlinks are valued by search engines, which in turn helps improve rankings.
What Is The Importance Of Backlinks?
Now that we have considered what backlinks are, it is also important to know their importance before we start using them for SEO purposes regarding backlinks.
Backlinks are often seen as a form of sponsorship or endorsement from other websites. Whenever a site links to your material, that site is seen as recommending your document to others and adding value to the site. Websites like Google pay attention to these endorsements and understand that they are an indicator of the quality of your work.
The more “votes” your site gets, the better your chances of ranking and appearing on the first few pages of Google search and the like. Backlinks have been a staple of Google’s ranking systems in the past, starting with the PageRank algorithm in the first place. A lot of structure has been added over the years including new updates, however, backlinks haven’t changed much.
If there are links from many websites to a site’s domain, Google concludes that the content is interesting and worthy of being available to the public. This can also increase your chances of appearing higher in search results, making your website easier to locate.
With backlinks, enhancing the visibility and search engine rankings of your website can be easily achieved.
Types Of Backlinks in SEO
1. Guest Post Backlinks
Guest posting refers to content you produce for other sites that are relevant to yours. In return, they link back to your site. These links are great for your search engine optimization, which improves your site’s ranking and attracts new audiences.
Sometimes guests can post for free, and sometimes you have to pay some fee to post such a post. Always post your article on reputable sites that only accept well-researched and well-written articles. Don’t post anywhere; posts that get published somewhere are not about the number of posts, but the quality of the post.
2. Press Release Backlinks
In case when you are interested in promoting attention or interesting information about your business, news related to a new product, an event that is going to happen or offer something special, then the use of press releases is very effective.
In addition to posting them on your website, you can submit them to other reputable sites in order to grow your audience as quickly as possible. If done well, press releases can boost awareness of the brand being promoted as well as SEO rankings.
These links are important for businesses because they tell the audience about their activities, events, etc. Posting press releases on third-party social media pages allows you to earn links from relevant and trusted sources which increases the credibility of your business. Also, incorporate anchor texts like your name, natural speech, or a call to action to make these links look more natural.
3. Editorial Backlinks
Editorial backlinks are the best type of backlinks you get from big news websites because they think your content is helpful and valuable. These websites are very careful about what they link to, so you need to create content that is really good and meaningful.
To get these links, you can use services like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) that connect experts with journalists. Just make sure your content idea is unique and supported by solid facts so it can stand out and get noticed by top publications.
4. Directory Backlinks
You can get these links by adding your business to local directories or listings. These backlinks are especially useful for businesses with physical stores because they improve local search engine rankings and drive more people to their sites.
But here’s a tip: Don’t submit your business to too many directories at once. Instead, focus on high-quality directories that match your industry. Also, make sure your business name, phone number, and address are the same in all listings because Google checks for accuracy.
5. Business Profiles Backlinks
Business profile backlinks are types of backlinks in SEO that you can get by creating profiles on platforms like LinkedIn, Google My Business, or Yelp. These profiles allow you to showcase your business details and link to your website.
These types of backlinks help build trust and improve local SEO, especially if you are a small business. Make sure your profile is detailed and up-to-date to attract more visitors.
6. Image Backlinks
Image backlinks are different types of backlinks and occur when you share your images, graphics, or designs on platforms like Pinterest, Flickr, or Canva. If people use or share your images, they may include a link to your website, which helps increase traffic and search engine optimization.
The key to getting backlinks to your images is to create images that are engaging and useful to your audience. Add a link to your website in the image description so people know where to find more.
7. Video Backlinks
Video backlinks come from uploading videos to platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. You can add your website link in the video description or as a call to action in the video itself. These types of backlinks help attract more visitors and improve your online presence. For example, a tutorial or behind-the-scenes video can encourage viewers to visit your website for more information.
8. Social Bookmarking Backlinks
Social bookmarking backlinks are created when you share links to your website on platforms like Reddit, Digg, or StumbleUpon. These platforms help people discover your content, especially if it is interesting or useful. However, it is important to only share valuable types of backlinks and not spam the platforms. So focus on quality and relevance for the best results.
9. Profile Creation Backlinks
Profile creation backlinks come from creating accounts on websites that allow you to add details about your business. Platforms like About.me or industry-specific directories allow you to include a link to your website in your profile. These types of backlinks in SEO are easy to create and help boost your site’s credibility. Just make sure your profiles are up to date and accurate.
10. Article Submission Backlinks
Article submission backlinks come from sharing your article on platforms like Medium or EzineArticles. These sites let you include a link to your website, usually in the author bio or within the article.
For the best results, write high-quality, informative content that readers find valuable. This will help your article get more views and bring more visitors to your website.
11. Web 2.0 Submission Backlinks
Web 2.0 backlinks are created when you build blogs or content hubs on platforms like WordPress.com, Blogger, or Tumblr. You can share articles or posts with links pointing back to your main website.
These platforms are free and easy to use, but it is important to create high-quality content to make the backlinks effective.
12. Forum & Blog Commenting Backlinks
Forums are online spaces where people discuss topics and share advice. You can add your links here, but only if they are helpful and provide useful information. Adding too many links just to boost numbers can hurt your site’s reputation.
Blog comments are another way to add links. While they are quick to create, they aren’t very reliable. Search engines often ignore these types of backlinks because they know about spammy comments. So, while they are easy, they don’t really help your site much.
5 Types of Backlinks You Should Avoid
Not all types of backlinks in SEO are good for your website. Some can hurt your site’s reputation and SEO rankings. Here’s a list of the different types of backlinks you should stay away from:
1. Paid Links
Buying backlinks may seem like a quick way to improve your search engine rankings, but it is not worth it. Search engines like Google can tell when links are bought, and they don’t like it. Instead of helping your site, paid links can actually lower your rankings. Remember, the best links are earned organically, not bought.
2. Press Release Links Without Real News
If you are creating press releases just to get backlinks without sharing real news, that’s a bad idea. Search engines see this as spam, as do people who visit your site. This can annoy your audience and hurt your search engine rankings.
3. Low-Quality or Irrelevant Directory Links
Adding your business to random or low-quality directories can hurt your site rather than help it. These directories often look spammy and provide no value to users. Always stick to trustworthy directories that are relevant to your business or industry.
4. Low-Quality Forum Backlinks
Posting links in forums can be helpful, but only if you are part of a real conversation. Spamming forums looks bad and won’t help your site. Focus on joining good forums and only adding links when they are actually helpful.
5. Backlinks from Spammy Websites
Search engines consider sites with a high spam rate to be untrustworthy. Getting backlinks from these sites may hurt your search engine optimization instead of helping it. Before accepting backlinks, check the quality of the site using tools like Ahrefs or Moz to make sure it hasn’t been flagged as spam.
What Makes a Backlink Valuable?
Not all backlinks are created equal. Some are more valuable than others. That is why it is important to focus on high-quality backlinks rather than just getting as many as possible.
One great backlink can be more powerful than a thousand bad ones.
Let’s take a dive to know what makes a backlink valuable:
Backlinks from Trusted and Popular Websites
Imagine getting a shout-out from a famous person that everyone trusts. That’s what happens when a high-authority website links to you. Sites with high “domain authority” can transfer a lot of value to your site when they link to you. it is not easy to get these backlinks, but they are worth the effort. Once you get a backlink from a trusted site, you are more likely to see more people visit your website.
Anchor Text With Your Keywords
Anchor text is the clickable part of the link. If it includes your important keywords, it can help you rank better for those words in search engines.
For example: If your target keyword is “best digital marketing institutes,” a link that contains the text “See best digital marketing institutes” can boost your ranking.
But be careful, if you stuff too many keyword-rich links everywhere, Google might think you are trying to cheat, and that could hurt your site.
Links From Relevant Websites
Let’s say you wrote an article about the best digital marketing courses online in India. If a website about courses has a link to your article, it will be very valuable because it is related to your topic. But if a website about fishing has a link to your article about schools, Google will not consider it valuable. Backlinks work best when they come from websites that are relevant to your topic.
Dofollow Links Are Better
Some links have a “nofollow” tag, which tells search engines to ignore them. These links don’t help your rankings as much.
Here are some examples of links that often have a “nofollow” tag:
- Blog comments
- Paid advertisements
- Press releases
Most other links are “dofollow,” and they are the ones that help your site grow.
Links From New Websites
Imagine you have a new friend who is talking about you in their network. This is the case when a website links to you for the first time. Now, if the same website links to you over and over again, the additional links will not be as effective as the first link. So, it is better to get links from many different sites rather than just one site linking to you multiple times.
Learn Link-Building That Truly Matters for SEO!
Now you know backlinks are super important for improving your website’s SEO. But the key is to focus on getting good-quality backlinks instead of trying to get as many as possible from random sites. Quality always matters more than quantity and Kalpavriksha Academy is here to guide you in understanding everything about backlinks and off-page SEO.
With us, you can learn how to build a successful link-building strategy and explore other exciting off-page SEO techniques. You can now enroll in our online SEO course taught by our real-world experts who know what works best. You can also try a free trial course to see if it is right for you.
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FAQs
1. What is a backlink?
A backlink can be considered as a link which comes from one web site to another. For example, if another web site includes a hyperlink to your website, you will call this a backlink to you. On the other hand, if you put a link to another web site, then the web site will call that a backlink directed to that web site.
2. How many backlinks should I make in a month for good SEO?
A good number of backlinks are aggressively cultivated with good quality. Websites are ranked on a scale of 60 to 100, 40 to 50 and less than 40 points.
- 60 to 100: Excellent
- 40 to 50: Any good
- Below 40: Not very good
It would be useful to get backlinks from websites with good grades which are also reputable among search engines. Such links should also be directed towards your niche for better enhancement of your SEO.
3. Can I buy backlinks to improve my SEO?
Though you can purchase the backlinks, it is among the bad practices. There are search engines that do a good job of finding paid links. They may sanction the site which may attempt to cheat on rankings. It is best to acquire backlinks the organic way by designing great content and nurturing other webmasters.
4. Do backlinks from social media help with SEO?
Backlinks from Facebook or Twitter social media pages do not help SEO directly because such social media pages normally only have no-follow links. But, they assist in driving more traffic to your site and in enhancing its reach which ultimately leads to higher ranking in the long run.
5. Are backlinks still important in 2025?
Backlinks are still a crucial aspect of SEO in 2025 for sure. They assist search engines in determining how reliable and useful a particular website is. Quality is more important than quantity, however, so concentrate on obtaining links from reputable sites.
