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“Backlinks”, “hyperlinks”, “inbound links”, “incoming links”, “one way links”, you name it. Regardless of what you call them, backlinks have a significant impact on where a page lands in Google’s search results pages.
If you’re just getting started with link building, chances are that the tons of information available online about backlinks and other jargons are already confusing you. But don’t fret. Profit Engine is here to make things clearer for you.
In this quick article, we break down everything there is to know about backlinks and their impact on SEO rankings. Let’s dive in.
Essentially, backlinks are links from one website pointing towards another website. What this means is if an external domain points to a page on your domain, then you acquired a backlink from them. If your domain links to a page on an external domain, then they acquired a backlink from you.
You can run a link report in Google Search Console or use a tool like Ahrefs to see all the sites that link back to yours.
Website owners use backlinks to connect one web page to another, usually when citing a source, expanding on a topic, or defining a specific word. Backlinks can also help to drive visitors to your website from a news site, a blog, an online directory or elsewhere in the internet.
A backlink comprises two components:
You need a clickable URL that directs visitors to your web page.
You need a concise, relevant text that tells visitors what they’ll find on the linked page.
Backlinks work as peer reviews between websites. When another site links back to your web page, Google and other search engines treat it as a vote of confidence for that specific page.
As such, the more links pointing towards that web page, the better it will rank on search engines. That’s because a backlink carries link juice that can improve the rankings of a linked page.
However, not all links are good enough to boost the authority and ranking of a website or page. This is why you need as many relevant and authoritative backlinks as possible to achieve high organic search engine rankings.
Think of how citations in books and scientific research work. If a book is cited by many relevant and authoritative sources, chances are that it contains super valuable information.
Similarly, if a web page is being linked to by many relevant and authoritative websites, it’s a sign that its content is worth it. So, while it’s a good idea to want to create as many backlinks as possible, the emphasis should always be on quality over quantity.
In a nutshell, high-quality backlinks are topically relevant and originate from authority websites. For example, someone who runs a plumbing business should link from high authority plumbing and construction related websites instead of gaming websites and the likes.
Backlinks underpin Google’s original PageRank algorithm. Each backlink symbolises an external vote that tells Google how valuable, credible, and useful the content on a web page is.
A website’s backlinks portfolio can help with the following four main areas:
Backlinks signal to search engines that other websites are confident about the contents of your web pages. As such, the more external websites linking to your web pages, the more likely they are to rank higher on the search engine result pages (SERPs).
Usually, when search engines crawl your website, they check the links on it to determine the authority and relevance of the referring domains. So if you’ve accumulated backlinks from reputable sites that are popular in your niche, it increases the chances that your website’s pages will rank for relevant queries.
Backlinks help search engines discover new pages that they haven’t indexed before. Often, their bots revisit old or popular pages to check for any links to new pages.
By getting backlinks from older, more established pages, your chances of online visibility are so much greater. This is why if you’ve just published a new page or post, a backlink from an older site can make all the difference.
Backlinks from established websites also give your new content additional exposure, so Google can find and index it more quickly. This results in a passive boost to your brand over time.
Backlinks are there to direct users to useful resources on a similar topic. That’s why they include clickable text in the first place. This allows you to get referral traffic when someone clicks on a link to your site.
Backlinks can deliver tons of referral traffic to your website. But that’s not all. A high-quality, relevant backlink tells search engines that you are the real deal in your niche.
As long as the referring site’s readership matches yours, a backlink can bring qualified prospects into your sales funnel so you can kick start your conversion strategies.
Backlinks also prove useful for end-user experience. As mentioned earlier, backlinks connect people with additional information beyond what is available on the linking page.
For example, assume someone is reading a page that discusses “the top 10 SEO trends of 2022.” As they scroll down, they come across a link with a study on “how Google algorithm updates impact your SEO.”
In this case, a backlink connects a user with more information they might be interested in. This establishes a solid user experience because the searcher can follow the link and get additional information.
SEO ranking factors change all the time. But one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is backlinks.
Quality backlinks can boost your search visibility, drive referral traffic and qualified leads to your website, and ultimately move your business closer to success.
Are you looking to start your link building campaign? Look no further. Profit Engine is a tried and tested link building company with provable results. We’ve helped tens of businesses from around the world increase leads and customers by ranking their websites higher on SERPs.
You could be our next success story. Reach out to us now for a free, no-pressure consultation with one of our SEO experts.Â
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