In the thrilling world of Search Engine Optimisation, understanding the variation between different types of backlinks is critical for building a robust online presence. Let’s explore the typology of backlinks and how each kind provides unique value to your website. From the naturally earned backlinks, that are a result of high-quality content on your site, to those obtained via outreach or guest blogging – every kind has its own distinguishing features and effect on your site’s SEO ranking. The following article deciphers how these diverse types of backlinks vary, and the way they influence your digital success.
Understanding the Importance of Backlinks
In the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), backlinks play a crucial role. They are among the top factors that Google considers while ranking your website.
Why backlinks matter in SEO
Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are created when one website links to another. They are essential for SEO because they represent a ‘vote of confidence’ from one website to another. In simple terms, backlinks to your website are signals to search engines that others find your content valuable and trustworthy.
Understanding Google’s perspective on backlinks
For Google and other search engines, backlinks play a pivotal role in determining a page’s importance and value. Google views these links as endorsements. If many sites link back to yours, it makes your site seem worthwhile to others and therefore, Google will consider it good enough to rank higher in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
Role of backlinks in site’s authority measurement
Backlinks contribute significantly to the building of your site’s authority. When more high-authority sites link back to you, it enhances your website’s credibility. This is why link-building efforts are essential in SEO; they boost your site’s perceived authority and improve its chances of ranking higher.
Standard Features of Backlinks
While all backlinks may look similar, they are not created equally. There are some distinct features you need to understand to optimise your link-building efforts effectively.
Anchor text role
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. In modern SEO, anchor text is important because Google uses it to understand the context and relevance of the linked page. Your anchor texts should be precise, relevant and should not be overloaded with keywords.
Relationship between backlinking site and targeted site
The relationship between the website providing the backlink and the targeted site also matters. If the backlinking site has similar content or is in the same industry, the backlink is considered more relevant, translating to higher value for the targeted site.
Google’s no-follow and do-follow tags
Backlinks can be tagged as either no-follow or do-follow links. Do-follow backlinks instruct search engine bots to follow the link and pass link juice, thereby positively impacting your rankings. No-follow backlinks tell bots not to follow the link, thus no authority or link juice is passed. However, a good balance of both is recommended for a natural backlink profile.
Types of Backlinks Based on Link Building Techniques
The technique used in building backlinks results in different types of backlinks, each having their own importance in SEO.
Natural editorial backlinks
Natural editorial backlinks are the gold standard of backlinks. These occur when other website owners, bloggers or reporters link to your site because they believe your content is valuable for their audience.
Manual link building backlinks
As the name suggests, manual link building involves manually reaching out to other website owners or bloggers to request them for backlinks. This could involve methods such as blog commenting, guest posting, broken link building, etc.
Self-created backlinks
Self-created backlinks are generated by methods such as adding a backlink in an online directory, forum, blog comment signature, press releases with optimised anchor texts, and so on. However, Google tends to devalue these types of links.
Differentiating Natural Editorial Backlinks
Success in link building is gauged when your quality content earns spontaneous and natural backlinks from authoritative websites.
Characteristics of natural editorial backlinks
These types of backlinks are usually earned because of the quality content on your site that others find valuable and want to link back to. The backlink itself is usually inserted within the content of the page, and the anchor text is composed of words or phrases relevant to the subject or value of the linked content.
Benefits of having natural editorial backlinks
These backlinks are highly valued because they are an indicator of quality content and are seen as a strong endorsement from the referring website, thus creating a significant impact on your search engine rankings.
Tips on how to earn natural editorial backlinks
To earn natural editorial backlinks, focus on producing high-quality, unique and engaging content that provides value to your audience. Promote this content through various marketing channels to ensure it reaches a broad audience and has a higher chance of getting linked to.
Exploring Manual Link Building Backlinks
Manual link building is a traditional, yet influential, method of building links aimed at improving website’s visibility and authority.
Basic principles of manual link building
In manual link building, you directly approach websites, blogs or directories, asking them to link to your site. Unlike natural backlinks, manual links involve a more active approach towards acquiring links – you create the opportunity.
Advantages and disadvantages of manual link building
While this method allows you to build relationships and gain exposure, it can be time-consuming. And there’s no guarantee for links; they might not always be from high-authority sites, and sometimes they may even be considered spammy by Google.
Manual link building strategies to consider
Some popular strategies include: creating high-quality evergreen content, guest blogging, fixing broken links, and building relationships with influencers or industry experts.
Understanding Self-Created Backlinks
Self-created backlinks are those which you create on other websites by yourself, often without the site owner’s explicit permission.
The concept of self-created backlinks
These are generated by practices such as incorporating backlinks in your online directory submissions, forum signatures, comment sections or, inserting them in an author bio with an infographic or a press release.
Potential risks with self-created backlinks
Self-created backlinks can sometimes be seen as spammy or manipulative and attract penalties from Google. Hence, it’s imperative to tread carefully when creating them.
Best practices for generating self-created backlinks
These backlinks should only be generated on quality platforms that are relevant to your industry. Overdoing it or creating backlinks on low-quality, irrelevant platforms can do more harm than good.
Types of Backlinks Based on Website Authority
Backlinks also differ based on the authority of the website supplying the link.
High authority backlinks
These are backlinks from websites that have established high credibility and trustworthiness, in Google’s view. It is these high authority backlinks that dramatically influence a site’s authority and rankings.
Low authority backlinks
Backlinks from a domain with lower authority don’t carry as much weight as those from high authority ones. But, that doesn’t mean these backlinks are worthless. They can still contribute to your backlink profile and improve your visibility in search engines.
Backlinks from new or emerging websites
Backlinks from new or emerging websites may initially not hold much value. However, as the website grows and gains authority, these backlinks can increase in value.
Differences Between Do-Follow and No-Follow Backlinks
Google analyses both do-follow and no-follow backlinks from slightly different angles.
Defining do-follow and no-follow backlinks
Do-follow backlinks are the kind of backlinks that everyone wants. They pass on link juice and can help to improve a website’s rank. On the other hand, no-follow backlinks have a ‘no-follow’ tag, which tells search engines not to follow the link, thus not passing on any link juice or influence.
Google’s stance on do-follow and no-follow links
While do-follow backlinks add more value to your SEO strategy, Google encourages a healthy balance of both types of links in your backlink profile for natural link diversity.
Effectiveness of do-follow versus no-follow backlinks
While do-follow links are more advantageous in terms of SEO rankings, no-follow backlinks can also add value by driving traffic and promoting increased visibility for your site.
Understanding the Quality of Backlinks
While the number of backlinks your website has can matter for SEO, the quality of these backlinks is far more crucial.
Assessing backlink quality
Multiple elements factor into the quality of a backlink: the authority of the linking site, its relevancy to your content, the anchor text used, and whether it’s a no-follow or do-follow link.
Importance of relevant and high-quality backlinks
High-quality backlinks from relevant and reputable websites not only bring value in SEO but can also bring in valuable web traffic. Remember, it’s always better to have a few high-quality backlinks over a bundle of low-quality ones.
Tools to analyse backlink quality
There are many online tools available, such as SEMRush, Moz, and Ahrefs, which can help you analyse the quality of your backlinks and the backlink profile of your website.
Backlinks and SEO best practices
Implementing best practices in your link building strategy will ensure that you gain a healthy backlink profile.
Avoiding schemes and shortcuts
There are no shortcuts to getting quality backlinks, and Google recommends against using link schemes, as these are viewed as manipulative and can bring severe penalties.
Prioritising quality of backlinks over quantity
The quality of backlinks will always outweigh quantity. Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks that come from trusted and authoritative sources, rather than trying to get as many backlinks as possible.
Ongoing monitoring and management of backlinks
It is crucial to keep track of your backlinks to ensure that you retain high-quality ones and remove any toxic or unhelpful backlinks. This will help you maintain a clean and effective backlink profile that adds value to your SEO efforts.
Breaking down the vast world of backlinks to these basics can illuminate your SEO efforts and steer your website to achieving the high rank it deserves on search engine result pages.
Hi, I’m Nicholas Bortoluzzi (but people often call me Nico).
I am the Founder and Director at SEO Lynx, an internet marketing agency operating in the UK and servicing clients worldwide.
The article on this page was written and curated by myself.