What Is A ‘Backlink’?

A Backlink is a link from one website to another. They are also called “inbound links” or “incoming links.”

Let say, Peter is reading a blog post about the latest iPhone in the market. It talks about the newest features, price, and pros & cons. It also mention the competitor – Samsung Note Series, however, it doesn’t give much detail that Peter is interested to know more about. Noticing that the Samsung keyword is hyperlinked, he then clicked on it and landed on a blog post where a more detailed feature of Samsung Note Series is written.

The above shows that the blog that talks about Samsung Note Series gets a positive impact because other writers are linking the post. 

The page authorities and domain are key indicators of how search engines rank your website. 

Basically, the more websites that link back to you, the higher your page authority will be. The higher it is, the more likely you’ll appear on Page 1 of the search result page. 

Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?

Backlinks are valuable for SEO because they represent an “approval” from one site to another. 

The backlinks to your website signals Google that others believe in your content and you are reputable. 

If many sites link to the same web page or website, Google can assume that the content is legitimate, high-quality, therefore placing it on Page 1 of SERP. So, earning these backlinks can have a positive effect on a site’s ranking position and search visibility.

How to Earn Backlinks?

Gaining backlinks is an essential component to Off-site SEO strategy and it be can be reached through the following:

1. Natural Links

These are organically gained without any action on the part of the website owner. 

One of the best ways to obtain natural links is by consistently creating high-quality content that readers would not hesitate to share on their social media platforms and websites.

Acquiring links that you didn’t ask for is something that you should work on. You do this by putting in the work to make your website link-worthy, whether that’s through a great product or aspect of your service, or via producing great content that is referenced by other websites.

2. Manual Links

These are acquired through link earning activities. 

An example is Guest Blogging, it is the most effective way to reach new audiences. 

By publishing articles on websites related to your niche, you’ll get your content in front of new readers and win more exposure. Sometimes, it’s not just about the backlink, but about increasing your online reputation or your social media followers. 

Remember to link to your website within the content.

3. Self-Created Links

These are done when you comment your link into a forum, blog comment, or online directory. 

Be careful, this kind of technique may negatively impact your search engine reputation if abused. 

To end, backlinks are an important part of your website’s SEO strategy. It improves your website’s domain and page authorities, as well as help your website rank higher for your targeted keywords. Without backlinks, you’ll have a difficult time getting your site ranking well in search engine results—so be persistent.