A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines read it as a recommendation, which is why links count among the strongest ranking factors. What matters, though, is where a link comes from, not how many you have.
What a backlink does
Backlink quality
The quality of a backlink is key to how well it works. Websites connected by a link must be thematically related, ideally on the same topic. You cannot link from a website about cars to an online shop selling skincare cosmetics. The anchor text should suggest where the link leads, so more precise phrases work better than “here”. The linking website should have valuable and useful content. Regular updates are also important. Search engines notice whether a website is “alive” and beneficial.
Getting backlinks
There are many ways to obtain backlinks for a particular website. All these approaches and methods are grouped under the term link building. To give you an idea, here is just a list of the basic and most widely used ones:
Editor’s tip
Backlinks are key to improving your website’s position in search engines. It is important to realise that the quality of linking websites matters far more than their quantity. That is why it is important to choose only relevant and trustworthy sources, so that your backlinks are effective and beneficial. Personally, I think creating high-quality content that others want to share is the simplest and most effective way to get backlinks. High-quality content naturally attracts links over the long term, because people like to share valuable information. That is why it is important to invest in creating content that is original, useful and meets the needs of your audience. Backlinks are therefore essential to your website’s success. Creating and acquiring them should be part of your long-term SEO strategy. Try to build a natural network of backlinks that will support your brand and increase your website’s traffic.
What is a backlink and how does it work
A backlink, also called an inbound or incoming link, is a hyperlink on a page of one website that points to a page on another website. The website receiving the link sees it as a link “back” to itself, which is where the name comes from. For the website that publishes it, the same link is an outbound link.
Every backlink has a few parts you should know:
- Source page: the page where the link is placed. Its topic and trustworthiness shape the value of the link.
- Target page: the address on your website the link points to, such as your homepage, a product page or an article.
- Anchor text: the clickable words that tell readers what to expect after clicking.
- Link attributes: hidden labels in the code that say whether the link should pass trust to your website.
Automated crawlers move from page to page by following links. A backlink therefore also helps your new pages get discovered sooner, not only by people but by the systems that index the web.
Dofollow and nofollow backlinks
A dofollow backlink is simply a standard link without any restriction. There is no attribute called dofollow. The term only describes a link that passes trust and authority to the page it points to, which makes it the most valuable type for your website’s reputation.
A nofollow backlink carries the rel attribute with the value nofollow. It asks crawlers not to pass trust to the target page. Two related values exist as well. The value sponsored marks paid links and the value ugc marks links in user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts.
You will typically find nofollow links in comments, on social networks, on many news websites and in paid placements. A healthy website has both types. If every link you have is dofollow, the pattern looks artificial.
What is a backlink profile
Your backlink profile is the full set of links pointing to your website, viewed as a whole. It shows how many different domains link to you, how relevant they are, which anchor texts they use, the ratio of dofollow to nofollow links and how fast new links appear. A natural profile grows gradually and comes from varied, related sources.
Toxic backlinks
A toxic backlink comes from a source that can lower trust in your website instead of building it. Typical examples are link farms, hacked websites, automatically generated directories, networks built only to sell links and pages with no connection to your topic. Large numbers of links with identical commercial anchor text are another warning sign.
To deal with them, follow these steps:
- Review your backlink profile regularly with a link analysis tool.
- Mark links from spammy or irrelevant domains for closer inspection.
- Ask the website owner to remove the link where possible.
- As a last resort, submit a disavow file listing the domains you want ignored.
Frequently asked questions about backlinks
What is a quality backlink?
A quality backlink comes from a trustworthy website on a topic related to yours. It is placed within the content because it helps readers, not hidden in a footer or a list of unrelated links. It often brings real visitors as well.
Do nofollow backlinks have any value?
Yes. They do not pass trust in the same way as dofollow links, but they can bring visitors and make your brand more visible. They also keep your backlink profile looking natural.
Can you buy backlinks?
You can pay for placements such as sponsored articles, but those links should be marked with the sponsored attribute. Buying dofollow links in bulk from link networks is risky and often produces toxic links. Earning links with useful content is safer over the long term.
How many backlinks does a website need?
There is no fixed number. What you need depends on your industry and on how strong the competing websites are. A smaller number of relevant links from different domains usually helps more than many weak ones.
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