Guides 2 min read
What Are Backlinks and How to Get Them the Right Way
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. See why they matter for Google, which ones help, which ones hurt and how to get them without risk.
In this article
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Google treats them as recommendations: if a serious site points to you, you probably have something valuable. That is why backlinks are one of the more important factors for Google rankings.
What backlinks are
If a local news site writes about your business and links to your website, that is a backlink. Working to earn such links is called link building and is part of off-page SEO, while on-page SEO is everything you do on your own site.
Which backlinks are valuable
- From related sites. A link from a construction portal is worth more to a contractor than one from a cooking site.
- From serious sites. News portals, associations, chambers, suppliers and partners.
- From within text. A link in the body of an article is worth more than one in a footer.
- Local. For local SEO, links from local portals, associations and events help especially.
Which backlinks hurt
- bought links from networks of sites made only to sell links
- thousands of links from comments and forums
- links from sites unrelated to your industry or language
Google’s guidelines prohibit buying links that pass ranking value. The risk is not worth the time saved.
How to earn backlinks the right way
- Directories and profiles. Business directories, chambers and professional associations.
- Partners and suppliers. Many have a list of partners or contractors.
- Local media. News, an event, a donation or an expert comment.
- Useful content. Guides and data others like to reference, such as price ranges or research.
- Guest articles. An expert piece for a portal or blog in your industry.
How to check your backlinks
Google Search Console’s links report shows which sites link to yours. Paid SEO tools offer deeper analysis.
Link building is part of the website SEO service, and I write content others like to link to in content marketing.
Frequently asked questions
What are backlinks?
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Google treats them as recommendations, so links from quality, related sites help rankings.
Is buying backlinks allowed?
Google's guidelines prohibit buying links that pass ranking value. Such links can lead to lower rankings, so it is better to build them through real relationships and content.
How many backlinks do I need?
There is no magic number. A few links from serious, related sites are worth more than hundreds of links from unrelated or fake sites.
About the author
Matija Terzić
I am the founder of VRH Agency from Rijeka. I run the whole marketing for businesses, from ads and SEO to websites and automation, so they win more clients and more profit, and I write about it from my everyday work with clients.
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