When you’re optimising your website to make it more visible to search engines, a key consideration is building quality backlinks. It should form part of any SEO strategy, no matter how large or small your website might be.
What is a backlink?
Backlinks go by several other names, including one-way links, incoming links, and inbound links. However you label them, they amount to the same thing. A backlink is a direct link from one website to another.
For example: a customer tries your product or service for the first time and they like it. They write a review about it on their personal blog. At the bottom of that review, they link to the product or service page on your site. That is a backlink.
Why are backlinks so important?
A backlink is a vote of confidence for a website. Whether somebody backlinks to a product, a blog, or a news item, they are saying that this content (and, by proxy, the site on which it’s held) has value. “This content is useful”, they are saying. “This content is credible.” More importantly, they are declaring that this content is worth sharing.
Search engine significance
Those votes of confidence do not go unnoticed by the major search engines. Google, Bing, Baidu, and Yahoo! (among others) all count backlinks as a significant part of their search algorithm. Indeed, when Google was first starting out, its very first algorithm – PageRank – utilised backlinks to determine search result rankings.
What makes a good backlink?
Not every backlink holds the same value when it comes to SEO. As a general rule of thumb, the more popular the site that makes the backlink, the better it will impact your search engine ranking. This is known as Domain Authority and it’s a two-way street. The more sites that link to you, the greater your Domain Authority and the more sway your backlinks have in turn.
Backlinks also offer greater SEO rewards if the site they originate from is connected to your own in terms of topics and content. If you manufacture CCTV cameras, for instance, a backlink from a respected security site will hold more weight than a similar link from an entirely different industry.
Search engines also value diversity in their backlink algorithms. In other words, it’s better to have five quality backlinks from five different sites, than it is to get 50 backlinks from the same site.
How can I get good backlinks?
The best way to get good backlinks is to generate content that people want to share. It can be a slow process, but it’s also a tried-and-tested way to get organic search results.
Alternatively you can hire a reputable SEO firm to help you build effective backlinks. Here at 123 Ranking, we offer a tailored backlink building solution as part of our SEO packages that are proven to increase traffic and search engine ranking. Get in touch with us today to discuss your requirements and to get a free, no obligation quote.
