What are Backlinks, and Why are They Important?
The ubiquitous Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is known by everyone. What many people don’t know is that SEO isn’t a one-person army. It involves numerous different tasks and operating pieces. Each of these aspects is equally important to strengthen the robustness of your website. One of these aspects is backlinks. They are imperative to build your website’s domain and page authorities, directly contributing to increasing the search engine ranking.
In this blog post, we will offer you in-depth information on Backlinks and their importance. Apart from that, we will also discuss how you can build your backlink portfolio.
What are Backlinks?
Backlinks are the links on another website that directs back onto a particular site.
Search engines consider the total number of backlinks a website has as an essential factor when it comes to determining a website’s popularity, importance, and search engine rankings.
In the early days, Google’s ranking algorithm solely relied on a website’s backlink portfolio, and this algorithm easily got manipulated with black hat SEO techniques.
However, today the search engine’s algorithms have improved and became more complex, making backlinks less critical. Nevertheless, backlinks still contribute to the authority and strength of a website.
Moreover, backlinks also provide another course of action for web visitors to find your website. For instance, if a visitor is reading an informative blog and sees a link that leads back to your site and finds the concept to be fitting with their exploration, they will click the link and get directed to your site. This whole process is known as referral traffic, and it can directly leverage your website’s online reputations.
Types of Backlinks
Backlinks generally get categorized into two subtypes, and they are:
a- Follow backlinks:
This type of link directly contributes to your website’s domain and page authorities; thus, strengthening your site’s ranking.
b- Nofollow backlinks:
This type of link does not prove helpful in strengthening your search rank or website’s visibility because they don’t pass any practicality from one site to another. They basically tell the search engines to ignore the link.
Importance of Backlinks
The importance of backlinks can only be determined based on its value on the Google search results. Let’s consider if there are two articles on the same subject, Blog A has ten backlinks, and Blog B has around five or so. The chances of Blog A actively getting higher ranked by Google is very high.
So, now let’s consider these facts with external sources. For instance, Blog A gets linked to Blog Y, and Blog B gets linked to Blog Z. In this scenario, Blog Y will procure more ‘vote’ value than Blog Z because Blog A was considered as the most functional source compared to Blog B.
All of these scores get aggregated into the domain authority (DA) score.
The backlinks may not offer immediate results, but they are still worth considering. Let us see how link building benefits your business module.
1- Building relationships
Backlinks are a great way to outreach your business to other relevant websites and blogs similar to your industry. In this outreach, you can reflect your recently crafted piece of content or infographics.
The ordinary goal of outreach is to get the links, but you can also use outreach to build long-term relationships with your industry’s key influencers. These relationships can also make your business highly trusted and regarded amid the industry and audiences. This way, even if you forget or stop creating backlinks, you will already have influential advocates for your business.
2- Sending referral traffic
We know that backlinks have a great impact on the ranking, but apart from that, backlinks can offer you impactful referral traffics too.
A good link from a highly-popular site can definitely increase your traffic. But if you work creatively and post on websites that are relevant to your industry, then chances are that you will receive relevant traffics that will directly increase your sales.
The great example here is of Michael Ellsberg’s guest post on Tim Ferriss’ blog. He also wrote a case study on Forbes explaining the value of the guest post. He said, “There’s a big difference between being exposed to a large audience, and being exposed to a comparatively smaller (but still large) audience which is ridiculously passionate.”
In simple words, relevant traffic is far more likely to get influenced than normal traffic.
3- Brand building
Introducing good links will also help you to build your brand and establish your authority in the service you offer. You can use various link building techniques to exhibit your company’s expertise. Content creation can help in your business in such cases; apart from showcasing the expertise, you can use content to build your brand.
For instance, contents that offer its readers with industry data becomes an instant hit among the audience and can directly raise your business’s industry value.
How to obtain backlinks?
There is no doubt in considering backlinks as an integral part of your website’s performance and search engine result, this means, having an exceptional portfolio is vital.
However, it is also important to note that getting backlinks isn’t quick and easy; in fact, it is quite time-consuming and tedious. Fortunately, there are a plethora of ways to obtain backlinks, and each of them is beneficial in helping you create your website’s backlink portfolio.
1- Online and local directory submission
Having your website listed on an online and local directory will offer you a strong backlink, even though these links may be nofollow backlink. Nevertheless, directories like Yellow pages, Yelp, and Four Square can make it easier for potential customers to search your website, read customer reviews, and inspect if your services suit them.
Moreover, Google’s My Business pages permit the businesses to list their website on Google Maps, thus, allowing customers to find services they want.
If you consider this option, make sure that you register consistent information (name, address, and contact number) across all the online and local directories to prevent customer confusion.
2- Blog comments
Blog comments are yet another functional way to garner backlinks for your website. All you need to do is visit authoritative websites, go through their blogs, and comment on the posts. You can either express your suggestions and post your appreciation or ask questions thoughtfully.
Well, do not forget to leave your website’s or blog’s link along with your comment.
This method may generate nofollow backlinks, but they can still help you to build a relationship with other businesses in your industry.
In any case, make sure to comment on posts that are relevant to the services you offer. This is because you may get a few traffic, plus, linking your comments on irrelevant posts can increase the chances of your comment being considered spam or getting removed off.
3- Guest blogging
Guest blogging is by far the best strategy to inevitably increasing the chances of gaining high-quality follow backlinks.
Although this option is far more time consuming than the others we mentioned here, but trust us, it is an effective way. If you decide on doing guest blogging, you need to do thorough research by visiting quality sites relevant to the services you offer. Inspect on which sites accept guest blogs. Even though many sites won’t allow guest posting, there are a few websites that are obligated to consider free posts.
Later you will have to ensure that the topic you are deciding to write fits as per their guidelines, if possible, check on with their marketing team to get precise details on their instructions.
Be sure to include a backlink to your website within the post as it is the entire purpose of guest posting.
Point to be noted!
Understand that generating backlinks is not only about going onto another website and adding your URL everywhere. As a matter of fact, you need to earn your backlinks. The simplest yet worthy way is by generating decent quality content that people would consider linking to.
When it comes to SEO, bad ranking makes it hard for people to search you online, which means the likelihood of linking with your website is relatively low.
Before you think about guest posting, make sure that your website is already filled with quality content because quality content can directly contribute to good ranking. You do not need to add decent content now, and then; you can follow a set rule and consider occasional content updates to keep boosting the rankings.
Bottom line
With all this information, you should proudly conclude backlinks as an important part of the whole Search Engine Optimization loop. Backlinks must be your priority if you want to garner organic traffic for your website.
Understand that backlinking is just one small part of the wide range of techniques that are useful for improving your search engine rankings and getting more traffic to your website. Make sure to get in touch with an expert who will offer you with all the aspects in one go.
