Every top-ranking webpage typically possesses a mix of high-quality backlinks, and there exists a significant correlation between a site’s exposure in search engines and the quantity of reputable links pointing to it.
To broaden your link profile and acquire backlinks, it’s crucial to understand various types of backlinks, their benefits for your target sites, and the optimal quantity to acquire. To assist you in this endeavour, we’ve compiled an exhaustive list of backlink types that can aid in improving your search engine rankings.
Editorial Backlinks
Editorial backlinks are natural links that can be acquired when external websites recognize the value of your content and link to it. Editorial backlinks are also known as earned links as they are earned through the merit of your content rather than through payment or solicitation.
Purchasing editorial backlinks is not possible. To earn them, one must have that convincing power to impress other webmasters through the quality of content. Typically, these links originate from reputable websites with a Domain Rating (DR) of 80 or higher, such as Forbes, Vogue, and various news sites.
To earn editorial backlinks, it is essential to focus on creating genuine content containing “originality nuggets.” These may include thought leadership pieces, research findings, case studies, linkable assets, expert round-ups, and experiments.
Examples:
- News article referencing your research: A news website might cite your study on a particular topic and link to your website for readers who want to learn more.
- Industry blog mentioning your helpful guide: An industry blog could link to your comprehensive guide on a relevant subject as a valuable resource for their audience.
- Roundup post featuring your company: An expert roundup post might include your company as a leading provider in a specific field, linking to your website for further information.
- Published interview with someone from your company: If a publication interviews an expert from your company and includes a link to your website, that’s an editorial link.
Guest Post Backlinks
Guest post backlinks involve generating and posting content on external websites within your niche or industry. This strategy improves your website’s authority and relevance in your field, benefiting your SEO efforts and driving targeted traffic.
It’s crucial to target reputable websites for guest posting, ensuring that your content is well-researched and valuable to their audience. Here’s a breakdown of the steps involved:
- Identify relevant blogs that accept guest posts.
- Secure approval to contribute a unique post.
- Develop the content, incorporating necessary links.
- Await publication.
Depending on the site’s guidelines, you can typically include one or two links back to your website. These links may be placed in the author bio, within the body of the post, or directed to other sites that complement your content.
Mend Broken Backlinks
Repairing broken backlinks involves identifying broken links on relevant websites and suggesting your content as an alternative. This method allows you to earn backlinks by providing a solution to the website owner.
Here’s a breakdown of the steps for broken link building:
- Locate broken pages containing backlinks.
- Assess the quality of the backlinks.
- Develop a replacement page.
- Reach out to the owners of the websites linking to the broken page.
To assist in finding broken pages with backlinks, consider the following tips:
- Search for broken pages on competitors’ websites.
- Look for broken pages related to a specific topic.
- Utilize SEO tools such as Ahrefs’ free backlink checker or Site Explorer.
- Employ the free Chrome extension Check My Links to automatically scan all links on a page.
Dofollow Backlinks
Dofollow backlinks play a crucial role in transferring authority, known as “link juice,” from one webpage to another. These links signal search engines to follow them, considering them as endorsements for the linked site. Google introduced dofollow links in 2005 to combat spam indexing and enrich search result quality.
In SEO, dofollow backlinks are highly valuable as they contribute to strengthening a website’s domain authority and boosting its search engine rankings.
To determine if a link is dofollow, you can:
- Right-click on the link in your browser and select Inspect.
- Utilize the free Ahrefs SEO Toolbar extension for Chrome and Firefox.
- Right-click on your browser and select View page source.
- Locate the link within the HTML of the page.
If you observe a “rel=nofollow” attribute, the link is nofollowed; otherwise, it is a dofollow link.
Nofollow Backlinks
Nofollow links are hyperlinks that include the HTML attribute rel=”nofollow”, indicating to search engines that the link should be disregarded and not included in a site’s backlink analysis. Because nofollow links do not transmit PageRank or anchor text, they typically have minimal impact on search engine rankings.
Introduced in 2005, nofollow links were aimed at combatting spam and low-quality links, including comment spam. Many Content Management Systems (CMSs), such as WordPress, automatically apply the nofollow tag to comment links.
Nofollow links can aid in prioritizing website crawl processes.
Google’s Webmaster Guidelines advise nofollowing all affiliate links and caution against incorporating affiliate program links into ranking strategies. It’s generally recommended to apply the nofollow attribute to paid links and affiliate links to prevent manipulation of search engine rankings.
Comment and Forum Backlinks
Forum backlinks refer to links directed to a website from online community platforms or forums, while comment backlinks originate from blog comments. These forum backlinks can be situated within a user’s profile, forum posts, comments, or signature, and their classification as either no-follow or do-follow depends on their placement.
Search engines interpret forum backlinks as indicators of a website’s authority and relevance to a particular topic, potentially benefiting its SEO. However, if utilized incorrectly, they can have adverse effects.
To maximize the benefits of forum backlinks, engaging in discussions closely aligned with the website’s subject matter is recommended. This approach stimulates relationships with users and generates high-quality backlinks conducive to improved rankings.
Nevertheless, it’s essential to exercise caution as acquiring forum backlinks improperly or excessively can lead to negative repercussions. Engaging in spammy practices may incur penalties from search engines.
Several reputable forums conducive to backlink building include Quora, Reddit, Stack Overflow, BabyCenter, and TripAdvisor.
Niche Edits Backlinks
Niche edits also referred to as link insertions or curated links, involve inserting backlinks into pre-existing articles, listicles, or pages on a website instead of generating new content like guest posts.
The primary advantage of niche edits is the ability to add contextual links to pages that are already indexed and have high rankings. This results in the rapid acquisition of link juice.
In contrast, when building links from new content such as guest posts or press releases, one must wait for the page to be indexed, a process that can take anywhere from two weeks to several months.
Press Release Backlinks
Press release links are obtained through the distribution of press releases concerning updates or events related to your business. When implemented effectively, this strategy can significantly build up brand visibility.
When websites link to a website via press releases, it can be perceived as an endorsement from the online community. These backlinks have the potential to sustain a website’s popularity and improve its ranking on Google search engine results pages (SERPs).
Employ press release links when announcing significant company events, introducing new products or services, or seeking to raise awareness for your brand. Opt for anchor text that appears natural, such as naked URLs, branded or generic anchors, and calls to action (CTAs). It’s worth noting that most press release links are typically “Nofollow.”
Social Media Backlinks
Social media backlinks refer to links originating from social media platforms that direct users to your website. These links can be integrated into posts, comments, user profiles, or shared directly on feeds. Although social media links typically have a “Nofollow” attribute, they can indirectly benefit SEO by driving traffic and encouraging engagement on your site.
Backlinks can be inserted into posts, comments sections, or user profiles on social media platforms, or shared directly on feeds. Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are classified as websites, so any link leading from them to another website constitutes a backlink.
Increased engagement contributes to improved rankings by enhancing metrics like “time on page” and fostering positive user behavior, both of which are influential factors in ranking algorithms.
To maximize the impact of social media backlinks, share compelling visuals, videos, and thought-provoking content across your social media channels, incorporating links to your website.
Directory Backlinks
Directory backlinks are inbound links obtained from external web directory sites. This process involves submitting a website URL to a directory submission site, which could be a general business directory or a more specialized niche directory. It’s crucial to select a directory that coordinates with the content of the site.
It’s advisable to avoid submitting your site to numerous directories; instead, focus on reputable, niche-specific directories that are relevant to your business and have engaged audiences.
Consistency in information across listings is essential for local businesses, as Google considers this a crucial factor. Some notable directories include Best of the Web (BOTW), Spoke, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, and Google My Business.
Image Backlinks
An image backlink is an image that is linked to a site or page. Image backlinks are important because research from Semrush indicates that webpages featuring images receive 555% more quality backlinks.
Common types of images that naturally attract backlinks include infographics, graphs, product photos, maps, and visual aids supporting textual content.
Utilize Google Reverse Image Search to locate where your images are being used. If your images are used without proper credit, contact the webmasters directly to claim your backlink. Create original, high-quality images and optimize them with descriptive file names and alt tags to improve their visibility and discoverability.
Video Backlinks
Links from video descriptions, comments, or video credits on platforms like YouTube contribute to your backlink profile. However, all links from YouTube content are “Nofollow.” Despite not providing direct SEO link juice, these links are still discoverable within YouTube searches and can drive traffic to your site. To maximize their SEO impact, optimize video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords.
Paid Backlinks
Paid link building involves a website paying a third-party domain for a dofollow backlink directing to its own domain. According to Authority Hackers, 74.3% of link builders engage in paid linking, with the average cost per link being $83.
While these statistics may seem appealing, it’s important to note that purchasing links is considered a black-hat SEO tactic. Google views such practices as link schemes and violations of search engine policies.
If considering sponsored link building, ensure the links are relevant to your niche and originate from legitimate websites, not Private Blog Networks (PBNs). Ideally, they should come from commercial blogs where editors may offer link sales.
.Edu and .Gov Backlinks
Backlinks from domains with the EDU and GOV suffixes are highly trusted by Google, as they belong to government and educational institutions. These backlinks carry significant authority and are more challenging to obtain than standard backlinks, but they offer considerable value.
What sets them apart is that they cannot be purchased. To acquire such backlinks, educational institutions can consider creating scholarships, offering internships for students, and hosting events to attract attention.
Author Bio Backlinks
Many online articles include an author bio or profile, commonly used for linking to websites, main pages, online stores, and social media profiles. In the past, using exact match anchor text in author bios was prevalent, especially in the blogging era.
During a Google Webmaster Hangout, John Mueller suggested that author bio pages are more about the sites linking and their impact on user experience, rather than specifically addressing linking practices.
Author bio links may pose a risk of appearing spammy or overly saturated. Google’s Penguin algorithm assesses sites based on keywords and anchor text, so caution is advised. When linking from an author bio, prioritize trustworthy sites and opt for brand anchors or naked links to avoid the perception of spammy practices.
Podcast Backlinks
Acquire backlinks by guesting on podcasts or having your website featured in podcast show notes. This approach proves effective in securing homepage links, strengthening online presence, and earning industry acknowledgment.
Identify relevant websites and podcasts, and send patch personalized messages to initiate contact. Some notable podcast platforms are Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podchaser, Podcast Addict, and Podcorn.
Testimonial Backlinks
Testimonial backlinks are links offered by reputable websites to a site in return for a positive review of their product or service. The company may feature the review on its website as a gesture of gratitude to the reviewer.
Testimonial link-building benefits both the reviewer and the company. The reviewer receives a backlink to their site, while the company obtains a favorable review to influence potential customers positively. Accumulating numerous testimonial links can refine a site’s ability to attract more visitors.
Footer links
Footer links are hyperlinks located at the bottom of a website, also known as sitewide or boilerplate links. Footer links offer visitors additional information about the site, including contact details, sitemaps, and copyright information, and can aid in navigation.
Footer links serve both navigational and informational purposes, assisting users in locating desired content, and potentially increasing conversions and revenue. Footer links aid Google’s bots in comprehending the structure of your site.
Examples of footer links include business contact details, privacy policies, testimonials, copyright information, and terms of use.
Badge Backlinks
Badge backlinks, also referred to as award or certification backlinks, are a form of backlinking where a website or business designs a custom badge or award and presents it to another website or industry influencer.
Badge backlinks facilitate mutual benefits. The website or business offering the badge demonstrates appreciation or recognition to the recipient, while the recipient proudly exhibits the badge on their website, creating a link back to the issuer’s website.
Influencer-Generated Backlinks
Influencers are highly respected and influential figures in their fields, and their recommendations carry a lot of weight.
When influencers mention or link to your website in their content, Google interprets these backlinks as a vote of confidence, particularly in the era of the E-A-T algorithm. This practice is commonly known as influencer marketing. Some ways to earn backlinks through influencer marketing include:
- Request a product review or demonstration.
- Publish guest blogs featuring a do-follow link to the website.
- Contact journalists through Facebook.
- Collaborate with influencers in your niche for round-ups, joint studies, etc.
- Organize a contest or giveaway.
- Model the tactics of successful influencers.
Final Words
There you have it – an analysis of the most prevalent types of backlinks, how they influence search rankings, and Google’s perspective on the nature of each backlink type. What backlinks do you plan for your next link building campaign?
