If you want to be successful in the internet world, your website needs to rank well in search engines. There are many factors that affect this ranking, and one of them is backlinks. So what is a backlink? Why are backlinks so important for your website? Here in this article, we will take a detailed look at what backlinks are, why they are important, and how you can create an effective backlink strategy.
What is a Backlink?
A backlink is a link from a page on one website to another website. In other words, if a website links to a page of another website, that link is called a backlink.
Backlinks are very important in terms of SEO (search engine optimization). When determining the page rank of a website, search engines look at the number of backlinks to and from that site. The higher the number of backlinks, the higher the SEO value for that site.
Types of Backlinks
Backlinks are an important factor for your website to rank high in search engines. However, the types and nature of backlinks are another factor that affects ranking. Under this heading, I cover the types of backlinks based on link tag, form of acquisition, and location.
Types of Backlinks by Link Tag
According to the anchor tag, backlinks are given with the “rel=” tag. In fact, it is the most important indicator that shows the quality of the link.
DoFollow Backlinks
DoFollow backlinks are tracked by search engines and increase the SEO value of the website. Such backlinks directly contribute to the ranking of the website.
NoFollow Backlinks
NoFollow backlinks are not tracked by search engines and do not contribute to the SEO value of the website. Or so we thought until a few years ago. In fact, many SEO experts have revealed that backlinks with nofollow tags are as valuable as dofollow tags according to the strategy. Whether they have an impact or not, such backlinks are still important for traffic and user engagement.
Sponsored Backlinks
Sponsored backlinks are types of backlinks that can be detected as being sponsored by search engines. These backlinks are given with the rel=sponsored tag.
Rel=sponsored is an HTML link tag and is used to identify sponsored backlinks. This tag is among the “link rel” attributes developed by Google.
The rel=sponsored tag ensures that a sponsored link on a website is not followed by search engines. This tag indicates to search engines that the link has been added for advertising or sponsored content purposes.
A website owner can clearly indicate to search engines that these links are sponsored content by using the “rel=sponsored” tag when adding sponsored backlinks. In this way, search engines can alter or completely ignore the ranking impact of such links.
This tag is important for websites that follow Google’s guidelines for sponsored content. In addition, website owners are warned that sponsored backlinks that are not properly tagged will be penalized by search engines.
UGC Backlinks
Yet another rel tag is rel=ugc and is used to describe user-generated content links. This tag is among the “link rel” attributes developed by Google.
The “rel=ugc” tag ensures that links in user-generated content on a website are not followed. User-generated content is commonly found on websites, such as blog comments, forum posts, or other types of user-generated content.
This tag indicates to search engines that the link was created by users. Search engines may prevent or otherwise treat such links from affecting the website’s ranking.
By using the “rel=ugc” tag, website owners may not want the links that users add to affect their website’s ranking. This tag gives website owners an option to prevent user-generated content from being tracked.
In addition, this tag is also recommended by Google to help website owners prevent spam links in user-generated content.
Types of Backlinks by Acquisition Type
Backlinks have different ways of acquisition, and these patterns affect your website’s ranking in search engines. Therefore, in order to create the right backlink strategy, it is important to understand the different types of backlinks based on how they are acquired. Under the following headings, I will explain the types of backlinks according to different forms of acquisition, such as organic backlinks, backlinks from guest content, press release and news backlinks, forum backlinks and PBN backlinks.
Organic Backlinks
Organic backlinks are links that are voluntarily added by another website owner in addition to a website owner’s own content. These backlinks occur naturally and are valued by search engines.
Backlink from Guest Content
Backlinks from guest content are links contained in content published by a website owner on another website. Such backlinks can be obtained by making an agreement with the other website owners of the person who wrote the content. Also, some content platforms (like Onedio) may allow links in guest content.
Press Release and News Backlink
Press release and news backlinks are links of a website owner added by news sources when a press release or news is published. Such backlinks can increase the ranking of the website and help it attract more traffic.
Forum Backlinks
Forum backlinks are links added during a website owner’s posts on forums. Although forum backlinks may seem like organic backlinks, they are no longer considered by search engines because many forum backlinks are of low quality.
PBN Backlinks
PBN (Private Blog Network) backlinks are backlinks created by a group of website owners by adding links from their website to their other websites. Such backlinks are considered spam and can be penalized by search engines.
Types of Backlinks by Location
In-Text Backlink
Post backlinks (also known as anchor text), the most common type of backlink, are defined as a clickable link on a word or phrase on a website. These links usually contain keywords that lead to the target page. If you want to learn more about this topic, you can check out my content on anchor text strategy.
Image Backlink
This type of backlink is a clickable link on an image. Such backlinks are usually contained within the HTML element known as the “image alt tag” and are used by search engines to better understand the visual content.
Footer Backlinks
A footer backlink, which is a type of backlink that requires attention, is a clickable link at the bottom of the website. Footer backlinks are usually located in areas such as “sitemap” or “partners” and are used to redirect to different pages of the site. However, the SEO value of footer backlinks has gradually decreased and is no longer considered by search engines. The most important issue here is; Since footer backlinks will appear on all pages and content types, they must be positioned on the correct website. In other words, the footer backlink you will position on a news site will appear in sports news as well as in content related to the economy.
Although the footer backlink type is still attracting attention for rapid rise and index, I do not recommend its use in the medium and long term.
Backlink Building Strategies
Because of the value of backlinks in SEO, many websites use backlink building strategies. However, there are some important points to consider when creating backlinks:
Quality Content
It is important to produce quality and original content to create backlinks. The more valuable and engaging your content is, the more likely other websites will backlink to you.
Reference Content
Original content is immediately noticed and cited by other websites. References may also be cited during these citations. Resources are always natural backlinks. Natural backlinks are created when other websites link to you about your content. So, to improve the quality of your site, optimize your content and wait for natural links.
Backlink Exchange
Backlink exchange means creating mutual backlinks by agreeing with other websites. However, when exchanging backlinks, one has to be careful about the quality and subject matter of the sites. Again, I do not recommend it, as it would be a transaction contrary to the nature of the internet, such as buying backlinks.
Being a Guest Writer
You can acquire backlinks to other websites by creating content related to your field. Such backlinks are highly valued by search engines, as they are formed organically.
Publishing a Press Release
Press releases are a method you can use to provide information about news or events and to promote your website. Press releases can increase the reputation of your website, as well as build backlinks.
Sharing Experiences
By creating content that includes your own experiences, knowledge, or research, you can have other websites reference your content.
Helping People
Assisting other websites in solving their problems or meeting their needs can increase your website’s authority and reputation, as well as help you gain backlinks.
Filling in Profile Information
You can increase the chances of getting backlinks by filling your profile information, social media accounts, or accounts on other platforms with your website URL.
Backlink Analysis
Backlink analysis plays a crucial role in improving a website’s SEO performance. Backlink analysis involves analyzing the type of links a website receives from which sites, the quality and quantity of these links, the effect of target keywords on links, and many other factors.
In the following sections, I will discuss the tools used for backlink analysis, the methods used to analyze the backlink value, and ways to eliminate spam backlinks.
Backlink Checker Tools
Numerous tools are used for backlink analysis (also known as backlink checkers). Some are available for free, while others are offered for a fee. Among the most popular backlink checker tools are Google Search Console, Ahrefs Backlink Checker, Moz Link Explorer, and SEMrush Backlink Analytics. These tools can be used to analyze the type of links a website receives from which sites and the nature of those links.
For example, the Ahrefs Backlink Checker tool can be used to analyze the backlinks a website receives. The tool shows the source of the links, the number of links, referring pages, target keywords, and many other details. Using this information, you can obtain more detailed information about a website’s backlink profile.
Analyzing Backlink Value
The quality of backlinks is essential for SEO performance. Several different methods can be used to analyze the value of backlinks. However, the easiest way is to use the backlink analysis tool you will use to score them. These ratings can be referred to by different names. Domain Rating (DR), Domain Authority (DA), and Page Authority (PA) values can be used to measure the value of a website’s backlinks.
For example, the Moz Link Explorer tool can be used to analyze a website’s DA and PA values. These values provide information about the quality of a website’s backlinks. Backlinks from a website with high DA and PA values are more valuable. Moz’s analysis tool can be used for free up to a certain monthly query limit.
Eliminating Spam Backlinks
Spam backlinks can have a negative impact on a website’s SEO performance. The tools I mentioned above can be used to detect spam backlinks. Generally, higher values, given as Spam Score (SS) or Toxicity Score (TS), will have a negative effect.
Several different methods can be used to eliminate spam backlinks. For example, you can detect spam backlinks and submit a removal request using the Google Search Console tool. However, the Google Disavow tool, which must be used with great care, is only offered to experts who know which backlinks they want to remove. You can access the Google Disavow tool by clicking on the Google Disavow link.
