How Important are Backlinks for seo?

We cannot talk about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) without mentioning “backlinks”. Backlinks are the building blocks in SEO services. They are very important and an essential aspect of SEO because they help to build your website domain and page authorities and they directly contribute to SERP (Google search engine results page) rankings. When we hear about SEO (search engine optimization) and backlinks, it sounds complicated to our ears especially for those that do not have a pre-knowledge of websites, internet etc. Frankly, speaking backlinks and SEO services are not as complicated as it sounds.

 A read-through of what backlinks are, how they are acquired, the types of backlinks we have, and their importance to your website would grant you a fair knowledge of the importance of backlinks and what they are. Have you ever wondered what backlinks are? This article clearly defines what backlinks are in simple terms in relation to websites. Let us take a look at the definition of backlinks;

What Is A backlink?

The simple and precise definition of what a backlink is would be that they are the inbound links in another website that lead viewers directly back to your site or blog. They are very important and act as a very important building block in Search Engine Optimization services when they are properly utilized.

We now have an idea of what backlinks are as being links in other websites that can direct or link to our website or blog, especially when the website is offering services related to our website. What are the types of backlinks we have and how do we explain or know them?

Types of Backlinks

1. Do-Follow backlinks

Follow backlinks are those links that contribute to your website domain and page authority. They improve your site strength and boost your website in SERP rankings.

2. No-Follow backlinks

A no-follow backlink is a link that does not pass on-site strength, does not boost your PageRank, and does not improve a page’s placement in the SERPs, but they help visitors to find your website easier and also increase traffic to your website.

The types of backlinks discussed above are follow and no follow backlinks, but not all links are important, in fact they are links referred to as ‘farm links’. Farm links are links which can help to quickly generate traffic to a website for a while but after a while it is realized that such links give website pages low rankings in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Qualities of a Good backlink

What are those qualities that a good backlink should possess? What are those features that would make a particular backlink to be termed good? Here are but a few of those qualities a good backlink should possess:

1. Relevance

A good backlink should come from websites that offer similar services or services relevant to your website.

2.Difference

Good quality backlinks should come from a variety of different web sources like blogs, directories, commercial sites, or forums.

3.They should be of high quality

Any good backlink should come from websites that have high Domain Ratings.

4.Time

Time factor is very important as quality backlinks are not acquired with the blink of an eye, but within an accumulated period of time. They take time and effort to gain through different ways such as creating quality content, guest blogging etc.

How to get backlinks to your website

Here are ways in which one can generate quality backlinks to a website, some of these important ways are discussed below:

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is one of the most efficient ways to gain high quality follow backlinks to your website. This is done by researching top-quality websites that accept guest blogging. You submit quality content or proposals to the website editors with the hope that they will publish your article with your links embedded in it and such pieces must be relevant to the website readers and viewers.

Using public relations strategy

Backlinks can also be gained through public relations. This is done by sending useful press releases to new sites or online publications when these news sites publish them they will have a backlink in it that links to your website.

Sky scrapping

skyscraping is a term that refers to the “search” for abandoned contents. These contents are being rewritten by you with your page links embedded in them.

Create quality content

An easy way to gain backlink is by creating quality content. ‘Quality Content’ refers to content that attracts people’s interest and they would love to read it. After reading, there is a possibility of sharing, engaging, and linking back to it. Also, people love contents with images as they are easily attractive and grab people’s attention. Include some great and nice images into your content to help garner more viewers and further develop an interest to read or view content.

Importance of good backlinks

It improves your ranking

One of the main purposes of SEO is to have your website being seen by search engines like Google as a trustworthy site with good domain authority and this is achieved by good quality backlinks which are generated over time. It makes Google see your website as a website with a valuable and trusted source of information about a particular topic. Having quality backlinks from websites with higher domain authority improves our web pages ranking in Google’s SERP.

Good Backlinks improve referral traffic

Referral traffic can be defined as traffic that comes to your website through means other than the Google SERP. When a visitor reaches your website through a backlink, then it is analyzed by Google Analytics tracking as a referral visit to your site. It is generally important and good to have improved referral traffic on your site.

Improves the awareness of our brand

Receiving great backlinks from trustworthy websites means that those websites are promoting your website and brand to their readers and it will lead more visitors to your site. It also shows that they feel their readers will benefit from the content and value your site provides. Also, when readers have viewed your website through your backlink, readers could also read more content on your site and improve the average dwell time on your site which is taken into consideration by Google when ranking its site in SERP.

Your business or brand is seen as an authority

When a lot of sites keep linking back to your website, it is seen as an authority on a particular topic, subject, or service. Google uses a lot of factors including backlinks to know what your website is all about. The more traffic that links back, the more Google recognizes your brand/business.