If you are trying to boost your website’s SEO, then you have no doubt heard of backlinks. Backlinks are a crucial component of successful SEO, which is why they are so valuable. But, the topic can be a bit difficult for someone who is new to SEO to understand, so in this article, we are going to cover what backlinks are and how you go about getting them.
What are backlinks?
As the name suggests, a backlink is any link that links back to your website. So, for example, say you go on a random blog somewhere and find a link to your website, then that website linking back to yours would be considered a backlink.
Just linking to your own site does not make the link a backlink. So, for example, you cannot just put a link to one part of your site on another part of the site and have it be considered a backlink (although internal links like this are useful for helping people stay on your site and read more of your content). The links need to be on other sites.
Backlinks are so highly valuable because they help a site rank better. Google assumes that if a site is constantly being linked to by other sites, then it must be good.
How to get backlinks?
There are a bunch of ways to go about getting backlinks for your site. You might think of emailing the owners of other websites and asking them to put links on their website that lead to yours. However, this is time consuming and probably won’t work! You’re far more likely to get a site to agree to link back to yours when you give them a “guest post”. You need to make sure this is something they do, and to provide them with a quality blog post to publish on their website. In exchange, they will link back to your site.
Another method for getting backlinks involves using social media. For starters, you can get some easy backlinks by putting links to your site in your social media posts and in your social media bios. You can also get some easy backlinks by encouraging your followers to share links to your website. However, this will take time to build up and means building a presence on social media and truly engaging with your fans.
When it comes to getting backlinks, you want to be careful about where you get them. If low-quality sites are constantly linking to yours, then Google will know that you are trying to pay for backlinks and will punish your blog or site accordingly.
Very useful information, I need to work on backlinks. Thanks for the lesson.
You are welcome, Martha!
Okay 3rd time is a charm in posting this comment.
These are great tips for me right now as I am concerned with SEO. The new website is under construction so no internal links right now, however, I see that I can add the links to all of my social media pages and increase my odds. I also use Yoast to help me make the post more SEO ready. That’s a big help.
Glad to see your comment, Julia. You will find that Yoast will point out when your post does not have any external links as well.
A quick guide to setting up backlinks on the blog.
Yes!
Hi Paul.
If I leave a link back to my site in your comment space, or anyone else’s comment space, is it considered a backlink?
Have you been to Toledo in Spain? https://jarvie.ca/toledo/
Ha Ha – I see what you did there, Doug! Actually, the website you use when you add it (to leave a comment, you include your email address, website address, name, and comments). If you look at your name here, it is a link back to your website – an instant backlink!
lol. Good stuff. Great content here, I will be checking it out.
Thanks, Logan.
To be honest, I see this as a failing among so many (newish) bloggers. They don’t include things that make those backlinks flourish (commentluv comes to mind), so some of us choose to deposit our 2 cents elsewhere.
So true, Roy!
Great read. Thank you for sharing them. Sadly most people who are in the field of SEO does not know how to use this properly. Most of them go for the black hat to get that instant results without thinking the consequences. Doing backlinks or should I say link building is a really ever-evolving strategy you need to keep up with Google’s algorithm, you will never know when will they update. But as long as what you are doing is clean and quality. Anyways, amazing post!
Yes! Staying clean is always the best solution in the long run
There is always the link outreach. Create great pieces of contents and email outreach to bloggers that will link back to you.
Precisely.
Amazing Tips, Paul, Thank You For Sharing backlinks full details information really this is awesome tips for me
Glad you like them, Sagar!
SEO is a long-term strategy and may take time to produce results, especially in competitive sectors.
And this is when time becomes your friend!
Dang! You stated facts about SEO and traffic rank. I’m a newbie with SEO. But, I make time to learn from tips and videos.
What do you want to know about, Katie? Ask away!
Thank you for sharing the great info, Paul.
I like your short and straight to the point writing style!
Sure thing!
Are Backlinks still important 2020?
Good quality backlinks are always important!
Totally agree with this. Yes we should try to produce the best content we know that
Always – no one wants to read bad content!
SEO is a job you have to do continuously. If you do SEO for a specific period of time and leave it, you’ll be zero again.
Yes – it is an ongoing process.