7 min read What Type of Backlinks Are Most Workable For SEO Ranking?
In the SEO world, backlinks are pretty much everything. They inform search engines that your content is respected and reliable. But not all links are created equal. Some backlinks can promote a certain level of quality on your website as a whole, while still others will see little to no improvement in terms of your SEO. What, then, are the most effective backlinks, and how should you concentrate your link building to ensure the best results?
In this post, we’ll dissect what types of backlinks are good for your site and show you how to get some.
Understanding Backlinks
A backlink or inbound link is a hyperlink that links from a Web page back to your web page. When another website links to your content, a search engine interprets this as an endorsement. Your website’s credibility and quality must be top-notch if other sites are linking to it. Backlinks are a main factor that search engines like Google count to rank websites within their search results. Your website will rank higher with good-quality backlinks.
But, it’s not that simple… even though you can buy all those backlinks, they might not be high quality or relevant. Search engines value backlinks that come from relevant, authoritative websites, because those links are more trusted and have more weight.
What Type of Backlinks Are Most Workable and Their Benefits
There are many different types of backlinks you can get, some much more beneficial than others. Now, let's look at some of the best types of backlinks for your site.
Editorial Backlinks
Editorial backlinks are the cream of your crop when it comes to links. These are organic when other high-authority sites (or blogs) in your niche mention or link to your content. For example, a reputable website or influencer could link to your blog post as they found it helpful or informative for their audience. These are typically backlinks that occur in the body of the content, so they’re considered very high quality.
Editorial backlinks are powerful for several reasons. They are often authoritative and their context in related content makes them even more valuable. What’s more, they tend to be “do-follow” out of the box, which means they pass SEO equity to your website. This type of link also tends to be more genuine, since it’s typically earned based on the quality of your content as opposed to being paid for.
Guest Post Backlinks
A guest post is another great means to get backlinks. When you write content for someone else’s site, in return for a link as credit, in the author bio, or within the article itself (depending on how their editorial policy works).
The fact is that guest post backlinks work because you can target a specific audience. As you provide quality content on a good site, your work is exposed to an entirely new audience who may be inclined to click through and visit your own website.
When your backlink comes from an authority site, it has even more of an effect on SEO. Guest posts also play a role in building relationships with thought leaders in your field and increasing your authority and visibility online.
Resource Page Backlinks
Resource pages are a niche glossary-like list of links that can be found on websites or blogs. Having your site included on these pages can go a long way in offering premium backlinks to your website, if the page is maintained by an authority within your industry.
The way resource page backlinks do their thing is by being niche-targeted. These pages are frequently managed by reputable organizations, academic institutions, or professionals in the industry, so they tend to be high-value targets for backlinks. What’s more, resource pages are well kept up-to-date, meaning search engines see them as very authoritative.
Broken Link Building Backlinks
Broken link building involves finding broken links on other sites (i.e., those that have a 404 error) and offering your content as a replacement. This is one method that has a win-win situation; you can benefit by getting such high-quality backlinks for free, and the website owner will have those kinds of broken links removed from his/her site.
Broken link building works really well because it’s a win-win for everyone involved. In return, you assist the site owner to stay up-to-date with a user-friendly and seamlessly functioning website by reporting broken links, and they might just include your own link in lieu of the old one. Additionally, as you’re exchanging a broken link with another relevant link, it is likely to be extremely contextually valuable to the target page and counts as a good addition in your backlink profile.
Social Media Backlinks
And, although backlinks from social media like Facebook (or Instagram or Twitter) — which are by and large “no-follow” so as not to pass SEO link value but still drive traffic — don’t have a direct impact on your site’s performance, they do help create the buzz and interest that ultimately proves valuable for branding. Having social media backlinks can help give you more exposure, your brand more reach, and traffic referrals as well; all those bits indirectly boost your SEO.
Social media backlinks work because they broaden your audience. Every time someone shares, likes, or comments on your content, they are potentially introducing their friends and associates to your website via the links people click on when shared. Plus, search engines might see social signals (shares /mentions) as a sign that your content is quality and valuable.
Forum and Community Backlinks
Forums and Q&A sites (Quora, for example), and niche community websites are also potential avenues for building quality backlinks. When discussing, answering questions, or giving valuable advice, encourage the sharing of links to appropriate content from your own website. These are the kind of backlinks that are beneficial for you if the forums or communities that you participated in were extremely relevant to your niche.
The beauty of forum and community backlinks is that they’re often from very targeted, engaged audiences. These will be overall populated by active members seeking a solution to a single problem. The more high-quality, thoughtful stuff you're sharing in these forums, the more likely people are to click through and visit your site.
All In One SEO Plan: Backlink Package
We know that establishing a good SEO footing takes more than just getting links. This is all about formulating a well-rounded plan that includes a mix of backlink types, as well as other SEO fundamentals to achieve natural growth and quality SERP positions. Looking for editorial backlinks, guest posts, or niche edits resource page links, we have it all with the option to white label our services and/or align them to your brand's direction and objectives.
Our Staff knows all the different SEO methods that get you great results, from technical SEO to content marketing and link building. We’ll help you develop a robust, sustainable link-building strategy that both complements and supports your SEO efforts in the process of growing your authority by developing links from relevant, high-quality sources.
What is the impact of no-follow backlinks on my SEO campaign?
No-follow backlinks don’t pass SEO value (link juice) to your site, but they can still bring potential customers or leads to your site and add authority. They don’t directly affect your rankings, but they can indirectly help draw traffic to your content.
How can we save ourselves from toxic or spammy backlinks?
Monitor your backlink profile with tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Moz. Disavow toxic links, steer clear of low-quality sites, and concentrate on getting your links from high-quality, relevant sources.
Can I purchase backlinks, and is it safe to use for SEO?
Paid backlinks are a risk and against Google’s guidelines. It may result in penalties or lower rankings. High-quality backlinks should be earned organically through content and outreach.
How do I measure the quality of my backlinks?
Track referral traffic and how your rankings progress over time using SEO software such as Google Analytics, Ahrefs or SEMrush. These instruments will clue you in on the impact that backlinks are having on your traffic, ranking and other SEO touchstones.