Introduction
It’s widely known that higher numbers of ‘good’ backlinks provide a significant ranking advantage. Also known as inbound links, backlinks are simply created by other websites pointing to a specific page on a different site. It’s a great way for Google to measure a website’s authority and popularity in that the more high quality, relevant sites that link over to your website, the more likely it is that Google will view your own site as authoritative and trustworthy.
So, do I recommend backlinks for your website? Yes and no, I’ll explain more about that later in this post.
Backlinks from an SEO perspective
From an SEO perspective, top quality backlinks are gold as they can greatly increase your website’s search engine results page (SERP) rankings. It does this by essentially telling Google that your website is a valuable resource for prospective users and should be ranked higher on a SERP.
Not only are backlinks great for higher rankings, they can also increase inbound traffic from referring websites, as users may well click on your link from within another trusted site. In my experience, I regularly see inbound links to my pages being clicked from within other websites.
Another advantage of high value backlinks is that they can increase brand awareness and credibility. When a website has multiple high-quality backlinks, it’s basically letting users know that the site is reputable and reliable.
This can lead to an improvement in trust and loyalty from internet users, ultimately resulting in more potential conversions and sales.
Not all backlinks are created equal
Sound great, right? Well, be mindful that not all backlinks are created equal. Poor quality or spammy websites can potentially harm a website’s ranking. Why? Because Google’s algorithm is designed to detect and penalise sites that engage in manipulative link building practices, such as buying links or participating in link farms.
Crappy, dodgy backlinks can lead to a decrease in search engine rankings, and even Google penalties. That is a road you don’t want to go down as it can lead to decreased visibility, traffic, and revenue for your website. Therefore, it’s crucial for website owners (that’s you) to ensure that they are only acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks from reputable websites.
Types of backlinks
So what types of backlinks will improve your website’s SEO? Here are a few:
Editorial backlinks
These are links that are acquired naturally through the creation of top quality, relevant content. They are seen as the most valuable by search engines because they are not paid for or manipulated in any way.
Guest blogging backlinks
Guest blogging is the practice of writing content for another website with the goal of getting a link back to your own site. If you plan of providing that service, make sure the site’s you are writing for are relevant to your industry and that they have a high domain authority. There’s not much point in writing for a dodgy site that has a low trust and authority factor.
Directory backlinks
Submitting your website to online directories and getting listed can also help improve your backlink profile and increase visibility. Local directories are a great way to go for a more targeted, geographical approach.
Social media backlinks
Sharing your content on social media platforms like Meta (formerly Facebook) and getting shares, likes, and mentions may also improve your backlink profile. It’s important to be visible where it counts, and social media may be of benefit.
Don’t overdo it though, you’ll be wasting much of your time and energy being active on some platforms if the demographics simply don’t align with your target market.
In conclusion
When considering obtaining backlinks for your website, my biggest piece of advice is to remember that quality is way more important than quantity. It’s much better to have a few high quality backlinks from reputable websites than a large number of dodgy backlinks from spammy sites. Additionally, it’s also important to make sure that the links pointing to your site are relevant to your industry and content.
One final note in relation to link building, DO NOT participate in link buying or link farming as it will violate Google’s guideline and can lead to being smacked with a penalty.
Having multiple high value backlinks is of great benefit to your website’s search engine ranking, visibility and credibility. Remember to be picky, you don’t want a ton of crappy links pointing back to your site. With a range of link types to consider, pick those that best suit your abilities to acquire, or engage a professional agency to develop those links for you. When it comes to backlinks, always think quality over quantity.
At Digital Marketing Hub Australia, we pride ourselves on combining visually appealing websites with killer SEO to provide you with a business website that works straight out of the box.
Having said that, link building is a long term strategy that can’t be effectively implemented in the short term. Aside from the cost to the site owner being unrealistic, the SEO gains just aren’t there. It takes a long term link building strategy to help build your website into a high powered, traffic crunching , lead converting machine. Contact us at any time to discuss how we can work together to grow your business.
