Backlinks Role and Purpose in SEO
Backlinks Role and Purpose in SEO
A backlink refers to any link that literally “links” a website with another. The main role of backlinks is to redirect organic traffic from various websites that carry relevant content to yours.
Also known as “Inbound” or “Incoming” links, backlinks are indispensable SEO assets because they represent confidence and trust in your website. When other websites prefer to link to your webpage or site, it implies that your content is worth linking to.
Basically, backlinks are of two types:
- Do-Follow Backlinks that add value to your website and boost website strength.
- No-Follow Backlinks that help only in moving organic traffic from different websites to yours.
Google and other major search engines take backlinks quite seriously. Webpages and sites with an impressive number of backlinks enjoy high SERP rankings.
However, the lingering question is this:
Do search engines still rank websites based on backlinks?
The answer is yes.
Let’s take Google as a Great example. The main objective of the most-used search engine in the world is to provide credible, reliable, valuable, comprehensive, and factually correct information. Therefore Google takes into consideration various other ranking variables:
- Relevancy of the connecting site
- Search ranking
- Domain & Page Authority
As far as backlinks are concerned, Google prioritizes the editorial character of your backlinks. Incoming links from other websites have an incredible impact on a website’s ranking and search visibility because Google perceives these links as a vote of credibility from other websites.
Does that mean hundreds of links automatically boost your ranking to Google’s coveted first page? Not quite. The search engine is intelligent enough not to go only by numbers but also by quality, which it assess by using certain parameters.
5 Factors Used by Google to Assess Backlink Quality
Exclusivity
Google has a special affinity for backlinks from authoritative sites that prioritize only your site and not your rivals’. To showcase your site’s exclusivity, you must have special forums and conferences to highlight only your business or work. Exclusivity gives you a fantastic chance to create high-quality backlinks.
Diversity
Google prefers websites that have developed additional aspects like:
- Blogs
- Press releases
- Directories
- Guest Blogging
- Magazines
- Conferences
- Business List
- Profile Creation
Such diverse websites will attract quality backlinks from authoritative blogs, conferences, etc.
Content
The value of your content influences Google’s search queries. Therefore, it’s most important to understand the audience of the connected site so that you can address their problems effectively. Also, keep in mind that if the owner of a website connects to yours, even though it’s not related to the demographic targeted by your site, it is a red flag for you.
Relevance
There are four ways to use backlinks:
From one domain to another
From one domain to another
From one page to another
From one page to another
Don’t waste your time on irrelevant inbound links that do not add any value to your site. For example, if you run a tutorial, you would gain nothing from a pet store’s website, right? And let’s not forget that Google will raise the red flag on such fraudulent tactics.
Location
Google also favors search intent for link location and prefers links that neatly merge with the existing content. Irrelevant links that stick out like a sore thumb on the sidebars or footers are prominent red signals that should be avoided at any cost.
Let’s circle back to our question in discussion: Are backlinks still important in 2022? Of course, they are! The more quality backlinks your website has, the higher Google hoists your ranking. Let’s explore the benefits.