In the optimization of a website for search engines, there are two different aspects that must be worked on in order to improve the positioning in Google. On the one hand, there is on-page SEO, which includes all the optimization actions that can be carried out on the website itself (including technical SEO). On the other hand, it is also necessary to work on aspects that are not so easy to control directly, as they are related to factors external to the web: This is what is known as SEO off-page.
The backlinks or the inbound links of a website are the main elements of off-page SEO, and it has great relevance in web positioning as it influences the prestige and authority of the web on the internet.
What is a backlink?
It is known as a backlink in SEO to inbound links from a website, that is, to links from another website that point to content on the site itself. Backlinks are elements that directly influence the positioning of a website. The higher the number of quality links (that come from sites with a lot of prestige on the net), the better the position that the site reaches in the SERPs or results pages.
In the SEO world, backlinks are also known as external links or inbound links. It is common for many people to confuse backlinks with all the links that a website has when it only refers to external links that point to the site.
Types of backlinks
1. Follow and nofollow links
Nofollow links tell Google that it should not take that link into account, so there will be no transfer of authority (in most cases).
The “follow” attribute in a link indicates to Google that this link must take it into account.
Follow or dofollow links do not use an attribute in their HTML tag, while Nofollow links do:
rel = ”nofollow”> Link text .
Payment links
These are sponsored links that are made to promote content on a site in exchange for financial compensation.
The sponsored attribute is used to indicate that it is about this type of link and that Google does not penalize the positioning.
User-generated content links
Authoritative links
They are links from websites that have a great prestige on the Internet, so they transfer part of that authority to the site that links, favoring its web positioning. For example, if a local sports news website receives a link from the marca.com website (which has great prestige for Google), it will have achieved a quality backlink that will increase its authority.
Toxic links
They are links that point to a website and that harm its authority. A website with a high percentage of inbound links from this type of website will see its positioning significantly impaired.
Why does my website need backlinks?
The inbound links of a website indicate its level of popularity and prestige on the internet. In this regard, both the quantity and the quality of the backlinks are necessary.
- Quantity. The higher the number, the more popular the website will be.
- Quality. The higher the quality of the inbound links, the more prestigious the site will have.
The ideal is to have many incoming links on a website, and that these come from sites with great authority or prestige. Thus, part of this prestige is transferred from one website to another, increasing its popularity and authority on the Internet.
Google itself has indicated that backlinks are one of the most important positioning criteria next to content.
How are the backlinks of my website?
Bet on quality content
The quality of the content will not only make users enjoy a better experience and that Google favors the position in their SERPs, but it will also get many sites interested in that quality content and link it from their websites.
Include audiovisual content
Audiovisual content such as images, videos or infographics, are more likely to be linked by third parties. They can even go viral, which is a great boost when it comes to getting backlinks.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored links allow you to choose websites with great domain authority to get backlinks from them. There are web platforms specialized in this type of exchange, where it is easy to get quality inbound links by paying a price for it.
Collaborations with other websites
Building relationships with other related websites to exchange information or collaborate is a natural way to get inbound links. For example, mentioning a collaborating page in a site entry, and this in return, performs the same process on yours.
Work your social media
Today social media are a fundamental communication channel. Working with social media will allow followers to share the content of the website, increasing its visibility and generating inbound links.
The best way to get quality backlinks is work with experts in the study of link profiles. With the advice of qualified professionals with experience in SEO, a good strategy can be created to increase domain authority, obtaining links from web pages of great prestige and popularity (avoiding penalties for unnatural backlinks).
