When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), backlinks are a powerful tool that can help improve your website’s authority and search ranking. But what are backlinks, and why are they important for SEO?
What Are Backlinks?
A backlink is formed when another website links to your page. These not only drive referral traffic but also help establish your brand as a credible source. Many websites accumulate backlinks naturally as their content spreads, but SEO strategists can also make a pointed effort to cultivate them.
Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?
Backlinks act as a vote of confidence from the referring site, indicating to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. The more quality backlinks your site boasts, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results. However, note the qualifier “quality.” A few good links from authoritative, well-respected websites will have a much greater impact on SEO than many links from obscure or questionable sites.
They are also important for SEO because they help search engines discover new pages on your website, allowing them to be indexed and ranked more quickly.
How to Check a Website’s Backlinks
Google Search Console provides insights on factors that affect your website’s search ranking. To check your site’s backlinks, start by logging in and locating the “Links” tab on the left-hand sidebar. Once there, you’ll see a summary of your backlinks profile under the “External Links” column. This summary highlights your top linked pages, top linking sites, and top linking text. For a deeper dive, simply click “More” under any of the sections to view the full report.
How to Build Backlinks
One of the best ways to earn backlinks is by creating high-quality, informative content that people naturally want to share and link back to. Blog posts, how-to articles, ultimate guides, and industry reports are great resources that tend to attract organic backlinks from people who find the content helpful. Pair this effort with another important SEO component—keywords—for a truly comprehensive approach that maximizes your results
Another strategy to build backlinks is by building relationships with journalists. Journalists often need reputable sources to cite in their work. If you can establish your brand as an industry-leading voice and take the time to answer their questions, there’s a great chance they will link to you as a source. Issuing press releases is a great way to get your foot in the door and invite them to write about your company.
Finally, it’s well worth the effort of trying to recover broken backlinks, or if they route to a page that no longer exists on your website. Not only will this improve user experience (UX), but also maximize SEO value. Either redirect the broken URL to the replacement URL, or contact the referring website directly and ask them to update the link.
A Comprehensive SEO Strategy
Backlinks are an important consideration when planning your SEO strategy, but not the only one bar far. Contact Perfect Six Marketing to learn about our comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to Web Design and SEO. We’d love to work with you!
