What is a backlink?
A backlink is a link from one website to a page on another website. Search engines treat relevant backlinks from trusted sites as votes of confidence, so they remain one of the strongest signals for rankings. Backlinks also send referral visitors and help AI systems recognise which brands are trusted on a topic.
- Last updated 14 October 2026
- Also called inbound or incoming links
- A core Google ranking signal since PageRank
- Quality matters far more than quantity
- Attributes: dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, ugc
In one line
Backlink in one line
A backlink is another website pointing to yours, and good ones tell Google your page is worth ranking.
How it works
How backlinks work
- Link A site links to youA publisher, partner or directory adds a link to your page, usually with descriptive anchor text.
- Crawl Google follows itGooglebot discovers the link and the page it points to.
- Evaluate Google weighs itRelevance, the linking site’s authority, placement and anchor text decide how much the link counts.
- Pass value Ranking credit flowsFollowed links can pass ranking signals; nofollow, sponsored and ugc links are treated as hints.
- Refer People clickVisitors who click arrive already interested, often converting well.
Example
A backlink example
A Mumbai fintech app publishes original research on UPI usage by age group. A national business newspaper writes about the findings and links to the report with the anchor text “UPI usage study”. That single, relevant link from a highly trusted publication can do more for the fintech’s rankings than hundreds of directory links, and it also drives readers and credibility.
Why it matters
Why a backlink matters
Rankings
Relevant links from trusted sites remain one of the strongest ranking factors.
Discovery
Links help search engines find and crawl new pages faster.
Reputation and AI
Mentions and links across trusted sites help AI assistants recognise and recommend your brand.
Types
Types of backlinks
Editorial links
Earned naturally when publishers cite your content or data. The most valuable type.
Guest contributions
Links in articles you write for other relevant publications.
Directory and citation links
Listings on business directories and local sites, useful for local SEO.
Partner and supplier links
Links from businesses you work with.
Forum and community links
Usually nofollow or ugc, but can bring visitors.
Sponsored links
Paid placements that should carry rel=”sponsored”.
Good vs bad
What makes a good backlink?
Relevance: the linking site and page are about your topic or industry.
Authority: the site is trusted, has real traffic and links of its own.
Placement: the link sits in the main content, not hidden in a footer or a list of hundreds of links.
Natural anchor text: descriptive but varied, not the same exact keyword every time.
Bad backlinks come from link farms, private blog networks, spammy directories and paid links without disclosure. They can lead Google to ignore your links or, in serious cases, apply a manual action.
Earning links
How to earn quality backlinks
- Publish original data, research or tools others want to cite
- Offer expert comment to journalists covering your industry
- Write genuinely useful guides that become reference pages
- Get listed with associations, chambers of commerce and partners
- Reclaim unlinked brand mentions by asking for a link
- Fix broken links pointing to your site with redirects
See our link building services for a safe, editorial approach.
Compared
Dofollow vs nofollow links
How link attributes change what a link does.
| Attribute | What it tells Google | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Dofollow (no attribute) | The link can pass ranking credit | Editorial links you vouch for |
| rel=”nofollow” | Treat as a hint; do not necessarily pass credit | Links you do not want to endorse |
| rel=”sponsored” | The link is paid or an advert | Paid placements and affiliate links |
| rel=”ugc” | User-generated content | Comments and forum posts |
Checklist
How to check your backlinks
- Open the Links report in Google Search Console
- Check top linking sites for relevance and quality
- Look for sudden spikes from spammy domains
- Compare your linking domains with competitors in a tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush
- Find pages with links that return 404 and redirect them
- Track new and lost links monthly
Anchor text
Backlink anchor text explained
Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. It helps search engines understand what the linked page is about. A natural profile mixes branded anchors (“BrandMarkerting”), descriptive anchors (“guide to local SEO”), naked URLs and generic phrases (“read more”).
Too many exact-match keyword anchors look manipulative and can trigger Google’s spam systems. If you control the anchor, for example in a guest article, keep it descriptive and natural.
History
Why backlinks matter: a short history
Google’s original PageRank algorithm, developed in the late 1990s, treated links as votes: a page linked to by many important pages was likely important too. Over time Google added hundreds of other signals and became much better at ignoring manipulative links, especially after the Penguin update in 2012.
Links still matter because they are hard to fake at scale. A link from a respected newspaper or industry body reflects real-world reputation, which is exactly what search engines and AI systems try to measure.
Audit
How to audit your backlink profile
Start with the Links report in Search Console to see your top linking sites and most linked pages. Export the list and group it by type: editorial, directories, partners, forums and unknown. Look for patterns that suggest risk, such as many links from unrelated foreign sites or identical anchor text.
Then compare with competitors using a tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush. The gap, sites that link to several competitors but not to you, is usually your best list of outreach opportunities.
Internal links
Backlinks vs internal links
Backlinks come from other websites; internal links connect pages within your own site. Both matter. Backlinks bring authority into your site, and internal links distribute that authority to the pages you want to rank, while helping visitors and crawlers find related content. A strong page with no internal links pointing to it wastes much of its potential.
Local links
Backlinks for local businesses
For local businesses, the best links are often local: city news sites, chambers of commerce, local associations, event sponsorships, schools and colleges, suppliers and community groups. These links signal that you are a real, established part of the local area, which supports map-pack rankings as well as organic results.
Measuring value
How to judge a backlink’s value
Ask four questions. Is the linking site relevant to your business? Does it have real visitors and rank for its own keywords? Is the link placed in the main content, near related text? Would a customer plausibly click it? A link that passes all four is worth far more than dozens that pass none, whatever authority score a tool gives the site.
Related terms
Related terms and next steps
FAQs
Backlink: frequently asked questions
Straight answers to common questions.
How many backlinks do I need?
Are paid backlinks allowed?
Do nofollow links help SEO?
How long do backlinks take to work?
Can bad backlinks hurt my site?
What is a toxic backlink?
Are directory links still useful?
Next step
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