There are so many metrics Google and other search engines monitor for SEO, and today this blog will focus on backlinks. Backlinks are so vital in enhancing your rankings. The downside is it takes quite a bit of time and effort to build the backlinks. By the end of this blog you will have a better understanding of backlinks, how to build them, and how to improve your website’s SEO.
What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks — also known as incoming links — occur all over the internet and happen when one internet site mentions and links to another. An example of this is when a website references, credits, or notes your website with a direct link that connects back to your website. For your website to benefit from a backlink, there needs to be a clickable hyperlink anchored either on a button, picture, or word.
What’s So Important About Backlinks?
Backlinks play a vital role in your SEO. These magical links to your website tell Google and other search engines that your site has domain authority. Search engines like recommended authoritative, trustworthy websites. By having your website linked to various other sites, it increases your website’s authority and credibility with search engines. In return, this increases your SEO.
How Do Backlinks Work?
A backlink signals Google and other search engines that your content on your site is valuable.
Unfortunately, not all backlinks are considered equal and have the expected impact you’re looking for. Google scans for the anchor text associated with the link. By doing this it determines its value or worth. Backlinks that are placed higher on a page tend to have more value.
The biggest factor to determine if a backlink’s worth is by using the acronym ART: authority, relevance, and trust. Authority measures a site’s dominance or control, relevance measures the related relationship between the connected websites, and trust relates to how trustworthy the website is and the rich content it provides. If you want to boost your backlinks and your rankings, you can work to increase your authority, relevance, and trustworthy links.
How Do You Check Your Backlinks?
There are tons of great free backlink tools you can use – like SEMrush, Moz, and Neil Patel. By simply inputting your domain URL, these tools provide detailed reports and analytics to allow you to see any backlinks to your website. You can also see a list of links going to your website inside your Google Search Console. It’s good practice to check your backlinks at least every quarter and write the number down to see how it grows over time.
How Many Backlinks Do I Need?
When it comes to backlinks, quality over quantity is best. 10 fantastic backlinks from trustworthy sites are better than 100 from non-credible sites. Because every industry is different and search volumes vary, there is no magic number for backlinks that will automatically get you on the first page of Google.
If you are wondering if “too many” backlinks is a thing, it isn’t. The only negative impact that can come from backlinks are if you are placing them on spammy websites, then you will see a decline in your SEO. In order for your SEO to compete you need to have more backlinks than your competitors.
Any profession can benefit from this service. A lawyer, like a business lawyer in Montana from Silverman Law Office, PLLC, will likely use this and be able to tell you how beneficial it is for business.