Backlinks, how they boost SEO and how to get them

Are backlinks still important in 2019?

Along with content quality, backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors for Google in 2019. In fact, high-quality content, and a strong backlink portfolio are two of the most consistent of all significant ranking factors as Google continues to update and change its algorithms.

Furthermore, Backlinko, from a study of 1 million search results, found a direct correlation between rankings and the number of referring domains. Which means, backlinks from lots of high-quality, relevant sources = higher rankings.

So, if you want competitive search rankings, you’re going to need some good backlinks.

Image source

Now you know how important they are, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of backlinks, how they can supercharge your SEO, and how to get some.

What is a backlink on a website?

A backlink is a link from an external website to your website. Backlinks can help you establish authority in your industry, and obtain competitive SERP rankings. However, to see the needle move on your website’s ranking, it’s important to understand the different types of links and how Google treats them.

You see, backlinks (or inbound links) are like word-of-mouth referrals. Some are golden nuggets of SEO awesomeness. But the wrong ones can leave you north of The Wall without a coat… (for non-GoT fans, that means you’re stuffed). Let me explain.

We’re going to use Jon Snow’s Snow Cones as a hypothetical.

High-quality backlinks:
Referrals from others = shows trust and authority

• Example: All of Westeros agrees that Jon Snow’s Snow Cones are awesome.

Internal links:
Referrals from yourself = rating yourself doesn’t help your credibility

• Example: Jon Snow says his snow cones are awesome.

Low-quality backlinks:
Referrals from irrelevant or low-quality sources = can’t be trusted, probably spam…

• Example: Jon Snow paid a few Wildling mercenaries to tell people his snow cones are awesome. Jon Snow knows nothing…

No links:
No referrals = credibility is unclear

• Example: Jon Snow’s Snow Cones might be awesome, but no one is saying anything, so we can’t be sure. We know nothing…

Passing on link juice

One of the lovely things about high-quality backlinks is some of the authority from the source website can be passed to your website. This is commonly referred to as link juice, and can have a huge impact on your SEO. The higher quality the source, the more a backlink can boost your rankings. Conversly, low-quality backlinks can result in ranking drops, and even deindexing.

So, how do we know what backlinks to go after? First you need to consider how the source of a potential backlink is rated. This metric is called Domain Authority.

Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) is a ranking score used to predict how well your website will rank on search engines. DA scores range from 1-100, with higher scores having a greater ability to rank.

While it may be true that Domain Authority is not officially a Google ranking factor, it’s still an effective way to predict and track the ranking strength of a website. And when all’s said and done, high Domain Authority websites do rank better, so it’s worth paying attention to.

There are a number of premium and free SEO tools available to can help you check the Domain Authority of a website.

What are dofollow and nofollow links?

Before you expend copious amounts of effort building backlinks, you should know that not all backlinks directly affect your Domain Authority. Otherwise, you could just go comment on a bunch of blogs and BAM – high Domain Authority, BOOM – page one!

Sorry to say, it’s not that simple…

Dofollow links influence your Domain Authority – for better or worse. Nofollow links can still be valuable in driving organic traffic to your website – like from blog comments, but don’t pass link juice.

Links on a webpage are dofollow by default, but HTML code can be altered to change links to nofollow, placing higher value on outbound links. Which means, you need to work for your backlinks!

How do you check if a link is dofollow or nofollow?

MozBar is a free SEO tool that highlights dofollow and nofollow links on a webpage. You can see dofollow links highlighted using MozBar below.

You can also check by viewing the source code of a webpage. If using Google Chrome: click View, Developer, View Source.

Search the source for the anchor text (link text) to see if the link is nofollow. If it’s not, then by default it, must be a dofollow. Happy days.

5 ways to build backlinks (and 3 ways not to)

Now we’ve covered the basics of backlinks, it’s time to get down to the business of getting some. And also how not to…

But before we do, if you haven’t already, you should check your existing backlinks. And before you freak out over an empty backlink report, know that that it can take anywhere from weeks to months for new backlinks to register, and usually months for them to affect your SEO. Remember to be patient, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint – and it is ongoing. However, rest assured, the organic traffic boost from increased rankings will be worth it for your ROI.

Right. Let’s get to it.

1. Guest post on blogs in your niche

Guest posts are one of the most popular ways to earn backlinks. They can also help you grow your brand and establish authority in your industry. But if you’re going to submit an article for consideration, you’d better make sure your content is damn good. Also, write specifically for the audience of the website, don’t just shop around your articles. It’s all about providing value.

Use the following Google search queries to find blogs accepting guest contributors:

Your keyword +

• inurl:write-for-us

• guest-posts

• inurl:guest-post-guidelines

• become a contributor

• bloggers wanted

• submit an article

• want to write for

• contribute

• become an author

• guest post by

• now accepting guest posts

For example, “sustainable fashion + inurl:write-for-us”

2. Guest on a podcast

If you’re a confident speaker, then guesting on a podcast in your niche is a great way to reach a wider audience, increase your leads, and earn valuable backlinks. Try to provide as much value for the audience as you can, so you can to really earn that backlink, and drive some traffic.

Local business podcasts are a good place to start, as it’s not about providing expert advice to your industry (which can be rather daunting), rather, providing value and solutions for prospects. And you know what that means… more customers!

Furthermore, you never know who else might ask you to feature on their podcast. Which means more juicy backlinks. Now you’re getting it.

3. Local business directories

Listing in local business directories can help customers find you, and provide you with a bit of link juice to boost your rankings, also helping customers find you. It’s a beautiful cycle.

But be wary. Avoid spammy directories, and only list your business on sites with a decent Domain Authority (try for over 30). Moz Link Explorer and SEMrush can calculate the spam/toxicity rating of domains, so you can know which ones to avoid.

When it comes to applying for your listing, the more scrutiny you’re put under, the better. I’m talking phone number, website (of course!), operating hours, description, business address, ABN – the works.

Having your listing approved by a person, not just a submit button, shows Google that the listing website exists to help locals and local businesses, and isn’t spam. Which is important if you want to avoid penalties from Google.

Also, don’t forget to make sure you’re getting dofollow links. It would be a shame not to take advantage of a high Domain Authority directory.

Here’s a few trustworthy business directories to get you started:

4. Write testimonials

Many websites offer dofollow backlink opportunities embeded in testimonials as a reward for supporting their business. Have a think about what websites or services you use for your business and offer to write them a compelling testimonial. As long as your testimonial is genuine, there’s a good chance you can earn a backlink.

5. Comment on relevant blogs and forums

Commenting on blogs and forums in your field may not get you any link juice (nofollow backlinks), but it’s still a great way to build relationships, establish authority, and drive organic traffic to your website. And when more people in your industry experience your amazing content, you boost your chances of obtaining relevant, organic dofollow backlinks. These are the ones Google loves, which is what you really want long-term. And sometimes, just sometimes, you’ll come across an industry blog that rewards high-quality comments with dofollow links.

How do you comment on a blog?

• Add something meaningful to the conversation: be specific, and demonstrate authority – without being cocky. It’s a conversation, so it’s ok to disagree – just don’t be disagreeable.
• Comment early: subscribe to authoritative blogs in your field so you can jump in early
• Don’t over promote yourself: avoid the temptation to link to yourself. Instead, look for blogs that embed a link to your website from your name.
• Ask questions: This encourages engagement from the author and commenters.

Genuine, engaging comments can increase your organic traffic. But you need to make sure your content is good. I mean really good. It’s one thing to pull in visitors, it’s another to keep them there, and another altogether to get them to link to your content. That’s the goal. Hop to it.

3 ways not to build backlinks

There are many ways to effectively build backlinks, and there are ways to not… here are a few black hat SEO link building tactics to avoid.

1. Paid links

If you are paying for backlinks, stop immediately. Google treats this as black hat SEO, and will penalise your search results. What’s more, Google has a database of spammy sites that sell paid links, and can detect if you’re (wasting money) trying to scam the system.

2. Spammy comments on blogs

You’re not doing yourself any favours with comments like, “Good job. I liked your article! Buy my products http://yourwebsite.com” These types of comments can get caught by Askiment spam filters, which can impact your future commenting efforts.

If you’re going to comment on a blog or forum, add value. If in doubt, refer to my previous point about commenting on blogs and forums.

3. Token links on blog posts

If you’re asking or paying for irrelevant links to your site from blogs, stop it now. Once again, any hint of spammy behaviour, and Google will be onto you. Any links in articles should add value to content. Links need to be earned through quality content, not spammy tagging.

Summary

Building a strong backlink portfolio is vital part of an effective SEO strategy. It can help you build authority in your field, and significantly improve your Google rankings. But the intent needs to be genuine, not just for the sake of links.

You can increase your chances of earning valuable backlinks by creating high-quality content, and meaningful interactions within your industry online. Focus on quality over quantity, and diversify your backlink portfolio with dofollow and nofollow links from a range of high-quality, relevant sources.

And remember, if you’d feel uncomfortable explaining your backlink strategy to a Google employee, then it’s probably the wrong strategy.

Google is watching…

Happy link building!