Struggling to get your website to rank? You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by SEO and backlinking. But here’s the good news: understanding the different types of backlinks can guide you through this minefield.
Backlinks (inbound or incoming links) are simply links from one website to another. Think of your website as a star in the vast internet universe, and each quality backlink is a thumbs up from another star. These digital endorsements tell search engines that your content is worth looking at.
Backlinks are a big deal for SEO because they’re one of the top ranking factors in Google’s algorithm. They’re indicators of a website’s authority, relevance, and credibility. Quality backlinks from high-authority sites can increase your own site’s authority, rankings, and discoverability on search engine results pages. Beyond SEO benefits, backlinks can drive direct traffic to your site and increase your brand’s visibility in your industry.
In this guide we’ll explore the universe of backlink types, and uncover the secrets to building a backlink profile that can take your website to the top of the search results. Let’s get into the different types of backlinks and how they can impact your SEO.
1. Dofollow Backlinks
Dofollow backlinks are the holy grail of SEO. They’re called “dofollow” because they allow search engine bots to follow them and pass on link equity (also known as “link juice”) from the linking site to yours. These links directly impact your search engine rankings, and the more high-quality dofollow backlinks you have from authority sites, the better you’ll rank.
To get dofollow links, create high-quality, linkable content that naturally attracts backlinks. Guest post on reputable sites in your niche and build relationships with influencers, thought leaders, and other website owners in your industry. You can also create original research, studies, or data that others will want to reference and increase your chances of getting dofollow links.
2. Nofollow Backlinks
Nofollow backlinks have a rel=”nofollow” attribute in their HTML code, telling search engines not to pass on link equity to the linked site. They don’t directly impact your search rankings, but nofollow links still have value by driving referral traffic to your site and contributing to a natural backlink profile.
Common sources of nofollow links are social media platforms, blog comments on a blog post, forum signatures and many news sites. To use nofollow links effectively, be active on social media to increase visibility and traffic. Participate in online communities and forums and provide value. Use nofollow links as part of a broader strategy to build brand awareness and drive traffic to your site.
3. Natural Backlinks
Natural backlinks, also known as organic or earned backlinks, are links that other sites give to your content without you doing anything to ask for it. These are the most valuable backlinks because they genuinely endorse your content’s quality and relevance. They’re unsolicited, often from high authority sites in your niche, and link to your most valuable, informative content.
Arguably, the best way to generate natural links is to focus on creating exceptional, unique content that others will want to reference. Create comprehensive resources, guides, or tools related to your industry. Conduct original research or surveys and publish the results.
Another way is to engage in newsworthy activities that might get you media coverage and potentially organic backlinks from reputable sites.
4. Manual Backlinks
Manual backlinks are those you actively work to get through various link building techniques. While these require more effort, they can be a part of your SEO strategy when done ethically and in moderation. Manual backlinks include guest post links, directory submissions, broken link building and outreach-based links. Press release backlinks, often nofollow, can also drive referral traffic and enhance brand visibility.
To ethically build manual backlinks, reach out to relevant sites and offer guest posts. Engage in strategic partnerships or collaborations with other businesses in your industry. Participate in industry events or webinars and get links through speaker profiles or event coverage. Create valuable resources and reach out to sites that might want to link to them.
While manual link building can be effective, it should be done carefully and according to search engine guidelines. Avoid tactics that can be seen as manipulative or spammy, like buying links or participating in link farms. A balanced approach that combines efforts to earn natural backlinks with strategic manual link building usually yields the best results for long-term SEO success.
5. Editorial Backlinks
Editorial backlinks are the most valuable type of backlinks you can get. These are links earned when a reputable site, often a news outlet or industry publication, links to your content within their editorial content. Editorial backlinks carry a lot of weight because they’re given by authoritative sources and based on the merit of your content.
To get editorial backlinks, focus on creating truly remarkable, newsworthy content. This could be groundbreaking research, new products or unique insights into your industry. Build relationships with journalists and editors in your field. Offer expert commentary on current events or trends related to your niche. Remember, the key to getting editorial backlinks is to become a go-to source of information in your industry.
6. Guest Post Backlinks
Guest post can produce very powerful white hat backlinks for your off-page SEO campaign. You get these links by contributing high-quality content to other sites in your industry. While guest posting requires effort, it has multiple benefits beyond link building. It helps you establish authority in your field, reach new audiences and build relationships with other site owners.
With guest posts, you may get links from within the content. But most of the time, you can secure a link on your author bio at the end of the article.
When looking for guest post opportunities, focus on quality over quantity. Look for sites in your niche that accept guest posts. Craft pitches that offer unique value to their audience.
When writing your guest post, make sure it’s top-notch and provides real value to readers. Include a natural link back to your site where it makes sense in the article. Avoid promotional content, as this can turn off editors and readers.
7. Backlinks from Forums and Blog Comments
Backlinks from forums and blog comments can be a double-edged sword. While they can drive traffic and help you engage with your community, they’re often nofollow links and can be seen as spammy if not done correctly. However, when used strategically, these backlinks can still be valuable.
The key to successful forum and blog comment backlinks is genuine engagement. Don’t just drop links; participate in the conversation. Offer valuable insights, answer questions and become a respected community member.
If you have a resource that’s genuinely helpful to the discussion, it’s usually okay to share a link. Still, it should be clear that your comment or post's goal is to add value to the conversation, with any backlink benefits being secondary.
8. Directory Submission Backlinks
Directory submission backlinks, once a popular SEO tactic, have evolved over the years. While many low-quality directories have fallen out of favour with search engines, there are still opportunities in this area, particularly with niche or industry-specific directories.
Local directory backlinks are critical to ranking your site on local search.
When evaluating directory submissions, look for reputable directories specific to your industry or local area. These could be professional associations, chambers of commerce, or trusted business directories in your niche. Avoid mass submissions to generic, low-quality directories, as these can harm your SEO.
Word from the wise: a few high-quality directory backlinks are worth more than dozens of links from irrelevant or spammy directories. Avoid irrelevant directory links to ensure your link-building efforts are effective and not viewed as spam by search engines.
9. Social Media Backlinks
While most social media platforms use nofollow links, social media backlinks can still be part of your overall SEO strategy. These links may not pass link equity but can increase your brand visibility, drive traffic and indirectly impact your search rankings.
One of the best places where you can secure links from social platforms is from your profile bio. These are pillow links or foundational links from high-quality sites that you can safely build for your website.
Other ways to effectively create social media backlinks are by creating shareable content that resonates with your audience. Engage actively on platforms where your target audience spends time. Share your content regularly, but also participate in conversations and share valuable content with others. Ask your followers to share your content, as this can lead to backlinks from other sites. Doing so lets you create buzz around your brand and content, which can lead to more natural backlinks over time.
10. Resource Page Backlinks
Resource page backlinks are links from pages that curate high quality resources on a specific topic. These can be very valuable as they often come from authoritative sites and are relevant to your niche, similar to editorial links which are organic backlinks earned through the creation of high-quality content that attracts interest and references from other websites.
To get resource page backlinks, start by creating truly valuable resources – comprehensive guides, tools or datasets that others in your industry would find useful. Then, search for resource pages in your niche. Look for terms like “resources”, “links”, or “helpful sites” along with your industry keywords.
Once you’ve found potential opportunities, reach out to the site owners with a polite, personalised message explaining why your resource would be valuable to their audience. Your resource needs to be exceptional and relevant to have the best chance of being included.
11. Backlinks from News & PR Sources
Backlinks from news outlets and PR sources can increase your site’s authority and visibility. These links often come from high-domain authority sites and can drive traffic to your website. While they may be nofollow sometimes, the exposure and potential for more backlinks make them valuable.
Search Intelligence, Fery Kaszoni's digital PR agency is living proof that this link type has tons of value, whether the campaign produces dofollow or nofollow backlinks. Check the site's case studies for examples of how the PR links they create results in thousands of backlinks and a massive increase of organic traffic for its clients!
Focus on creating newsworthy content or events to get backlinks from news and PR sources. This could be launching new products, releasing industry studies or offering expert commentary on current trends. Build relationships with journalists and influencers in your space. Consider using press release distribution services, but make sure your news is genuinely interesting and relevant.
Ultimately, you want to provide value to journalists and their readers, not just to get a link. Avoid manipulative tactics like using a private blog network, which can lead to penalties from search engines.
12. Scholarship Backlinks
Scholarship backlinks involve creating a scholarship program and reaching out to educational institutions to promote it. These backlinks are very valuable as they often come from .edu domains which are considered highly authoritative by search engines.
Answering Legal Law Scholarship doesn't have tons of referring domains, but most of them are from .edu backlinks, and you should know that having links from sites with this domain extension gives your page (and site by association) a massive ranking boost!
To do this, create a legitimate scholarship program related to your industry. Create a dedicated page on your website with all the scholarship details. Then reach out to relevant universities and colleges and ask them to share your scholarship information with their students. While this can be effective, be ethical. Make sure your scholarship offers real value to students and isn’t just a thinly veiled link building attempt.
13. Infographic Backlinks
Infographic backlinks are earned by creating visually appealing, informative graphics that other sites want to share with their audience. Infographics are highly shareable and can be a great way to get backlinks and increase brand awareness.
NeoMam Studio's "Thirteen Reasons Why Your Brain Craves Infographics" is an online infographic that presents boring data in a dynamic and eye-catching way. There are probably more than the reasons I stated that explains the thousands of domains linking to it!
To create effective infographics similar to the above, start with compelling data or information related to your industry. Design the infographic to be visually striking and easy to understand.
Once created, promote your infographic through your own channels and reach out to relevant sites that might be interested in sharing it. Offer embed codes so others can use your infographic and link back to your site as well.
14. Case Study and Research Backlinks
Case studies and original research can be powerful way to get high quality backlinks. These types of content show your expertise, provide value and often get attention from industry publications and thought leaders.
A perfect example of this backlink type is HubSpot's "The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics for 2024," which currently has 14.1 k referring domains. Now that's a lot of links!
To do this, conduct original research or create in-depth case studies related to your industry. This could be surveying your customers, analyzing industry trends or documenting the results of your own experiments or projects. Present your findings in a clear and engaging format with data visualizations where possible.
Once published reach out to industry publications, influencers and other relevant sites that might be interested in covering or referencing your work. The unique insights from your research or case studies make them linkable assets.
15. Local Backlinks (For Local SEO)
For businesses targeting local markets, local backlinks can be very valuable. These are links from other businesses, organizations or websites in your local area. They help establish your business as part of the local community and can boost your local search rankings.
To get local backlinks, start by getting listed in local business directories and on your chamber of commerce website. Sponsor local events or sports teams. Collaborate with other local businesses on promotions or community initiatives. Join local business associations and networking groups.
Create content related to your local community, such as guides to local attractions or resources for local events. The goal is not just to get links but to genuinely engage with and add value to your local community.
Best Practices for a Healthy Backlink Profile
Having a healthy backlink profile is key to long-term SEO success. It’s not just about getting as many links as possible but about building a diverse, high-quality backlink network that shows your site’s authority and relevance to search engines. Let’s review some key best practices to help you build and maintain a robust backlink profile.
Quality Over Quantity
In the world of backlinks, quality is king. A few high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your niche are worth more than many low-quality or irrelevant links. Focus on getting links from reputable sites with high domain authority. These links carry more weight in search engine algorithms and will have a bigger impact on your rankings.
Be Relevant
Backlinks from sites related to yours carry more weight. They tell search engines your content is valuable in your niche or industry. When building backlinks, reach out to websites and businesses in your expertise. This increases the SEO value of the links and the chance of driving relevant traffic to your site.
Vary Your Anchor Text
While having some backlinks with keywords in the anchor text is good, having too many can look unnatural and trigger spam filters. Aim for a mix of anchor texts:
-
Branded anchors (your company or website name)
-
Naked URLs (the full web address)
-
Generic phrases (like "click here" or "learn more")
-
Partial match keywords
-
Exact match keywords (use sparingly)
This diversity helps create a natural looking backlink profile that’s more likely to be viewed favourably by search engines.
Mix of Dofollow and Nofollow Links
While dofollow links are generally more valuable for SEO, having a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links creates a more natural backlink profile. Nofollow links from high-traffic sites can still drive valuable referral traffic and contribute to your overall online presence. Don’t discount the value of nofollow links from social media, forums and blog comments – they all play a part in a well-rounded backlink strategy.
Use Tools to Find Link Prospects and Monitor Backlinks
Managing your backlink strategy requires the right tools. Here are several popular options to track and monitor your backlink profile:
-
All-in-one SEO tools - Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz have backlink analysis features. You can see who’s linking to your site, assess the quality of those links, and compare your backlink profile to that of your competitors. These tools can also help you identify toxic links and track your link building progress over time.
-
Google Search Console - This free tool from Google gives you valuable insights into your site’s backlinks directly from the search engine. Not as comprehensive as paid tools but essential for any SEO strategy.
-
Link specific tools: Some tools like Majestic are link analysis specific and can give you deep insights into your backlink profile.
When using these tools, look at metrics like domain authority, page authority and the relevance of the linking sites. Look for patterns in your backlink profile and use this to refine your link building strategy.
Audit Your Backlink Profile Regularly
Maintaining a healthy backlink profile is an ongoing process. Audit your backlinks regularly to:
-
Look for sudden drops in rankings or traffic, which could indicate problem links.
-
Identify and disavow toxic links, including spammy backlinks, that could harm your SEO.
-
Check for broken links and reach out to site owners to have them fixed or updated.
-
Monitor for any unnatural patterns in your backlink growth or anchor text distribution.
By being proactive with your backlink profile, you can build a strong and healthy link network that supports your long-term SEO goals.
Build Your Backlink Strategy with Charles Floate Training
Understanding the different types of backlinks and how to get them ethically is key to SEO success. But knowing is only half the battle – implementing a backlink strategy requires skill, persistence and up to date knowledge of SEO best practices.
This is where Charles Floate Training comes in. With years of SEO experience and a proven track record, Charles Floate offers training programs that can take your link-building to the next level. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics of backlinks or an experienced SEO professional looking to refine your strategies, Charles Floate Training has a program for you.
We cover everything from finding high-quality link services to advanced link building techniques. We’ll show you how to create content that attracts backlinks, how to run effective outreach campaigns and how to stay ahead of the SEO curve.
Get in touch today and let’s build a backlink strategy for your site to take it to the next level.