What Are Backlinks and How to Get Them: The Complete Beginner's Guide
Summary: Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. They're one of Google's top 3 ranking factors because they act as "votes of confidence" from other sites. This guide explains what backlinks are, why they matter (PageRank), the different types (dofollow, nofollow, editorial, guest post), 8 proven strategies to earn them ethically, how to identify and avoid toxic backlinks, and how to check your current backlink profile using free tools.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink (also called an "inbound link" or "incoming link") is a hyperlink on another website that points to a page on your website. For example, if a food blog links to your recipe website in one of their articles, that's a backlink to your site.
Think of backlinks as recommendations. When another website links to yours, it's essentially saying: "This page has useful information — check it out." The more credible recommendations your site has, the more trustworthy it appears to search engines.
In HTML, a backlink looks like this:
<a href="https://yoursite.com/page">useful anchor text</a>The website giving the link is the "referring domain," and the text that's clickable is the "anchor text." Both of these matter for SEO — as we'll cover in detail below.
Why Do Backlinks Matter for SEO?
Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors in Google's algorithm. According to a large-scale study by Backlinko analysing 11.8 million Google search results, the number of domains linking to a page correlated with higher rankings more than any other factor.
Here's why Google values backlinks so heavily:
1. PageRank: The Original Algorithm
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin created Google in 1998, the core innovation was PageRank — an algorithm that ranked web pages based on how many other pages linked to them. The concept was inspired by academic citations: the more other papers cite your research, the more influential it must be.
While Google's algorithm has evolved dramatically since then (using over 200 ranking signals), backlinks remain at the core. According to Moz's SEO resource on backlinks, link-based signals still account for a significant portion of how Google determines ranking.
2. Discovery and Crawling
Google discovers new pages by following links. When a high-authority site links to your new page, Googlebot finds and crawls it faster. Sites with zero backlinks often take weeks to get indexed — if they get indexed at all. If your site isn't showing up in search results, backlinks (or lack thereof) could be a factor. Our guide on why your website isn't showing up on Google covers this in depth.
3. Authority and Trust Signals
Not all backlinks are equal. A link from the New York Times or BBC carries vastly more weight than a link from a random blog with 10 visitors a month. Google evaluates the authority of the linking domain, the relevance of the linking page, and the context surrounding the link to determine how much trust to pass along.
According to Ahrefs' study of over 1 billion web pages, 66.31% of pages have zero backlinks — and most of them get zero organic search traffic. The data is clear: without backlinks, ranking is extremely difficult.
Types of Backlinks
Understanding the different types of backlinks helps you prioritise which ones to pursue and which to avoid.
Dofollow Backlinks
A dofollow backlink is the default link type. It tells Google: "I trust this page and I'm passing my authority to it." These are the links that directly influence your rankings. In HTML, a standard dofollow link has no special attribute — it's just a regular <a> tag.
Dofollow links pass what SEOs call "link equity" or "link juice" — essentially a portion of the linking page's authority flows to your page.
Nofollow Backlinks
A nofollow backlink includes a rel="nofollow" attribute that tells Google: "I'm linking to this page, but I don't want to vouch for it." The HTML looks like this:
<a href="https://yoursite.com" rel="nofollow">link text</a>Common sources of nofollow links include blog comments, forum posts, social media profiles, and Wikipedia. While nofollow links don't directly pass PageRank, Google has confirmed they treat nofollow as a "hint" rather than a directive since 2019 — meaning they can still influence rankings in some cases.
A natural backlink profile has a healthy mix of both dofollow and nofollow links. A profile with 100% dofollow links actually looks suspicious to Google.
Editorial Backlinks
An editorial backlink is a link that someone gives you naturally because your content is genuinely useful or interesting. A journalist citing your research, a blogger referencing your guide, a forum user sharing your tool — these are all editorial backlinks.
These are the gold standard of backlinks. They're earned, not asked for. Google values them most highly because they represent genuine endorsement.
Guest Post Backlinks
A guest post backlink comes from writing an article for another website in exchange for a link back to your site (usually in the author bio or within the content). This is one of the most popular link-building strategies — but quality matters enormously.
Guest posting on relevant, authoritative sites in your niche is perfectly legitimate. Mass-producing low-quality guest posts on irrelevant sites purely for links is a link scheme that violates Google's spam policies.
Resource Page Backlinks
Many websites maintain resource pages — curated lists of useful tools, guides, or references on a specific topic. Getting your content listed on relevant resource pages provides a high-quality, contextually relevant backlink.
Directory and Profile Backlinks
Links from business directories (like Yelp, Yellow Pages, or industry-specific directories) and social profiles. These are typically nofollow and low-value individually, but they help build a natural link profile and can drive referral traffic.
Quality vs. Quantity: What Makes a Backlink Valuable?
One backlink from a trusted, relevant website is worth more than 100 links from low-quality sites. Here are the factors that determine backlink quality:
A study by Ahrefs found that the top-ranking page in Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than positions 2 through 10. But those top pages don't necessarily have the most links — they have the best quality links from the most relevant and authoritative sources.
8 Proven Strategies to Earn Backlinks Ethically
Now for the practical part. Here are 8 strategies that work in 2026 — none of them involve buying links, spamming forums, or anything that will get you penalised.
Strategy 1: Create Link-Worthy Content (Content Marketing)
The most sustainable way to earn backlinks is to create content that people want to link to. This means going beyond basic blog posts and creating genuinely valuable resources:
The key is to ask yourself: "Would someone reference this in their own article?" If the answer is yes, you have link-worthy content.
Strategy 2: Guest Posting on Relevant Sites
Guest posting remains one of the most effective link-building strategies when done right. The approach is simple: write a high-quality article for another website in your niche, and include a link back to your site.
How to find opportunities:
"your niche" + "write for us" or "your niche" + "guest post"The golden rule: Only guest post on sites you'd be proud to be associated with. If the site publishes anyone's content regardless of quality, it's not worth your time — and Google likely devalues those links anyway.
Strategy 3: HARO and Journalist Requests
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and similar platforms like Connectively, Qwoted, and SourceBottle connect journalists with expert sources. When a journalist is writing an article and needs a quote or expert opinion, you respond — and if they use your contribution, you typically get a backlink from a major publication.
This strategy can land you links from sites like Forbes, Business Insider, HuffPost, and industry publications that would be nearly impossible to get otherwise.
Tips for success:
Strategy 4: Broken Link Building
Broken link building is the process of finding broken links on other websites and suggesting your content as a replacement. Here's how it works:
"your topic" + "resources" or "your topic" + "useful links")This works because you're helping the webmaster fix a problem on their site while also providing a relevant replacement. It's a win-win.
Strategy 5: Resource Page Link Building
Many authoritative websites maintain resource pages — curated lists of the best tools, guides, or references on a specific topic. Getting listed on these pages provides a highly relevant, contextual backlink.
How to find resource pages:
"your niche" + inurl:resources"your niche" + "useful links""your niche" + "recommended tools"Once you find relevant resource pages, email the webmaster with a brief, friendly pitch explaining why your content or tool would be a valuable addition to their list. Keep it short — one or two sentences about what you offer and why their audience would benefit.
Strategy 6: Digital PR
Digital PR is the process of getting your brand mentioned and linked to by online publications, news sites, and influential blogs. Unlike traditional PR, the goal is specifically to earn backlinks alongside brand exposure.
Effective digital PR tactics include:
Strategy 7: The Skyscraper Technique
Coined by Brian Dean at Backlinko, the Skyscraper Technique is a three-step process:
This works because you're not asking for a favour — you're offering an upgrade. If the content they're currently linking to is outdated or incomplete, yours is a better option for their readers.
Strategy 8: Build Relationships, Not Just Links
The most effective long-term link-building strategy isn't a tactic — it's building genuine relationships with other people in your industry. Engage with their content on social media, leave thoughtful comments on their blog, share their work, and collaborate on projects.
When you have a real relationship with someone, asking for a link (or getting one naturally) is effortless. People link to people they know, like, and trust — just like in the offline world.
Toxic Backlinks: What to Avoid
Not all backlinks help your site. Some can actively harm your rankings or even trigger a manual penalty from Google. Here are the types of backlinks to avoid:
If you discover toxic backlinks pointing to your site, you can use Google's Disavow Tool in Search Console to tell Google to ignore those links. Use this tool carefully — disavowing legitimate links can hurt your rankings.
How to Check Your Backlinks
Monitoring your backlink profile is essential for maintaining healthy SEO. Here's how to check your backlinks using free and paid tools:
Google Search Console (Free)
Google Search Console shows you the links Google has found pointing to your site. Navigate to Links → External Links to see your top linked pages, top linking sites, and top linking text. This is the most authoritative source since it comes directly from Google.
Clarity SEO Backlink Checker (Free)
For a quick overview of your backlink profile without needing a Google account, use the Clarity SEO Report Card. It analyses your site's SEO health including backlink signals, domain authority indicators, and linking domains — all in seconds with no signup required.
→ Check your backlink profile free
Third-Party Tools
For deeper analysis, these tools maintain their own link indexes and provide additional metrics:
What to Look For in Your Backlink Profile
When reviewing your backlinks, pay attention to:
How Many Backlinks Do You Need to Rank?
There's no magic number. The backlinks you need depend entirely on your niche, competition, and keyword difficulty. A local plumber targeting "plumber in Grafton NSW" might rank with 5–10 quality backlinks. An e-commerce site targeting "best running shoes" might need thousands.
The practical approach: look at what's currently ranking for your target keywords. If the top 3 results have 50–100 referring domains each, that gives you a realistic benchmark. You don't necessarily need to match them — if your content is better and more relevant, you can rank with fewer links — but it sets expectations.
Focus on steady, consistent link building rather than trying to acquire hundreds of links overnight. Google is far more likely to reward gradual, natural growth than sudden spikes that look artificial.
Backlinks and Your Broader SEO Strategy
Backlinks are powerful, but they're only one part of a complete SEO strategy. Even the best backlink profile won't save a site with poor on-page SEO, thin content, or terrible page speed. Here's how backlinks fit into the bigger picture:
FAQ
Are backlinks still important for SEO in 2026?
Yes. While Google's algorithm has evolved to include hundreds of ranking signals, backlinks remain one of the top 3 ranking factors. Google's own search quality guidelines emphasise that links from authoritative sources are a key trust signal. No credible SEO study has ever concluded that backlinks don't matter — they consistently correlate with higher rankings.
Can I rank without backlinks?
For very low-competition keywords (e.g., long-tail local terms), it's possible to rank with zero backlinks if your on-page SEO and content quality are strong. But for anything moderately competitive, you'll need at least some quality backlinks. According to Ahrefs, 96.55% of all pages get zero organic traffic from Google — and the majority of those pages have zero backlinks.
Is buying backlinks worth the risk?
No. Buying backlinks violates Google's guidelines and can result in a manual penalty that removes your site from search results entirely. Even if you don't get caught immediately, Google's algorithms are increasingly good at detecting paid links and simply ignoring them — meaning you've paid for nothing. Invest that money in creating great content that earns links naturally.
How long does it take for backlinks to affect rankings?
It varies, but typically 2 to 12 weeks from when Google discovers the link to when you see ranking improvements. Factors include how quickly Google crawls the linking page, the authority of the linking domain, and how competitive your target keyword is. High-authority links tend to have faster impact than low-authority ones.
What's the difference between backlinks and internal links?
Backlinks come from external websites pointing to your site. Internal links are links within your own website that connect one page to another. Both matter for SEO: backlinks build domain authority, while internal links help distribute that authority across your pages and help Google understand your site structure.
Should I disavow bad backlinks?
Only if you have a clear manual penalty related to links, or if you've identified a significant number of obviously spammy links pointing to your site. Google is generally good at ignoring low-quality links on its own. The Disavow Tool is a last resort — not something you should use routinely. If in doubt, leave it alone.
Start Building Your Backlink Profile Today
Backlinks are a long game. You won't build a strong profile overnight, but every quality link you earn compounds over time. Start by creating content worth linking to, then actively promote it using the strategies above.
Before you begin outreach, make sure your site's technical foundations are solid. Run a free scan with Clarity SEO Report Card to check your site's overall SEO health — including on-page factors, technical issues, and current backlink signals. It takes 10 seconds, requires no signup, and gives you a clear starting point.
Earn the links. Build the authority. Watch the rankings follow.