Backlinks remain one of the most critical factors influencing your website’s search engine rankings. However, not all backlinks are created equal. This blog will explore the most effective types of backlinks that can boost your SEO, helping you determine which ones will work best for your digital marketing strategy.
What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?
Backlinks are external links pointing from one website to another. They act as “votes of confidence” for search engines, helping to indicate your website’s credibility and trustworthiness.
But, if you’re wondering: “How many types of backlinks are there?” or which types are the most valuable, you’re not alone. Many business owners overlook the types of backlinks that can make or break their SEO strategy.
Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are links from one website to another. They are crucial for SEO because they signal to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.
Why Do Backlinks Matter in SEO?
Backlinks are crucial for SEO because they enhance your website’s credibility and authority. When reputable sites link to your content, it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and valuable, which can improve your search engine rankings. Additionally, high-quality backlinks drive organic traffic to your site, as users are more likely to click on links from trusted sources. This not only increases your website’s visibility but also boosts user engagement and potential conversions. In essence, a strong backlink profile is a key component of a successful SEO strategy, helping you achieve higher rankings and greater online presence.
Types of Backlinks You Should Know
When it comes to how many types of backlinks exist, there are several, but some are far more valuable than others. Below, we’ll discuss the most common and impactful types of backlinks that can significantly boost your website’s SEO.
1. Editorial Backlinks
An editorial backlink is one of the most valuable types of backlinks you can get. It happens when another website links to your content naturally—without you asking for it—because they find it valuable. For example, if you write an in-depth article on SEO trends, and another website refers to it as a useful resource, that’s an editorial backlink.
Why they matter:
Editorial backlinks come from relevant, high-authority websites and are a strong indicator to search engines that your content is trustworthy and authoritative. Google loves these kinds of links!
How to earn them:
- Create high-quality, valuable content that stands out.
- Use data, case studies, or original research that other websites may want to reference.
- Promote your content to industry influencers or via online digital marketing services.
- Become a Source for Journalists and Bloggers
Journalists and bloggers often need experts to cite in their articles. By positioning yourself as an expert, you can attract editorial backlinks from media outlets.
- Use HARO (Help A Reporter Out): HARO connects journalists with sources. Sign up and respond to media queries relevant to your industry to get featured and linked to.
- Example Tool: HARO – You can get backlinks by offering your expertise to journalists looking for credible sources.
2. Guest Post Backlinks
With guest post backlinks, you write a blog post for another website, usually within your industry, and include a link back to your site within the content. This is one of the most popular ways to build backlinks because it allows you to control the content and the link placement.
Why they matter:
These backlinks are useful because they help you reach new audiences while giving you control over how and where the link to your site is placed.
How to earn them:
- Reach out to relevant blogs and websites that accept guest posts.
- Write high-quality, informative articles that provide value to their readers.
- Ensure your backlink is placed naturally within the content.
Tools for Finding Guest Post Opportunities:
- Google Search Operators: You can use search operators like “write for us” + [your niche] or “guest post” + [your topic] to find blogs that accept guest posts.
- Example Search: “write for us” + SEO blog can help you find blogs within the SEO niche.
- NinjaOutreach: This tool helps you find websites that accept guest posts by providing a database of influencers and blogs in various niches. It also offers outreach templates.
- Ahrefs Content Explorer: With Ahrefs, you can search for sites related to your niche, check their domain authority, and explore their guest posting potential.
3. Resource page backlinks
Resource page backlinks are backlinks earned from a page that curates and lists valuable resources on a specific topic. Websites create resource pages to provide their audience with helpful links to content, tools, articles, guides, or services that are relevant to their industry or niche. These pages are designed to be comprehensive collections of useful information, and getting a backlink from one of these pages can significantly boost your website’s authority and SEO performance.
Why Are Resource Page Backlinks Valuable?
- High Authority: Resource pages are often on reputable websites that have established authority in their industry. A backlink from these pages signals to search engines that your website is a trusted source.
- Relevance: Because resource pages focus on specific topics, the backlinks are highly relevant to your content, which helps improve your SEO.
- Referral Traffic: In addition to boosting SEO, backlinks from resource pages can bring high-quality traffic from people actively looking for resources in your industry.
How to Earn Resource Page Backlinks
- Example:
If you run a digital marketing agency, a resource like “The Ultimate Guide to SEO for Small Businesses” or a free keyword research tool would be great assets to feature on relevant resource pages. - Outreach to Website Owners After finding relevant resource pages, contact the site owners or editors to suggest adding your content to their list of resources. Your outreach should be polite, personal, and highlight the value your content brings to their audience.
4. Broken Backlinks
Broken backlinks, while often seen as a negative, can actually be a valuable opportunity to acquire high-quality, authoritative backlinks for your website. By identifying broken links on other websites and reaching out to the site owners, you can offer to replace the broken link with a link to your relevant content. This not only helps the other website improve their user experience but also establishes your website as a reliable resource.
Find Broken Links:
- Manual Inspection: Manually click on links within the target website’s content to check if they lead to broken pages.
- Broken Link Checker Tools: Use automated tools to scan websites for broken links.
Evaluate Link Relevance:
- Content Match: Ensure that your content is relevant and provides value to the broken link’s original destination.
- Authority of the Website: Consider the authority and reputation of the website you’re targeting.
Reach Out to the Website Owner:
- Email Outreach: Politely email the website owner or webmaster, informing them of the broken link and offering to replace it with a link to your relevant content.
- Provide Value: Explain how your content can benefit their visitors and improve their user experience.
5. Dofollow Backlinks
Dofollow backlinks are links that pass SEO value (or link juice) from the referring website to the linked website. In other words, they are standard backlinks that tell search engines to follow the link and consider it when determining the ranking of the destination website. These types of backlinks are crucial in SEO because they help improve your website’s authority and rankings in search engine results.
<a href=”https://example.com”>Visit Example (Do-Follow Link)</a>
No-follow Backlinks
No-follow backlinks are links that don’t pass SEO value (link juice) to the destination site. These links tell search engines not to follow the link, meaning they won’t directly contribute to the linked site’s ranking.
- Example:
If a comment on a blog includes a link to your site, but the blog owner marks it as a no-follow, search engines won’t pass authority to your site. This is common on platforms like Wikipedia, where external links are marked as no-follow.
<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Visit Example (No-Follow Link)</a>
6. Comment and Forum Backlinks
Comment and forum backlinks are a valuable way to build relationships within your industry and establish your website as an authority. By participating in online discussions and leaving thoughtful comments, you can acquire relevant backlinks and increase your website’s visibility.
Tips for Quality Commenting:
- Be Authentic: Avoid generic or spammy comments.
- Add Value: Offer unique perspectives and insights.
- Be Respectful: Treat other users with courtesy and respect.
- Proofread Your Comments: Ensure your comments are well-written and error-free.
Example Websites for Comment and Forum Backlinks
Here are some popular online forums and communities where you can find opportunities for comment and forum backlinks:
General Discussion Forums:
- Reddit: A vast platform with numerous subreddits dedicated to various topics.
- Quora: A question-and-answer website where you can provide answers and leave comments.
- LinkedIn Groups: Join groups related to your industry or niche to participate in discussions.
Niche-Specific Forums:
- Gaming Forums: Reddit’s gaming subreddits, GameFAQs
- Tech Forums: Stack Overflow, Ars Technica Forums
- Travel Forums: TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet Forums
- Fitness Forums: Muscle & Fitness Forums, Bodybuilding.com Forums
7. Image Backlinks
Image backlinks are links that point to images on your website. When other websites embed or link to your images, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant. This can help improve your website’s search engine ranking and drive more traffic.
8. Video Backlinks
Video backlinks are links that point to videos on your website. Similar to image backlinks, video backlinks can significantly boost your website’s SEO by improving your visibility in search engine results and driving more traffic.
Tips for Maximizing Video Backlinks:
- Use Original Videos: Avoid using stock videos that may already be widely available.
- Create Tutorials or How-To Guides: These types of videos are often shared and linked to.
- Offer Exclusive Content: Provide valuable content that is not available elsewhere.
- Promote Your Videos: Share your videos on social media, forums, and relevant websites.
- Track Your Backlinks: Monitor the backlinks pointing to your videos and update your strategy accordingly.
9. Press Release Backlinks
Press release backlinks are links that point to your website from press releases that have been published on news websites or online media outlets. These backlinks can be highly valuable for SEO as they come from authoritative sources and can help improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.
Benefits of Press Release Backlinks:
- Increased Visibility: Press release backlinks can help your website appear in more search results, as news websites are often indexed and crawled frequently by search engines.
- Improved Authority: Backlinks from reputable news outlets can boost your website’s authority and credibility.
- Traffic Generation: Press releases can drive traffic to your website, especially if they are newsworthy and well-written.
- Brand Awareness: Press releases can help increase brand awareness and recognition.
10. Infographic Backlinks
An infographic backlink occurs when other websites link back to an infographic you’ve created. Infographics are highly shareable and can lead to a significant number of backlinks.
Why they matter:
Infographics are visually appealing, and people love to share them. This makes them a great source of backlinks, especially if the infographic is packed with useful data.
How to earn them:
- Create original, data-rich infographics.
- Share them widely on social media and infographic submission sites.
- Encourage others to embed your infographic on their site with a link back to yours.
11. Social Media Backlinks
While social media backlinks don’t carry as much SEO weight as editorial or contextual backlinks, they still play an important role. Shares and mentions on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn can lead to higher visibility and more opportunities for natural backlinks.
Why they matter:
Social media backlinks can drive direct traffic to your site and increase the chances of other sites linking to your content in the future.
How to earn them:
- Share your content regularly across social media platforms.
- Encourage readers to share your posts.
- Participate in online communities where your content can be linked.
12. Niche-Specific Backlinks
These backlinks come from websites that are directly related to your niche or industry. For example, if you run a digital marketing website, having backlinks from well-known marketing blogs is more valuable than links from unrelated sites.
Why they matter
Search engines place more value on niche-specific backlinks because they signal relevance. A backlink from a site in the same industry as yours carries more weight than a random, unrelated link.
How to earn them:
- Focus your efforts on websites within your industry.
- Offer guest posts or collaborate on joint projects with companies in your niche.
- Attend industry conferences and network with peers who may link to your content.
13. Edu and Gov Backlinks
Edu and Gov backlinks come from websites with .edu (educational institutions) and .gov (government entities) domains. These backlinks are highly valuable in SEO because these domains are seen as authoritative and trustworthy by search engines like Google.
How to Earn Edu and Gov Backlinks
- Offer Valuable Resources
Create high-quality content or resources that universities or government websites would find useful. This could include research papers, data-driven insights, or educational tools.
Example: A digital marketing agency in Washington could create a guide about digital literacy or internet safety, which could be linked by educational institutions or government programs. - Partner with Local Government Programs
Collaborate with government websites by offering free tools, services, or educational materials that relate to public services. For example, if your business offers online digital marketing services, you could partner with local government business development programs.
Ready to Boost Your Website’s Rankings?
Building a diverse backlink portfolio can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling the day-to-day operations of your business. That’s where a trusted digital marketing agency comes in. If you’re looking for professional help to manage your SEO and backlink strategy, consider our expertise at OnRadar Agency. We offer tailored online digital marketing services to help your website reach its full potential.
Final Thoughts: How Many Types of Backlinks Should You Focus On?
There isn’t a magic number when it comes to the types of backlinks you should pursue. Instead, focus on building quality links from authoritative, niche-specific, and diverse sources. Whether you’re new to SEO or looking for a fresh strategy, the right backlinks can make all the difference.