Why Backlinks are Integral to your SEO Strategy?

Backlinks, or inbound links from other domains, are a crucial element of SEO. Here’s how a strong link profile helps your website rank high in the search results.

If you’ve been exploring SEO techniques to get your website to rank on Google, you’ve probably noticed the mention of backlinks. In case you’re wondering if backlinks are really necessary, the answer is a resounding YES.

Incorporating valuable backlinks is hands down one of the most effective ways to present your website as a credible and valuable source of information. This, in turn, prompts Google’s search engine algorithm to rank your webpage high in the search results. Let’s delve deeper into the topic to explore how exactly backlinks can upgrade your SEO game.

What Backlinks and How do They Work?

To put it simply, backlinks are incoming links that drive traffic from other websites to yours. Also known as “inbound” or “incoming” links, backlinks get their name from the fact that a website uses them to link back to a source or reference.

Backlinks primarily drive referral traffic or direct users to other pages of interest, thereby increasing traffic for the receiving website However, their real value lies in how they boost search engine optimization. They indicate to the search engine that another resource, possibly a credible one, found your content valuable enough to hyperlink it within their content.

One could think of backlinks as citations or trust signals for web pages. The more such trust signals a webpage has, the more credible it will appear to the search engine. However, it’s worth noting that while a website can receive backlinks from numerous sources, it’s only the quality backlinks that make a difference.

How Backlinks help seo

4 Reasons why your Website Needs Backlinks

Receiving high-quality backlinks from credible websites can benefit you in several ways, and they aren’t just limited to SEO.

  • Discovery by search engine crawlers

People aren’t the only ones discovering new websites through backlinks. Search engines such as Google regularly update their database using bots known as crawlers to crawl the web from one link to another.

The crawlers follow the path created by links to discover new content and index them. Thus, hyperlinks to your website would make it possible for search engine crawlers to discover it – which is the first step in getting your website to rank in the SERPs.

  • Drawing more traffic

Backlinks would also drive traffic from the referring domain to yours. Assuming that the referring domain is credible and holds a degree of authority in terms of reliability, users would trust a website hyperlinked on it as a source or reference. For websites that sell products, receiving such traffic from other domains can also have direct financial benefits by generating more sales.

  • Higher SERP ranking

As mentioned earlier, search engines also factor in backlinks when ranking the search results. Think of each backlink as a vote of value for your page. The more such ‘votes’ your website has, the more likely it is to rank high in the search results. This is because it gives the search engine a reason to believe that your website might be a better resource than a competitor with fewer backlinks, and hence a lower trust factor.

  • Quick improvement in search rankings

For new websites that need time to improve their search rankings through other means such as driving more user engagement, generating backlinks is a great way to get around the issue. At a time when your website is yet to gain much credibility, building a strong backlink profile can be a game-changer.

4 Key Tips to Implement Backlinks in your Website

Using backlinks to boost your SERP ranking isn’t that simple – many factors have to be taken into account. Using bad links and shady practices to purposefully manipulate search results would do more harm than good by getting your website penalized by the search engine. Here are 4 tips on strategically using backlinks to climb up the SERP rankings.

  • Maintain link diversity

A strong link profile ideally comprises a diverse set of high-quality links. Too many similar backlinks would create a predictable pattern, potentially resulting in your website getting penalized.

  • Keep it relevant

Relevance is a crucial factor to consider – search engines prioritize links that users are more likely to click on to obtain more information. Try to receive backlinks from the most relevant websites you can.

  •  Get backlinks from trusted sources

Considering one of the main purposes of link-building is to improve the credibility of your website, you’d want to get backlinks from trusted sources. Guest posts on highly trusted news and other informational websites, for instance, are a great way to obtain such links.

  • Avoid bad links

Stay away from shady practices such as injecting hidden links into website pages. Links obtained through large-scale link exchange schemes or from websites engaging in spam behaviors would likely result in a penalty too.

Step up your SEO game with Strong Backlinks

Ultimately, backlinks are one of the pillars of your SEO campaign. You’d want to create a strong and diverse link profile, with notable websites backing up your credibility of yours. 

Maintaining a strong focus on quality content can go a long way in this regard, potentially getting third parties to backlink to your website without even having to ask them. Consider investing in professional SEO and link-building services to improve your website’s SERP rankings.