The Role of Backlinks in SEO and How to Get High-Quality Links

‍What are backlinks in SEO? There is no consensus on the degree of link influence on resource rankings. However, experts agree on one thing: this influence exists and should not be neglected. Pages linked to authoritative resources receive more traffic and perform better. Of course, it’s easier to entrust the creation of a link profile to a specialist. However, there are many methods available to you. In this post, we will tell you how to get good links.

‍Suppose you want to plan a link-building campaign and examine the tactics you can use to earn more good links to your website or see how your competitors are doing regarding links. In that case, you should know how to analyze the links and understand your link profile.

‍Several different tools can help you get a clear picture of your profile and that of your competitors. You can do this using Google Search Console and SEMrush.

Google Search Console

‍It will give you an idea of your link profile but will not provide information about other companies in your niche. However, this is a free tool; you need to know which links to your site Google sees.

‍Even if the information you can get here is a bit limited compared to other tools.

• First, go to Google Search Console and sign in. Use the menu on the left to navigate to Legacy Tools and Reports Links.
• You should see your site’s backlink profile overview under the External Links heading.

‍You will be able to see not only the number of external links pointing to your site but also the following information:

• Most popular pages. The pages on your site that have the most links.
• Top site links – the site that most often links to yours.
• Text link is the most common link text used for external links.
• You can export your site’s external links as a CSV file in the top right corner.

SEMrush

‍While Google Search Console is a great way to understand some elements of your link profile, if you want to use link insight to help you build great links and identify your competitors’ tactics, you’ll need to use a dedicated tool. SEMrush can help you understand your and your competitors’ link structure in several ways, each offering valuable information to use in your strategy.

‍Start by using our Backlink Analytics tool to collect data on your domain’s backlink profiles and competitors. It will give you insight into various metrics and complex data that will help you develop a better strategy.

‍What information can you actually extract from this tool, and how can you use it in your strategy?

Categories of Referring Domains

‍Here, you can see how the domains that link to the site are categorized thematically. It helps you understand the relevance of a domain’s link profile and identify sectors and targeting opportunities in your campaigns.

Anchor Text

‍Understanding the most common anchor link texts used to link back to your domain is a great way to minimize the risk of negative actions associated with toxic link-building tactics while ensuring that your strategy targets natural keyword backlinks.

Referral Domains

‍The number of unique referral domains is highly correlated with higher rankings, and using this as a competitive benchmark will help you determine the actual link gap.

Link Attributes

‍Once you understand the difference between follow, nofollow, sponsor, and UGC links, you can use this information to plan a strategy for replicating the successful link profiles of those who have gone before you.

Opportunities

‍Analyzing your competitor’s profiles and backlink examples can help you identify chances to earn a link to your domain and monitor who is linking to you and how.

TLD Distribution

‍Do your links come primarily from the leading country where you operate? Are there global link-building opportunities that work for your competitors? Understanding the distribution of TLDs in your link profile is essential to understanding how to develop your broader business strategy.

Similar Profiles

‍Want to dive deeper into your competitors’ link profiles? You can use the “similar profiles” information to see examples of other domains with a similar link profile to top-performing sites to find new opportunities.

Popular Pages

‍Here, you can see which pages have the most links pointing to them and plan how to use that link ratio as part of your internal linking strategy. Don’t underestimate the power of competitor analysis. With the right tools, you can create the right links to help you rank higher and drive organic growth.

‍There are many different tactics and ways to do this, but some are much more effective and help you build better links than others. You can quickly start earning excellent links on your own in many ways. Here are some popular (but relatively easy) ways to earn links to your site.

Ask Your Suppliers to Post Your Link

‍If you sell other people’s products, many of your supplier’s websites have a “where to buy” or “distributors” page with detailed information (and links) for each. However, you may not be included in these lists because they are not updated as often as they should be. Find the member listing pages on your provider’s websites; if you are omitted, ask to be added.

Respond to Journalists’ Inquiries

‍If a journalist’s request matches your experience, respond within the specified deadline. If your request is used, you will likely receive a link, too. Of course, not every submission from your company is successful and gets a link. Make sure you answer the request in detail and can add value to your business, and make it clear that you expect to receive a link.

Write a Guest Post for Publication

‍Today, guest posting remains an excellent tactic for gaining links and sharing your knowledge and experience from relevant industry publications. If you’re an accountant and want to write guest posts, you’ll likely find appropriate websites looking for writers to pitch your ideas to.

Use Industry Directories for Your Niche

‍Most industries have active directories recommending and showcasing companies operating in that sector. Such variations exist in many cities and regions. These resources should include a detailed description of your company, logo, address, telephone number and a link to the website. They often allow you to publish news and company promotions, in which you can also place SEO backlinks.

Turn Brand Mentions into Links

‍Most companies receive press coverage from time to time, regionally, nationally, or internationally. The reason could be a new product or service you’ve launched, a new ranking, or even a charity event. Whatever the reason, it is not uncommon for press mentions to fail to provide a link.

‍It is always worth checking with a journalist or editor when you are mentioned in the press without a link and asking them to add one. While some won’t, others will, and it’s an effortless way to earn some quality links.

Become a Cited Resource

‍If you’ve spent time creating great content or a great product, you should look for resources so they can cite your content as an expert. Similar opportunities exist in all sectors, and you can take the same approach by using great content and your core product or service.

Publish the Research and Present it to the Press

‍Unique research is a surefire way to get your business noticed by the press, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s quick and easy. Launching a research-based PR campaign using your or third-party data takes time, but it’s worth it. Journalists and publishers love sharing scientific research and surveys, and if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, this can be a great way to earn fantastic links.

Analyze Your Competitor’s Link Profile to Identify Opportunities

‍If you’re looking for opportunities to earn links that help your competitors rank, you can take the time to analyze their backlink profiles to identify opportunities you could pursue. In fact, you can use the SEMrush backlink-building tool to help you do just that and open up many untapped backlinks SEO opportunities.

‍Link building has changed significantly over the past decade, and it’s for the better. However, there are a number of common myths about website backlinks, and we want to debunk some of them now so that when you encounter them in the future, you’ll know what advice to follow and what to avoid.

The More Links You Have, The Higher Your Rank

‍Understand where this statement comes from, but it is not necessarily true. As we’ve already shown, not all links are created equal, and one great link from a newspaper or significant trade publication can be worth hundreds of low-quality links, from blog comments to unrelated posts.

‍Link building isn’t just a numbers game—you need to earn quality links. However, there is a strong correlation between the number of quality links and higher rankings. Don’t fall into the trap of focusing on numbers alone, as this can lead to tactics that result in low-quality links that hurt rather than help your ranking.

You Don’t Have to Worry Earning Nofollowed Links

‍It is a common occurrence that is often taken out of context. Historically, unlinked links had no impact on SEO performance, but in September 2019, Google announced that they are now a hint rather than a directive.

‍A link with a nofollow attribute posted in a newspaper that automatically applies nofollow to all external links will still carry significant weight. Nofollow links still send traffic to your site and increase your authority. As long as the links are relevant and from trusted sources, you shouldn’t discount such a link simply because it’s nofollow.

Link Scoring in Google Tools – The Only Way to Determine a Quality Link

‍Many people mistakenly believe the only way to determine a quality link is to look at the link score in Google’s toolkit. It is not valid. John Mueller from Google confirmed that Google does not use one of these scores as a ranking factor.

‍It is simply a metric that is calculated by a set of tools in an attempt to indicate potential authority in the eyes of search engines. However, if the link is from a relevant resource and has been featured in an editorial, meaning it can send targeted traffic, don’t discount it just because it has a lower metric in the tool. A natural link profile includes links from different sources of varying age and authority, and earning links only from high-authority sources is unnatural and unrealistic.

You Receive a Rank Reduction if You Earn Too Many Links

‍There is a long-standing myth that too many links in a short period will cause your site to suffer a ranking decline. Imagine launching a PR campaign that churned hundreds of editorial links from unique publications within a few days. Product announcement, research, etc. That’s just the nature of virality, and you probably won’t be penalized.

‍As long as you build quality links, you don’t have to worry about earning too many links quickly. This myth only applies to those who buy unnatural links.

‍Backlinks are a critical ranking factor that cannot be ignored if you want to rank higher in search engines. Link building is a vast area of SEO, and many specialists focus only on this area. The good news is that there are many ways to start doing it yourself.

‍These are great ways to generate backlinks using strategies that most marketers simply don’t use. Build great links, and your rankings will increase; just keep an eye on your competitors’ activities and take advantage of new opportunities as quickly as possible.