Backlinks or inbound links are elements that improve the visibility of a website. They play an important role in implementing a natural SEO strategy.

Also called external link, back link or incoming link, the backlink is important because it allows an Internet user to find your site by consulting the page of another site. It is also useful for search engine crawlers which use it to explore the Web.

Find out more to better understand the importance of backlinks and their definition. Also discover the importance of backlinks in a natural SEO strategy.

Definition of a backlink

What exactly is the backlink? In SEO , backlinks are one of the most important factors. This is why it is necessary to pay attention to it, but firstly, we must refer to its definition.

A backlink is actually an inbound link pointing to a website. In HTML programming , this is very simple coding, because it is a link simply placed on a page and directing the Internet user to another website.

Here is an example of a backlink : <a href=”https://www.google.fr”>Backlink anchor</a>.

In this example, the text “backlink anchor” is what is called the link anchor . It is an important word or expression in an SEO strategy , since it has an impact in the semantics analyzed by search engines. Concerning the Internet address with the “href” attribute, it indicates the site which will benefit from this backlink.

Why use backlinks in an SEO strategy?

The backlink can be compared to a form of external networking with the aim of improving the visibility of a website. Indeed, the visibility of a site is essential today in order to acquire quality traffic .
Different methods are then used by an SEO agency, among them, the use of backlinks .

By obtaining a good backlink , it is undeniable that the visibility of a website will increase.

Conversely, there are bad backlinks which will harm the reputation of a website or have a negative influence on the positioning of the site.

As a result, each backlink must be checked to ensure that it aligns with the overall SEO strategy.

For a backlink to be judged as relevant by Google, it is imperative that it meets the three main criteria, namely diversity, trust and relevance.

  • Concerning relevance, you should favor a backlink from a website on a similar theme in order to give it more weight.
  • The second element, namely trust, is another criterion used by search engines. For example, if you get a backlink from a government site, then it will be deemed trustworthy by Google. The more trust the site has with the search engine, the more importance and impact the backlink will have on your SEO.
  • Finally, diversity corresponds to the profile of the backlinks. It is important that the links are not all from the same website, nor located in the same location. Also consider varying the link anchors, otherwise you risk entering into an overoptimization pattern that could result in penalties from Google.

Backlink definition: how to create a quality backlink?

For a netlinking campaign to be successful, the professional responsible for the mission must apply the following rules. He must check the authority and quality of the site where the backlink will be inserted before committing. The link must be inserted correctly. It must be placed in a logical and natural way.

The content in which it is integrated must have a semantic relationship. The theme covered must be related to the company's activity. It is preferable that the text receiving the backlink does not contain other links. Avoid showing your link in content with many other backlinks.

It is also recommended to insert the backlink in optimized content that gives interesting information to Internet users. They will be very interested in your link if it meets their needs.

Avoid inserting your backlink in the footer or on additional elements. It must be in the content of the page. It is recommended to request a “do follow” backlink so that the search engine takes it into account when evaluating the quality of the website.

Finally, do not exchange reciprocal links between two pages for your netlinking campaign. Prefer to purchase backlinks to maximize the impact of this operation on the natural referencing of your site.

Backlinks: definition and importance for SEO

The backlink is one of the main solutions for optimizing the visibility of a website in search results and for optimizing its natural referencing. Thanks to these links, Internet users can discover other sites that answer their queries and consult other web pages that interest them.

Backlinks are also important for search engine crawlers. This is an entry point to the site. When the backlinks that point to the site are of good quality, its esteem increases in the evaluation of these robots. The content of the web page will be considered interesting and its ranking in search results will improve.

Ranking is done by Google's PageRank algorithm based on the number and quality of links pointing to the page. In any case, this action must be completed to obtain good results in terms of natural referencing. Indeed, since algorithms like Google's Penguin are operational, quality backlinks are no longer enough. These filters allow the return links to be analyzed and validated.

1- Def backlinks, essential to strengthen the popularity of the site

Google's algorithm is used to improve ranking relevance in search results when a user initiates a query. According to the data that appears in its index, the robot will find content that corresponds to the keywords entered by the Internet user.

Panda and Penguin filters carefully analyze this content. But afterwards, Google still has to define the order of this content taking into account their popularity. At this point, other parameters such as backlinks come into play. When other users on the Web use links from the site as a reference, this constitutes a sign of relevance and popularity.

Google appreciates sites that present extensive and detailed content on the subject. When the site receives several backlinks that come from other sites with good quality and well-optimized content, it is likely to come in first position.

2- Good backlink def: the concept of linkjuice or link juice

When experts implement netlinking strategies in order to have good quality backlinks, they must apply the concept of link juice (linkjuice) which is suitable for both internal and external links.

The term linkjuice is used to designate the part of positioning optimization that the link integrated into a page transmits to the destination page. For example, if a relevant article contains 3 links which point to other sites, a part of its positioning (Page Rank) is distributed to each of these sites, through the inserted links. Thus, these sites benefit from more authority, thanks to the integrated link, when the page displays useful, optimized and well-detailed content.

To be sure to obtain maximum linkjuice, you must carefully choose the pages and sites where the link will be integrated. Then, you will also have to work hard to offer quality content. The information presented must answer Internet users' questions.

Also consider implementing a digital marketing strategy, with the help of a qualified expert. As part of this campaign, you must segment the targeted audience well. You can offer Guest Posts to other sites. Finally, don't forget to integrate product or service rating systems.

The Right Way to Get a Quality Backlink

Different means can be applied in order to obtain a good quality backlink.

The first method is to use guest posts . It's a very simple concept, but particularly effective. You write an article which will not be published on your website, but on an influential blog and on a theme close to yours. This will not only make you known to another audience, but also increase your popularity on search engines.

The second method is to use platforms specialized in buying backlinks . By registering on this type of site, you will have access to a database of several thousand websites allowing you to buy your backlinks. However, the results are not guaranteed and the pricing can quickly increase depending on the notoriety of the site hosting your backlink.

Furthermore, this is a practice not recommended by search engines and if you are caught by the patrol, you once again risk penalties.

This is why it is preferable to build a natural SEO strategy to sustain your activities in the long term.

Other Strategies for Acquiring Quality Backlinks

Specialists in natural referencing and link exchanges still apply numerous techniques to have quality backlinks and to improve the positioning of a website in search results.

1- Take care and optimize the link profile

The link profile refers to the general “off-site” characteristics of a website. Several indicators must be checked using SEO tools in order to evaluate the quality of the link profile and the popularity it gives to the site. This concerns the number of backlinks, the number of referring domains issuing links, acquisition or loss over time, the geographical distribution of top level domains (TLDs) of the source sites, the various anchors and the proportion of use of these anchors, etc.

Please note, Google appreciates backlinks generated naturally on the Web. Thus, site administrators or Internet users in forums must recommend the pages of their own free will. Avoid inserting a large amount of backlinks within a defined period (as part of a campaign).

2- Vary the backlink acquisition techniques

To avoid being penalized by Google for attempting to manipulate search results, it is recommended to diversify your link acquisition methods . You can create links from thematic directories related to your activities.

It is also possible to create links on thematic forums on sites with a certain authority in your sector. You can also interact on blogs by writing relevant comments. The information you communicate must interest readers and help them so that they want to consult your page by following the link you left.

Consider requesting collaboration with your business partners and suppliers to create additional connections in a natural way. Don’t neglect the importance of guest articles or “  guest-blogging  ” for your SEO. You can also work on social networks to increase backlinks in order to boost the popularity of your site.

Writing and publishing sponsored articles allows you to highlight your specialties. This method consists of writing on a theme related to your activity in order to insert a link that points to one of your web pages. This article is published on a thematic blog in return for a sum of money. Google is much more tolerant when the site specifies that it is a sponsored article.

Producing press articles on the web is also an interesting solution for increasing backlinks. However, this solution is expensive, but it allows you to show your expertise in your field and thus convince the readership to work with you.

Still in the same spirit, you can create a private blog to address themes likely to interest the audience you want to target. This is a subsidiary site that you must update regularly to increase the popularity of your web pages.

Whatever your objectives, it is strongly recommended to work with qualified professionals to succeed in your netlinking campaign. Your backlinks must appear in high-quality content, with relevant and useful information.