Backlink
A backlink is a link on another site that points to a page on your site. You find them on link directories, blogs, articles and social media. A backlink tells Google that someone thinks your page is worth reading. Google takes that signal very seriously: backlinks are one of the main factors that decide whether your site gets found.
Not every backlink counts the same
Google likes a balanced, natural link profile. Ideally it sees backlinks from trustworthy, relevant sites pointing to several pages on your website.
Backlinks have mattered since Google started, and there are many ways to collect them. Google tries to give links from link exchanges or paid links much less value than links that were earned naturally.
Backlinks from good and bad sites
Some sites are worth getting a backlink from and some are not. A backlink from a good site can push you up in Google, while a backlink from a bad site is worth nothing. Good sites are trustworthy and relevant. Bad sites include article directories, link directories and link network sites.
Backlinks from relevant sites
Even when a backlink comes from a trustworthy site, it is worth more when that site is related to yours. If you sell children's clothing, a backlink from a fashion blog is worth far more than one from our site, for example.
Backlinks in the right place
Where the link sits on the page also makes a big difference. The best spot is inside an article on a respected, relevant website. Those sites often have a links page as well. A link from that page still has value, just less than a link from a relevant article.
Links from a forum signature, a blog comment or the author bio of a guest post are worth less too.
Backlinks to several pages
It helps to have backlinks pointing to several pages on your website. Google likes a well-spread backlink profile. On top of that, a backlink to a page deeper in your site passes its value straight to that page, which helps it rank higher in Google right away.
Dofollow and nofollow backlinks
User-generated content, such as forum posts and blog comments, often contains links. Many webmasters do not want their site to link to, and pass value to, sources they have not been able to check. For this, Google introduced nofollow. Webmasters can add the nofollow attribute to a link, and Google then does not count that link as a backlink.
Link building software
There are several good ways to earn backlinks. The best ones usually come down to writing good content and finding partners who want to link to it. Finding those partners is a lot of work. Link building software can help you find them, look up their contact details and track the status of each link.
There is also bad link building software: tools that try to create and submit links automatically. Google's team has made sure these links are ignored automatically, so we do not recommend software in this category.