The Truth About Backlinks
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Originally Posted On: https://seojet.net/blog/the-truth-about-backlinks/
You might have heard a lot about backlinks, but how can you tell fact from fiction? Well, we know that a study from Backlinko found that the total number of domains linking to a page did have a correlation to Google rankings.
This means that the truth about backlinks is that they are an important ranking factor for SEO. Where the confusion arises is when some digital marketers think that good content is all that you need to rank well on Google.
Yeah, good content is crucial. However, that’s not all you need. Backlinks are still an important part of SEO, and they can help to improve your website’s ranking. That is, however, if you know how to go about getting the right backlinks.
Here’s what to know about backlinks in today’s digital landscape and how to get high-quality backlinks for your own business website.
What Are Backlinks?
New around here? No worries, we’ll start with the basics! What are backlinks?
A backlink is simply a link from one website to another. Okay cool, what’s so special about that? Well, if a website has a lot of backlinks, it means that it is popular and has a lot of authority.
In this sense, search engines use backlinks as a vote of confidence. Basically, their algorithm thinks that the more “votes” a website has, the better it is. It’ll, therefore, rank it higher in the search results.
However, not all backlinks are created equal. The truth about backlinks is that there are many factors that affect their credibility.
Do Backlinks Still Matter in 2022?
In the world of SEO, backlinks have always been an important ranking factor. But with Google’s recent algorithm updates, some people are wondering if backlinks will still matter in 2022.
The answer is yes! Backlinks are still an important ranking factor and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. Here’s why:
- Backlinks help Google understand your site’s content
- Backlinks provide a voting signal that can help your site rank higher in search results
- Backlinks help to build brand awareness and high-quality traffic
So, if you’re wondering if backlinks still matter in 2022, the answer is a resounding yes! However, this is where we start to see a separation between fact and fiction.
Quality vs. Quantity: Which Is Better?
Quality or quantity? When it comes to backlinks, that is often the question on the mind of SEO experts. On one hand, having a large number of backlinks can help to increase your website’s visibility and improve your search engine ranking.
On the other hand, having a smaller number of high-quality backlinks can be just as effective in gaining quick traffic. So, which is better?
The answer may depend on your specific goals and priorities. If you are primarily concerned with increasing traffic to your website, you might think that focusing on a lot of low-quality backlinks is the right strategy.
However, that’s usually never the best option. In short, it’s always best to focus on quality, long-term traffic and growth than it is to opt for the low-hanging fruit. By building up the quality of your backlinks, you can reap the maximum benefits for your website.
What Is a Quality Backlink?
So, what makes a quality backlink? A quality backlink is a link that comes from a high domain authority website that is well-trusted by search engines and searchers alike. In other words, not only do the robots trust the website, but actual people also trust the website.
There are a number of ways to assess the quality of a backlink, but some of the most important factors include the:
- Age of the linking domain
- PageRank of the linking page
- Number of other links on the linking page
- Whether or not the link is followable
Where do you find this kind of information? Backlink software usually has all the insights you need.
The Truth About Backlinks: 3 Facts You Need to Know
Now that you know that backlinks matter and that you should be working towards getting high-quality backlinks, what other myths can we bust for you? Let’s start with these three facts that are important to know before you go off and invest in any guest post service.
Quality Content Is Still King
Quality content is still the most important aspect of a successful website or blog, especially when it comes to getting high-quality backlinks. After all, if you write great content, they will come (wait, no, that was Field of Dreams).
However, it’s true. If you focus first and foremost on creating quality website content then you should have no issues ranking high on the search engine results pages and having others easily find your content. Once they do, they’ll want to link to it because it’s so great.
Poor Backlinks Don’t Hurt Your Search Engine Rankings
According to a recent update from Google, poor backlinks no longer have a negative impact on your search engine rankings. Instead of being penalized, your links will simply be devalued.
Reportedly, once you start getting into having about 10 to 15 poor backlinks, you might start to see your overall article or blog ranking start to dip. Therefore, it is still important to ensure that your backlinks are of high quality.
The Total Number of Links Doesn’t Matter
The total number of links doesn’t matter when it comes to your ranking. This means that if you only have one relevant backlink, it can still help your website rank higher in search results. However, if you have 10 irrelevant backlinks, it won’t help your website much at all.
This is what we’re talking about when we say it’s important to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks. As long as you have at least one relevant backlink, you can help improve your website’s ranking in search results.
How to Get High-Quality Backlinks
Ready to have your site rank higher than your competitors in search engine result pages? Follow these basic tips for building authority backlinks.
Publish Evergreen Content
Anytime you can produce content that has a long shelf life, you open up the potential for more links. That’s because your content will be around long after it’s published date to keep providing value to readers and attracting attention.
When other websites link to your evergreen content, they not only improve the chances that their readers will find your website, but they also help to improve your website’s search engine ranking.
In addition, evergreen content is often highly shareable, meaning it has the potential to reach a wide audience and generate even more backlinks. So if you’re looking to attract more backlinks, focus on creating evergreen content that will stand the test of time.
Publish Skyscraper Content
In order to attract high-quality backlinks, your goal should be to create the best, most informative, and most up-to-date piece of content on the internet. This way, when people are looking for information related to your topic, they’re more likely to find your content and link to it.
How do you know what to put into a piece of content like that? Take a look at what ranks No. 1 for the keyword you want to rank for. Look through that piece of content and improve it in every way you can. This is referred to as the Skyscraper Technique.
Create Lists With Statistics and Infographics
Creating lists with statistics and infographics is a great way to get high-quality backlinks. This is because people are always looking for new and interesting data to share with their audience.
By creating a list that is both informative and visually appealing, you can increase the likelihood that people will link to it from their own website or blog. Try to find unique angles or perspectives that will make your content stand out from the rest.
Steal Your Competitors’ Backlinks
No, we’re not talking about buying backlinks! We’re talking about identifying which backlinks your competitors currently have. Then, create content that’s just as in-depth and comprehensive, if not more so. This will help improve your organic rankings and put you ahead of your competitors.
How do you do this? Again, great backlink software like SEOJet can help you identify these. However, other tools such as SEMrush and Ahrefs can also help you gather information about which websites currently link to your competitors’ content.
Once you’re able to identify the backlinks, focus on creating content that matches or exceeds the quality of what’s already out there. This will help you build authority and improve your SEO.
Reach Out to People With Outdated Backlinks
It can also be a good idea to find websites with outdated backlinks and then reach out to the site’s owner. You can do this by using the Google search engine and searching for your keywords.
Click on a piece of content that you would like to have a backlink to. Read through it and click on every link on the page. Once you find an outdated link, reach out to them and let them know.
Be kind and casual about it, but let them know the link is broken and that you have a great piece of content they could replace it with. Most people will be happy to update their links, and you’ll get a high-quality backlink in the process.
The Truth About Backlinks: You’ll Likely Need Help
Do you want to know the truth about backlinks?
Backlinking is a powerful tool that can be extremely effective when used correctly. However, as with all SEO marketing strategies, it takes time and effort to see the desired results.
And if you want to get the most out of your SEO efforts (or any other digital marketing strategy for that matter), you’ll likely need help from an experienced team of professionals. That’s where we come in.
We can help you build customized backlink plans for every page using top-ranked data from Google. Ready to get started? Get in touch for a free demo.