The Importance Of SEO Backlinks And How To Get Them To Your Website…

Backlinks are a fundamental pillar of SEO, acting as votes of confidence from other websites that signal to search engines your site’s credibility and authority - as such the importance of backlinks is ofter underestimated. The more high-quality backlinks your website earns, the better its chances of ranking higher in search results, driving organic traffic, and boosting visibility. But not all backlinks are created equal—understanding what makes a backlink valuable and how to acquire them strategically can make all the difference.

In this guide, we’ll ask why is link building important, how they impact SEO, and offer some practical strategies to build a strong backlink profile for your website.

Table of Contents

• What are SEO Backlinks?
• Why Is Link Building Important?
• What are the Types of SEO Backlinks?
• What is a Natural link Profile?
• How to Get Backlinks?
• How to Track Backlinks
• Backlink FAQs

So, let's begin our look at the importance of SEO backlinks and explore just what SEO backlinks are:

What are SEO backlinks?

SEO backlinks, also known as inbound links, are hyperlinks from external websites that direct users to your website. These links can take the form of anchor text with relevant keywords, URL links, or clickable images. Backlinks are crucial in SEO because they act as endorsements, signaling that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Search engines use your website’s backlink profile - comprising the quality, quantity, and relevance of these links - to assess your site's authority, relevance, and popularity.

High-quality backlinks can significantly boost your SEO performance by improving rankings, driving referral traffic, and helping search engine bots index your content faster. Links from authoritative and relevant websites carry the most weight, enhancing your site’s credibility. Backlinks can boost your brand visibility and improve your site’s ranking for specific keywords, especially when optimised anchor text is used. However, it’s essential to focus on quality over quantity and build links naturally to maximise their SEO benefits.

Why is link Building important?

So, how important is link building for SEO? Google and other search engines use backlinks as a signal of the quality and relevance of your website's content.

Link building is a fundamental aspect of SEO, as it signals to search engines that your website’s content is valuable and relevant. Backlinks from other reputable sites act as endorsements of your content’s quality, which can significantly improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. The more high-quality backlinks you acquire, the more trustworthy your site appears, which helps it rank higher on search engines like Google.

The importance of link building in SEO goes beyond just quantity. It's crucial to prioritise links from authoritative websites, as these carry more weight. Websites with higher Domain Authority (DA) scores, like those assessed by Moz, provide stronger backlinks. These links enhance your website’s credibility and ultimately contribute to better organic rankings, making link building an essential strategy in any SEO campaign.

So, how high is the importance of link building in SEO? In a nutshell - Very!

What are the types of SEO backlinks?

There are 2 main types of SEO backlinks available to websites:

1. DoFollow Backlinks
2. NoFollow Backlinks

DoFollow links

DoFollow links are links that allow search engines to crawl and pass on ‘link juice’ (aka authority) from the referring website to the linked website. The importance of backlinks that offer DoFollow tags is key as they inform search engines that the linked website is trustworthy and  offers relevant or authoritative information to users.

DoFollow links are the usual type offered, but this can changed to a NoFollow link by changing the code to include a 'NoFollow' Prompt.

Nofollow links

NoFollow links do not pass on authority to your website. NoFollow links combat spam and prevent search engine manipulation. While they do not directly affect rankings, however, NoFollow links can still provide traffic and exposure, so there is some importance of backlinks that are NoFollow.

These SEO links are commonly used to combat spam and prevent manipulation of search engine rankings. While nofollow links do not directly impact rankings, they can still provide other benefits such as traffic and exposure.

While the two types mentioned above are the key categories, there are other link types that can be used for SEO, including:

Editorial Backlinks

Editorial backlinks are among the most valuable types of links in SEO. These are earned when another website organically cites or references your content within their own articles, blogs, or research. Because these links come from authoritative and relevant sources, the importance of backlinks from editorial sources is high as they signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and high quality. Securing editorial backlinks requires producing informative, well-researched, and shareable content that others naturally want to reference.

Guest Blogging Backlinks

Guest blogging is an effective way to build high-quality backlinks while also positioning yourself as an industry expert. These backlinks are gained by contributing content to reputable websites within your industry. When you write a guest post, the website owner typically allows you to include a link back to your own site within the article or author bio. This not only enhances your website’s authority but also drives targeted traffic from an audience already interested in your niche. A successful guest blogging strategy involves identifying authoritative sites, pitching valuable content ideas, and ensuring your articles provide real value to readers.

Forum & Q&A Links

Links from forums and Q&A websites can also be beneficial for driving traffic and increasing brand visibility. These links come from community discussions where users ask and answer questions on platforms like Quora, Reddit, or industry-specific forums. While these links are often no-follow, meaning they do not directly contribute to search rankings, the importance of backlinks from forums can still provide value by attracting engaged users to your site. When participating in discussions, it’s important to ensure that your contributions are genuine, relevant, and helpful rather than purely promotional.

What is The importance of backlinks from natural sources?

A natural link profile refers to the collection of backlinks pointing to a website in a way that appears organic and authentic, rather than artificially manipulated. Search engines, particularly Google, prioritise natural link profiles because they reflect genuine engagement and credibility. Websites with a strong natural link profile typically earn their backlinks through high-quality content, industry relevance, and meaningful connections rather than through paid or spammy link-building tactics.

Varied Anchor Texts

One of the defining characteristics of a natural link profile is the variation in anchor texts. Rather than relying on exact-match keywords in every link, a healthy profile includes a mix of branded, generic, partial-match, and natural anchor texts. This variation ensures that the backlink profile appears organic and avoids the over-optimisation signals that search engines may interpret as manipulation.

Diverse Link Sources

Diversity in link sources is another crucial factor. A natural link profile includes backlinks from a wide range of domains rather than a concentrated number of links from a small group of sites. These sources can range from authoritative industry publications and blogs to directories, social media mentions, and news websites. When links come from different types of websites, it signals that the site has a broad appeal as its referenced in multiple contexts.

Balanced Follow & No-Follow Links

The balance between follow and no-follow links also contributes to a natural link profile. Follow links pass authority and influence rankings directly, while no-follow links do not pass ranking power but still contribute to referral traffic and brand exposure. A naturally developed backlink profile includes both types, as real-world linking patterns naturally contain a mix of the two. If a website has an unnatural distribution of only follow links, it may raise red flags for search engines, suggesting an artificial link-building strategy.

Gradual Growth

Gradual and consistent link growth is another indicator of a natural backlink profile. When a website suddenly acquires a large number of backlinks in a short period, it can appear suspicious, especially if those links do not come from reputable sources. Organic link-building occurs over time as content gets shared, referenced, and cited naturally by other websites. A steady, progressive increase in backlinks is more in line with search engines’ expectations.

Relevant & High-Quality Websites

The quality and relevance of linking websites also play a major role in establishing a natural link profile. Backlinks should come from authoritative and contextually relevant sources, meaning that a technology blog linking to a legal services website, for example, might seem out of place unless the content is directly related. Links from reputable, industry-specific websites carry far more weight than links from unrelated or low-quality domains.

Contextual Placement

Another essential factor is the contextual placement of links. Backlinks that appear within meaningful content, such as in blog articles, news stories, or research pieces, hold more value than those placed in random locations like comment sections or footers. Contextual links are more likely to be naturally earned, as they are placed within relevant discussions and provide genuine value to the reader.

Geographical & Language Diversity

Finally, geographical and language diversity in backlinks is a sign of a well-rounded, organic profile. If your website serves an international audience, its backlinks should reflect this by coming from various countries and different languages where appropriate. However, for businesses targeting a specific region, the majority of links should still come from relevant sources within your geographical area to maintain local SEO effectiveness.

What to do if you have unnatural links in your profile?

If your backlink profile contains unnatural links, don’t worry - you can take steps to remove them.

One of these things is uploading a disavow file. A disavow file is a document that you submit to Google's Disavow Tool to tell its algorithm to ignore specific backlinks pointing to your website. It is used to neutralise the impact of unnatural, spammy, or harmful links that could negatively affect your site's SEO performance.

If your site has been affected by toxic links, using a disavow file can help prevent any negative impact. Here’s how to do it effectively.

Identify Harmful Links

The first step in using a disavow file is to identify harmful backlinks pointing to your website. Tools like Google Search Console and SEMrush can help highlight potentially toxic links that may be harming your SEO performance. These links often come from spammy websites, irrelevant directories, or low-quality content farms. Identifying and addressing these links is essential for the importance of link building in SEO, as maintaining a high-quality link profile strengthens your site’s credibility.

Request Link Removal

Once you’ve identified the harmful links, the next step is to contact the webmasters of those sites and request link removal. Many website owners are willing to remove links if asked politely. Reaching out directly and asking for removal is always the preferred approach before resorting to disavowing links. This step aligns with the importance of backlinks in SEO, as it ensures only quality links contribute to your ranking efforts.

Create & Upload a Disavow File

If certain links cannot be removed, the best course of action is to create a disavow file. This file lists all the harmful URLs you want Google to ignore. Once prepared, you can upload it to Google’s Disavow Tool, which informs Google not to consider these links when assessing your website’s authority. This process helps protect your site from being penalised due to spammy or toxic backlinks. By carefully managing your backlink profile and disavowing harmful links when necessary, you can ensure that your website benefits from link building while maintaining a strong and healthy online presence.

Disavow File Format:

• The file is a plain .txt document.
• It lists URLs or domains you want to disavow, one per line.
• Comments (e.g., reasons for disavow) can be included, starting with a #

So, how to get back links?

So now we know the importance of backlinks in SEO, we can look at how to how to create backlinks for SEO and increase your website's backlink profile. There are many stages in defining a link-building strategy for your website. The first step when looking at how to create backlinks for SEO is draft up your link building strategy that will work for your targets.

Link Building Strategy Creation Process

Step 1: Define Your Goals.

Identify your specific goals for link building. What are your aims - increase organic search rankings? drive more referral traffic? enhance brand visibility? Clear goals will shape your link building strategies.

Step 2: Identify Target Audience & Websites.

Determine your target audience and the websites they frequent. Look for websites that align with your industry or target market. These websites include:

• Industry blogs – Online publications that provide expert insights, trends, and news specific to a particular industry, helping businesses establish authority and engage with a niche audience.
• News sites – Digital platforms that publish up-to-date news, reports, and articles on various topics, often serving as authoritative sources for current events and industry developments.
• Directories – Online listings that categorise businesses based on industry, location, or services, helping consumers find relevant businesses while improving local SEO visibility.
• Social influencer accounts – Profiles on social media platforms run by individuals with a significant following, who influence consumer decisions through recommendations, brand collaborations, and content sharing.
• Similar businesses – Companies within the same industry or niche that may share audiences, collaborate on content, or provide valuable backlink opportunities through partnerships and referrals.

Finding new backlinks is a key step to improving and increasing your backlink profile. There are many ways to find these new target links including:

Monitor Brand Mentions

One effective way to acquire backlinks is by tracking mentions of your brand across the web. Using tools like Google Alerts or Mention, you can identify instances where your business is referenced but not linked. If a website mentions your brand without providing a link, reach out and request they add one. This simple approach helps you reclaim valuable backlinks and reinforces the importance of link building in SEO as a strategy to improve search visibility.

Analyse Competitor Backlinks

Understanding your competitors’ backlink profiles can reveal valuable link-building opportunities. Tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz allow you to explore which websites are linking to your competitors. By identifying relevant sites, you can reach out with high-quality content and request a backlink. Studying competitor backlinks is a proven method to strengthen your own SEO strategy, as it highlights platforms already interested in linking to similar content.

Leverage Content Sharing Platforms

Publishing valuable content on platforms like Reddit, Medium, and Quora increases visibility and improves the likelihood of earning organic backlinks. These platforms attract large audiences actively searching for informative content, making them excellent channels to distribute your expertise. By engaging in discussions and sharing well-crafted posts, you create opportunities for other users to reference your content and link back to your website, reinforcing the importance of backlinks in SEO.

Find & Replace Broken Links

Websites frequently have broken links, which negatively impact their user experience and SEO. You can use tools like Ahrefs’ backlink tool or Check My Links to identify broken links on other websites within your niche. Once you find them, reach out to the site owner and offer your own relevant content as a replacement. This proactive approach not only helps improve their website but also secures valuable backlinks to your own site.

Collaborate with Industry Influencers

Building relationships with influencers and thought leaders in your industry can lead to high-authority backlinks. Influencers often mention and link to credible sources in their content, whether through blog posts, social media, or guest articles. By networking with these individuals and providing valuable insights, you increase your chances of being referenced and linked to, further strengthening your website’s authority. Recognising the importance of link building in SEO, influencer collaborations can be a powerful way to enhance brand visibility and trust.

Whilst there are many ways to secure good backlinks, there are also some to avoid. Link mills, also known as link farms or networks, are websites specifically created to generate backlinks for SEO manipulation. These websites typically have low quality, irrelevant or spammy, and the pages themselves offer little to no real value to users. In addition, using these could result in SERPs penalty risks causing a significant drop in rankings or removal from search engine results entirely.

Step 3: Conduct Competitor Research.

Review your competitors' backlink profiles to see where they have high authority links. This can help you discover potential linking opportunities and learn from their tactics.

Step 4: Build Links.

There are plenty of routes to actually build the links that point to your website, these are listed below.

Step 5: Monitor and Analyse Results.

Regularly track and analyse your link-building results. Monitor the number of backlinks, referring domains, traffic patterns, and search engine rankings. Identify what link building strategies are working well and make adjustments as needed. You can use SEO tools such as SEMRush or Google Search Console to see your current backlink profiles.

Step 6: Stay Updated & Adapt Your Link-Building Strategy.

Keep up with the latest SEO trends and search engine guidelines. Link-building strategies evolve over time, so it's essential to adapt and refine your approach to stay effective.

Link building can take a lot of time and effort and is usually an ongoing task for companies, but it is a vital part of search engine optimisation that all websites must engage in to rank highly in SERPs. Our link-building services can help guide you through creating link building strategies for your website. Contact our link-building agency for more information about our link-building agency services.

how to create backlinks For Your website

Once you understood the importance of backlinks and have a link-building strategy in place, the next step is to start building the backlinks for your website and there are many routes for actually securing the links back to your website.

Creating DoFollow Links

Firstly the most important type of backlink you can create is DoFollow links. You can do this by:

Create High-Quality Content

Develop valuable and shareable content that targets your audience's interests. By using PR, articles, infographics, videos, or guides, you will be producing content that others may find valuable and want to link to. We have found that excellent content types that naturally attract links are case studies and thought-leadership pieces.

Outreach & Relationship Building

Reach out to website owners, bloggers, journalists, influencers, and industry experts to establish relationships. Highlight how your content benefits their audience. As these people usually understand the importance of backlinks, you should anticipate to get a link in any content they use.

Guest Blogging & Contributing Content

Offer unique content in the form of guest posts or articles to key websites within your industry. This allows you to showcase your expertise and gain exposure while earning backlinks. If it is well received, you may be asked to write more articles in future.

Use Social Media & Influencers

Use social media to share your content and engage with your target audience. Using influencers or thought leaders in your industry, who will understand the importance of backlinks to your website, can help boost the number of eyes on your content and in turn attract more backlinks.

Monitor Mentions

Set up alerts (Google Alerts or similar for real-time mentions) to monitor online mentions of your brand. When you receive a new mention online, reach out to the outlet that mentions your brand and kindly request a link to improve the user experience and provide proper attribution.

Broken Link Building

Broken link building involves identifying broken links on other websites and providing content as a replacement. This strategy is noted for its dual value: helping the website owner and securing a backlink.

It is vital to use natural link-building strategies. By only targeting links from websites that either have relevance or good authority. It is important to create a diverse backlink profile to provide search engines with a signal that your website is valuable across various channels.

Creating NoFollow links

Whilst NoFollow links arent as valuable as DoFollow links, they are still important to target as they can drive referral traffic and build a diverse backlink profile. You can do this by:

Participating in Forums & Communities

Join niche-related forums, discussion boards, or online communities like Quora or Reddit. Share valuable insights and helpful answers while including a link to relevant resources from your site when appropriate. Most links on these platforms are marked as NoFollow.

Leveraging Social Media Posts & Comments

Share links to your website in your social media profiles, posts, and comment sections. For example, link back to blog content, articles, or promotions through your social platforms. Links from platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are usually NoFollow but the importance of backlinks from these sources is still there to pull in traffic to the page.

Directory Submissions

Submit your website to niche or industry-specific directories. While many directories use NoFollow links, there is still importance of backlinks from directories as they provide value by driving relevant traffic and increasing brand visibility.

Comment Marketing

Leave thoughtful and meaningful comments on blogs or news articles relevant to your industry. Include a NoFollow link if allowed and relevant, but ensure the comment adds value to the conversation rather than being solely promotional.

Sponsorships & Partnerships

Partner with events, charities, or organisations in your niche. Often, sponsor links on their websites will be tagged as 'NoFollow'. This can still contribute to awareness and visibility.

Posting in Q&A Platforms

Engage with platforms like StackExchange or other Q&A sites by providing expert answers to user queries. Links in your profile or answers are generally NoFollow but serve as an avenue for showcasing your expertise.

Online Press Release Distribution

Distribute your news through online press release platforms. Links in these articles are commonly NoFollow but still amplify your content’s reach and visibility.

Using Aggregator Platforms

Share your content via aggregators like Medium or Pinterest. Links from these sources are typically NoFollow but help drive targeted audiences to your site.

Collaborating on Sponsored Content & Ads

When collaborating on paid content or advertising campaigns, specify NoFollow links to comply with search engine guidelines and ensure transparency.

Creating local SEO backlinks

As well as a wider link-building strategy, businesses are advised to also consider local link-building strategies. The importance of backlinks for local businesses that rely on local customers - such as brick-and-mortar stores - is vital. You can read more about the importance of local SEO in our blog.

At Bidmark, we understsand the importance of backlinks and know how to secure local backlinks. This knowledge allows us to use one of a number of key local SEO backlink opportunities to secure an increase in local trade, including:

Business Profiles

There are some key directory profiles that all businesses should consider signing up for, which include:

Google Business Profile

Formerly Google My Business, Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google Search and Google Maps. It enables businesses to display essential information such as name, address, phone number, opening hours, and customer reviews. A well-optimised profile can improve local search rankings, increase visibility, and attract more customers. Businesses can also post updates, respond to reviews, and provide FAQs, helping to build trust and engagement with potential clients.

Yelp

Yelp is an online review platform that helps consumers find local businesses, particularly in service-based industries such as restaurants, shops, and professional services. Users can leave detailed reviews, rate businesses on a five-star scale, and upload photos. A strong presence on Yelp can enhance credibility and attract more customers, especially for businesses that rely on positive word-of-mouth marketing. Yelp also offers paid advertising options to boost visibility within search results on the platform.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a global travel review website that focuses on tourism-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, attractions, and travel experiences. Customers can leave reviews, rate businesses, and upload photos, influencing potential travellers’ decisions. Businesses can claim their profiles, respond to reviews, and use TripAdvisor’s advertising tools to increase bookings and visibility. Due to its strong influence on travel decisions, maintaining a positive reputation on TripAdvisor is crucial for hospitality and tourism businesses.

Bing Places

Bing Places for Business is Microsoft’s equivalent of Google Business Profile, allowing businesses to list their information on Bing Search and Bing Maps. It helps businesses improve their local search presence by displaying key details such as address, phone number, website, and customer reviews. Since Bing is the default search engine for Microsoft Edge and many Windows devices, optimising a Bing Places listing can enhance visibility for users who prefer Bing over Google.

Directories

Local directory listings are links featured on online directories that focus on listing businesses, organisations, or service providers within a specific geographic area. These listings allow users to easily search for businesses near them. Directory listings are designed to help users quickly and conveniently find local businesses or services, often including essential business or store NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information, such as:

• Name of the business
• Address
• Phone number
• Website URL
• Operating hours
• Services or products offered
• Customer reviews

This information should be kept up to date at all times and key updates be added - for instance if opening hours are different for a bank holiday.

Local sEO backlink creation process

Creating backlinks for your local SEO can be successfully actioned by following this local SEO link builfing process:

Step 1: List your business in local directories by identifying high-authority local directories and imputing your NAP information.

Step 2: Engage with your local Community by joining your local Chamber of Commerce (or similar) for member backlinks. You can also look to sponsor local events or charities that include sponsor links on their websites and attend and participate in local trade shows or networking events.

Step 3: Write guest blogs for local sites that can be found through researching local blogs or industry websites relevant to your business.

Step 4: Create and publish localised content such as blog posts, guides, or case studies on topics of local interest tailored to the needs of your local audience.

Step 5: Build relationships with local businesses for link exchanges or mentions on their websites.

Step 7: Utilise local media by pitching press releases or story ideas to local newspapers, blogs, or magazines.

Step 8: Set up a profile and regularly push for reviews of your business as review platforms will feature links to your website in return.

Creating Guest blogging backlinks

Guest blogging is a content marketing and SEO strategy where you write articles for other websites or blogs in exchange for exposure and often a backlink to your own website. Guest Blogging is widely used tactic to build backlinks, establish authority, and drive traffic. There are many benefits to writing for other websites that include:

Improved SEO Rankings

Backlinks from authoritative websites signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant. When high-quality sites link to your content, it enhances your domain authority, helping your website rank higher in search engine results.

Increased Traffic

Guest posts can drive valuable referral traffic from the host site’s audience. By publishing content on well-established platforms within your industry, you attract new visitors who are already interested in your expertise, increasing your website’s overall traffic and potential client base.

Enhanced Brand Visibility

Reaching a new audience through guest posting boosts brand awareness and credibility. When your content appears on respected industry websites, it positions your brand as an authority in your field, making it more recognizable and trusted among potential customers.

Networking Opportunities

Collaborating with industry blogs and publications helps build relationships with influencers and other professionals. These connections can lead to future partnerships, collaborations, and additional guest posting opportunities, further expanding your reach.

Diversified Link Profile

Acquiring backlinks from a variety of domains strengthens your site’s link profile. A diverse backlink portfolio, consisting of links from different reputable sources, signals to search engines that your website is well-regarded across multiple platforms, which can improve long-term SEO performance.

Guest Blogging Backlink creation process

Guest blogging for backlinks involves a structured approach to ensure your efforts are strategic, effective, and comply with SEO best practices. Here’s a detailed process for securing guest posting opportunities:

Step 1: Research and Identify Target Websites that are in your niche or industry using backlink finding tools like Ahrefs, Moz or SEMrush to check the site's domain authority (DA). Aim for DA 30+, whilst ensuring the site has an active audience (comments, social shares).

Step 2: Develop a Strong Pitch that is addressed to the editor by name and mentions specific articles which will allow you to showcase your expertise in the niche. The pitch email should:

• have a catchy and relevant subject line (e.g., “Guest Post Idea: [Proposed Title]”)
• offer an introduction to yourself and your credentials
• suggest 2–3 topics tailored to the site’s audience
• highlight why your post will benefit their readers

Step 3: Write High-Quality Content that aligns with the site by following their tone and style. Make sure you include relevant internal links to their content and adhere to their word count and format guidelines.In order to optimise for SEO, you will need to:

• use targeted keywords naturally
• include images, charts, or infographics 
• add a compelling meta description
• place your backlink in the most appropriate and contextual spot within the article.

Step 4: Submit and Communicate by following Submission Guidelines, attaching files or sharing Google Docs as specified. Commonly, amends would be needed to be available for edits or feedback.

Step 5: Promote the Published Post once it is live onsite by sharing it on social media to drive traffic.

Step 6: Monitor and Measure Results in tools like Ahrefs, SEMRUSH, or Google Search Console to track new backlinks.

How to track backlinks

Tracking backlinks is essential for improving your SEO, as they demonstrate your content’s value and authority to search engines. So how to track backlinks? Well firstly you should start with tools such as Google Search Console to identify linking domains and top-linked pages, and pair this with Google Analytics to analyse referral traffic and determine which links are driving visitors to your site. Advanced tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz Link Explorer, or Ubersuggest offer detailed insights into backlink quality, including domain authority, anchor text relevance, and link metrics, making them invaluable for tracking and optimising your backlinks.

Then you need to stay proactive by setting up alerts for new backlinks using tools like Ahrefs Alerts or Google Alerts, which notify you of mentions of your domain or brand. Regular backlink audits are crucial to identify harmful or spammy links that could negatively impact your SEO, allowing you to disavow them if needed. Manual searches using your domain or brand name in search engines can also uncover untracked mentions and links, providing a more comprehensive view of your backlink profile.

By combining automated tools, manual checks, and regular monitoring, you can ensure your backlink strategy supports both traffic growth and online authority. For those just starting, tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics offer a strong foundation for tracking and enhancing your backlink performance.

tracking backlinks process

Moniotring and tracking how your link building is going is vital to know if its successful or not. Here is our recommended process for monitoring backlink growth:

Step 1: Define Your Tracking Objectives by determining why you’re tracking backlinks (e.g., analysing quality, measuring impact, or monitoring changes). At this point you should define key performance indicators (KPIs) such as total backlinks, referring domains, domain authority, or referral traffic.

Step 2: Set Up Backlink Tracking Tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz and Google Search Console.

Step 3: Connect Your Website to Tools like Google Search Console or ensure your website's analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) are set up to track referral traffic.

Step 4: Gather Backlink Data and extract it regularly in reports. Data to monitor include, total number of backlinks, referring domains (unique websites linking to yours), anchor texts used, link type (DoFollow or NoFollow) and linking page authority and relevance.

Step 5: Analyse Backlink Quality by looking at areas such as relevance, authority, traffic, anchor text, link placement.

Step 6: Set Up Alerts in tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to track new backlinks or significant changes. Google Alerts can also allow you to monitor mentions of your brand that could lead to backlink opportunities.

Step 7: Measure Backlink Impact by looking at referral traffic to assess how backlinks are driving traffic to your website, Changes in rankings for the pages benefiting from backlinks to evaluate their impact on SEO and engagement metrics (e.g., bounce rate, session duration) for referral traffic sources.

Step 8: Create Reports that are generated monthly or quarterly reports to track progress and evaluate strategy effectiveness. This report should include total backlinks and referring domains, top-performing links, authority and relevance of linking sites and improvements in rankings or traffic from backlinks.

Need help with Increasing your website backlinks? Bidmark's Link-building services Help You!

Bidmark's link-building services can provide several benefits to enhance your website's SEO and online visibility and focus on the all important backlinks. Contact us to see how our link-building agency can help you understand the importance of backlinks in SEO as well as helping you increase your SEO backlinks.

Backlink FAQs

What is the difference between high-quality and low-quality backlinks?

High-quality backlinks come from authoritative and relevant websites, offering a strong boost to SEO. In contrast, low-quality backlinks originate from spammy or irrelevant sources and can be harmful to your website’s performance. Poor-quality links may even lead to penalties from search engines, negatively affecting your rankings - highlighting the importance of backlinks from reputable sources.

How can I get backlinks to my website?

Earning backlinks requires strategic efforts such as publishing high-quality content that others want to reference, reaching out to relevant websites for collaborations, and gaining media mentions. You can also try other methods such as guest blogging on authoritative websites and getting listed in reputable online directories. The key is to ensure that backlinks come from trusted and industry-relevant sources.

Are paid backlinks a good idea?

No - and this highlights the importance of backlinks from natural sources. Paying for backlinks is strongly discouraged, as it violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. If detected, a website can face penalties, resulting in a drop in rankings or even removal from search results. A more effective long-term strategy is to focus on earning organic backlinks through valuable content and genuine industry relationships.

How long does it take for backlinks to improve SEO rankings?

The importance of backlinks sometimes gets lost when the impact of backlinks through various factors, including the quality of the links, the competitiveness of the industry, and overall website authority. While some improvements may be seen within a few weeks, it often takes several months for backlinks to make a significant difference in search rankings.

Can I remove bad backlinks from my website?

If a website has spammy or harmful backlinks, you can often remove them by contacting the website owner and requesting deletion. If that approach fails, use Google’s Disavow Tool to instruct search engines to ignore the links, preventing any negative impact on your rankings. Regular backlink audits help maintain a clean and healthy link profile.

Do internal links count as backlinks?

Internal links differ from backlinks as they connect pages within the same website rather than coming from external sources. While internal linking is essential for site navigation and SEO, backlinks carry more weight in search engine rankings because they signal external validation of a website’s authority.

What’s the role of anchor text in backlinks?

Anchor text, which is the clickable text in a hyperlink, plays an important role in SEO by providing context to search engines about the linked content. Using relevant and natural anchor text can improve rankings, but over-optimisation or excessive keyword use may appear manipulative and result in penalties.

Do backlinks from social media help with SEO?

Backlinks from social media platforms are typically ‘nofollow,’ meaning they do not directly pass authority to a website. However, the importance of backlinks from social media accounts can contribute to SEO by driving traffic, increasing brand awareness, and encouraging organic backlinks from other sources. While they may not directly influence rankings, they play a valuable role in an overall digital marketing strategy.

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