What are Backlinks?
A backlink (also called an inbound link or external link) is a hyperlink on another website that points to a page on your website. When someone clicks that link, they are taken from the referring site to yours. In SEO, backlinks are considered one of the most powerful ranking signals.
Why It Matters
Google’s original PageRank algorithm was built on the concept that links are votes. More quality backlinks means higher authority, which leads to better rankings. Sites with strong backlink profiles dominate competitive search results.
How It Works
Not all backlinks are equal. Google evaluates the linking site’s authority (domain rating or domain authority), the relevance of the linking page to yours, whether the link uses relevant anchor text, and whether the link is marked ‘dofollow’ (passes SEO value) or ‘nofollow’ (does not directly pass value). A backlink from CNN or HubSpot is worth exponentially more than one from a random blog.
Real-World Example
A photography website earns backlinks from three photography magazines, two marketing blogs that reference their ‘Ultimate Guide to Flat Lay Photography,’ and one Amazon seller forum that discusses their product photography tutorial. Over months, these links push their guide to page one for ‘flat lay photography tips.
