Why Bother with Backlinks?

Maybe you’ve heard, maybe you haven’t, but backlinks are still an important ranking factor!They were never really gone, but sometimes they just get drowned in all the other new algorithms. 

Before we get into the why and maybe a little bit of the how, let’s talk about the what. What are backlinks? First of all, synonyms include, but are not limited to, referral links, pages, and domains, as well as inbound links. Essentially they are links that points to your website from another site , and they are very important for SEO. If you’re new to the digital marketing game, check out our Glossary of Digital Marketing Acronyms.

It goes without saying, though sometimes has to be said, that those inbound links should come from quality websites that are relevant to your business or industry. The reason that link building is paid much attention to is because high-quality links signal to search engines that your site has high authority. And, in turn positively impacts your organic  rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines. Raise your website high enough in the rankings and you’ll see the effects of inbound marketing. This will help to generate passive traffic and leads consistently.

What’s the deal with backlinks?

The same way you trust a restaurant, or any business for that matter, that comes recommended, the same way there is trust in a website that has backlinks. Another way of saying this is that these are votes of confidence from one site to another. I’m not saying that people are specifically going into your website to check on the number and quality of referral links that you have. What actually happens is that search engines track it and can infer that because your content is worth linking to, it should be placed higher on the SERPs. This then helps with your site’s visibility.

Earlier I mentioned the quantity and “quality” of referral links. Not all are created equal. There can only be one! I jest. Backlinks that come from popular websites with high domain trust and authority are the ones that you want to earn. Sure you get a boost from people clicking to your website but more importantly, just being mentioned on a high quality website gives your ranking a boost. This concept also applies to the websites that you choose to link to as well.  

Where should you start?

It’s not hard, but it takes time to earn and build up backlinks. If you’re new to the game, then you might find it difficult to know where to start. This is where research into the link profiles of websites that you wish to emulate comes in. You can gain insight into their strategy and should give you a good basis to start your offsite SEO strategy. Another way to do this is to hire an experienced digital marketer or a marketing agency to help with research and set up from the start. And, that’s where we come in. 

Enabler Space is made up of a team of veteran digital marketers and we offer services on all fronts. Our mission is to enable you to succeed in today’s digital environment by sharing our digital marketing knowledge with complete transparency. Contact us if you have any questions or would like to inquire about our services.