What are Backlinks and How Do They Work?

Backlinks, also called inbound or incoming links, are vital for measuring your search engine optimisation (SEO). They're a measure of how many people are linking back to your site. This is directly correlated with how high your website appears in Google Search.

Previously, backlinks were a major metric in websites ranking but nowadays they're more so a measure of popularity. So if someone links to your site from their website or social platform like Facebook or Twitter - that's an example of a backlink. The higher the number of backlinks on your site, the higher you will rank on Google and other search engines.

What does backlinking do?

A backlink is essentially someone who has linked their website or social media account to yours, which in turn can help you rank higher on search engines like Google and Bing. If you log into your analytics dashboard for Facebook Ads Manager, it'll tell you how many people clicked through from that post - this could be considered a backlink as well! There's also the added bonus of getting traffic from other websites too! And if they're linking specifically to one particular page (like an article) then that will have more weight towards rankings than just being mentioned in passing somewhere else. So get out there and link up!

How do backlinks work?

Whenever someone posts something on a social media site or shares it, they'll usually include the URL. For example, if you post something onto Facebook and someone else clicks through to your website from that post then this is a backlink for you!

If someone links back to your blog posts with an anchor text of keyword phrases like 'best hair oil' - Google will know what keywords rank high in SEO terms; and because people are clicking on those words, there's more chance of them finding content relevant to their search queries. This means higher rankings which can lead to increased traffic (and new potential customers!).

How do I get more backlinks?

There are a few ways to get backlinks and one of the best is by providing content that other people find valuable.

1. Make sure your website is optimised for search engines so it's easily found when someone searches on terms related to what you offer.
2. Provide regular quality blog posts which will attract potential readers and in turn - create backlinks through social shares! It might take some time but if you keep at it then eventually those backlinks should follow.
3. Make sure you're always providing value to your readers and building trust with them. This might mean engaging in conversations on social media, asking for feedback or answering questions.
4. Create links which can be easily shared with your audience and don't forget about email marketing! The best backlinks come from people who have had a positive experience interacting with you - especially if they've been given incentive to share their thoughts publicly.

How do backlinks impact my SEO?

First, backlinks are a major metric in website rankings. If you have more backlinks than your competition (even if they're lower quality), then it's likely that you'll rank higher on Google Search. This might not be the case anymore with changes to Google algorithm updates over the last few years but there is still some merit to this idea!

Second, links from high-authority websites will give your site an SEO boost - even if these sites don't link back to yours. So reach out and contact other bloggers who write about topics similar to what you do for guest post opportunities or create long-form content which will get shared across multiple platforms! You can also try getting press coverage by pitching relevant stories.

What are some examples of bad backlinks?

That's a tough one - backlinks could be anything from spammy comments on your blog posts to advertisements. If you're looking for the most direct way to lose rankings, this is it!

Backlinks can negatively impact your rankings if they're from low-authority websites - and it's not just because of the number. So make sure you vet all backlinks before publishing them, otherwise your site might start ranking for some weird search terms a few months down the line!

What else can I do to improve my SEO?

If you're looking to improve your SEO, there are a few other options. You can get backlinks from high-authority websites by publishing content that's relevant and engaging. This will help you rank higher for more competitive keywords like 'online marketing', but it might be harder to do than just posting links on some platforms!

Alternatively, if this sounds too hard, you could try inserting anchor text into the body of your blog posts which points back at specific pages or products. As long as these words have been organically used in previous posts then they'll work well - however make sure not to overdo them because Google will see through that quickly!