What are backlinks? Explained simply and clearly

If you are involved in search engine optimization, you will certainly have noticed that backlinks are often mentioned. A backlink is a reference to an external website, which has been entered due to a source reference or further information, and backlinks are still a very relevant metric for Google, because backlinks are to be understood as a recommendation. The origin of the Internet consists of links and there are no other concepts to replace links. It is not said for nothing: links have come to stay.

Why are backlinks an important SEO metric?

Backlinks are such an important SEO metric because they are seen as a recommendation. However, it is not the number of backlinks that is decisive, but the quality of these. In the past, this was different, as only the quantity of backlinks counted. In search engine optimization, this method is referred to as “link building.” It is about building up backlinks through quality websites. The goal is a better ranking in the search engine. Certain factors should be taken into account, as otherwise the backlinks and therefore your own site will quickly be classified as spam. This could result in a downgrade or even complete exclusion from the search engine. In off-page optimization, it is therefore important to also check the individual websites; this is less of a factor with natural backlink building, as these are usually high-quality links, as the website operator writes the text themselves. If the content on external sites is linked automatically, this is of course a success case.

When is a backlink really valuable?

When building links, it is of course essential that the value of a backlink is checked. After all, it's about quality, not quantity. If a large number of backlinks are created, this is usually link spam and artificial links of this kind can result in a Google penalty, which means that the website is removed from the index altogether. A ranking is no longer possible and it is extremely time-consuming to remove this penalty. However , If an authority site links, then the link has a positive effect. These trusted domains not only bring advantages in the ranking, but also bring traffic to the website, which can generate new customers.

Setting a meaningful anchor text

When building links, it is also crucial to set a meaningful anchor text (i.e.: link text). The anchor text is a text passage that is provided with the link. These passages are highlighted in color and underlined so that the user also sees this as a link. search engines such as Google and Bing Also read these link texts and include them in the evaluation. This is how the relevance of a backlink is measured. It is very advantageous if a suitable designation is chosen.

How does the Google Algorithm React?

Google's search engine was launched in 1999 and compared to today's technology, it was not particularly intelligent. It was easy to rank in the top 5 with spam pages and spam link building. A popular SEO technique at the time was to place countless links on the homepage. This link building then immediately led to a top ranking. However, link spam was prevented by Google in the next updates as a counter-reaction, and the possibility of a penalty was introduced so that site operators had respect for manipulation. However, backlinks had not lost their importance — on the contrary. Nowadays, valuable content must be created, in which a link is then placed with strategy. Users also benefit from this, as they receive content that matches their search intention and have access to further information via a link if required. For this reason, it is important to work with a professional link building agency. Wikipedia is an excellent example of this. For Google, Wikipedia is the information platform par excellence, because the detailed content is always noted with a link as a source reference. This means trust and relevance.

For a website operator, link building therefore means:

• Create high-quality content for new backlinks
• Only buy links with high quality
• Create meaningful anchor texts
• Develop your own website into an authority