Your main goal when building a website is to attract visitors from Google or other search engines. Ranking on Google can be difficult because there are millions of websites that compete for the same keywords. External backlinks are one of the most important factors in helping a site rank higher.
External backlinks are like trust votes from other websites. Google is notified when a website links your content. The stronger your website is in search engine results, the more backlinks it has.
Backlinks are a powerful way to drive traffic for many websites. These links allow search engines to discover new pages, determine website authority and rank pages higher.
This guide will teach you how to build external links for your website, their types, examples and how they can be built.
What are external backlinks?
External backlinks refer to links from another website that lead directly to your site.
An external backlink is, for example, when a blogger writes an article, and then adds a hyperlink that points to your site.
Example:
Website A links to Website B
Website B will receive an external link in this case.
These links are used by search engines such as Google to determine the popularity and authority of a site. Google will value your website if many websites of high quality link to it.
External links can help you in many ways.
- Search engine ranking
- Referral traffic is a great way to increase your website’s traffic.
- Improve website authority
- Help Google discover your pages faster
Not all links are created equal. A backlink on a reliable website is worth more than many links on low-quality sites.
How to check backlinks on a website?
It is crucial to check backlinks for SEO. It allows you to see which websites link to your content, and how strong your profile of backlinks is.
You can check backlinks using different SEO tools.
Check backlinks with these popular tools
Ahrefs has become one of the most effective SEO tools. It is a powerful SEO tool.
- Total backlinks
- Referring domains
- Anchor Text
- Domain authority
SEMrush shows detailed backlink reports.
- New Backlinks
- Lost backlinks
- Toxic Links
Ubersuggest shows data on backlinks such as:
- Domain Score
- Backlink growth
- Referring Websites
Google Search Console allows webmasters to:
- External Links
- Links to internal pages
- Websites that link to other websites
Regularly checking backlinks helps you track SEO and discover new opportunities.
What are the three types of backlinks?
Not all backlinks are the same. Backlinks in SEO are typically divided into three types.
1. Dofollow backlinks
Dofollow links pass on SEO value to other websites.
These links instruct search engines to follow and transfer authority. SEO experts are focused on obtaining dofollow backlinks to improve rankings.
Example:
It can help your ranking if a website with high authority links to yours using a “dofollow” link.
2. Nofollow Backlinks
Nofollow backlinks are HTML tags that inform search engines to not pass on ranking power.
They are still valuable because they can drive traffic and build a natural profile of backlinks.
Example:
No follow links are frequently applied to comments or links from social media sites.
3. Sponsored or paid backlinks
These links are usually used to promote advertising or partnerships. These links are usually marked with the rel=”sponsored” tag.
Google suggests that you mark paid links as sponsored to make sure search engines know they are ads.
What is the difference between internal and external backlinks?
They are two different things.
Internal links are used to link pages on the same website.
Example:
Page A -> Page B
External links are those that point at your website from other websites.
Example:
Website A – Your website
The Differences
| Features | Internal Links | External Links |
| Source | Same Website | Websites that are different |
| Purpose | Site structure: | Improve authority |
| SEO Impact | Navigation Helps | Rankings Boosted |
SEO success depends on both types of links.
What is an internal backlink?
A backlink internal is a link connecting one page of your site to another on the same site.
Example:
You can link to an article on your site from a blog post.
Search engines can better understand your site structure by using internal backlinks. Internal backlinks also help users find more relevant content.
Internal backlinks have many benefits.
- Improved Website Navigation
- Search engines index faster
- Improved user experience
- Stronger page authority
Internal links are used throughout a website’s content.
External links vs backlinks
Although external links and backlinks may sound the same, they are actually slightly different.
External Links
External links are links that direct visitors to your website from another website.
Example:
Your blog – Links to Wikipedia
Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites that lead to your site.
Example:
Other blogs – link to your article.
Simple Example
You site linking to Google = External Link
Google linking your site = Backlink
Backlinks, however, are more important for SEO because they boost authority.
What is an external link in HTML?
Anchor tags are used in HTML to create external links.
Example:
This code creates a clickable link which sends users to another website.
External links: Important attributes
No follow
Search engines are told not to pass on ranking power.
Sponsored by
Use for links that are paid.
target=”_blank”
Open the link on a new tab.
In blog posts, references and citations, external links are often used.
Examples of external links
These are some examples of common external links.
Guest Posts
You can write an article for another website, and include a link back to your site in the text.
Example:
Link to your SEO services page when you guest post on a blog.
Blog Mentions
Blogger mentions and links your brand.
Example:
Article linking to Best SEO agencies
Business Directory
List your website in online directories to create backlinks.
Example:
Clutch Crunchbase or Yelp
Social Media Links
Some social media platforms provide links to your website.
Examples include:
- Links to Facebook profiles
- Twitter bio links
- LinkedIn company pages
How to get external links to my website
Although it takes time to build backlinks, this is one of the best SEO strategies.
Here are some tried and tested methods.
Guest Posting
is a popular way to create backlinks.
You can write articles and link back to your site on other blogs.
Benefits:
- Backlinks of high quality
- Increase website traffic
- Brand exposure
Create high-quality content
Other websites will naturally link to your useful content when you publish it.
Links to examples of content
- Guides
- Research studies
- Infographics
- Tutorials
Broken Link Building
This strategy involves looking for broken links and suggesting that your content replaces them.
You can earn backlinks while helping website owners to fix their errors.
Outreach
If your content is valuable to their readers, you can ask website owners and bloggers to link to it.
Email is a common tool for outreach.
Why external backlinks are important for SEO
Google gives high ranking to external backlinks.
Search engines use these to determine the relevance of a search.
- Website Credibility
- Content quality
- Website Popularity
Websites with backlinks are usually ranked higher than websites without backlinks.
Additional benefits include:
- Increased organic traffic
- Indexing faster
- Domain authority can be improved
Backlinks can often be the difference between ranking on the first page or fifth page for competitive keywords.
Common Backlink Errors to Avoid
When building links, many beginners make mistakes.
Avoid these common mistakes
Buy Low-Quality Links
Your SEO can be negatively affected by cheap backlinks coming from spam sites.
Too many links too fast
Search engines find it unnatural that you build thousands of links in a day.
The Same Anchor Text
The use of the same keyword for every link can cause spam to be detected.
Ignoring link quality
Few strong links are better than many weak ones.
Prioritise quality over quantity.
Conclusion
Backlinks from other websites are important for SEO. They are trust signals, which tell search engines that your website is reliable and valuable. These links also bring referral traffic and help your website gain authority in your industry. These links can also help you gain referral traffic to your site and establish your authority in your field. Building backlinks takes time and requires the right strategy. Focus on building useful content, relationships with other websites and earning high-quality backlinks naturally. External backlinks are one of the best tools to increase traffic and grow your website.
FAQs
What is an external link in SEO?
External links are links that come from another website and point to your site. They can improve your website’s authority and search engine ranking.
Do external links matter for SEO?
External backlinks are a ranking factor that Google uses to evaluate the credibility and authority of a website.
How many links does a site need to be ranked?
There is no set number. To compete in rankings, a website must have high-quality links from other relevant websites.
Do free backlinks help SEO?
Quality of backlinks is more important than quantity. Links from reputable websites are more valuable than spam links.
Can backlinks increase traffic to a website?
Yes. Yes. Backlinks can increase organic traffic, as well as direct referral traffic.
