Here's a guide to all the types of backlinks you need to know about.
Backlinks are synonymous with search engine optimization (SEO). They work primarily as endorsements from one website to another to boost site traffic and increase brand awareness. The importance of high-quality backlinks to SEO is incomparable - but that doesn't mean that all backlinks are valuable!
Establishing a diverse backlink portfolio is the difference between your quality content being acknowledged or ignored. Writing first-rate content should always be your top priority, but search engines won't recognize its worth without various types of backlinks pointing toward it.
By 'range of backlinks,' we mean links that arrive from various sources and different types of backlinks. From editorial backlinks to niche edits, there are different types of links with varying degrees of SEO influence.
Here at Link City, we make it our mission to secure you only the best backlinks available. To give you an idea of what the list of best backlinks entails, here are seven types of backlinks you need to know for SEO:
1. Guest Posts
Guest posting - also known as guest blogging - is probably the most proactive approach to link building and one of Google's preferred methods.
How do guest posts work?
When you create a guest post, you write an original article or blog post for another website. The webmaster of this site then publishes this work from you as a guest poster, with a backlink or two leading to your website embedded throughout the content.
For best results, the site you write the guest post for needs to be of a similar niche to you and must have an established authority. The guest post also needs to be high in quality and add value to the site on which it is published. If the guest post fulfills these requirements, you will gain site authority via the embedded backlink.
How to use guest posts
Although it's possible to reach out to websites yourself and ask for a guest post spot, it's unlikely that high authority websites will permit you to write for them without a hefty cost. That's why you should hire Link City to acquire them for you. We'll use our industry knowledge and contacts to secure guest post spots on the leading web pages of your niche.
2. Niche Edits
Niche edits - sometimes called curated links or contextual backlinks - involve actively inserting backlinks into an es article that's already established and ranking.
How do niche edits work?
Niche edits are contextual as they can add context to a web page. For example, if you come across a web page that namedrops something you have written in-depth about, you can request a niche edit to make a backlink to your content.
Niche edits are a two-way street. Not only do niche edits benefit you, but it also adds value to the other webmaster's site by providing its readers with further information that is easily accessible.
Niche edits can grant you ranking power faster than guest blogging backlinks, as the article already has an established ranking profile. When executed well, this link building strategy can create quality backlinks that appear natural.
How to use niche edits
You could waste time contacting web admins of various websites and request niche edits free of charge, but this approach will likely only yield sub-par niche edits from low-ranking sites. Or, you could let Link City use our professional outreach skills. We promise to find you legitimate and high-grade niche edits on some of the biggest sites in your field.
We reach out to web admins and get full approval for the niche edit to be made and stay live for at least 90 days.
3. Natural Backlinks
As the name implies, natural backlinks are quality backlinks you acquire organically and are the same as editorial backlinks.
How do natural backlinks work?
Producing high-quality content gives other websites a legitimate reason to link back to your site. The more backlinks you accrue, the more visibility your webpage has. This visibility will lead to more sites linking to yours. Google and other search engines prefer natural backlinks to all other link categories.
However, even some natural links can hurt your SEO. An abundance of spammy links could lead Google to think you are committing algorithm manipulation, even when you are not. Similarly, if you start to gain a lot of backlinks from irrelevant websites, search engines will start to question what your site is actually about.
You should regularly check and keep on top of your backlinks using Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker software.
How to create natural backlinks
To attain natural backlinks, you must write quality content and get the content ranking. You can do this simply by writing well-informed or creating pie charts and graphs to display the information you have gathered.
Once your quality content gets a bit of exposure, natural backlinks from other websites will start flooding in.
But how do you get the content ranking in the first place? By getting the ball rolling with Link City.
4. Comment Backlinks
This type of link works when you embed a link to your website within a comment. This comment should be relevant to the article and your own content to provide link juice.
How do comment backlinks work?
If you come across a blog post related to your niche that could be enhanced with a link to your website, you can create a backlink yourself in the comment section. As always, Google likes when backlinks provide context and relevance. If you can generate greater value on another site by adding a backlink, then you should.
How to acquire a comment backlink
Whenever you come across an article or blog post relevant to your website, you can feel free to add a comment backlink. The trick is to make this comment well-written and valuable and to avoid spamming. Only make one comment per website and create a keyword anchor text for the hyperlink.
5. Business Profile Backlinks
This link building tactic involves creating several business profiles on directories and social network sites.
How do business profile links work?
Whenever you set up a business profile on TripAdvisor or a similar business directory, you must provide your NAP - name, address, and phone number. You can also provide a link to your website, which counts as a backlink.
How to attain a business profile backlink
The first step is to set up your business on any and every relevant directory you can find. Ensure all the information you provide to each site is accurate and easily understood.
6. Pillow Links
In addition to web directories and blog comment links, pillow links include any backlink you can actively embed on another site yourself. Pillow links include the likes of press release backlinks, blog comments, and forum posts.
How do pillow links work?
Pillow links won't bring you to the top of the search engine results pages alone, but they can help diversify your link building campaign. Due to their nature, pillow links tend to be nofollow links.
They're easy ways to add to your total backlink count, increase your site visibility, and bolster the strength of your other link building efforts, such as niche edits and guest posts.
How to attain pillow links
You can visit press release sites, blogs, and forums and look for opportunities where you can naturally mention and link to your website.
7. Acknowledgment Backlinks
If you decide to sponsor or support another website in any way, you may receive an acknowledgment link in return.
How do acknowledgment backlinks work?
By making a donation or providing a service for another website, it is normal for the website to reciprocate by namedropping you and providing a link to your website.
If the linking site has high authority, an acknowledgment link could prove highly valuable and give you enough of a boost to reach the top of search rankings.
How to use acknowledgment links
Out of all the link building strategies mentioned in this article, attaining acknowledgment links may be one of the trickiest. You could participate in an online seminar hosted by a relevant website, which may lead to this site acknowledging you in the future.
FAQs
What defines a Tier 1 backlink?
A Tier 1 backlink is a dofollow link from one website to another. It refers to a healthy backlink going directly to its destination instead of having to go through other link Tiers first.
What's the difference between a Tier 2 and Tier 3 backlink?
A Tier 1 backlink is the only backlink that links directly to the referring site. All additional Tier backlinks are technically indirect links. For example, a Tier 2 backlink must go through Tier 1 before landing on the destination. Similarly, a Tier 3 backlink needs to go through Tier 2 and then Tier 1 before reaching its destination.
Final Thoughts
You need to create a diverse backlink profile to get to the top of search engine rankings. This profile should combine natural and paid links and only link to authoritative sites.
Getting the right balance can be tricky, but our link building blueprint can get your strategy off the ground. At Link City, we make it easy to build links and backlinks by delivering niche edits and guest post links, which you can strengthen by attaining editorial links, forum links, and links from industry directories.
