Links can be an effective tool for improving SEO because they can show search engines that your site is relevant within your industry and is recognised and trusted by other brands.
The key to using links for SEO comes within the frequency, as too many low-quality links can have a negative impact on search engine ranking, quality, as well as the type of backlinks that are used in the first place.
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What is a Link, and What Makes It Valuable?
A link is a way of connecting content to another website or other web pages, and it can be embedded in the content to ensure high quality. They can take the form of text, images, and sometimes even videos.
They can be a high-value tool for SEO as it is a way of showing authority and trust within an industry.
To ensure that the links you are using are suitable for marketing, some dimensions are considered by Google and other search engines. This includes topic relevance, which will vary based on your industry, trustworthiness, value to the audience, and reliability.
There are several different types of backlinks that you can use on a company website or within a web page.
The Difference between Internal, Outbound, and Inbound Links
There are three main types of links that will be used on your website:
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Internal
Internal links are a way to link content from the same website together. Internal links are used as a way to navigate audiences to another web page on your website.
This kind of link building is a great way to keep people on your website, which is another way of increasing overall traffic to your domain. The longer that an audience stays on your website, the higher the authority of the domain.
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Outbound
Outbound links, which are also known as external links, are the types of links that direct you to another website. Outbound links can be a great way to share resources such as an audience and information with another website within your industry.
These kinds of links are commonly used to provide clients with additional information or research.
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Inbound
Inbound links, which are also known as backlinks, are links to your website from other sites within your industry. Backlinks are created by other sites in a guest post or press release as a way to connect their readers with your brand.
Websites use all kinds of these links as a way to appear authoritative and reliable to search engines like Google, and this is an effective strategy to rank higher in search results.
Link Types: In-Depth
Now that you understand the basics when it comes to the different link types that can be used for SEO, it is time to take a closer look into them.
Links can be an effective strategy for SEO as they can be a way to show Google that your website is reliable and trustworthy. When it comes to backlinks, there are two types to consider:
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Natural backlinks
These types of backlinks are a link that is given to your website by another creator without you asking for it. This is a way that creators and sites within the same industry can share information with their audiences that they recommend, and it is a common kind of link used in blog posts.
Natural backlinks are a sign that your content or social media is valuable to others, as websites are willing to share it without any interference on your behalf.
These types of backlinks can also be a great way to show your value to Google, which is why link building of this kind is such a valuable SEO tool.
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Manually obtained backlinks
These types of backlinks are the opposite of natural backlinks because they are something you ask for from other websites.
These kinds of backlinks can be obtained by contacting bloggers or other website creators, asking them if they want to offer a link to your website within their content. Some links can be paid for, such as guest posts or press releases.
It is vital that you focus on creating quality content to get free promotions. After all, including links and backlinks can impact SEO, so you need to show other websites that what you write is worth their effort.
As well as the type of links that are used, the anchor text which is used to incorporate the link into your website also needs to be considered and deemed relevant. Anchor text is the highlighted or hyperlinked text that contains the link.
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Types of Links To Avoid
There are some links that you should try to avoid when working to improve the marketing of your website, including nofollow links.
Nofollow links look like any other link that might appear in directories. However, they do not have the same effect on SEO ranking as those we have mentioned before. This is due to them having a rel=”nofollow” HTML tag applied to them.
While this sounds complicated, what it means is that a link can be provided to your website on another page, but if it is marked as nofollow, do not pass PageRank to your site- thus having no impact on your ranking in Google SERPs.
Keep in mind that a nofollow link is something that has been created by another website or blog that appears to backlink to your page but has no bearing on your company, but will still give you traffic for the target URL.
They can be useful in some cases, as they reduce the risk of spam and are found on social media sites, news page comments, and Quora directories. Quora is a question and answer platform that your brand can create a post on to reach wider audiences.
Why Should You Aim for Editorial Backlinks?
The best example of a backlink from this article is an editorial backlink, and this is something all websites should aim for with their content.
This kind of linking can be the most effective for the matter of SEO, and it can also be free. They are a way to identify quality posts to your audience without having paid for the privilege.
Editorial backlinks are the best of the linking strategies because it is authentic and makes your brand appear relevant and reliable. Essentially, these links matter, and you can help your business obtain editorial backlinks if you create quality content.
A quality link profile can be a great tool for your business to rank highly in results, as long as they are used correctly.
Karl Hudson is an entrepreneur who spends his time in the field of digital marketing. He is involved in a multitude of niches and has many investments in all kinds of businesses. He enjoys spending his spare time reading the news, gymming, and travelling.
With the travel, he meets all sorts of people involved in a multitude of niches, from gambling to finance and everything in between. He is passionate about writing and trying to spread positivity around the world.
Karl is the founder of Searcharoo.
