What are Backlinks? Why Does an Effective Website Need Backlinks?
In a nutshell, search engine results page rankings (SERP) are based on two key elements:
The simple definition of a backlink, also called inbound links, is a link coming from another website back to a page on your own site. A backlink represents a favorable "endorsement" for the receiving web page from a different granting web page. Keep in mind that Google ranks PAGES, not websites. The number and quality of backlinks to a particular page on your website is one indication of the perceived popularity or importance of that page, therefore, Google and other search engines use this number to help determine the overall rank of your website.
Getting quality backlinks requires quite a bit of planning and marketing to work effectively. Not all backlinks are created equal. For example, Google interprets a link from page A to page B on your site as a vote of "popularity" so linking between pages is important. But backlinks from "authority" websites ending in .com, .net, and .org are even better... and a backlink from an .edu, .mil, .or .gov site is like striking it rich in a gold mine!
For a backlink to be effective and considered relevant, both your site and the "authority" site must have content geared toward the same keyword topic. If so, that backlink is believed to have strong influence on the search engine rankings of the page granted the backlink. Another important factor is the anchor text of the backlink. Anchor text is the actual words that are linked. Search engine bots (i.e., spiders, crawlers, etc.) examine the anchor text to evaluate how relevant it is to the content on a web page. Anchor text and web page content congruency are highly weighted in search engine results page rankings (SERP) of a web page with respect to any given keyword query by a search engine user.
Building too many backlinks over a short period of time can get your website's ranking penalized, and in extreme cases, the website can be de-indexed altogether. Backlinking is a slow and steady strategy best accomplished over the long haul.
- A relevant site (optimized for certain keywords)
- An important site (many quality backlinks from other sites)
The simple definition of a backlink, also called inbound links, is a link coming from another website back to a page on your own site. A backlink represents a favorable "endorsement" for the receiving web page from a different granting web page. Keep in mind that Google ranks PAGES, not websites. The number and quality of backlinks to a particular page on your website is one indication of the perceived popularity or importance of that page, therefore, Google and other search engines use this number to help determine the overall rank of your website.
Getting quality backlinks requires quite a bit of planning and marketing to work effectively. Not all backlinks are created equal. For example, Google interprets a link from page A to page B on your site as a vote of "popularity" so linking between pages is important. But backlinks from "authority" websites ending in .com, .net, and .org are even better... and a backlink from an .edu, .mil, .or .gov site is like striking it rich in a gold mine!
For a backlink to be effective and considered relevant, both your site and the "authority" site must have content geared toward the same keyword topic. If so, that backlink is believed to have strong influence on the search engine rankings of the page granted the backlink. Another important factor is the anchor text of the backlink. Anchor text is the actual words that are linked. Search engine bots (i.e., spiders, crawlers, etc.) examine the anchor text to evaluate how relevant it is to the content on a web page. Anchor text and web page content congruency are highly weighted in search engine results page rankings (SERP) of a web page with respect to any given keyword query by a search engine user.
Building too many backlinks over a short period of time can get your website's ranking penalized, and in extreme cases, the website can be de-indexed altogether. Backlinking is a slow and steady strategy best accomplished over the long haul.
How to Get the Best Backlinks
Now that you understand what a backlink is and why it's important to the success of your website, you're probably wondering how to get the best backlinks. Backlinking is a slow and steady process accomplished over time. In fact, if you try getting too many backlinks too quickly, Google can penalize your site!
Having your business listed in various directories and on Google Places is a great start. Backlinks from relevant forums and blogs are important, as are backlinks from your Facebook Fan Page, your Twitter account, YouTube, and other social media sites. Linking back and forth to pages within your website also count!
Gold Rush Web Marketing is pleased to provide ongoing monthly assistance to build backlinks to your site. We'll customize a plan based on what YOUR business needs to increase traffic to your site and help increase your SERP rankings with Google and more. Contact Us to get started!
Having your business listed in various directories and on Google Places is a great start. Backlinks from relevant forums and blogs are important, as are backlinks from your Facebook Fan Page, your Twitter account, YouTube, and other social media sites. Linking back and forth to pages within your website also count!
Gold Rush Web Marketing is pleased to provide ongoing monthly assistance to build backlinks to your site. We'll customize a plan based on what YOUR business needs to increase traffic to your site and help increase your SERP rankings with Google and more. Contact Us to get started!
Home Web Design Services Web Marketing Strategy Traditional Marketing SEO Analysis Rent a Website Clickable Ads
