19 Types of Backlinks

 

19 kinds of backlinks: the good, the bad and the best

Acquiring backlinks is a vital part of a real SEO plan. Links tell search engines that a site is recognized, trusted, and therefore worthy of a prominent place on search engine results pages (SERPs). But it's not just the quantity of backlinks that entices search engines; they are also the types of backlinks.

 

Contingent on the type of link, backlinks have different levels of effect on search engine rankings and the results you can see when you purchase them. The rest of this post will look at the altered types of backlinks, clarify their value, and offer tips on how to acquire the most valuable and effective backlinks.

3 factors that influence the value of the link

 

Before reviewing a comprehensive list of backlink types, it is important to understand what makes a link valuable. As mentioned above, backlinks are not all the same. There are a variety of factors that can make backlinks more valuable than others, and there are also some that make a link very bad for SEO.

 

The top 3 factors that affect link value include the following:

1. The authority of the linking site

 

The most valuable types of backlinks come from quality websites. Links from sites familiar as top-authority resources will send more positive indications to search engines than links from lesser-known, low-quality sites.

To determine the authority of a site (and the value of a link), look at the Alexa ranking of the linking site. The better (i.e. lower) the Alexa rank of the linking site, the better the link will be for SEO. Low Alexa ranking sites have more authority than high Alexa ranking sites. You can check the Alexa rank of a site using the Alexa site overview tool.

2. Tracking vs. No Tracking Status

 

When a publisher adds a link to their website, they can use HTML code to set the link as "follow" or "don't follow."

 

    Follow the links to signal search engines to notice you and give the links SEO value.

    Untracked links tell search engines to ignore links and give them less SEO value.

 

Because tracking links send better signals to search engines, they are more valuable than tracking links. You want the links to your site to be hard-coded as follows. However, an untracked backlink can still drive traffic to your website.

3. Location of the link on the site

 

Websites are set up in sections, and the value of a link can be affected by the section in which it appears.

 

The most valuable links are placed within the main content of the site. Links may not obtain the same value from search engines when they seem in the header, footer, or sidebar of the page. This is an important factor to consider when creating high-quality backlinks. Look to create links that will be included in the main body content of a site.

The best types of backlinks

 

Now that you know what makes backlinks valued, let's look at a list of the best backlinks for SEO. As you learn how to create backlinks, here are the strategies that will get you the best SEO results in the long run.

4. Editorial links

 

The best types of links in SEO come from reporting mentions. An editorial mention is when another website references and links to your website in a quality piece of content. An newspaper backlink can be included as:

 

• Cite someone from your company or some of its content as a source of information

• Reference your website as a resource for additional information.

• Citing your website as the maker of an info graphic

• Include your website or content in a summary of links

• Interview someone associated with your website

How to get editorial backlinks:

 

• Develop strong content marketing

• Create timeless, high-quality content that serves as a reference resource.

• Create shareable content that other sites will want to talk about.

    Post content that shows your website and your brand as a thought leader in your industry so that other sites will want to quote you, source, and interview you.

 

Use the Alexa Competitor Keyword Matrix to find popular keywords and topics you haven't written about yet. Consider keyword popularity to find trending topics that you can write about on your website.

5. Guest blog backlinks

 

Guest posting is another way to gain valuable backlinks. When you submit a guest post to a website, you are often allowed to include an editorial backlink within your content. These types of backlinks are a reliable way to build trust and authority through other influential posts.

 

How to Get Guest Blogging Backlinks - Build a list of valuable guest blogging sites and dominate the reach of guest blogging.

6. Business profile backlinks

 

In most cases, when you create an online profile for a commercial, you can include a link to their website. These links in business schedules, social media, and industry-specific directories show search engines that a website is established and of high quality.

 

How to get business profile backlinks: Create profiles on popular review sites or directories (such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, Foursquare, Capterra, etc.) in your industry. Or reflect using a service like Synup or Yext that creates and achieves profiles for you.

7. Links to webinars

 

Creating a valuable reserve on your site often encourages other sites to link to it. One piece of high-value content that often leads to links is a webinar recording. Often times, other sites link to or even embed webinars from other brands on their site, generating links and brand mentions.

 

How to get backlinks for webinars - Repurpose your webinars by placement them as recordings on your website so that people can call and link to them. Use blog promotion to draw attention to the webinar recording, and look for guest blogging sites who may be interested in using the webinar as a resource on your site.

8. Free Tool Links

 

Another way to get sites to link to somewhat valued on your site is by offering a free tool. A free tool could be a basic tool (like a car loan calculator) or a scaled-down version of a payment tool (like the Alexa Site Overview and Audience Overlay tools). If the tools are valued enough, others will link to them in your content. Also, in the free versions of paid tools, you can add calls to action to sign up for the full product / service that drives acquisition in addition to awareness.

 

How to get free tool backlinks: Create a humble tool or a free version of your paid tool. Use the Alexa audience overlay tool to find sites that have a similar audience that would be interested in using your tool, and use the guest blogging scope to connect with the sites and see if they would like to piece your free tool.

9. Good types of backlinks

 

There are other types of backlinks that don't provide as much value as those listed above, but they can still support your overall link profile and help boost your SEO.

10. Recognition backlinks

 

A recognition backlink is when a website mentions and links to a website in orientation to a relationship or support. These links typically don't have a lot of content connected to the brand or what they do and instead are simple references that:

 

    Designate that the make made a donation

    Show that someone from the brand is speaking or sponsoring an event.

    Include a brand testimonial from the linked website.

 

How to Get Recognition Backlinks: Use the Alexa Competitor Backlink Checker to find backlinks from which your competitors are getting traffic. Classify the sites where they acquired recognition backlinks and look for places in the gratified of those sites where you can do the same.

11. Guest post bio backlinks

 

In some cases, guest blogging sites do not allow or include a link to the author's site within the main body of the content. In its place, they allow the writer to include a link in the author's bio. While not as valuable as a link in the body of the post, bio backlinks can add value to a website's link collection.

 

How to get guest bio backlinks: Use the same guest posting strategies mentioned above and also do backlink analysis on your contestants to see where they have acquired guest post links.

12. Throwback badges

 

One way to create backlinks by providing value to other sites is through brand badges. A brand badge is an award that a brand creates and presents to other sites as a status symbol. For example, you can create a list of the best sites or the best brands that are published on your site and then award badges to each brand on the list so that they can show the status on your site. Include a link to the item in the badge to create the link.

How to get badge backlinks - Find a group of sites that you can rate together and create a badge to identify them. To find similar sites, use the Alexa Audience Overlay Tool to identify groups of sites that share topics and audiences.

13. Backlinks from newsworthy press releases

 

A press release can do double duty for marketing efforts. It can alert the media to your news and also help your website get backlinks. But it can only build links effectively if it is executed correctly. Write and distribute press releases only when a brand has something interesting or newsworthy to share. This strategy can obtain links in the publication of the actual press release, as well as in the stories that the media write about it.

 

How to get press release backlinks: When your brand has news, write a press release and use a service like PR Web or Newswire to distribute it to the media.

14. Backlink Comments

 

When you comment on a blog post, you are generally allowed to include a link to your website. Spammers often abuse this and it can become a negative link building tool. But if you post genuine comments on high-quality blog posts, sharing links can have some value as it can drive traffic to your site and increase your brand's visibility.

 

How to get comment backlinks - Don't overdo this strategy. Focus only on commenting on relevant, high-quality blogs or forums related to your industry. To find sites relevant to your industry and audience, use the Alexa audience overlay tool to find similar sites your audience uses.

15. Bad types of backlinks

 

Because high-quality backlinks are such an significant part of SEO, it's easy to believe that every link, no matter how valued, is beneficial. But not all links are valuable. Some links have little or no value, while others can negatively affect SEO. While participating in link building, avoid creating these types of backlinks.

16. Payment links

 

While it may seem like an easy way to obtain links, you shouldn't pay other producers and websites to link to your site. Google openly says that buying or selling links "can have a negative impact on a site's ranking in search results."

17. Press Releases That Are Not Newsworthy

 

As mentioned above, interesting and interesting press releases can help a brand gain care and links. But it can also appear spammy if a brand repeatedly spreads press releases that are not newsworthy and are created for the sole purpose of obtaining links.

General Business and Article Directory Links

 

Just as you don't want to overdo it with press releases, you also don't want to overdo it with directory listings. Stick to the most trusted, authoritative, and relevant directories in the industry and don't create spammy directory profiles just for the purpose of generating links.

18. Links to the forum

 

Joining dozens of forums for the purpose of posting links to your site is also bad. Join only high quality forums where authentic discussions are the main purpose, do not spam a thread with s posts

19. Develop a better backlink strategy

 

Links are an vital part of any good SEO plan. But remember, it's not just about the number of links; it's also about the quality of the links.

 

There are different types of backlinks that have different levels of value and importance. Build your link building plans around acquiring top-notch links that will be the most beneficial to your SEO.

 

To find the best backlinks for SEO, sign up for a free trial of the Alexa Progressive Plan. You'll get access to all of the audience, industry, and keyword research tools mentioned in this post that can help you build a real link building plan.