By Jenny Romanchuk

Backlinks continue to be an important ranking factor in 2023 — and it seems it never changes. But what kind of backlinks matter most in SEO?

Editorial links, pillar links, sitewide links? What’s the difference between them? Which are worth the effort?

In this guide, I’ll share 20 different types of backlinks in SEO with examples. Additionally, you’ll read some expert tips and tricks to acquire high-quality links and gain better search visibility.

Table of Contents

• What is an SEO backlink?
• 3 Undeniable Benefits of SEO Backlinks
• 20 Types of SEO Backlinks
• Tips for SEO Backlinks

What is an SEO backlink?

An SEO backlink is a hyperlink from one website to another. They’re also known as inbound, incoming, or external links.

Backlinks are an integral part of search engine ranking algorithms, as Google uses them to determine the credibility, authority, and relevance of the website.

The more backlinks from authoritative sources, the better the chances of higher rankings.

Here’s how a backlink looks on a web page.

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3 Undeniable Benefits of SEO Backlinks

Over 46% of SEO pros spend $5,000-$10,000 monthly on link building, a recent study found. However, according to Ahrefs, a whopping 66.31% of pages have no backlinks. And 90.63% of pages receive no organic search traffic from Google.

See the trend?

But let’s dive deep and see why backlinks matter.

1. Better Search Rankings

Backlinks are known as the “vote of confidence” from Google.

If your website gets high-quality backlinks, Google sees you as a trustworthy source, thus elevating your ratings in the search results.

Ahrefs backs up this assumption with a study revealing the direct correlation between the number of referring domains and keyword rankings.

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Does it mean SEOs have to focus on acquiring an abundance of backlinks? Quite the opposite.

A plethora of low-quality backlinks won’t do in the long run, as Google may consider them spammy. That said, I suggest acquiring high-quality backlinks in fewer quantities rather than playing the numbers game.

But what defines a quality backlink? A high-quality backlink comes from a high domain authority website that is trusted by not only search engines but also people.

Here is a case study from Andrew Holland, Director of SEO at JBH. Look how they managed to improve their rankings with the help of a few links.

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2. Higher Domain Authority

Acquiring backlinks from relevant and reputable websites gradually improves domain authority (DA). This metric, developed by Moz, scores websites from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate that your website will rank higher on SERPs.

However, SEO folks rely heavily on Ahrefs’ Domain Rating — an altered alternative to Moz’s score. Check your …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron