Backlinks remain one of Google's top three ranking factors alongside content quality and user experience signals. Understanding what makes a backlink valuable — and what makes one harmful — is essential knowledge for any site owner trying to improve their Google rankings.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink (also called an inbound link or external link) is a hyperlink on another website that points to a page on your website. When Website A links to Website B, Website B receives a backlink from Website A.
Google uses backlinks as a signal of trust and authority. The logic is simple: if many reputable websites link to your page, it is likely because your content is valuable and trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks a page has, the more authority it carries in Google's eyes — and the higher it tends to rank.
Why Do Backlinks Matter for SEO?
Backlinks are one of Google's top three ranking factors alongside content quality and RankBrain (user experience signals). A page with strong backlinks from authoritative sites will consistently outrank pages with better content but no backlinks, especially for competitive keywords.
Think of each backlink as a vote of confidence. But not all votes are equal.
Quality vs Quantity
One backlink from a high-authority site like a major news outlet or a well-known industry blog is worth more than 100 backlinks from low-quality directories or spammy sites. Google evaluates backlinks based on:
- Authority of the linking site — is it a trusted, established website?
- Relevance — is the linking site in a related industry or topic?
- Anchor text — what words are used in the hyperlink?
- Placement — links in the main body content carry more weight than footer or sidebar links
- Dofollow vs nofollow — dofollow links pass authority; nofollow links are less impactful
How to Build Backlinks for a New Site
1. Create Link-Worthy Content
The most sustainable way to earn backlinks is to publish content that others naturally want to reference — comprehensive guides, original research, useful tools, or unique data. Content that solves a specific problem tends to attract links over time.
2. Guest Posting
Write articles for other blogs in your industry and include a link back to your site. Target sites that are genuinely relevant to your topic and have an engaged audience.
3. Directory Submissions
Submit your site to reputable directories in your niche. For SEO tools, directories like AlternativeTo, G2, and Product Hunt provide legitimate backlinks. Avoid low-quality "link farms" that exist only to sell links.
4. Broken Link Building
Find pages in your niche that link to broken URLs (404 pages). Contact the site owner, point out the broken link, and suggest your content as a replacement. Tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog can help identify broken external links.
5. HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
Journalists regularly look for expert sources. Sign up for HARO and respond to relevant queries to earn high-authority backlinks from news and media sites.
Backlinks to Avoid
- Paid links that violate Google's guidelines
- Links from irrelevant or spammy sites
- Links from private blog networks (PBNs)
- Reciprocal link schemes ("link to me and I'll link to you")
Google's algorithms and manual reviewers actively identify and penalise unnatural link patterns. Focus on earning links through genuine value rather than manipulation.
How to Check Your Backlinks for Free
Several free tools let you check your current backlink profile:
- Google Search Console — Links report shows your top linked pages and linking sites
- Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker — Shows top 100 backlinks for any domain
- Moz Link Explorer — Free tier shows limited backlink data and Domain Authority
According to Google's spam policies, buying or selling links that pass PageRank is a violation of Google's guidelines and can result in manual actions that remove your site from search results.
Dofollow vs Nofollow Backlinks
| Type | Passes PageRank? | When Used |
|---|---|---|
| Dofollow | Yes | Default for most editorial links |
| Nofollow (rel="nofollow") | No (or minimal) | Paid links, untrusted content, comments |
| Sponsored (rel="sponsored") | No | Clearly paid/sponsored content |
| UGC (rel="ugc") | No | User-generated content (forums, comments) |
Nofollow links do not pass PageRank but still have value — they drive referral traffic, build brand awareness, and contribute to a natural-looking link profile.
How to Get Your First 10 Backlinks
Getting started with backlink building can feel daunting for a new site. Here is a practical action plan for earning your first 10 genuine backlinks:
- Submit to directories — AlternativeTo, G2, Product Hunt, Capterra (for software tools), and niche-specific directories provide legitimate dofollow or nofollow links. These are free and take 10–20 minutes each.
- Create your social media profiles — Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Facebook business pages all link back to your website. These are typically nofollow but contribute to your brand presence and are natural links Google expects.
- Write a guest post — reach out to 3–5 blogs in your niche and propose a guest article. Even one accepted guest post from a site with DA 20+ can meaningfully boost your profile.
- Answer questions on Quora — find relevant questions and provide genuinely useful answers. Include a link to your most relevant page where it adds value. Quora links are nofollow but drive real referral traffic.
- Get listed on resource pages — many niche blogs have "useful resources" or "recommended tools" pages. Find them with Google searches like
"best seo tools" "resources" site:*.comand reach out to request a listing.
Consistency matters more than volume. Five high-quality links from relevant, trusted sites will outperform 500 links from low-quality directories. Build slowly, build genuinely, and your domain authority will grow steadily over time.
Link Building Outreach: A Practical Template
Guest posting and broken link building both require outreach — emailing other site owners. Here is a practical email template for each:
Guest post outreach:
Subject: Guest post idea for [their site name]
Hi [Name], I've been reading [specific article they wrote] — great breakdown of [topic]. I write about [your topic] and I have an idea that I think would work well for your audience: [proposed title]. I can provide 1,200+ words, original research where relevant, and no promotional content. Would this be a fit? Happy to send a brief outline first.
Broken link building outreach:
Subject: Broken link on [their page title]
Hi [Name], I noticed a broken link on your page [URL] — the link to [description] is pointing to a 404 page. I recently published a comprehensive guide on [same topic] that might be a good replacement: [your URL]. Either way, just wanted to flag the broken link. Hope it helps!
Keep outreach emails short, specific and genuinely helpful. The broken link template works because it leads with value (pointing out the broken link) before mentioning your content. Response rates for well-targeted outreach emails are typically 10–20%.
Disavowing Toxic Backlinks
Not all backlinks help your rankings — some can actively harm them. Toxic backlinks are links from low-quality, spammy or manipulative sites that may trigger a manual penalty or algorithmic demotion from Google's Penguin filter. Knowing when and how to disavow these links protects your site.
When to disavow: Disavowing is only necessary if you have a manual action penalty from Google (visible in GSC under Security and Manual Actions) or if your backlink profile has been demonstrably polluted — for example, after someone launches a negative SEO campaign against your site with spammy link building. For most sites, Google is good at ignoring low-quality links on its own, and unnecessary disavowal can sometimes remove valuable links.
How to disavow: Create a plain text file listing the domains you want disavowed, one per line in the format domain:example.com. Submit this file via Google Search Console's Disavow Links tool. Google will then ignore links from those domains when evaluating your site. Note that it can take several weeks for disavowal to take effect in rankings.
Auditing your backlink profile: Use Google Search Console's Links report or a tool like Ahrefs to review your backlink profile quarterly. Look for sudden spikes in backlinks from unrelated industries, links with keyword-stuffed anchor text, or links from sites clearly built for link spam rather than real users. Flag these for potential disavowal.
For most legitimate sites that have never engaged in black-hat link building, disavowing is rarely needed. Focus instead on earning high-quality links through great content and legitimate outreach.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many backlinks do I need to rank on page one?
There is no fixed number — it depends entirely on your competition. For long-tail keywords with low competition, you may rank with zero backlinks if your content is strong. For competitive keywords, you may need dozens or hundreds. Focus on getting more and better backlinks than your direct competitors.
Are all backlinks equal?
No. Quality matters far more than quantity. One backlink from a high-authority, relevant site in your niche is worth more than 100 links from low-quality directories. Google evaluates the authority, relevance and placement of each linking site when determining how much PageRank to pass.
What is a toxic backlink?
A toxic backlink comes from a spammy, irrelevant or penalised site. These can harm your rankings if Google associates your site with low-quality link schemes. You can identify potentially toxic links in Google Search Console or Ahrefs and disavow them using Google's Disavow Tool.
How do I get my first backlinks?
Start with the easiest wins: submit your site to reputable free directories (AlternativeTo, G2, Product Hunt for tools), answer relevant questions on Quora with links to your content, share content in relevant Reddit communities, and ask any business partners or contacts with websites to link to you.