Backlinks: What Are They & How Do They Work?

You've probably heard the term thrown about.

"Backlinks."

But, you might not understand what they are, what they do and why they're so important. Backlinks are essentially perceived to be the lifeblood in determining PageRank, Google's "grade" of any website. The notion is that the more backlinks you have, the higher your PageRank and your position on search engine results pages.

However, "the more, the better" theory isn't always true. Having more backlinks, in fact, can sometimes get you kicked off the search engine's index.

What are backlinks?
Backlinks, incoming links, inbound links, etc. are all the same. If Page X links to Page Y's website, Page X is giving Page Y a backlink, and a little free advertising. Backlinks are different than deep links. A backlink points directly at the website's main/home page, while a deep links points to a specific page or image on the website.

Why are they so important?
As noted previously, the more backlinks you have, the higher your Internet standing. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. If your link is on a highly recognized industry website, then that will help boost your site's rank and therefore your rankings. However, if your link is on a website that has nothing but hundreds of links on one page, then that's not going to do your rankings any good.

The types of backlinks you want to aim for are:
- Links within the body's content. Essentially having your website associated with a keyword phrase within text.
- Links that stand alone. You don't want to get lost in the pile. That's why it's important to make sure your link stands out. Getting listed on a page with thousands of other links isn't going to do much for your PR or SERPs listings. You want your link to be the one found not only by the search engines, but by potential clients.
- Links from relevant websites. Your business specializes in gardening equipment. You want your Internet presence to reflect your vast gardening knowledge. Getting a link on a site not related to gardening, or not known or well received in the industry will do you little to no good. You want your links to come from reputable websites, sites that are well known by your peers and colleagues.

So, how do you get quality backlinks?
- Provide something people will link to. If you're a company that sells cupcakes, offer recipes for types of cupcakes that you don't offer for sale. Or write a frequently asked questions (FAQs) about cupcakes. Anything informative and interesting is almost certain to get a backlink. This will not only bring in traffic, but increase your PR and SERPs standings.
- Use microblogging and social media marketing. Twitter and Facebook users love to share links. It's part of the reason these sites were created. Increasing your social media marketing efforts will increase the amount of backlinks you receive.
- Submit to free, reputable directories. Directory submissions are great backlinks, if you submit to the right ones. The Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org) is the best known, but there is a submissions waiting list, and it could take months before you're listed.
- Guest post on other blogs. Is there a great blog read by most of your peers, and maybe your competition? Author a guest post, and use your content to generate backlinks. Other similar methods include blog comments and forum posts.

These are only a few methods you can use to generate backlinks. If you need help with your backlinking strategy, or other search engine marketing methods, contact WebDrafter.com today.