What is a Backlink?
A backlink, also known as an inbound link, is a hyperlink on another website that leads to your website. Search engines view backlinks as a trust signal, essentially assuming that if one website with high authority is linking to another website, then that other website must be trustworthy or relevant.
Why Do Backlinks Matter For SEO?
Backlinks matter for SEO because Google and other search engines treat them as a trust signal or vote of confidence from one website to another. Backlinks represent trust, authority, and credibility, each of which are important parts of Google’s ranking algorithm. If your website appears to be trusted by other high-authority websites because they are linking to your website, search engines will take this into consideration and trust your website as well.
Are All Backlinks Created Equal?
No, some backlinks are more valuable than others. Backlinks from websites with high domain authority are weighted more heavily than backlinks from websites with low authority. For example, a backlink leading to your website from a known and trusted website like Google, Wikipedia, or a .gov site is significantly more valuable in the eyes of search engines than a backlink from a website on a domain that has recently been registered.
Can Backlinks Be Harmful For SEO?
Backlinks can be harmful for your website’s SEO if they are coming from low-quality or untrustworthy websites like a spammy directory or a link farm. Sometimes referred to as “toxic backlinks”, these low-quality backlinks can damage your website’s reputation in the eyes of Google and other search engines and negatively affect your domain authority, resulting in dropoffs in search engine rankings.
How Can I Disavow a Harmful Backlink?
If your website has several low-quality backlinks leading to it that are hurting your SEO efforts, you can disavow these backlinks using Google Search Console. Disavowing backlinks is typically not necessary, but it may be necessary if you have spammy or low-quality links pointing to your website that have caused a manual action penalty. In order to disavow backlinks, you’ll need to create a .txt file that lists each of the pages or domains you want to disavow links from. You can then upload this file to the “disavow links tool” within Google Search Console. It will then take a few weeks for Google to process this list, at which point your website will be recrawled/indexed and rankings will adjust accordingly.
Contact Boston Web Marketing!
If you have any additional questions about backlinking strategies or if you’d like assistance boosting your website’s rankings in the search results, please contact our team at Boston Web Marketing today! Our SEO specialists help businesses in virtually every industry achieve higher search results and gain more leads! Give us a call today at (857) 526-0096 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!