SEO GLOSSARY

What is Link Building?

Link building refers to the process of acquiring backlinks – links from other websites pointing back to pages on your site. It’s a crucial part of off-page SEO.

Search engines view backlinks as votes of confidence. The more quality backlinks you have, especially from authoritative sites, the more trustworthy your content is seen as. This can result in better rankings.

Why Backlinks Matter

Backlinks demonstrate:

• Popularity – More sites linking to you signals authority and influence.
• Relevance – Links from niche sites suggest expertise in that topic area.
• Quality – High-caliber sites are selective about who they link to, so it’s a trust signal.
• Diversity – A mix of link types (editorial, user-generated, etc.) shows broad appeal.

Best Practices for Link Building

There are several smart ways to build quality backlinks:

• Produce shareworthy content assets like tools, research reports, and unique data. Valuable resources earn links.
• Reach out to appropriate websites and bloggers to politely request backlinks to relevant content. Avoid spammy tactics.
• Promote your best content through social media, email newsletters, and PR to drive links.
• Build relationships with influencers and journalists to get backlinks from guest contributions.
• Create link-worthy assets like online tools, quizzes, and calculators that publishers will embed.
• Participate in relevant online communities and forums, providing expertise. Links may result.

Avoid Manipulative Link Building Tactics

Stick to “white hat” link building best practices, avoiding tactics like:

• Buying backlinks from low-quality sites or link networks.
• Excessive link exchanges just to boost numbers.
• Comment spamming with anchor text links.
• Sneaky redirects, widgets or guest posts just for links.
• Anything else that violates Google’s webmaster guidelines.

Focus on earning links naturally through great content, outreach and relationships. That’s sustainable link building that delivers results.