What is a Backlink? (Blogging SEO Basics)

Last Updated June 6, 2025

Backlinks are one of the most valuable aspects of an effective SEO strategy. Backlinks are links from one website to your website, typically using anchor text relevant to the content of the page they’re linking from.

A backlink from an authoritative website can significantly increase your chances of raising your content in organic Google search rankings over time.

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks, also known as “inbound links,” are links from one website to another. They are essential for SEO as they act as a vote of confidence from one site to another. Search engines use backlinks to assess a website’s credibility and relevance, influencing its ranking in search results. High-quality backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites are particularly valuable, enhancing a site’s visibility and ranking more effectively.

Understanding the Importance of Backlinks

While Google consistently places less emphasis on the importance of backlinks, a strong backlink from a relevant, authoritative website in your niche will always have immense value. It’s a numbers game, and the process of Google’s algorithm is opaque, not providing a ton of information about how to exactly rank higher. However, over the past decade, it’s become clear that while backlinks may be worth slightly less than they used to be, they still hold significant weight.

Strategies for Building Quality Backlinks

To build quality backlinks, focus on strategies like guest blogging. This allows you to authentically build relationships with publishers and get links back to your articles in a slower, tasteful way.

Avoid buying packs of backlinks or investing in strategies that attempt to do this at scale with lower quality. These tactics may hurt you in the long run.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging involves writing content for other websites in your niche. By providing valuable, relevant content, you can often include a link back to your own website within the article or in your author bio. This not only exposes your content to a new audience but also provides a strong, natural backlink.

Building Relationships with Publishers

Take your time and invest in strategies related to building relationships with other publishers. Reach out to websites in your niche, offer to collaborate, or propose content ideas that would be valuable to their audience. As you build these relationships, opportunities for backlinks will naturally arise.

Conclusion

Accumulating your backlink profile slowly over time will pay off in the long run. While it may take more effort and patience, the benefits of having a strong, natural backlink profile are undeniable. Your content will have a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results, driving more organic traffic to your website.

Backlinks remain a crucial component of a successful SEO strategy. By focusing on quality over quantity and building authentic relationships with other publishers, you can slowly but surely develop a powerful backlink profile that will boost your search engine rankings and help your content reach a wider audience.

Want to learn how to build backlinks in-depth? See our SEO Mastery course for subscribers.

What makes a backlink “high-quality” for SEO?

A high-quality backlink is a link from a trusted, relevant website that points to your page. Search engines treat it like a vote of confidence.

Relevance matters a lot. A link from a site in your niche usually helps more than a link from a random site that has nothing to do with your topic.

Authority matters too. A backlink from a well-known, respected site can improve your chances of ranking higher over time, even if you do not get many links.

Anchor text can help when it fits naturally. It is best when the words used in the link match what your page is about, without sounding forced.

How many backlinks do I need to rank higher in Google?

There is no set number of backlinks that guarantees higher rankings. It depends on your topic, your competitors, and how strong the linking sites are.

In many cases, a few great backlinks can beat dozens of weak ones. Focus on getting links from sites that are credible and closely related to your content.

Also remember that backlinks are just one part of SEO. Great content, good internal linking, and matching search intent still matter.

To stay organized, keep track of what pages you want to build links to and watch your progress over time. Tools like RightBlogger SEO Reports for tracking and improving content can help you spot pages that need updates before you push for more links.

Is guest blogging still a good way to build backlinks?

Yes, guest blogging is still one of the safest ways to earn quality backlinks. It works best when you write genuinely helpful content for a site your audience already trusts.

The goal is to earn a natural link, not to cram links into every paragraph. A single relevant link in the body or author bio is often enough.

Guest blogging also helps you build relationships with publishers. Those relationships can lead to more links later, plus shares and referrals.

If you want a simple starting point, review the basics in RightBlogger’s guest blogging glossary guide and focus on sites that match your niche.

Should I buy backlinks or use cheap backlink packages?

No, buying cheap backlink packs is risky and usually not worth it. These links are often low-quality, unrelated, or placed on spammy sites.

Even if you see a short-term bump, it can hurt later. Search engines are good at spotting unnatural link patterns, and you could lose rankings over time.

A safer approach is to build links slowly with real outreach, partnerships, and content that people want to reference. It takes more patience, but it lasts.

If you are doing outreach, keep it personal and value-focused. The process in RightBlogger’s backlink outreach guide can help you pitch in a way that feels natural.

How can RightBlogger help me build backlinks faster without cutting corners?

RightBlogger can help you publish better link-worthy content and run a smoother outreach workflow. That makes it easier to earn backlinks naturally over time.

Start by creating strong content that people want to reference, like guides, checklists, and examples. The RightBlogger AI Article Writer for creating high-quality drafts can speed up research and writing while you stay in control of the final output.

Next, use a simple system for outreach. Track which pages deserve links, find publishers in your niche, and pitch a helpful idea instead of asking for a favor.

You can also check your current link profile and opportunities with the RightBlogger Backlinks Tool for backlink research. That way, you focus on links that are most likely to move rankings.