Different Types of Backlinks That Can Enrich Your Backlink Profile
Your Backlink profile needs to be diverse, find out which types of backlinks you need and the ranking power associated with each type.
Just like a person is known by the company he or she keeps, similarly search engines judge the quality of websites by looking at the quality of backlinks it acquires.
When it comes to building out your backlink profile — it’s essential to understand the different types of backlinks you require to rank your content.
Search engines take into consideration many different factors when assessing backlinks for ranking power.
Factors like quantity, quality and variation of anchor text are what you need to concern yourself with.
It’s balancing these types of backlinks that makes building a solid backlink profile so hard — and why so many fail.
Quantity — Numbers matter because you must have enough links to demonstrate that other websites and people are actually interested in your website.
Quality — Though you need backlink volume, quality of those inbound links typically plays an even bigger role in terms of ranking your content.
Variation — You absolutely need different types of backlinks to be an authority site, to rank, and to NOT get penalized.
Backlinks have been the backbone of SEO since its inception and are so powerful that it can make or break your SEO campaign. When acquiring links for your backlink profile follow the Golden Rule of always connecting with popular and authoritative sites because it is a way to impress search engines for earning higher ranks. You must never allow any poor backlink in your inventory as it can weaken the backlink profile and damage SEO prospects.
Understanding the value of the different types of backlinks will help you or the team involved in your online marketing services to create a backlink building plan to achieve your goals.
We’ve so far mentioned quantity, quality and variation…
Variation can be a little bit tricky because the variation alone has several sub-types of backlinks that all play a role in how effective or valuable that link is. For example, all of the following sub-types will be required to build a varied and authoritative backlink profile:
• ‘do follow’ links (powerful in terms of building rankings)
• ‘no follow’ links (powerful in terms of building credibility)
• Link location (the position on the page the link is pointing from)
• Contextual Links (relevant anchor text found within body copy)
• Branded Links (raw urls and Brand specific anchor text important for building authority and trust)
If your confused about which type of backlinks you need to target to ensure good quality…
We’re going to break down the different types of backlinks you should focus on to build your backlink profile and how to go about getting them in this article.
1. Editorial backlinks (High Ranking Power)
What they are:
When you publish high-quality content, it not only garners a lot of attention, but there are chances of other websites citing the content as a source of information. That could also include a link to your website that becomes a prized acquisition. These types of backlinks are referred to as editorial links and they are highly valuable. The link may point to an article or infographic, a quote from a company insider and it may also include your website in a link round-up about a topic.
Why are they so valuable?
Editorial links typically only come from vetted authors who produce high quality and original content that draws a lot of views. This type of content usually only comes from high authority and highly viewed websites. In content links from High domain authority sites is the fastest way to the top of Google Search. Typically editorial backlinks come from evergreen content.
How do you get them?
You write featured articles for high authority sites like Forbes. Acquiring editorial links can be very difficult. Sites like Forbes will want to vet you prior to just letting you publish on their site. Editorial backlinks are never spammy and rarely contain the exact match anchor text you’re after. All that to be said, 1 Forbes backlink is worth 1000 no name backlinks.
2. Backlinks from guest blogging (High Ranking Power)
What they are:
Guest blogging opens a new avenue for gathering backlinks from quality websites and despite all the concerns and scepticism about its effectiveness; guest blogging is as effective as ever. In sense guest blogging is very similar to building editorial backlinks, but they are a bit easier to get.
Why are they important?
It is a fundamental requirement to include guest blogging in your SEO strategy to ensure a steady flow of quality backlinks to your site. With guest blogging you are able to use exact match and phrase match anchor text in content. The added benefit of guest blogging is that it expands the outreach and builds authority as you demonstrate the expertise that you wield in your respective field.
How do you get them?
To start guest blogging, you must build relationships with popular websites that agree to publish your content and thereby to open a channel through which backlinks can flow. In the guest post, you can even include an editorial link to your website.
3. Embed links in directory profiles (Good for Branded Links)
What they are:
Another easy way of building backlinks is to insert a link to your website in the listings of business directories like Google My Business, Angie’s List or any other industrial directories as well as social media and review sites.
Why are they important?
Directory links can earn you some direct website traffic if the directory is good enough, but mostly including your website in reputed business directories helps build credibility for your site. Good quality directories are a great way to build ‘branded links’ ie: Pixel Productions Inc or www.pixelproductionsinc.com. These types of backlinks are also referred to as business citations and they are especially beneficial for businesses focusing on local seo.
4. Video And Webinar Backlinks (Good for Raw URL links)
What they are:
Videos and Webinars are a good place for sourcing and creating backlinks. If you haven’t heard about building links with video — you’re missing out! Simply put, these types of backlinks come in the form of a raw url ie: https://www.pixelproductionsinc.com in the description area of the video or webinar area.
Why are they important?
These raw links are super valuable in that they’re coming from very high domain authority sites like YouTube and Vimeo. Further more; video is the most shared form of content; which means any time someone shares or embeds your video it’s beefing up your backlink profile with some really good juice.
How do you get them?
First you will need to create a video, upload it and add your url. If you’re video is good – it will be viewed and shared. You may also want to incorporate some of the tactics you use for guest blogging by reaching out to share your video with other relevant sites.
5. Earn backlinks by offering free tools (Powerful Branded, Raw and Anchor)
Using your content for SEO gains is the ultimate goal, and it should pave the way for earning quality backlinks. The BEST way to do this is by offering potential customers a free tool that they will find value in.
There are a couple different ways free tools can help generate links;
1. You can offer an embed code that allows other websites to embed and use your tool by providing a source link back to your site. Target websites that share similar audience profile as yours and lure them with the tool so that they find a reason to connect with you.
2. Your tool is good enough to become popular and build massive link equity.
Some great examples of free tool that are useful for specific purposes are tools for; calculating EMI or determining loan amounts or even figuring out how much to create an app. These kinds of tools act as bait for other websites toget drawn towards you and offer backlinks.
6. Insert backlinks in author bio (Medium Power Anchor Links)
Just because other websites agree to accept you as a guest blogger does not mean that they would allow you to insert your link within the content. If you find that the website that publishes your content does not permit leaving a link within the content, then there is no reason to despair because there is yet another way of doing it. The editorial content is not the only place to insert a link. You can do so in the author bio, which can help in the same way by paving the way for earning backlinks.
Summary:
Remember, not all backlinks are created equal. If you’re tackling the task of building your backlink profile for SEO gains, then these 6 types of backlinks are what you need to rank and rank well.
Also, while some websites might come forward on their own to link to your website, you must also not shy away from soliciting for links. Link solicitation is not bad unless you have some hidden motive like working for link rackets and link farms.
If you need help with link building, you can always contact a managed SEO service provider for assistance.
