Backlink Definition

Complete SEO Glossary and Technical Explanation

Technical Definition

Backlink (Inbound Link)

A backlink is a hyperlink from one website to another. In HTML terms, it's an anchor tag (`<a>`) that points from one domain to another. When Website A contains a link to Website B, that link is considered a backlink for Website B.

<a href="https://example.com">Link Text</a>

Backlinks in SEO Context

Search Engine Perspective

Search engines view backlinks as "votes of confidence" from one website to another. The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the more likely it is to rank well in search results.

Link Equity Transfer

Backlinks can transfer "link equity" or "link juice" from the linking site to the linked site, helping improve the receiving site's authority and rankings.

Trust and Authority

Backlinks from authoritative websites signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable, which can improve your site's credibility.

Backlink Types and Attributes

Dofollow Links

Links that pass link equity and ranking authority.

<a href="https://example.com">Link</a>

Nofollow Links

Links that don't pass link equity but can drive traffic.

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Link</a>

Internal Links

Links within the same domain or website.

<a href="/page">Internal Link</a>

External Links

Links pointing to different domains.

<a href="https://external.com">External Link</a>

Backlink Quality Factors

DA

Domain Authority

Higher authority domains provide more valuable backlinks.

Relevance

Links from relevant websites are more valuable than irrelevant ones.

N

Natural Placement

Naturally placed links are more valuable than forced placements.

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