The Different Types Of Backlinks For SEO
Backlinks are an indispensable element for SEO. They make search engines understand how authoritative or credible your website is. The more backlinks on your website, the higher your chances of ranking better in search engines. In fact, backlinks are among the top 3 factors that help improve website rankings on search engines – RankBrain and content being the other two.
While the importance of backlinks is understood by all, not everyone can differentiate a powerful backlink from a not-so-good one. Remember, any type of backlinks you’re generating may not help you in search engine rankings. In the worst-case scenario, bad backlinks may even make you pay the price.
This is why it is so important for you to differentiate between a good and bad backlink. Besides, if you’re creating a link-building strategy, there is no room for mistakes. You must pursue only the right types of backlinks and completely avoid the wrong ones. So, how do you do that? Let a Warrington SEO expert help to plan out your SEO marketing campaign!
Types of Backlinks
To help you understand the difference between right and wrong backlinks, we’ve categorized them into three groups:
- Tier I (best backlinks)
- Tier II (bad backlinks you should avoid)
- Tier III (worst backlinks that may get your website penalized by search engines).
Tier I Backlinks
There are several factors and qualities that make a “good” backlink. Generally, any backlink that comes from an authoritative and relevant source can be considered a good backlink. This is also called organic link building.
Organic link building can effectively push your website higher in SERP, thereby making it appear more credible to search engines. However, it is one of the most challenging ways of generating backlinks, making most SEOs resort to easier and spammy ways of backlinking.
Here are some of the most popular types of Tier 1 Backlinks:
Relationship-Based Backlinks:
In this type of backlinks, a personal relationship often leads to the generation of backlinks. You can build this relationship with a content contributor, blogger, or journalist. Though you end up earning the backlink based on relationships, it should still be genuine and valuable. Otherwise, the backlink may not even be regarded by search engines.
Guest Blogging:
Today, guest blogging may not be as effective. However, it is still a powerful way to create Tier-I backlinks. Remember, when it comes to guest blogging, your primary aim should be to provide genuine information and solutions to readers. Hence, you can use guest blogging strategy simply to reach out to a larger audience base. And along the way, if you generate some backlinks, great!
Editorial Backlinks:
In this type of backlinks, a publisher or blogger creates a link back to your website from a highly credible/authoritative source. Editorial backlinks are highly appreciated by search engines, including Google, as it happens all naturally and organically.
Tier 2 Backlinks
Tier-II backlinks are those that do not add value to your organic ranking. Hence, it’s best if you avoid them completely. Here are some examples of Tier-II backlinks:
- Header and Footer Links
- Sidebar Links
- Guest Posting at Scale
Tier 3 Backlinks
These are the worst type of backlinks that can even put your website at risk of getting penalized by search engines. Some of the common types of Tier-III backlinks include:
- Comment Spam
- Backlinks from Irrelevant Sites
- Paid Links
- General Directories
