Backlinks are important for the growth of any website. We all are aware of that already. But did you know? There are different types of backlinks and some of them can even have an adverse effect on your rankings? If you're looking for strong SEO tips, this article is for you!
<a href="https://www.blogitalk.com/" rel="nofollow">BlogiTalk No-Follow Link</a>
<a href="https://www.blogitalk.com/">BlogiTalk Follow Link</a>
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A backlink is the backbone of a website. Google sees backlinks as an upvote for a site and a sign of credibility among readers. We've already explained backlinks in our previous article, so let's move towards our today's goal and understand the different types of backlinks that exist.
No-Follow Backlinks
Instead of beginning with the positive ones, let's first have a look at the negative type of backlink. The no-follow link is a type of backlink that does not pass authority to the linked website. By default, almost all platforms have a "Follow Link" enabled and logically speaking, if you're mentioning a website in a good context, why wouldn't you want to pass authority to it?
In some scenarios, this is not the case. For example, if you're writing a review article on a product and you mention their website's page for context, you wouldn't want Google to think that its credible so you'll add the no-follow attribute to the backlink. This will signal Google not to pass on any authority to the mentioned website.
No-follow links are used in limited scenarios but you should know that having a no-follow link is just a Moo point (as Joey would say!). It's a Moo point because it doesn't matter how many no-follow backlinks your site has, you won't be earning any authority points from search engines.
Here's how a No-Follow backlink looks like:
The no follow attribute above has signaled search engines to ignore this link. No authority would be passed to BlogiTalk in this scenario.
Follow Backlinks
Unlike no-follow links, follow links are the opposite in nature. A follow link tells search engines to pass on the authority to the mentioned website. This helps the website to gain trust score and authority points, which further leads it towards better ranking. A follow link is a simple link without any additional addons in the HTML code as shown below:
Follow links are commonly used when a website is being quoted with a positive intention or the content found on a website is unique and needs to be cited to avoid copyright issues. Follow links are the kind of backlinks you need to grow on search engines. If you have a higher number of quality follow links, the credibility of your website will increase and you'll have a higher probability to rank on the first page.
So if you want to perform SEO of your website, focus on follow links that are naturally earned through quality content.
UGC Backlinks
The next type in our list is the UGC backlink. UGC stands for "User Generated Content". These types of links are typically found on discussion platforms where users put links as support item or to explain something better. UGC links help search engines to know that the platform does not associate itself to the mentioned website and hence, the legitimacy of the link is the responsibility of the poster.
Having many UGC links won't add much value to your website. In fact, if you have a lot of UGC backlinks and the source is comments section of websites, it may backfire. Search engines might think that the website is a spam and as a result it might be penalized.
Sponsored Content Backlinks
Sponsored backlinks are the ones that are purchased with the intention of ranking higher on search engines. For example, if I want my website to have quality backlink on a famous website like Bloomberg, I might want to pay Bloomberg to mention my website in a sponsored post. If Bloomberg allows me to purchase this right, it will add a sponsored attribute to the my website's link.
This will allow search engines to differentiate between an organic backlink that was earned by a website and a paid backlink that was purchased by a website. The value of a sponsored backlink is lower than an organic follow link hence, your focus should be on earning organic backlinks rather than paying for being featured on a website.
Make your content interesting enough to be highlighted on websites. Remember, content is the king!
Editorial Backlinks
Editorial backlinks are the most important part of SEO. An editorial link is a link that is earned naturally. Let's say a blogger reads this article and finds it helpful. He then goes to his website, writes a post on backlinks and mentioned this article along with its link because it gave him knowledge that was required to write the post. This is known as an editorial backlink.
Editorial backlinks signal search engines that a particular website is credible and can be trusted. For better search engine optimization, editorial backlinks should be the target. You can earn editorial backlinks by sharing quality content and promoting your posts on social media to reach more audience.
Editorial backlinks can help a website rank better on search engines. In order to compete with your rivals, focus on winning as many editorial backlinks as you can.
Always Avoid Scam Link Building Techniques
Scam link building techniques can include any techniques that aim to create backlinks unnaturally. For example, there are hundreds of websites available on the internet that can generate thousands of backlinks within minutes. and then there are some websites where you can incentivize users to share links of your website.
All these techniques are scam backlink building techniques and must be avoided at all costs. These techniques are designed to manipulate search engines into assuming that a website has a high authority score. The aim of using these techniques is to rank higher on search engines. However, the reality is different. Any spam action that is identified by a search engine is bound to have adverse impact on the website. A website can be blacklisted for using spam techniques.
Always focus on building good quality, natural editorial backlinks to gain a strong trust score and a chance of ranking higher on search engines.
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