Search engine optimisation (SEO)

High-quality, relevant links from other websites can help search engines discover and understand your site. Links should be earned naturally because your content is useful, trustworthy and relevant. 

What are backlinks?

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are links from one website to another. However, not all backlinks are created equal. The quality, relevance, and source of a backlink significantly impact your SEO performance.

Website owners should avoid tactics that try to manipulate search rankings. Search engines may penalise sites that use spammy or artificial link-building techniques.

Quality backlinks

A successful link-building strategy should prioritise quality over quantity. A backlink is most valuable when:

• it comes from a respected site with a high page ranking of its own
• the website is relevant to your own
• it naturally fits into the content, enriching the reader’s experience

Link building tactics

You can attract relevant backlinks by:

• Creating useful resources, case studies or guidance that relevant organisations may choose to link to. For example, a wedding venue business might link to recommended florists, make-up artists and caterers. 
• Listing your business only in reputable, relevant directories and resource lists.
• Approaching media sites to cover interesting stories or press releases that link to your site.
• Offering to write guest content for other sites relevant to your subject area. Your contribution can include links back to your website. 
• Promoting genuinely useful content through appropriate channels so people can find it and link to it.
• Working with an SEO agency that follows search engine guidelines and avoids manipulative link schemes. For more information, see choosing a search engine optimisation agency.

Ultimately, having high-quality content on your site will encourage others to link to it.

Avoiding linkspam

Because of the importance of backlinks, some try to increase the number of links by any means possible, regardless of whether the linking is relevant. For example, by commenting on irrelevant forums just to post links or by using link-building software. These methods are 'black-hat' techniques. They try to manipulate rankings. They are not best practices and should be avoided.

Search engines may penalise or remove sites that take part in link schemes, spammy directory submissions or other manipulative tactics.

Focus on reputable, relevant websites. Links should appear naturally in useful content and make sense for users.

For more details on frowned-upon manipulation tactics, see search engine optimisation dos and don'ts.