Backlink

What is a backlink and how does it work?

Backlink is a term from the English and means translated into German “Rückverweis”. Links, which refer from one website to another website, are called backlinks. With backlinks, a distinction is made between:

• External link: all links that link from one page of a domain to another page of another domain.
• Links with other functions: all links with functions such as opening a mail, a PDF or a download.

They count as an important ranking factor for Google. Optimally, all backlinks set on your website are meaningful and interesting for the user. With well-placed backlinks, the user is navigated through the website, or surfs purposefully through the World Wide Web.

What does a backlink look like?

You can find the structure of a backlink in the HTML source code of your page. The backlink always consists of the following components:

• a (sub-) page to which the link is made
• the link title
• the set anchor text

In our example, the backlink is a link to Sistrix.

What types of backlinks are there?

Backlinks differ in terms of their function and their influence on SEO:

• DoFollow links: Standard links that pass on “link juice” and have a positive influence on rankings.
• NoFollow links: Marked with the attribute rel=“nofollow”; do not transfer any SEO value, but ensure a natural link profile and traffic.
• Sponsored links: Marked with rel=“sponsored”; indicate paid collaborations or advertising to create transparency.
• UGC links (user-generated content): Marked with rel=“ugc”; originate from forums, comments, or communities where users post content.
• Natural vs. artificial links: Natural links are created through high-quality content and recommendations, while artificial links are created through manipulation—the latter can lead to penalties.

A healthy backlink profile consists of a mix of different link types—naturally grown, thematically relevant, and trustworthy.

Why are backlinks important for SEO?

For search engines like Google, backlinks are important to be able to rank the quality of the respective website. Essential here is not the number of links, but the quality of the links. The more high-quality backlinks you receive on your website, the more Google’s trust in your page increases and the better it will rank in the SERPs.

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How long does Google need until it recognizes the backlinks?

Google does not want to commit to a specific time period in which your page is newly crawled and backlinks are detected. Here, the initial situation of the corresponding website often plays an important role. The more relevant the content of the page is for Google, the more regularly the Googlebot will crawl the content of the page. If the page is already very high in the ranking, a single backlink more, will not change much in this position. However, the situation is different for websites that can still rise in the ranking. The interval in which crawling takes place is greater and therefore it takes longer for Google to recognise new backlinks. However, this can help the website to rise in the SERPs.

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What do I need to be aware of when building backlinks?

When building links, quality counts more than quantity. Unnatural or manipulated links can lead to ranking losses. Therefore, pay attention to the following basic rules:

• Relevant sources: Backlinks should be thematically relevant to your own website.
• Natural structure: No purchased, automated, or mass-registered links.
• Varied anchor texts: Link texts should vary and not be over-optimized.
• Regular monitoring: Monitor your link profile to detect harmful links early on.

What does Google say about buying backlinks?

Buying backlinks is a violation of Google’s webmaster guidelines. Google’s recommendation is to build backlinks on your own on a regular basis. All other procedures are considered by Google as manipulation, which has a negative evaluation on your raking resultand can lead to exclusion from the index. Google-compliant link building is therefore the be-all and end-all when it comes to building backlinks.

What can you do yourself for the success of your backlinks?

Bringing your own link building to success requires long-term commitment. So that Google sees your website as trustworthy, you can, for example, put links to the sources used in your blog posts. This gives the signal that the topic was dealt with on a reliable page. In addition, you can give the user the opportunity to interact on your page, for example, by allowing them to comment or ask questions about your post.

What is a backlink audit?

A continuous backlink audit also belongs to the necessary SEO measures. Through the regular audit you keep an eye on your links to avoid ranking losses. The elimination of risky or harmful links is the goal of this audit. In the quality guidelines of Google it is made clear that unnatural link building leads to downgrades.