Backlinks explained simply: which links help – and which harm

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. To Google it's like a recommendation: if others point to you, your content is apparently useful. But careful – not every link helps. Some even do harm.

How to recognise a good backlink

• It fits the topic – a coffee grinder site linking to a roastery makes sense
• It sits in the text where it genuinely helps readers – not hidden in the footer
• It comes from a real website with real visitors
• It came about naturally – not bought and not swapped

What Google explicitly prohibits

In its spam policies, Google describes “link spam”: links created mainly to manipulate rankings in search. Examples Google gives include:

• Buying or selling links – for money, goods or services
• Excessive link exchanges along the lines of “link to me and I'll link to you”
• Links created automatically by programs
• Paid articles or guest posts whose links are meant to influence rankings
• Low-quality directories and links hidden in the footers or templates of many websites

Paid links are not banned in principle – for advertising or sponsorship, for example. But they must be qualified, for instance with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" on the link. Then they don't count as a recommendation.

Safe ways to good links

1. 1

   Reputable directories

   List your business in well-known directories – with the same name, address and phone everywhere.

2. 2

   Partners and suppliers

   Businesses you work with are often happy to link to you – for example on a references page.

3. 3

   Content worth recommending

   Helpful guides, checklists or your own figures are gladly cited as a source by others.

4. 4

   Be visible locally

   Local press, clubs and events are good, genuine reasons for a mention.

5. 5

   Use mentions without a link

   If you're mentioned somewhere but not linked, kindly ask for a link.

Source: Google Search Central, “Spam policies for Google web search”, section “Link spam”.