A backlink is a link from one website to another. When a news site, blog or directory links to your page, that is a backlink pointing at you. Search engines can use that link to discover your page, understand its subject and assess how it relates to the wider web.
Not all backlinks have the same value. A useful link helps a reader find a source, product or explanation. Search engines also assess links, but you can't calculate a guaranteed ranking gain from the publisher's name or a tool's score.
A backlink example
Imagine a Bristol bakery publishes a guide to making sourdough. A local newspaper writes about home baking and links to that guide. The bakery has received a backlink. From the newspaper's point of view, the same link is an outbound link.
If the bakery then links from its guide to its own bread delivery page, that's an internal link, and internal links and backlinks do different jobs. This is an illustrative example, not a client case study.
The clickable words are called anchor text. In this example, they could be “the bakery's sourdough guide”. They tell the reader what to expect when they click.
Looking for a managed service rather than a definition? Explore our SEO backlink services.
Why backlinks matter
Google uses many signals, and links remain one way pages are discovered and related to the wider web. They can also send referral traffic and give readers a source trail to follow. Google's guidance for AI features in Search does not set a special backlink threshold or promise citations, so treat third-party coverage as useful evidence rather than a guaranteed AI-search formula.
What separates a good backlink from a bad one
Start with the page and the reason for the link. These checks help you judge its usefulness; they aren't a formula for Google's ranking system.
- Does the linked page help someone reading the article? A specialist trade title may be a better fit than a famous publication covering an unrelated story.
- Can you identify the publisher, author and sources? Look beyond a DA or DR score.
- Does the publication have an audience? Traffic estimates are clues, not proof that a particular article gets readers.
- Does the link support a statement, credit a source or point to something useful? Check why it is there.
- Can a reader follow it, and can search engines discover it? Google's crawlable link guidance explains the HTML format it can reliably extract. A link can still send visitors even if it provides no ranking benefit.
Good link vs bad link
| Signal | Strong backlink | Weak or risky backlink |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Relevant publisher with real readers | Network built mainly to sell ranking links |
| Why it exists | Editorial, you earned the mention | Bought purely to pass ranking credit |
| Context | Helps readers check a source or find useful information | Inserted repeatedly into unrelated text or site templates |
| Anchor text | Natural, branded or topical | Exact-match commercial, repeated everywhere |
| Longevity | Not rented; intended to remain as editorial coverage | Removed when payment stops |
What about nofollow and paid links?
A backlink can carry an HTML attribute that explains the relationship between the sites. Google recommends rel="sponsored" for advertisements or paid placements; nofollow is also acceptable for qualifying paid links. ugc identifies user-generated content, such as forum posts. These attributes don't stop a person clicking the link.
People often call an ordinary link without those attributes “dofollow”. It isn't a special HTML attribute or a promise that Google will count the link. Read Google's link attribute guidance or our plain-English comparison.
Paying a publisher for advertising with correctly qualified links is different from buying links to manipulate rankings. Google's link spam policy explains that distinction.
How can I check my backlinks?
If you manage the website, open the Links report in Google Search Console and look at external links. You can also use backlink research tools, but their crawlers find different pages at different times, so their totals won't always match. Check a reported link on the publisher's live page before drawing conclusions.
A strange link appearing in a report isn't by itself a reason to disavow it. Google says most sites don't need its disavow tool, and incorrect use can harm performance.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes include choosing links only by a high Domain Authority score, asking every publisher to use the same commercial anchor text, and treating link count as the goal. DA and DR are estimates created by Moz and Ahrefs respectively. They aren't Google metrics or proof that a link is valuable. Track relevant referral visits and enquiries alongside search performance so you can see what the work is doing for the business.
How editorial backlinks are earned
A journalist may link to an original study, a useful guide or an expert's explanation because it supports their story. Our digital PR service develops and pitches those kinds of stories. Editors decide what to publish and whether to include a link. For the checks behind the work, read what makes a good backlink; for scope and pricing, see our campaign packages.
Keep reading
- Types of backlinks, editorial, PR, guest posts, niche edits and the risky ones
- What makes a good backlink?, the full quality checklist
- How to build backlinks, practical, safer routes
- Dofollow vs nofollow, what the link attributes mean
- Backlinks and AI search
FAQs
Are backlinks still a Google ranking factor?
Google uses link analysis systems, including PageRank, alongside many other ranking signals. Links can help it discover and understand pages, but a particular link or link count doesn't guarantee a ranking improvement.
How many backlinks do I need to rank?
There is no fixed number. It depends on how competitive your keywords are and how strong the sites already ranking are. A better approach is to look at the pages beating you and match their relevance and authority. A target link count on its own won't tell you much.
Can backlinks hurt my site?
Links created to manipulate rankings can breach Google's spam policies. A link isn't harmful just because it comes from another country or an unfamiliar site. Google can ignore spam links, and most sites don't need the disavow tool. Investigate a specific problem before removing links or submitting a disavow file.
What is the difference between a backlink and an internal link?
A backlink comes from a different website. An internal link joins two pages on the same website. Both help people find information; a backlink is not automatically an endorsement, because its purpose and context vary.