Every business professional knows that to be successful, you need backlinks. But many don’t know there is a big difference between natural and unnatural backlinks. However, some use black hat tactics that can harm your search engine rankings and online reputation. So how do you ensure that your backlinks are natural? We will help you with that.
This article will discuss what backlinks are, what natural backlinks are, the different types of backlinks, the qualities of natural backlinks, ways to get them, and some frequently asked questions about this topic.
First, let’s define backlinks.
What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks, also known as inbound, incoming, and inward links, are links from external websites that lead back to your website. These links give credibility to your website, improving your search engine rankings and driving more traffic.
It’s important to note that not all backlinks are created equal. Some may be more valuable than others.
Types of Backlinks
There are two types of backlinks.
- Natural Backlinks: These are links that happen naturally due to high-quality content on your website.
- Unnatural backlinks: These are artificially created links, often through buying or exchanging links with other websites.
Now let’s go in-depth on natural backlinks.
What Are Natural Backlinks?
They occur naturally without any manipulation or intervention to google backlink-building guidelines from you or your team. These links come from websites and blogs that find your content valuable enough to link to.
Qualities Of Natural Backlinks
- Relevance
These come from websites and blogs relevant to your industry or niche. But, They don’t come from random websites that have nothing to do with your content.
- Trustworthy Source
These come from trustworthy sources and have a good reputation. Some of the most significant sources of natural backlinks are reputable news sites, government websites, and educational institutions.
- Editorial Decision
These come from an editorial decision made by the website or blog owner. The link was not paid for or exchanged in any way.
- Not Manipulated
They are not manipulated through black hat SEO tactics such as buying or exchanging links with unrelated websites.
- Varied Anchor Text
They have a varied anchor text, the clickable text that leads to your website. Unnatural backlinks often have an identical anchor text, which can be a red flag to search engines.
Seven Ways Of Getting Natural Backlinks
Produce High-Quality Content
Publish informative and valuable content on your website and promote it through social media, email marketing, and other channels. People who find your content valuable may naturally link to it on their website or blog.
However, some of the high-quality content examples are
- infographics,
- original research, and
- helpful guides or resources, etc.
Guest Blog
It is nothing but writing blog posts for other websites or blogs in your industry. But, this can help increase the credibility and visibility of your brand, and the website or blog owner may choose to link back to your website in the blog post.
Things to consider during Guest blogging:
- Make sure the website or blog is relevant to your industry
- Ensure that the website or blog has a good reputation
- Make sure the link to your website is not paid for or exchanged
Get Press Coverage
Getting press coverage in a local newspaper or a major publication can help bring credibility and visibility to your brand. But, Sometimes, the article may include a link to your website for readers to learn more about your business. Some of the press coverage sites are
- HARO, Help a Reporter Out, and
- Muck Rack.
Keep an Eye on your competitors.
Please pay attention to websites or blogs that link to your competitors’ content and reach out to them with your high-quality content. However, This can be a great way to get natural backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites.
Competitors are the natural source of backlinks. However, If they are getting good links, those links can be a source of inspiration.
Some of the tools to spy on your competitors are
- SEMrush and
- Ahrefs, etc.
Build Relationships With Industry Influencers
Nowadays, Influencers are the trend in marketing. Networking and building relationships with industry leaders and influencers can lead to natural backlinks. However, these influencers may share your content on their website or social media, potentially leading to a backlink.
Ways to find influencers in the industry are:
- Follow industry leaders on social media
- Attend networking events
- Join industry-related online groups and forums, etc.
Improve Your Website
Google and other search engines prioritize websites that are user-friendly, secure, and have high-quality content. So, improving these aspects of your website can increase the chances of getting natural backlinks.
A well-designed and user-friendly website can help improve the credibility of your brand and encourage natural backlinks. But, Some ways to improve your website are
- including a clear and informative About Us page,
- having easy navigation,
- regularly updating content, and
- having a secure HTTPS domain.
Keep An Eye Out For Broken Links.
Using a tool such as Broken Link Check, you can search for broken links on websites and blogs relevant to your industry. Once you find one, reach out to the website owner and offer a link to your relevant content to replace the broken link.
This can help improve the user experience on their website and potentially lead to a natural backlink for your website.
These are just some ways to get natural backlinks for your website. It is important to remember that natural building backlinks takes time and effort but can significantly benefit your search engine rankings in the long run.
Google’s Comment On Natural Backlinks
“Building natural links to your website should be the cornerstone of your link-building efforts. But, No matter what Google or others might say, if you have a great website, people will want to link to it. However, Focus on creating unique and valuable content that other websites will find worthwhile. As always, avoid any deceptive practices.”
Google advises against buying backlinks or participating in link schemes to increase your rankings artificially. These practices can lead to penalties from search engines.
FAQs
Q- How Long Does It Take To See Results From Natural Backlinks?
It depends on the quality and quantity of the natural backlinks and other factors, such as your website’s overall SEO. However, it is essential to remember that natural building backlinks take time, and consistently creating high-quality content can lead to long-term success.
Q- Are Natural Backlinks Better Than Unnatural Or Paid Backlinks?
In general, yes. Paid or unnatural backlinks can potentially lead to penalties from search engines. On the other hand, They are more credible and can benefit your website’s search engine rankings in the long term.
Q- How Can I Track My Natural Backlinks?
There are a variety of tools, such as SEMrush and Ahrefs, that can help track your natural backlinks. These tools can also provide insights into the quality of these backlinks and where they are coming from.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have a better understanding of natural backlinks and how to acquire them, it’s time to start implementing these strategies for your website.
If you have any questions regarding natural backlinks, then feel free to leave your questions in the comment section. We will be happy to answer you.
Thanks for reading 🙂
