Understanding the different types of backlinks is crucial for any serious SEO strategy, but most people overcomplicate it. Look, I get it – you’ve heard backlinks are the holy grail of SEO, but every time someone mentions the various types, your brain turns to mush.
Here’s the thing – understanding backlinks isn’t rocket science. It’s just that most people make it sound way more complicated than it needs to be. Once you know the basics, you’ll see exactly which ones to focus on and which ones to avoid.
What Are Backlinks Anyway?
A backlink is simply when another website links to yours. Think of it like a vote of confidence – when a respected site links to your content, they’re basically saying “Hey, this stuff is worth checking out.”
Google sees this and thinks “Right, if trusted sites are linking to this page, it must be valuable.” That’s how your rankings go up. The more quality votes you get, the higher you climb in search results.
Why Backlink Variety Actually Matters
Here’s what most people get wrong about backlinks – they think more equals better. Wrong. Google’s smarter than that, and if all your backlinks come from the same type of source, it looks suspicious.
Like when someone only gets recommendations from their mum’s friends. You need variety – different sources, different contexts, different types. That’s what makes your backlink profile look natural and trustworthy to search engines.
The 8 Types of Backlinks You Need to Know
1. Editorial Backlinks
These are the backlinks that happen naturally. A journalist reads your research and links to it in their article, or a blogger finds your content helpful and references it. No begging, no bribing, no awkward outreach emails required.
Why they’re brilliant:
- Google loves them because they’re genuine
- They come from relevant, high-quality sources
- They’re sustainable long-term
How to get them: Create content so good that people can’t help but link to it. I know, easier said than done, but that’s literally the strategy that works best.
2. Guest Post Backlinks
You write content for someone else’s blog, they publish it with a link back to your site. Classic win-win situation that builds relationships while earning backlinks.
The catch: Google’s getting pickier about these. If your guest post reads like a thinly veiled sales pitch, you’re in trouble with both the site owner and search engines.
Do it right:
- Focus on genuine value for their audience
- Write for their readers, not yours
- Make the content so good they’d publish it even without the link
3. Digital PR Backlinks
This is when you get coverage in online publications. Maybe you’ve got a unique take on industry trends, or you’ve done research that journalists want to cite in their articles.
Examples include: Getting quoted in a Forbes article, having your study mentioned in TechCrunch, or being featured in an industry report. These backlinks carry serious weight because they come from authoritative sources that Google trusts.
4. HARO Backlinks
HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. Journalists post requests for expert opinions, you respond with something insightful, and if they use your quote, you get a backlink.
Pro tip: Don’t just answer the question – answer it better than anyone else will. Be specific, be helpful, be memorable, and you’ll stand out from the crowd of generic responses.
5. Broken Link Replacement Backlinks
You find dead links on relevant websites and reach out to suggest your content as a replacement. It’s brilliant because you’re solving a real problem while earning a relevant backlink.
The process: Find broken links on relevant sites, create content that matches what the broken link was about, reach out with a friendly heads-up about the broken link, then suggest your content as a replacement.
6. Resource Page Backlinks
These come from pages that list helpful resources in your industry. Think “Best Marketing Tools” or “Ultimate Guide to Design Resources” – pages specifically created to curate valuable links for readers.
Why they work: Site owners want to provide value to their audience, so if your content genuinely helps their readers, they’re happy to include it. Plus, these pages are specifically designed for linking out to quality resources.
How to get them: Find resource pages in your niche, create content that’s genuinely better than what’s already listed, then reach out with a friendly suggestion. Focus on pages that are actively maintained and updated.
7. Local/Business Directory Backlinks
These are your basic business listings: Google My Business, Yelp, industry-specific directories. Not glamorous, but important for local SEO, building citation consistency, and establishing basic online presence.
Don’t expect these to move the needle dramatically, but they’re part of a solid foundation. Focus on the directories that actually matter in your industry rather than submitting to every directory you can find.
8. UGC Backlinks
These come from user-generated content platforms like Reddit, Quora, and industry forums. The key is being genuinely helpful – answer questions thoroughly, share insights generously, build reputation over time.
The links will follow naturally when you become a trusted voice in these communities. Don’t just drop links and run – that’s spam, and everyone can spot it a mile away.
Understanding Link Attributes
Not all backlinks are created equal, and Google uses different attributes to understand the context of links. These attributes tell search engines how to treat each link and whether it should influence rankings.
Dofollow Backlinks
These pass “link juice” from the linking site to yours and directly help your rankings. Most natural editorial links are dofollow by default, which is why they’re so valuable for SEO.
Think of dofollow links as votes that actually count in Google’s ranking algorithm. The more high-quality dofollow links you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Nofollow Backlinks
These don’t pass SEO authority directly, but they’re still valuable for referral traffic, brand exposure, and natural link profile diversity. Many people dismiss nofollow links, but that’s a mistake.
Common nofollow scenarios include: Social media links, many blog comments, and some paid placements. Even though they don’t boost rankings directly, they contribute to a natural-looking link profile.
Sponsored Backlinks
These are marked with rel=”sponsored” to tell Google they’re paid for. Examples include sponsored blog posts, paid partnerships, and advertorial content.
Google doesn’t penalise these if they’re properly marked, but they don’t help your SEO either. They’re purely for referral traffic and brand exposure, which can still be valuable.
UGC Backlinks
These carry the rel=”ugc” attribute and are for links in user-generated content. You’ll find them in forum posts, comment sections, and review platforms.
They serve a similar purpose to nofollow links but give Google more context about where the link came from. This helps search engines understand the nature of the link better.
Backlink Placement Affects Value
The placement of your backlinks on a webpage affects their value. Not all link positions are created equal, and understanding this can help you prioritise your link building efforts.
In-Content Links – The Prime Real Estate
These appear within the main body text of an article and are the most valuable type of link placement. They work because they follow natural reading flow, are contextually relevant, and typically have higher click-through rates.
When someone’s reading an article and encounters your link naturally within the content, they’re more likely to click it. Google recognises this and gives these links more weight in its algorithm.
Image Links – The Visual Connectors
When an image links to your site, it’s called an image link.
Pro tip: Make sure your images have descriptive alt text because that’s what Google uses to understand what the link is about.
Image links can be particularly effective for visual content, infographics, or product images. They’re especially valuable in industries where visual content drives engagement.
Footer and Sidebar Links – The Site-Wide Spreaders
These appear on every page of a website, which means you get lots of links quickly. However, they’re often low-value and can look spammy if overdone.
The double-edged sword: While you might get hundreds of links from a single footer placement, Google typically doesn’t value these as highly as in-content links. Use them strategically, not as your primary link building tactic.
Widget or Plugin Links – The Software Strategy
Some widgets or plugins include links back to the creator’s site. Be careful here – if you’re not transparent about these links, Google might see them as manipulative link schemes.
The key is disclosure and relevance. If your widget genuinely helps users and the link is clearly marked, it’s usually fine. But don’t try to sneak links into widgets just for SEO purposes.
Backlinks Worth Your Time
Here’s my honest take on what actually moves the needle.
Prioritise these: Editorial links from relevant, authoritative sites, guest posts on quality platforms where you provide real value, digital PR from reputable publications, and HARO opportunities in your expertise area.
Use these strategically: Directory listings for local SEO, testimonials for products you genuinely use, and broken link building where you can add real value. These won’t transform your rankings overnight, but they contribute to a solid foundation.
Avoid these: Obvious link schemes, irrelevant link farms, and other common link building mistakes that might work short-term but hurt long-term. The real strategy is creating content so valuable that people naturally want to link to it.
Build relationships with others in your industry and provide genuine value wherever you can. The backlinks will follow naturally when you focus on being genuinely helpful rather than just trying to game the system.
The Bottom Line on Backlink Diversity
Look, there’s no magic formula, but here’s what I know works.
Focus on relevance over quantity – one backlink from a relevant, authoritative site in your niche beats 100 random directory links every single time.
Think long-term, not quick wins. The tactics that work for years are the ones that provide genuine value to real people. Short-term manipulative tactics might show quick results, but they’ll hurt you in the long run.
Build relationships, not just links. The best backlinks come from people who know and trust you. Invest time in building genuine professional relationships, and the links will follow naturally.
Diversify naturally – don’t force variety for the sake of it. Let your backlink profile grow organically through different valuable activities rather than trying to tick every box on a checklist.
Track what works and monitor which types of backlinks are driving the best results for your specific situation. What works for one business might not work for another, so pay attention to your own data.
Remember, SEO isn’t about gaming the system – it’s about building a genuinely valuable online presence that people and search engines both love. The different types of backlinks are just tools in your toolkit, so use them wisely, focus on value, and your SEO will take care of itself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What’s the difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks?
Dofollow backlinks pass SEO authority from the linking site to yours, directly helping your search rankings. Nofollow backlinks don’t pass SEO juice but still drive referral traffic and contribute to a natural link profile.
You need both for a healthy backlink strategy. Don’t dismiss nofollow links just because they don’t boost rankings directly – they’re still valuable for brand exposure and building a natural-looking link profile.
2. How many backlinks do I need to rank higher?
There’s no magic number, and quality beats quantity every time. One high-authority, relevant backlink can be worth more than 100 low-quality links from random sites.
Focus on earning backlinks from sites that matter in your industry rather than chasing numbers. It’s better to have 10 relevant, authoritative links than 1,000 spammy directory listings.
3. Are paid backlinks worth the risk?
Honestly? Usually not, especially if you’re trying to manipulate rankings. Google’s getting better at spotting paid link schemes, and the penalties can devastate your rankings.
If you do use paid links, make sure they’re marked with rel=”sponsored” and focus on the referral traffic value rather than SEO benefits. Think of them as advertising, not link building.
4. Which type of backlink gives the fastest results?
Editorial backlinks from high-authority sites typically show results fastest. But here’s the thing – there are no shortcuts to sustainable SEO success, and the backlinks that show quick results often disappear just as quickly.
Focus on building lasting relationships and creating valuable content. The results might take longer, but they’ll be more sustainable and less risky than quick-fix tactics.
5. Can too many backlinks from the same source hurt my SEO?
Yes, absolutely, and this is a common mistake. If most of your backlinks come from the same website or type of source, it looks unnatural to Google and can trigger penalties.
Diversity is key – aim for backlinks from different domains, different types of sites, and different contexts within those sites. A natural backlink profile includes links from various sources and placements.
Building a diverse backlink profile with various types of backlinks isn’t just good SEO practice – it’s essential for long-term success in search rankings.
