A backlink is a link from another website to yours. This guide explains why backlinks matter to Google and to real visitors, and what makes one good or bad.
A backlink is a link from another website to a page on yours. Google uses links to find new pages and as a signal when judging how relevant pages are, although it is one signal among many. A good backlink is placed by choice on a relevant page that people read. Bought or automated links can break Google's spam policies.
What is a backlink?
A backlink, also called an inbound link, is a link from another website to a page on yours. Anyone asking what is a backlink is usually asking something bigger: do links matter, and what should a business do about them? The answers start with a few definitions.
- A backlink points to your site from another site. A trade association that lists your business and links to your home page has given you one.
- An internal link points from one page of your site to another page on the same site.
- An outbound link points from your site to another site.
A link has parts that matter: the address it points to, the clickable words (the anchor text) and, sometimes, a rel attribute that qualifies it. Google says it can generally follow only links that are ordinary link elements with an address. It also says good anchor text is descriptive, reasonably short and relevant to both the page it sits on and the page it points to.
Why backlinks matter
Google says it uses links as a signal when working out how relevant pages are, and to find new pages to crawl. Its guide to ranking systems adds that PageRank, an early link-based system, is still part of its core ranking systems. Google's SEO Starter Guide is plain that this is one signal among many and that there is much more to Google Search than links.
Backlinks matter to a business in ways that do not depend on Google. People click them, so a link from a page your customers read brings visitors who already trust the source. A mention on a respected local or trade site also works as an introduction. A link that sends enquiries is worth having even if it did nothing for rankings.
Backlinks do not all matter equally. One link from a relevant page that real readers use is a different thing from many links on pages nobody visits. Be wary of advice that treats a link count as a score.
Do backlinks help SEO?
In general, yes. Links from other sites are one of the signals Google uses, and Google has described links given as an editorial choice as a positive sign of a site's importance. The limits matter as much as the benefit.
- Nobody outside Google can say how much a given link is worth, and no number of links ensures a position.
- Links earned through useful pages tend to arrive slowly. Links made for the purpose of ranking can break Google's spam policies.
- A site with thin content and many links is still a thin site. Google's guidance on helpful content asks about the content itself first.
The sensible reading is that backlinks are a result of having something worth linking to, and a useful extra signal once the pages themselves are good.
What makes a backlink good or bad
The test is the one Google applies: was the link placed because it helps readers, or placed to influence rankings? A link is more likely to be a good one when it:
- sits in useful text on a page that real people read
- comes from a site on a related subject
- uses descriptive wording, such as a page title or a name, instead of the same keyword phrase every time
- points to a page on your site that is worth visiting
Google's spam policies describe link spam as creating links to or from a site mainly to manipulate rankings. The examples it lists include buying or selling links for ranking, excessive link exchanges, automated link creation, low-quality directory links, and footer or widget links that are widely distributed. Paid links are allowed when they are marked as paid. The guide to link building mistakes covers these risks and the honest alternatives in detail.
Nofollow, sponsored and ugc: what link attributes mean
A website can tell Google how to treat a link by adding a rel attribute. Google names three values. The sponsored value is for advertisements and paid placements. The ugc value is for links in user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts. The nofollow value is the general one, for links the site does not want to vouch for. A normal link needs no attribute at all.
Google treats these values as hints, not commands. A marked link still sends visitors and can still bring you customers. It is simply not meant to pass ranking credit in the usual way. A nofollow link from a respected site is still worth welcoming for the readers it sends.
How to see who links to your site
The Links report in Search Console shows external links in three views: top linked pages, top linking sites and top linking text. Google calls it a sample, not a complete list, and the report does not show whether a link is nofollow. Third-party tools build their own databases, so their figures differ from Search Console and from each other. Treat any figure as a trend over time and not as an exact count.
When you read the list, look for the pattern behind it: which of your pages attract links, which sites link, and why. Pages that attract links usually answer a specific question or hold something readers cannot easily find elsewhere. That tells you what to publish more of.
Keep the backlinks you already have
Backlinks point to web addresses, so careless changes waste them. If you move or rename a page, a permanent redirect from the old address to the new one is Google's preferred way to handle it, and Google treats it as a signal that the new address should be the canonical one. Redirect each old address to the most relevant new page, not everything to the home page. A page that now shows an error leaves the linking site sending visitors to a dead end.
Duplicate addresses can split links. If one page can be reached at several addresses, such as with and without www or with tracking parameters, other sites may link to different versions. Google says that when you give clear canonical signals it can consolidate signals such as links from the duplicates into the preferred address. The guide to duplicate content and canonical tags explains how to set that up.
How to earn backlinks without chasing them
Links follow useful pages and real relationships. A practical approach for a small business looks like this.
- Publish pages worth citing: a clear explanation, a useful checklist, original photographs, or an honest answer to a question customers ask often.
- Plan each page before you write it. The guide to SEO content briefs shows how to set out the reader, the question and what the page must contain, which is what makes a page worth linking to.
- Check the entries that suppliers, partners, trade bodies and local organisations you already work with publish about you, and ask for corrections where they are wrong.
- Tell people who would genuinely benefit when you publish something new, such as a local newspaper or an industry newsletter. Google's SEO Starter Guide says other sites linking to you happens naturally over time and that you can encourage it by promoting your site.
Do not pay for unmarked links, join link exchanges at scale or use automated link tools. If you want an adviser to review how your site is linked, the search engine optimisation service page describes the SEO support Liftup offers.
Questions and answers
What is a backlink?
A backlink, also called an inbound link, is a link from another website to a page on yours. It can send visitors to you, and Google uses links to find pages and as one signal of relevance. A link between two pages of your own site is an internal link, not a backlink.
Why do backlinks matter?
Google says it uses links as a signal when judging how relevant pages are, and to find new pages to crawl. Backlinks also send real visitors and act as introductions from sites your customers trust. They are one signal among many, not a score to maximise.
What makes a backlink good or bad?
A good backlink is placed by choice, on a relevant page that people read, with descriptive wording, pointing to a page worth visiting. A bad one is bought without being marked, produced by automation, swapped in bulk or placed on a page that exists only to carry links. Google's spam policies cover these cases.
How many backlinks do I need?
There is no set number, and Google does not publish a target. A few relevant links from real sites are worth more than many from pages nobody reads. Concentrate on pages worth linking to and on genuine relationships.
Do nofollow links count?
Google treats nofollow, sponsored and ugc values as hints about which links to consider or exclude. They are not meant to pass ranking credit in the usual way, but they can still send visitors who become customers.
How can I see which sites link to mine?
Open the Links report in Search Console to see top linking sites, top linked pages and top linking text. Google says it is a sample, not a full list. Third-party tools use their own databases, so their numbers differ.