Probably, you saw that most blog posts have links inside them. Backlinking is a vital element of a successful SEO strategy. Links could show to search engines that a site is recognizable, reliable, and, thus, deserves the highest place on the search engine results pages (SERPs). However, a huge number of incorporated links is not enough as their types also matter. Different links have unique purposes and differentiate the levels of impact on search engine rankings and the outcomes you can see from developing them.

However, two types matter the most. We’ll get to them after a short background piece for beginners out there.

Link and Backlink 101

In simple words, a link is a connection between two websites. The easiest way of putting it is everything that guides you to some page after you click on it is called a link. And you can create a reference from everything like an image, piece of text, or even video clip. A backlink is a mention of your website by another one (with a link, obviously).

But before using or requesting one, you should know what types there are, and what links really matter for the engines and your campaign. Out of the many kinds, not all can help you to improve your rankings.

What Adds Value to a Backlink?

Backlinks are not all created equal, so it is important to realize what makes a link valuable. Some factors make links more beneficial than others and some of them could make a mention very useless or even harmful for SEO.

There are three main factors that could add value to each reference:

1. The quality of the linking website

You need to be sure of the reliability of the backlinks that you incorporate in your post or ask another source to publish. The most qualified links come from valuable websites. The most trustworthy resources will send positive indications to search engines, and this will work well for your own platform.

2. Do follow and no follow statuses

With these options links’ publishers could also add or remove some value from the link. By HTML code you can set the link as either “do follow” or “no follow.”

The link with the first status will send a signal to search engines that will recognize and give SEO importance to the links. “No follow” rank says to search engines to pass over the links and give them less value. Obviously, “do follow” links are more helpful as they send a positive message to search engines. 

3. On-site link location

The place for your links is an important factor that you should take into account if you want to create high-quality backlinks. The most powerful links are usually placed in the main body content of the website. If you publish them in the header or sidebar, they could not receive the necessary attention from search engines.

Now you need to go deeper. Review all link types and decide what will definitely work for you. You will find many useful lists and many classifications here and at sites like reviewsxp.com. However, only two backlink kinds really matter for optimization and could be useful in any case.

What are these two SEO links?

Guest Blogging Backlinks

There are different ways for building backlinks and guest posting is one of them. You can also purchase quality backlinks from blogs by cooperating with professional services that have connections with credible donors. Usually, if you submit a guest post on some platform, they let you incorporate an editorial mention within your content.

Links in guest posts are a reliable way to build backlinks, trust, and authority through other influential publications. You just need a strong list of valuable guest blogging sites and master outreach writing skills.

Editorial Backlinks

Editorial mentions are probably the best types of free website backlinks. An editorial mention is when another brand or service owner refers to your website and recommends you as a provider of quality content, products, or services. An editorial backlink example is when someone refers to your brand or article as a source of information or an interview with someone associated with your website.

Of course, to get editorial links, you need to have high-quality content and strong marketing strategies. And it is important to generate shareable content that other sites will want to talk about. If you are an experienced brand owner and your platform has already good SEO rankings, editorial backlinks will help you to take a step forward.

Getting Backlinks Naturally or Buying Them?

A balance of both.

In general, you can have natural and manually obtained links. Where exactly depends on the quality of your content, its niche, and many other factors. If you get links from other websites, it tells search engines that your website is relevant and of good quality.

A normal and natural link is that you get from other platform owners without you requesting it. It shows that your platform has good content and other authors recommend it. They redirect their audience to your site because your page contains the information they think is worth sharing.

To create backlinks, you need to invest effort, time, and energy. At times, also money. You should communicate with other website owners and bloggers to link and feature your page or collaborate with link-building agencies. For example, you can purchase quality backlinks from blogs as they are already important for Google (News - Alert).

Any good SEO strategy is impossible without high-quality links. And their quantity isn’t what matters. Only their quality and reliability are vital. There are different types of backlinks that come with varying levels of value and importance. Create your link-building plans around acquiring top-tier links that will be the most beneficial to your SEO.