---
title: "Backlink"
description: "A hyperlink from one website pointing to a page on another website, used by search engines as a signal of authority and trust."
url: "https://skribra.com/glossary/backlink"
type: "glossary-term"
category: "SEO Fundamentals"
updated: "2026-06-08"
---

# Backlink

**Definition.** A hyperlink from one website pointing to a page on another website, used by search engines as a signal of authority and trust.

**In short.** Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Search engines treat them as votes of confidence — the more high-quality backlinks you have, the more authority your site earns.

## Key points

- Backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites carry significantly more weight than links from low-quality sources
- The anchor text of a backlink gives search engines context about the linked page's topic
- A diverse backlink profile with links from many unique domains is more valuable than many links from the same source
- Toxic or spammy backlinks can harm rankings and may require disavowal via Google Search Console

## Why Backlinks Matter for SEO

Backlinks remain one of Google's strongest ranking signals, dating back to the original PageRank algorithm. When a credible website links to your content, it transfers a portion of its authority — often called 'link equity' — to your page[1]. This signal tells search engines that your content is valuable enough for others to reference. Pages with strong backlink profiles consistently outperform those without in competitive [search results](https://skribra.com/glossary/serp).

## Types of Backlinks

Not all backlinks are equal. Dofollow links pass link equity and directly influence rankings, while nofollow links include a rel='nofollow' attribute that tells Google to treat them as hints rather than directives[1]. Editorial backlinks — earned naturally because your content is genuinely useful — are the gold standard. Paid links, link exchanges, and link schemes violate Google's spam policies and can result in manual penalties[2]. Your [Domain Authority](https://skribra.com/glossary/domain-authority) is largely a function of the quality and quantity of your dofollow backlink profile.

## How to Earn Quality Backlinks

The most sustainable backlink strategy is creating content so useful, data-driven, or unique that others naturally want to reference it. Original research, comprehensive guides, and free tools attract [organic links](https://skribra.com/glossary/organic-traffic) over time[3]. Outreach — contacting relevant sites to let them know about your resource — amplifies this. Guest posting on reputable publications in your niche, getting listed in industry directories, and building relationships with journalists through HARO (Help a Reporter Out) are all proven acquisition tactics that improve your overall [Domain Authority](https://skribra.com/glossary/domain-authority).

## Related terms

- [Domain Authority](https://skribra.com/glossary/domain-authority): A third-party score (0–100) developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages based on its backlink profile.
- [SERP](https://skribra.com/glossary/serp): The page Google or another search engine displays in response to a user's query, containing organic results, paid ads, and rich features like featured snippets, image packs, and knowledge panels.
- [Organic Traffic](https://skribra.com/glossary/organic-traffic): Website visitors who arrive through unpaid search engine results, as opposed to paid ads, social media, direct visits, or referral links.
- [E-E-A-T](https://skribra.com/glossary/e-e-a-t): Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — Google's framework for evaluating content quality, used by human Quality Raters to assess search result quality and inform algorithm development.

## Sources

1. [Google Search Central — Link Schemes & Spam Policies](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
2. [Ahrefs — Link Building for SEO: The Beginner's Guide](https://ahrefs.com/seo/link-building)
3. [Ahrefs — How to Get Backlinks](https://ahrefs.com/blog/how-to-get-backlinks/)

## Machine-readable index

- HTML version of this page: https://skribra.com/glossary/backlink
- Site index for agents: https://skribra.com/llms.txt
- Sitemap: https://skribra.com/sitemap.xml
- Public REST API: https://skribra.com/api/v1
- OpenAPI specification: https://skribra.com/openapi.json