Backlinks: what they are and how to earn good links

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. To Google, such a link is a vote of confidence: the more strong sites point to you, the more credible you become. But not every link counts. One link from a trusted, relevant site is worth more than a hundred links from weak sites. In this article you will learn what backlinks are, why they shape your rankings, and how to earn them safely.

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What are backlinks exactly?

A backlink, also called an inbound link, is a reference from an external website to a page on your site. If someone clicks that link, they land on your page.

For SEO, backlinks matter because Google reads them as recommendations, as Moz on backlinks also explains. When a trusted site links to you, that tells Google: this page is worth trusting. That trust is called authority, and authority helps you rank higher.

Think of it as word of mouth. One recommendation from a respected expert carries more weight than ten from random strangers.

Why do backlinks shape your rankings?

Good content and strong technical SEO are needed to rank, but often they are not enough. On a young or rebuilt domain, even excellent pages stay stuck without authority behind them.

That comes down to how Google thinks: content covers the topic, links earn the right to rank for it, and your brand makes you the recognized choice. You need all three. Backlinks are the second pillar. Without links, your content stays well-organized knowledge that no one sees at the top.

What makes a good backlink?

Not every link is worth the same. Three things determine quality:

• Authority of the source. A link from a well-known, trusted site carries a lot of weight. A link from an unknown, weak site almost none.
• Relevance. A link from your industry or field counts for more than a random link. A construction company gains more from a link on a trade magazine than from a cooking blog.
• Context. A link in the middle of a relevant article, with a natural anchor text, is stronger than a link hidden in a footer.

Dofollow, nofollow and the types of links

Not every link passes along the same value. The distinction that matters most sits in a small piece of code: the link’s rel attribute.

Dofollow versus nofollow

A dofollow link is the default: it passes authority to the page it points to. That is the link SEO revolves around. A nofollow link carries the attribute rel="nofollow" and tells Google: do not count this reference as a recommendation. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict command, and also recognizes rel="sponsored" (for paid links) and rel="ugc" (for user-generated content), as Google describes in the documentation on qualified links.

A common mistake is writing off nofollow links as worthless. They often send relevant traffic, keep your link profile natural, and can still lead to dofollow mentions. In practice, we see that a healthy profile always contains a mix.

Editorial versus self-built links

An editorial link is one you get because someone spontaneously mentions your content or expertise. That is the strongest kind: earned, in context and hard to fake. A self-built link is one you place yourself, for example in a guest article or business directory. It can be valuable, but becomes risky the moment it is forced or placed in bulk. The rule of thumb: a link to reach real readers is fine, a link only to mislead Google is a risk.

Which backlinks should you avoid?

This is where it often goes wrong. In the chase for more links, companies buy packages of hundreds of links, or swap links in bulk. Google spots that pattern and can penalize you for it. The link spam policy from Google Search Central describes exactly which practices go against the guidelines.

Watch out for these red flags:

• Packages that promise “100 backlinks for 50 euros”.
• Links from sites that are about nothing or written in a foreign language.
• Networks that exist only to place links.
• The same exact anchor text that appears everywhere.

One strong, earned link is worth more than a thousand bought ones. Quality beats quantity, always, and this comprehensive guide to backlinks confirms it too.

How do you earn strong backlinks?

You do not buy good backlinks, you earn them. You do that by making or being something others are glad to point to:

• Create content worth sharing. Original research, your own numbers, a handy guide or tool.
• Be a source. Share your expertise in the press and on industry platforms, so journalists and peers point to you.
• Build partnerships. Work with companies and organizations in your industry that link to you naturally.
• Be active where your audience is. Mentions in the right places feed both your authority and your visibility in AI models such as GEO.

This is patient work, and it pays off. Earned links stay in place and build authority that competitors struggle to catch up with.

How many backlinks do you need?

There is no magic number. It depends on your industry and your competitors. The right question is not “how many links do I need”, but “how strong is my link profile compared with whoever ranks above me”.

That is why a good approach starts with an analysis: who links to you, who links to your competitors, and which gap you need to close. A thorough SEO audit maps that out, as part of a broader SEO approach.

Common mistakes with backlinks

These slip-ups keep coming back at companies that work on their own links:

• Chasing quantity. A hundred weak links give less than one strong one. Whoever steers by numbers builds a profile Google is more likely to distrust than reward.
• Using the same anchor text everywhere. Ten times exactly “cheap solar panels Antwerp” as link text is unnatural. Natural links vary in wording.
• Buying what you should earn. A link package delivers quick numbers, but the moment Google recognizes the pattern, you lose more than you gained.
• Ignoring relevance. A link from a popular but completely unrelated site weighs lighter than you think. Context determines the value.
• Never measuring. Without holding your link profile up against your competitors’, you do not know whether you are making progress. So start with an SEO audit.

From backlinks to more leads

Backlinks are not a goal in themselves. The goal is more leads. Authority helps you rank, but traffic alone yields nothing if your site does not convince visitors.

The fastest win often sits in a better conversion rate through conversion rate optimization. In the programs we roll out for more leads, we often see a doubling to tripling of the number of inquiries.

That is how a strong SEO approach at Gom Nederland delivered 400% more daily visitors within 66 days.

Frequently asked questions

Are nofollow links worthless?

No. They pass along less authority than dofollow links, but they send relevant traffic, keep your profile natural, and belong to every healthy link profile. A mix of dofollow and nofollow is normal, a profile with only dofollow links looks more manipulated.

How long does it take for backlinks to have an effect?

There is no fixed timeframe. Google first has to crawl the linking page, and the authority then seeps through gradually. Count on weeks to months, not days. Earned links do stay in place and build up, while bought links can be penalized at any moment.

Can I buy backlinks?

Paid links that pass authority go against Google’s policy and can lead to a penalty. A paid placement should get a rel="sponsored". In practice, we steer toward earned links through strong content and partnerships, because those deliver over the long term without risk.

Want a stronger link profile?

We map your link profile, compare it with your competitors, and build your authority in a safe way. No bought packages, just earned links that stay in place.

We are a small team, so we move fast and do more than you expect. Book your free intro call and you will hear within 24 hours where your opportunities lie.