Where you appear on Google (your SEO) is down to lots of different elements. The importance of backlinks is not usually given the priority they deserve.
To rank well with search engines, when people search for your service or product, your website needs to have ‘Authority’ (be trusted and recognised) and ‘Relevance’ (contain quality content). Neither is acheived overnight. Over time, quality backlinks can massively increase both.
Essentially:
“The more backlinks a page has, the more traffic it gets from Google”
“Yet 55.25% of pages on the internet don’t have backlinks”
(Source: Ahrefs)
So, what are backlinks?
Also known as ‘inbound links’, ‘incoming links’ and ‘one way links’ backlinks are links that connect one website to another. You can’t visibily see them. They are in the ‘back end’.
So if another website has a link to your website, you have a backlink to that website. Online directories are a great example of backlinks. You don’t have a link to their website but they have a link to your so it becomes a backlink. Making sense?
Why are they so important?
Remember we said that your SEO is based on your ‘Authority’ and your ‘Relevance’? Well, good backlinks have a significantly positive effect on both of these areas because the more quality links you have the more Google thinks ‘these guys are the real deal’ and ‘this is definitely what they do’.
The more you are respected by Google the more they will recommend you.
Does it matter what the links are?
ABSOLUTELY YES, IT DOES.
We honestly can’t emphasise this enough. Backlinko.com states that ‘A single quality backlink can be more powerful than a 1000 low-quality backlinks’. It is that serious.
This is because in order to build your authority and trust the links must come from other websites that Google respects as well. If they have doubts about a website’s authenticity, and you have a backlink with them, you’ll basically be tarred with the same brush as them.
They also need to be relevant. If you’re a gas supplier registering your details on a hair and beauty directory won’t help!
Can you add the these links yourself?
Although it sounds simple enough the Google algorithms (how they rank and trust websties) changes subtly several times a day. This, combined with the danger of adding dodgy backlinks, does make it a job for an SEO expert.
Google is also very sensitive to how, and when, you create your backlinks as well as where they come from. If you add too many in one go they think you are ‘spamming’ and penalise you for that too!
For these reasons, unless of course you are an SEO expert, we’d say you can, but we wouldn’t advise it.
What difference can backlinks make?
According to Databox:
“70% of Marketers see backlinks as more effective than PPC (Pay Per Click).”
PPC do not assist your organic search capability at all. It is paid for advertising and that is the only reason you are featuring higher on the search results.
Backlinks, however, increase your organic search rankings and push you up the search results for your key products and services because Google likes your website and trusts you.
SEO is often an industry that has a shady reputation but when done properly it can literally transform your business.
We strongly believe in SEO when it is done with purpose and is transparent and progressive. Our status as a Nettl partner lets us offer quality SEO monthly packages starting from just £200 per month. For more information on our packages please click here.
SEO is basically PR for your website. If you’d like to discuss how it could work for you email hello@adventuregraphics.co.uk or call 0121 354 1010. We know you wouldn’t regret it!
