What are Backlinks? 11 Criteria for choosing the best quality backlink

Backlink undeniably is one of the most mentioned terms in SEO work – Search Engine Optimization.

So what are Backlinks? Many SEO-ers also have difficulty defining this term. And most importantly, it is in building quality backlinks and significantly affecting keyword rankings.

In this article, I will explain what a backlink is and give you 11 criteria to choose the best quality backlink in 2022 that you should not ignore.

What are Backlinks?

Backlinks (also known as “Inbound Links”, “Incoming Links” or “One-way links”) are links from one website to a page on another website. Google and other major search engines consider them as “votes” for a particular page. Pages with high-quality backlinks tend to gain rankings in the SERP.

Past and present, quality – Relevance, and sustainability remain a top priority in search engine rankings.

First, let’s learn about common search engine optimization (SEO) terms that are closely related to backlinks!

Terms related to backlink

Here are backlink-related terms that you should know.

• Anchor Text: The text used for the Hyperlink (hyperlink) is called “Anchor Text”. Anchor Text will come in handy when you’re trying to rank for specific keywords.
• Link Juice: The flow of power when a website links to any article or the homepage of the website is “Link Juice”. Link Juice helps improve article ranking, domain authority. You can stop Link Juice by using the no-follow tag.
• Dofollow Link: By default, all links added to blog posts are dofollow links. And these links will pass the Link Juice value to the landing page.
• Nofollow Link: When a website links to another website. But that link has a Nofollow tag, then the flow of Link Juice will be limited. Nofollow links do not impact or can affect a page’s ranking, as they contribute nothing.
• In general, you should use the Nofollow tag when linking to an untrusted site. Specifically, what is the difference between Dofollow and Nofollow? Learn more here!
• Internal Link: Links that go from one page to another within the same domain are called internal links.
• Low-Quality Link: These are links from automated sites. Spam sites or even porn sites. This link will adversely affect the website. This is one of the reasons you should be careful when buying them.

The importance of backlinks in SEO

In the face of people’s doubts about whether backlinks are still effective for SEO, there are thousands of SEOers who are applying them in their SEO strategy and bringing unexpected successes. There is no more convincing answer than using the results to prove it. Everyone has done and succeeded, how about you? Let’s take a look at some of the great benefits that they bring to further confirm your stance!
But now many backlinks are used to point to the website alone is not enough.

Therefore, you cannot use the method of just sitting “plowing” the forum or “Blog commenting” continuously. Or sit down to build 2.0 websites, go thousands, tens of thousands of them, and hope that they will help you to the top position of Google.

However, in general, backlinks will support an SEO strategy to:

1. Improve Rank

Why backlinks can help you improve search engine rankings?

You can imagine simply as follows: If the website has good backlinks, it is like a VIP ticket to pass easily.

In general, the more quality backlinks your website has, the more likely it is to rank for relevant search queries.

Why I can confirm this? Because according to studies from many sources on link-based ranking factors, the number of them to Unique websites (Referring Domains) is strongly correlated with traffic from organic search.

2. Increased likelihood of being discovered

You should know that search engine bots will occasionally “visit” pages they have previously visited to check for new links. The more reputable the website – The more it will be favored by the bot to visit again more often than other less reputable websites.

So if you get backlinks from reputable sites, search engines can detect your content much faster.

3. Increase Referral Traffic Effectively

Another reason to build backlinks is that they help navigate users from one content to another. When someone clicks on a backlink pointing to your article, you understand that you have received 1 referral visit.

So if you get them from high-traffic sites. Then the article also received more referral visits from there.

This can see that choosing and building backlinks not only increases SEO power, but it also brings brand awareness and can convert in terms of revenue.

The following is the backlink model that everyone needs to know to be able to perform quality SEO Backlinks.

Classification of backlink placement models

In order to create effective backlinks, in addition to the basic knowledge you need to have skills and flexibility to follow Google’s regulations and algorithms, typically you need to know the common types of backlink models. Here are the 3 most popular backlink models.

Wheel Link backlink model

This is a wheel link model, as the name implies, all websites are linked to the main website and linked to 2 other websites to form a wheel. The feature of this model is that the satellite websites all point to the main site, the websites are linked together into a closed circle.

Pyramid Link backlink model

This is a pyramid link model consisting of many layers, the backlinks in the lower layer will point to the ones in the upper layer. The feature of this model is that there is only one main site at the top, the lower floors will point directly to the upper floor.

Star backlink model

The star link model is a model where the satellite sites will operate alone and point to the main site, not just to any other website.

Popular types of backlinks

Websites with more quality backlinks will be highly appreciated by Google, the ranking of the main site on the search page will automatically increase, shortening the SEO time to the top of Google.

1. Social Network Backlink

Usually to get backlinks from social networks, SEOer will set up accounts on many different social networks, then put the website URL in the profile/information of social networking sites. With this method, you will immediately get completely free backlinks, quickly and easily.

Although the ones on social networks are all tagged “no follow”, they still bring good results for your SEO work such as increasing brand awareness, diversifying types of backlinks, helping SEO Google Maps, etc.

2. Backlink in the comment section (Comment)

Most platforms such as blogs, forums, social networks, etc. allow users to interact in two ways by leaving their thoughts in the comments section. You can take advantage of this comment section to put backlinks for your website.

Basically, placing them in the comment section is similar to social network backlinks. You can attract and direct people in groups and communities to visit your website through the comment section. However, you should limit the frequency of placing them in the comments because if you do it too many times, Google will consider your action as Spam.

3. Backlink from web 2.0

Web 2.0 are satellite websites built with the purpose of increasing the power of the main website. Backlinks from web 2.0 are a source of quality ones, you can get a large number of them and the Anchor Text is easy to control.

Get backlinks from web 2.0 although it will take you a lot of time to invest in building a satellite website system, but the great advantage is that you can control and maintain the life of the ones pointing to your main site.

Most large companies when investing in SEO they focus on building a system of satellite sites for promoting their keyword set and SEO strategy. This is a long-term direction to limit the risk of getting them from sources we cannot control.

4. Backlink from Guest Post

If you place Guest Posts on reputable websites that have a lot of traffic, you will get a source of quality backlinks that lead to your main site. Besides helping the website grow quickly, backlinks from Guest Post also help build author authority and spread the brand for businesses.

However, you will have to spend a relatively high cost to get a quality Guest Post.

5. Backlink from online newspapers

Reputable online newspapers are often highly appreciated by Google for their trust as well as their priority in ranking on search engines. Backlinks come from reputable sources such as major press sites with lots of traffic and provide real value to users.

However, just like ordering a Guest Post, you will have to invest a large amount of money for press booking. So, depending on each time and condition, you should consider whether or not to use press backlinks.

6. Backlink from PBN system

PBN stands for Private Blog Network which is a system of blogs with the same topic. Facing people’s doubts about its effectiveness, PBN still exists for a long time, bringing great effects to SEO, and contributing to boosting the ranking of a website.

When implementing PBN, you will shorten the time to implement SEO and speed up the process of top keywords. To build a complete BPN system, you will have to go through the following process: Earn PBNs > build PBNs > Post and link backlinks to the main site.

11 Criteria for choosing quality backlinks

Backlinks play a very important role in determining the ranking of a website. Knowing what a quality backlink is will help you have a safer, more effective SEO strategy. So based on what criteria to choose quality backlinks? Please find out in chapter 5!

1. Backlink Building: Better Search Than Build

You are interested in SEO backlinks and building quality backlinks from the forum. Try to implement and manage dozens of websites 2.0 (like Blogspot, WordPress, Tumblr…) or blog comments. And think this Link Building method will affect your website rankings.

This is wrong.

Think, if anyone could sign up for an account and easily place this backlink just like you. Then surely those sites will not be appreciated by Google.
So the number of backlinks that you earn through the effort. The effort will certainly have a much higher influence than the backlinks that you easily “build” it. Which leads to another idea, which is…

Quality backlinks are hard to get

What is the role of quality in backlinks?

Very simply, the harder it is to get backlinks, the stronger it will affect your website’s search engine rankings.

Just like in my SEO field. If I get a backlink from Ahrefs blog, it will be extremely valuable than getting backlinks from other small SEO blogs in Vietnam and billion times more than Vietnam SEO Forums.

2. Select the relevant domain

What is the criteria for choosing a backlink domain? The purpose of relevancy of a domain is mainly based on the relevance of all article content made on the entire domain.

Suppose that GTV SEO’s website has informative content written about SEO. Meanwhile, VnExpress has content written about the field of “news”. Because they don’t focus on a particular topic.

When you build backlinks Backlink. Try to get the number of popularly relevant backlinks to the entire domain.

But now you may also think: “But to get such effective backlinks, it is too difficult, so what to do now?”

3. Select specifically related articles

In addition to placing backlinks from related domains. You can also build relevancy in a specific article in that domain (even though the domain isn’t relevant at all). But you still have a lot of influence on Google.

Examples of Relevancy

1. Web about fat loss exercises, you write articles about exercises to reduce belly fat. Including backlinks to pages/articles that also talk about exercises to reduce belly fat. (The best)
2. Web about weight loss exercises, you write articles about exercises to lose belly fat. Including backlinks to your page/article that also talks about belly fat loss exercises. (very strong)
3. Health Web has articles about abdominal exercises. Including backlinks to pages/articles on how to lose belly. (strong).
4. Web for news, there are articles about abdominal exercises. Including backlinks to pages/articles on how to lose belly. (slightly strong).
5. Web about dog training, articles on dog training to help lose weight & belly fat. Including backlinks to your page/article on how to lose belly (good). (this is also often the way to put backlinks from related domains I use the most).
6. Web about dog training, articles about dog training. Backlink to your page/article on how to lose weight (completely irrelevant/spam).

In-depth analysis of backlink placement cases

Especially for cases 1, and 2 in the above example – Very rarely happens because these backlinks are simply too difficult to find and get links.

Case 3, 4, 5 – the most common, easy to find, and least expensive, also less time-consuming. This is also a popular way to put backlinks that I often use.

Case 6 – is the most time-consuming but not the most effective.

Although the DA and PA of the dog training website are quite high and you can fully benefit from it. But this will not help you SEO much and sometimes your Trust Flow and Citation Flow score will decrease significantly.

Remember, relevant backlinks are trending now and in the future. I’ve also proven that current and future SEO backlink trends will be relevant across a wide range of content/videos.

You can check out my article on web analytics in 2022 for more on this.

4. Relevance in Topical Trust Flow

Majestic, Topical Trust Flow, is one of the best ways to measure/determine the relevancy of the website/link you want to create backlinks to.

If the links you point to are in the same field as your web pages, that will be great.

What is the importance of being in the same field in backlinks?
Only those 2 things have helped you build a very good backlink.

If you wonder if you don’t know what field you are in and how you have a TTF, you can go to Google translate. Then put the keyword of your field to switch to English and then go to google.com to search for that keyword.

At this time, a series of famous foreign websites will appear. You just have to hold the website and put it in Majestic to see their TTF and you will know yours.

5. Backlink must have high DR

Many readers come here, why are you asking me why I don’t get backlinks with DA (Domain Authority) but get backlinks with DR (Domain Rating)?

Basically because Moz’s DA is not as accurate as it used to be!

One metric shows that Moz’s DA is updated at least 90 days. So I take DR as a number to measure when determining the strength of the entire website.
But be aware that, when going backlink. You should prioritize relevance first, then arrange in order of strength.

6. Prioritize Contextual

Contextual is a contextual link that is a link placed within the textual content of a web page via Anchor Text containing the phrase (exact or partial keywords. Contextual linking can prove to be a linking strategy). Very effective SEO results for your website.

This is pretty obvious based on the examples I provided above. But links placed inside content/Content, also known as contextual links, are the strongest. Other links alone may still be effective, but will be much weaker than Contextual Links.

If you use independent backlinks like Footer links or other similar Sitewide links (also known as Textlinks), make sure that:

That domain is extremely relevant to your website
Let it be Nofollow
Otherwise, when Google Email you say that you have a backlink that violates Google’s policy, I don’t know.

7. Content must be quality

This is something that not many of you think about, but the actual quality of your backlink content is very important. It should be a good piece of content, free of grammar and spelling mistakes.

The most important thing is that the articles must provide some level of value that meets the requirements of almost all users.

High-value content = shared/engaged on social media + more backlinks to that article = more quality ones for you

8. Must have Outbound Link in the same field

This I bet 99% of you do in SEO will not know or never believe.

That is if your backlink is placed in the content, and this content has Outbound links (External links) to other websites in the same field as well as reputable. Your backlinks will be increased and much better.

Imagine a quality article, with backlinks to other quality and niche sites. Accompanied by your website standing in the backlinks to other quality websites, Google will also think that you are equally qualified.

9. Use Anchor Text (correctly)

For some people when they go for backlinks, they don’t pay attention to using Anchor Text at all. This leads to their website being highly likely to never be on the Top due to over-optimization of Anchor Text.

If you have a situation where the website is standing in one place continuously for many months or falling from the Top. Then the web must have been over-optimized Anchor Text in backlinks already.

Or you want to learn how to use Anchor Text effectively when going backlinks as well as avoid Google penalties and get the best results. Take a look at how I use Anchor Text for GTV SEO’s own website.

My website from the position “no one found” until it entered the top 2-3 sets of keywords “SEO services” through the article “12 types of Anchor text – Case study GTVSEO”.

10. Diversity in IP when building backlinks

What is the diversity in the IP of the backlink?

This is too obvious, you will want your websites to be IP diverse and as much as possible.

11. Your backlink should bring a lot of traffic

A quality SEO backlink, undisputed, will at least pull a few visits to your article/website through that backlink.

So think: “I don’t know if this website/article will drive traffic to my website”.

How to get quality backlinks?

Quality backlinks or not will depend greatly on where they are located and the search engine algorithms. If your website has backlinks pointing from high-quality websites with high traffic, then Google bot will understand this as a reputable website address. When users have related queries, Google bot will recommend your website to users, so quality ones have contributed to increased SEO efficiency.
Building quality backlinks takes a lot of time and effort. So, I bring you 7 simple ways to start SEO backlinks and build quality ones for your website:

1. Add a link to the website on your Social Media profile
2. Do a Google search for a post that already ranks well. Then improve and expand that post
3. Create list posts, “how to” posts, “why” posts, infographics, or posts with embedded videos. These formats often get more backlinks than standard posts
4. Write articles about tips or secrets about products or services. These are very long articles containing thousands of words and covering every angle of the subject
5. Write guest posts on other blogs and websites
6. Reach out to influencers in your market or industry and let them know about a post on your website that they might want to link to.
7. Interview industry influencers and send them a link, they will definitely link back to your website

You should also start researching competitive backlinks. To do this, you need to see the ones of your competitors who are ranking well.

Backlink checking tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush can help you find quality backlinks. So you can start targeting those domains as part of your own link-building strategy.

Low-quality backlinks and the most common penalties

Using Anchor Text on the wrong content

Your article contains Anchor Text on a topic, but when users click on it, they will be directed to a sales and advertising page instead of a page about the topic of the anchor text. With this mistake, you will be penalized by Google for misleading users, thereby dropping your keyword rankings. To fix it, you should replace a new link that matches the anchor text and then continue to monitor to improve the quality of the anchor text.

Link compression

Many SEOers want to save money and time, so they use low-quality backlinks pointing to the main site. However, it is not known how effective it is, but placing many unnatural ones, and inappropriate topics in a short time will cause your website to be restricted from appearing on the search table.

The only way to fix this is to remove the bad links and then conduct white hat SEO to regain the ranking and credibility of the website.

Information hiding

Change the font color to match the background color for the purpose of making it invisible to users, but Google bots can still read it and you will be penalized for stuffing errors and hiding information your article will be dropped by Google top.

Suggestions on how to check website backlinks

Tracking backlinks is very important. Because, when the website is linked with malicious links, you do not take any action or know about them. After a while, Google discovered and issued a penalty. Of course, then the website ranking dropped quickly. Or worse, can’t be found in any of the search results.
So the first thing you need to do is answer these 3 questions:

• Where can I find all my backlinks?
• How can I tell if they are malicious?
• How can I contact the owners of malicious backlink sites?

Thankfully, you will get those answers with backlink tools that allow you to check website backlinks like: Google Search Console, SEMRush, Ahrefs, etc.

You can use Google Search Console to develop your website and view backlinks. But it can take a lot of time and is limited.

However, there are faster and better tools. For example, SEMRush tools, Ahrefs, you can quickly answer all three of those important questions and more.

Conclusion

Through this article, I think you have also easily understood what a backlink is and what a good backlink is.
Understanding “what a backlink is” is one thing, but implementing and how to build a backlink is another story and a lot more difficult. And it is even more difficult when SEO for an E-Commerce website.