What Are Backlinks? (And Why They’re Like Street Cred for Your Website)

🧠 What the Hell Are Backlinks Anyway?

Alright, let’s cut the jargon. Backlinks are just links — from other websites that point back to yours.

That’s it.

You know when your friend says, “Hey, check out this cool site” and drops a link? That’s a backlink — just happening digitally, and Google sees it.

In nerdy terms:
A backlink = one website linking to another.

In human terms:
A backlink = an online shoutout.

And Google? Google loves shoutouts. The more sites linking to you, the more Google thinks, “Hmm, this page must be legit.”

🏆 Why Backlinks Matter (Like, A LOT)

Look. You can have the prettiest website, the best-written blog post, and the cleanest SEO setup…

But if no one’s linking to you?

Google’s gonna treat your page like a sad wallflower at prom.

Here’s why backlinks matter:

They act like votes. More backlinks = more authority.
They build trust. Google’s not stupid. If legit sites link to you, you’re probably not a scam.
They boost rankings. Want to hit Page 1? Get links.
They bring traffic. People click links. Obvious but powerful.

Bottom line: Backlinks = authority + traffic + rankings.

No backlinks = SEO crickets.

🎯 Types of Backlinks (Yes, There Are Levels to This)

Not all backlinks are created equal. Let’s break it down:

1. Dofollow Links

These are the golden ones. They pass “link juice” (SEO value) to your site.

→ Example: A blog mentions your site and links to it without using “nofollow” tags.

These are the links you want.

2. Nofollow Links

Still good. Still traffic-worthy. But they don’t pass SEO juice.

→ Example: Links in YouTube descriptions or some social media sites.

Don’t chase them exclusively, but don’t ignore them either. A natural backlink profile has both.

3. High-Authority Links

These are backlinks from big sites: Forbes, HubSpot, Medium, NYT, etc.

Google loves these like cat people love cat memes.

4. Low-Quality or Spammy Links

Shady directories. Sketchy comment sections. Sites with weird names.

You don’t want 10,000 of these. Trust me. Google’s not dumb anymore.

🧪 How Google Uses Backlinks

So how does the almighty algorithm actually use backlinks?

Here’s the scoop:

Relevance: Is the link from a site in your niche?
Authority: Is the site respected in Google’s eyes?
Anchor Text: What’s the clickable text on the link?
Placement: Sidebar? Footer? Or smack in the middle of juicy content?

Google takes all this into account.

So a link from a food blog pointing to your knitting website? Meh.
But a link from another knitting blog, using “best yarn kits” as anchor text? Banger.

💣 How to Get Backlinks (Without Begging or Being Weird)

Okay, okay. So backlinks matter. Now what?

Here are 5 raw ways to actually get them:

1. Create Link-Worthy Content

Yes, it’s cliché. But it works. People don’t link to boring stuff.
Create epic, useful, weird, or data-driven content.

Examples:

Massive guides
Industry stats
Checklists
Original research
Tools or templates

If it makes people go “Oh damn, I need to bookmark this” — it’s backlink bait.

2. Write Guest Posts

Reach out to blogs in your niche. Offer to write a quality post for free.
You’ll usually get 1-2 links in the author bio or body.

Don’t be lazy. Actually make the post good. Hosts love that.

3. Use HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

Reporters need sources. You’re a source.

Free backlinks from media sites? Yes, please.

4. Broken Link Building

This one’s sneaky-smart.

Find broken links on other blogs. Hit them up like:

“Hey, I saw this link on your site is dead. Here’s a working resource (mine) you could replace it with.”

It’s helpful, and you get a backlink out of it.

5. Skyscraper Method

Find content in your niche that has TONS of backlinks.
Create something way better.
Then email the people who linked to the original and say:

“Hey, you linked to this piece — I’ve made an updated version with more insights. Want to check it out?”

It works. Like, really well.

😬 Common Backlink Mistakes (Don’t Be That Guy)

Let’s talk what NOT to do. Because Google’s gotten smarter than ever.

❌ Buying Links from Fiverr

Yeah, you’ll get 10,000 links for $20.
Also… congratulations, you now have 10,000 spammy backlinks. Good luck with that penalty.

❌ Spamming Blog Comments

You’re not fooling anyone. Especially not Google.

❌ Keyword-Stuffing Anchor Text

Every link can’t be “best SEO agency in New York.” Be natural.

❌ Ignoring Link Context

A link buried in the footer with no context is useless.
A link in a well-written paragraph? Gold.

🧠 Bonus: How to Check Your Backlinks (Because Yes, You Should)

You want to spy on your links. Track what’s working. Fix what’s broken.

Here are tools that do the job:

Ahrefs – Arguably the king of backlink tracking
SEMrush – Solid all-in-one SEO tool
Ubersuggest – Budget-friendly, gives backlink data
Google Search Console – Free, accurate, basic
Moz Link Explorer – Another option, decent metrics

Plug in your domain and BOOM — backlink profile exposed.

You’ll see:

Who links to you
How strong the links are
What anchor text they used
Which pages are getting most love

🚀 Final Words: Backlinks Are the Fuel, Not the Engine

So here’s the real talk:

Backlinks are a huge part of SEO, but they’re not everything.

You still need:

Killer content
Technical SEO
A decent website
Patience (ugh, yeah)

But if you’re ignoring backlinks, you’re leaving a mountain of rankings and traffic on the table.

Now go out there and earn your online street cred.

You don’t need to be sleazy.
You don’t need to be fake.

Just be useful, be smart, and make people WANT to link to you.

That’s the backlink game.

Mic drop. 🎤

What Are Backlinks?