Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Link Building

In this chapter, you will learn about the basics of link building, how they impact rankings, and why businesses need them.

What is Link Building?

Link building is a proven way to improve websites’ rankings on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo! It is the process of creating a network of one-way links that are also known as backlinks.

It is one of the three crucial aspects of SEO: On-page SEO, Technical SEO, and Off-Page SEO (Link Building).

What are Backlinks?

A link that is created when one web page mentions another web page is called a backlink.

These mentions that you get from another webpage link back to your site, and hence, the phenomenon is known as Backlinking.

They are also called inbound links, incoming links, or one-way links.

But before looking into why we need backlinks, let’s explore the background.

Background

Over the years, search engines have evolved a lot, and backlinks have become the core part of ranking algorithms.

When Yahoo and Alta Vista had the crown, the rankings solely depended on the content. No other factors were taken into account. After a while, Google seized the throne, and the ranking game changed forever.

Since then, Google has introduced, updated, and discarded many ranking factors.

Backlinking, however, has remained one of Google’s essential ranking factors.

Backlinking as a Ranking Factor

Google’s PageRank Algorithm not only analyzes the content but also looks at how many pages link to that page.

For Google and other search engines, backlinks act as a vote to improve the ranking of your site on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs)

However, just the number of links as a ranking factor can lead to spammy sites with manipulative practices such as:

Excessive and unnatural links (Black Hat SEO)
Backlinks from low-quality websites (Authority)
Backlinks from irrelevant niches/industries (Relevance)

Then, Google considered the quality of the links and released the Penguin Update in 2012.

The Penguin algorithm started penalizing any website with unnatural backlinks. As a result of penalization, websites faced demotion and a serious decrease in organic reach.

However, websites with organic/natural backlinks are not only helpful with ranking but also provide many other benefits.

Benefits of Backlinking

When other websites link back to you, it indicates to Google that the content on your website is unique, relevant, and authentic. Moreover, backlinking is also essential in gaining authority, which can ultimately help businesses to grow faster.

For Businesses

With better search rankings, businesses have the opportunity to tell their story (branding), answer queries about their industry (blog), and solve the problems of users (product/service).

Why are backlinks essential to new businesses?

Search engines send some traffic to the new sites based on their content, but they still need high-quality links to get a better ranking on search engines.

Overview