Want to know the secret to having more notoriety on the web ? Backlinks are the answer to this question. They are naturally an integral part of SEO in what is called “netlinking”.
However, some companies and brands don't integrate them enough into the SEO part of their sites. Except that search engines like Google give a lot of importance to these backlinks. It is therefore relevant to take an interest in this subject to better integrate them into your SEO strategy . Decryption!
The essentials to know about backlinks
The backlink is literally translated “ backlink” in French . But it is best known as an » incoming link » indicating a hyperlink within content, most often text. Unlike an internal link that points to another page of the same site, a backlink refers to an external site .
There are 5 main types of backlinks. Each has its particularity and the choice depends on the objectives. But in general, backlinks allow you to get visits to your site. Thus, there are the links: dofollow, nofollow, editorial, sponsored and UCG or User Generated Content links .
Dofollow links
The term dofollow is an attribute given to an external link in a site. This tells Google's robots to consider the link and its origin. Normally, all backlinks are dofollow type to add value to SEO and more awareness . But there are situations to which this type of link is less relevant.
Nofollow links
The nofollow attribute is used to tell Google not to consider a link in the indexing and ranking criteria. This type of backlink is mainly used if you are not guarantor of a site, but you still want to put your link there. In this way, the link can always generate visits to its site without affecting the SEO quality of it.
Editorial links
Editorial-type backlinks are arguably Google's favorite . And for good reason, he favors what is most natural. Indeed, this type of link is to be put in a well-structured content on a well-chosen keyword . Most often, it is put in a blog post . The goal is to add additional information to readers, but also to increase the awareness of its own site.
Sponsored links
It is a question of paying a sum for traffic . Most often, influencers or bloggers are used. These types of links are accessible to everyone, but the price differs a lot on the market. The ideal would be to have a link to your site displayed in another well-known site. This inevitably promotes its visibility and reputation with Google.
User Generated Content links
This kind of backlinks is achieved by adding links in the comments of blogs , forums and reviews . Since 2005, this kind of practice has been highly regulated by Google, or even prohibited. Indeed, the links caused spam , which is a problem for the owners of the sites. It is therefore necessary to post the links in a legal way and without adding keywords .
The steps to develop a backlink strategy
When it comes to designing a backlink strategy, we must address everything related to netlinking or link building . It is the acquisition of links in third-party sites leading to its own site. And as in any action, especially digital, the first step is to define objectives . These must be sustainable and measurable over time. Generally speaking, the goals of a backlink strategy are to get the maximum quality backlinks possible each month.
But to be more effective, you need to segment the objectives. Remember that each page of a website has its own ranking. We often tend to favor the home page . However, do not neglect the service pages or the one that presents products of his company.
The next step is to establish expected results . This is essential to be able to measure all the actions and effects of backlinks . For an online store for example, the expected result should be the number of sales. For a service provider, this would be the number of forms received or the number of calls.
Then, you have to choose the type of backlinks to focus on according to the objectives. In the process, it is better to use tools to automate certain tasks. Note that netlinking is a very technical field. It is wiser to call on a professional if you do not master the basics of the trades .
Tips and tricks to ensure the quality of backlinks
With more than 200 rating criteria , backlinks are among the most important for Google. The latter considers a quality backlink when it is relevant, that is to say, from a site linked with that of his site. It is also necessary that the sources and typologies of links be diversified. Also, it is necessary to choose the semantic anchor to point to a page.
In addition, the effectiveness and sustainability of a netlinking strategy depends on its network. Indeed, it is necessary to build relationships with other actors in digital marketing , namely copywriters, bloggers, influencers, etc. Over time, good contacts make it possible to obtain links spontaneously.
In addition, the use of social networks is recommended to acquire more backlinks. To attract more traffic to your site, it is advisable to be explicit in the anchors . Concretely, the words of the anchor must reflect the destination content .
Finally, while backlinks improve online visibility and reputation, they can also improve a site's traffic. It is therefore necessary to be very careful about erroneous or artificial links, because Google could very well downgrade your platform. For backlinks to fit perfectly into the strategy, it is better to focus on quality than quantity.
