First off, I should explain that a backlink is a link from another website to your website. Backlinks are important to your Search Engine Optimization, also known as your ranking in keyword searches, because they give validation to search engines that a website has value. If other websites link to your website, search engines believe your content is relevant. The more backlinks you have to other websites, the more legit your website appears to the search engines and with a few other strategies and tactics, your website moves closer to the first page of keyword searches.
What we have discovered through our experience with SEO is that, 1. Backlinks are very important for good online ranking, 2. The authority of the website you are linking to matters, meaning the more backlinks the website you are linking to has, the better, and the higher domain authority score the better 3. The number of websites linking to yours makes a difference, meaning, 10 links from 10 different websites is more valuable then 10 links from the same website.
So, in summary, although we know that backlinks alone will not get you to the first page of a search, they are ONE of the strategies that you need to climb up the search engine ladder and one of the more valuable strategies.
So how do you get backlinks? Well, that’s where marketing and relationships comes in. If you are a well-connected individual, you could reach out to other business owners, media outlets, bloggers and other resources online to trade website links. You and other websites can trade links, but this takes time, effort, connections and an understanding of how other websites rank. The other option is to work with a digital marketing company who has the resources to purchase backlinks on your behalf. Be careful when working with different agencies, there are people out there who say they are doing SEO but are not doing anything. A marketing agency that is doing search engine optimization should be able to explain to you what strategies they are using and should be able to show you exactly what they are doing, meaning, you should receive a list of your backlinks and you should be able to check whether your website is linked to those websites.
If you are interested in discussing SEO and backlinks, give us a call. Happy backlinking!!