What are Backlinks, and Why are They Important for SEO?

Summary

When any brand or marketer starts their journey, the most fearful aspect of digital marketing is backlinking.

Backlinks are those links or citations that other brand gives to business for being awesome.

The best kind of backlinks are natural and diverse.

Key Takeaways

• Quality vs Quantity – A few high-authority & relevant links are far more valuable than hundreds of low-quality ones.
• Backlinks build trust, visibility, and rankings by acting as endorsements, helping search engines & users see your site as credible.
• Sustainable link building by creating valuable content, building relationships, and avoiding black-hat tactics for long-term SEO success.

Table of Contents

1. A few facts about Backlinks in 2025
2. What Are Backlinks? 

⤷ What are the various Types of Backlinks? 

3. The Evolution of Backlinks in SEO 

⤷ What are the Factors that matter the most in 2025’s backlinking?

4. Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?
5. What Makes a High-Quality Backlink? 
6. How to Earn Backlinks in 2025? 
7. Common Ways Websites Gain Backlinks 
8. Backlink Risks: What to Avoid in 2025?
9. Tools to Check and Audit Backlinks 
10. Why have a Natural & Diverse Backlink Profile? 
11. Final Thoughts
12. FAQs

Backlinks are still one of the most potent signals in SEO today. Whether you’re running a blog, an eCommerce site, or a business website, backlinks can make the difference between showing up on page one of Google or being buried where no one sees you. 

But what exactly are backlinks, and why do they matter so much?

In this guide, we’ll break down backlinks in simple terms, explore their importance for SEO, and share strategies to build high-quality links that actually work in 2025.

A few facts about Backlinks in 2025

• 66% of landing pages do not have even a single backlink.
• Blogs help in obtaining 97% more backlinks than any other content.
• The number of domains linked to a web page directly impacts its Google Ranking.
• Videos help garner more backlinks and a 157% boost in organic traffic.
• 30% of the backlinks gained by a website tend to be toxic or spammy.

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks—called inbound links—are links from one website to the other. Think of them as digital recommendations. 

If another website links to yours, it signals that your content is valuable and worth referencing.

Search engines like Google, Bing, Safari, and more interpret backlinks as a “vote of confidence.” 

The more relevant and trustworthy those votes are, the more authority your site gains in search engines’ eyes.

Example: If a popular fitness blog links to your article on “10 Healthy Breakfast Recipes,” Google sees it as a strong signal that your content is valuable and authoritative.

What are the various Types of Backlinks?

Not all backlinks are created equal. 

The Three Types of Backlinks

Understanding the difference is key to building a strong link profile.

1. Dofollow Links

• These pass on “link equity” (often called link juice), helping boost your search rankings.
• Example: A reputable industry site linking to your blog via a Dofollow link will allow their link juice to benefit the blog.

2. Nofollow Links

• These tell search engines not to pass authority, i.e., link juice is not shared.
• Common in blog comments, forums, or sponsored posts.
• While they don’t directly influence rankings, they bring referral traffic and visibility.

Because at least there is a citation of a brand by another.

3. Sponsored & UGC Links

• Sponsored: Marked when links are part of paid promotions.
• UGC (User Generated Content): Used for forums, reviews, and comments.

Both involve engaging the public and garnering links from them. It’s a long shot, but the results would be tremendous if it worked.

Here’s Pro Tip: A natural backlink profile should include a mix of these link types. 

• Too many “dofollow” links from questionable sources can raise red flags with Google.
• Plus, Google launches Core, Broad, and Spam updates throughout the year, which might remove links of a particular type.
• Lastly, AIs might assess links differently.

Thus, mix them up and have a diverse backlinking profile for your brand or client.

The Evolution of Backlinks in SEO

Backlinks have been part of Google’s ranking system since the early PageRank algorithm. But SEO has matured—today, it’s not about the number of backlinks, but their quality and relevance.

What are the Factors that matter the most in 2025’s backlinking?

Four key aspects that make backlinking worth noticing are:

• Relevance: Does the linking site relate to your niche?
• Authority: Is the linking domain trusted and high-authority? (e.g., a .gov or .edu site vs. a low-quality blog)
• Anchor Text: The clickable text in the backlink should describe your content naturally.
• Placement: Links in the main body of content carry more weight than footer or sidebar links.

So, the backlinks need to be from a high DA (domain authority) website and follow the above-mentioned parameters.

Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?

Backlinks play four major roles in SEO:

1. Indexing: They help search engines discover your pages faster.
2. Relevance Signals: Anchor text and link context help Google understand your content.
3. Authority Boost: High-quality links from trusted sites make your website appear more credible.
4. Traffic: Beyond SEO, backlinks drive referral traffic directly from other sites.

In short

Backlinks build trust, visibility, and traffic—three things every website needs.

What Makes a High-Quality Backlink?

A great backlink isn’t just any link. Here’s what defines a strong one:

• Topical Relevance: The linking site covers a similar topic to yours.
• Authority: Sites with high Domain Authority (DA) pass more SEO value.
• Dofollow Status: These links transfer link equity.
• Natural Anchor Text: Keywords should appear naturally, not forced.
• Editorial Placement: Links within useful content are more powerful than random links in sidebars.

Now, you can assess whether your backlinks are worthy or not.

How to Earn Backlinks in 2025?

Building Backlinks via the 5-step Approach

Building backlinks is less about shortcuts and more about strategy. Here’s a step-by-step plan:

Step 1: Create Link-Worthy Content

• Publish in-depth guides, data-driven research, or unique insights.
• Content formats like infographics, case studies, and industry reports attract natural links.

Step 2: Find Potential Linking Opportunities

• Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to analyze competitor backlinks.
• Look for industry blogs, news sites, or directories relevant to your niche.

Step 3: Outreach

• Send personalized emails to site owners.
• Show them why linking to your content adds value to their audience.

Step 4: Guest Blogging & PR

• Write articles for authoritative websites.
• Leverage press releases and PR campaigns to earn mentions.

Step 5: Monitor & Maintain

• Track your backlinks in Google Search Console or Ahrefs.
• Disavow spammy or toxic links to protect your site.

If you follow this five-step approach, your business or client will never have to worry about building thought leadership.

Common Ways Websites Gain Backlinks

Wanna know what the leaders of your industry are doing to garner the best backlinking profiles?

• Content Marketing: Valuable blogs, reports, and infographics.
• Guest Posting: Contributing to relevant sites in exchange for a link.
• Digital PR: Being featured in news, industry roundups, or interviews.
• Influencer Mentions: Collaborating with thought leaders.
• Social Media Promotion: Sharing content to boost visibility (often leading to organic backlinks).

They are not just doing marketing; they are also building and strengthening the brand image.

Backlink Risks: What to Avoid in 2025?

Not all backlinks are good for SEO. In fact, some can harm your site.

Link Farms

Networks of sites created solely for link exchanges; they sell backlinks cheaply.

So, next time you get cheap backlinks, you should check if they are coming from a farm.

Paid Links

Buying links violates Google’s guidelines and risks penalties.

And one day, Google is going to catch up to you, maybe sooner than you think (Google August Spam Update of 2025 is rolling out).

Spammy Comments

Dropping your link in unrelated blog comments or forums. It is not at all user-friendly.

So, stick with white-hat link-building strategies focusing on value and credibility.

Tools to Check and Audit Backlinks

Keeping track of your backlinks is essential. Here are some trusted tools:

• Google Search Console: Free tool showing who links to your site.
• Ahrefs: Detailed backlink profiles and competitive analysis.
• SEMrush: Great for backlink audits and keyword integration.
• Moz Link Explorer: Authority-based backlink insights.
• Majestic SEO: Known for its vast link database.

Regular backlink audits help you find and remove toxic links while spotting new opportunities.

Why have a Natural & Diverse Backlink Profile?

This is a vital question because natural links and diverse profiles require effort, whereas paid links come in a blink.

A strong backlink profile is both natural and diverse:

• Natural Growth: Backlinks should build steadily, not in sudden spikes.
• Diversity: Mix of domains, link types, and anchor texts.
• Resilience: If one link source is devalued, others still support your site.

This variety signals Google that your content is organically valuable, not artificially manipulated. It also means that your business is known to other players who recognize your dominance.

Final Thoughts

Backlinks remain a cornerstone of SEO in 2025. 

They help search engines understand your site’s relevance, improve your rankings, and drive targeted traffic. But the key is quality over quantity.

If you want long-term success:

• Focus on creating valuable content.
• Build authentic relationships with site owners and influencers.
• Avoid shortcuts like spammy or paid links.

Backlinks are not just about SEO—they’re about credibility, visibility, and trust. And those are things no algorithm update can take away.

Pro Tip: Treat backlinks as part of your overall marketing strategy. For the best results, combine them with great content, technical SEO, and a smooth user experience.

If you need Help in backlinking…

Wildnet Technologies is a leading Link Building and Guest Posting company in India that has helped more than 4100 clients by boosting their brand image.

Wish to read further?

• Building Quality Backlinks in 2025: Guest Posts Still Work
• Link Baiting: How to Catch Good Links?
• Glossary (So, that you are never Jargon-ified)
• Digital Yum (Because you need a reliable resource to Upskill on the GO)

Connect with us at info[@]wildnettechnologies.com and become the Leader.

FAQs

FAQ 1. How many backlinks do I need to rank on Google?

Ans: There’s no magic number. Ranking depends more on the quality of backlinks than the quantity. A few high-authority links can outperform hundreds of low-quality ones.

You can get the exact number by comparing your brand with competitors regarding backlinking profile.

FAQ 2. Do backlinks from social media help SEO?

Ans: Most social media links are “nofollow,” so they don’t directly pass SEO value. However, they can drive traffic and increase visibility, often leading to natural backlinks from other sites.

And in the era of Instagram SEO, it will have an even deeper impact soon.

FAQ 3. What is the difference between internal links and backlinks?

Ans: Internal links connect pages within your own website, while backlinks are external links from other websites to yours. Both are important, but backlinks carry more weight for SEO authority.

In other words, internal links help users, while external links (backlinks) help search & AI engines.

FAQ 4. How can I remove bad backlinks?

Ans: Use tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to identify toxic links. You can contact site owners for removal, or use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell search engines to ignore them.

Better act fast, as it is a race…

FAQ 5. Is guest posting still effective for backlinks?

Ans: Yes—when done correctly. Guest posting on reputable & relevant sites is still a proven way to earn quality backlinks. 

Avoid spammy sites that accept any content, as those links can do more harm than good.