A link from another website to your website. Relevant, trustworthy backlinks can help people discover content and may support search visibility, while spammy or purchased link schemes can create risk.
How Backlink Works
A backlink is created when one website links to a page on another website. Search engines can use relevant, trustworthy backlinks as one signal that a page is useful or notable, while visitors can use the link as a direct path to the referenced resource.
Simple Example
Another website cites one of your guides and links directly to it as a useful resource.
Why It Matters for Beginners
This matters because relevant backlinks can send referral traffic and may strengthen search visibility. The quality and context of a link are more important than simply collecting a large number of them.
A Common Mistake
Buying large numbers of irrelevant links or treating every backlink as equally valuable.
Related Terms
- Internal Linking
- Search Engine Optimization
- Organic Traffic