I 

Introduction

Backlinks are links pointing to your website from other websites, also referred to as inbound or incoming links. Essentially, these links can greatly impact SEO ranking. Hence, a well-thought-out backlink strategy emphasising quality, relevance, and diversity can greatly improve your website’s visibility, authority, and overall SEO performance. 

 

 

In 2016, Google confirmed that backlinks rank among the top three major factors that affect a website’s search engine ranking. It provides a great way to increase your organic search engine ranking. In addition, it helps to speed up the process by which search engines index your web pages by referring to relevant traffic.

In this article, we will consider the various ways backlinks can impact SEO ranking and how to go about building backlinks. 

II

What are Backlinks and what is their importance?

In simple terms, backlinks are links pointing to your website from any other website. These links also referred to as inbound links, are used by search engines to determine how relevant your website is to a user’s query. 

 

 

To begin with, navigating around the internet is made possible by links. Also, the more links a website has pointing to it, the more likely it is to be found by users.

A website’s endorsement of another website is akin to a vote of confidence. It indicates that the website that is linking to the destination website has faith in the platform. It also means the website views the content as a useful resource for its users. As a result, the number of high-quality backlinks a website has can increase its likelihood of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). 

We will outline the three major ways backlinks can greatly impact SEO ranking. 

a. Backlinks facilitate search engine indexing and crawling 

Firstly, backlinks are used by more than just humans. Programs known as crawlers, bots, or spiders are used by search engines (such as Google) to navigate the web from link to link. The goal is to discover content by following the paths that links create and then indexing such content. Consequently, a link is the most straightforward way for a search engine to locate a page and display it in their results.

b. Backlinks are used as a ranking factor

Secondly, search engines use backlinks to determine where a web page should be ranked in their results. This is in addition to using links to crawl the web, discover, and index content. Therefore, it can be helpful to consider each backlink you receive as a kind of “vote” for the importance of the page it links to in this context. 

c. Backlinks help to gather competitive intelligence

Knowing who is linking to your competitors could help you identify the sources you need to build links from. This can help your organisation to catch up with or outperform them, as backlinks are a major factor in how pages and websites rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Generally speaking, you want backlinks from reputable publications that are associated with yours. However, you’ll need to be able to view them all in one location to evaluate the condition of your backlinks as well as those of your competitors. 

III 

Critical Statistics on how Backlinks can Impact SEO Ranking

In this section, we will consider the importance of backlinks for SEO ranking by highlighting critical statistics. 

a. Backlinks for ranking

On average, the top-ranking page on Google has 3.8 times more backlinks than pages ranked 2–10. However, the percentage of websites with backlinks pointing at them is only 5%. Backlinks are thought to have a significant impact on search engine rankings by 67.5% of SEO experts. 

 

 

b. Backlinks and content

On average, longer articles receive 77.2% more links than shorter ones. Blog entries under 3,000 words typically receive fewer backlinks than high-quality content with 3,000+ words. Also, the percentage of online content that generates multiple unique backlinks is 2.2%.  

c. Future forecast

In the future, link building is expected to have a major impact on rankings, according to 53% of marketers and 41% of respondents. Also, in the next five years, 92% of marketers predict that links will remain a crucial component of Google’s algorithm for ranking.

d. Link Building Difficulty

Link building is ranked as the single most difficult component of search engine optimisation by 41% of SEO experts. Hence, more than 60% of companies contract with outside organisations and freelancers to handle link building. 

 

 

e. Link Building as an SEO Strategy

Link building is the most effective SEO strategy used today, according to 13% of SEO experts. High-quality content is the primary link-building strategy used by 90% of marketers. 

Also, according to 58.1% of SEO experts, backlinks significantly affect search engine rankings. Generally speaking, it is best to incorporate relevant and consistent internal links into your writing. Hence, 36% of SEO experts recommend that every post should have three to five internal links.

f. Page ranking with link-building 

38% of marketers state that page rankings constitute the most important KPI when assessing link building. Also, domain authority is the most widely used link metric, employed by 65% of marketers to assess the quality of their links. 36 per cent of marketers highly regard page authority, and 48 per cent prioritise domain rating.

IV

Why Backlinks Matter for SEO Ranking

Moz analyzed the top 50 Google search results for approximately 15,000 distinct, competitive keywords. The goal was to determine the correlation between a site’s link count and its ranking. 

According to the study, external backlinks were present on 99.2% of the websites that appeared in the top search results. Consequently, this indicates that the websites had at least one external link pointing to them.

 

 

Also, according to the Moz study, a website’s search ranking tends to increase with the number of external links it has from distinct websites.

As earlier stated, websites that should appear highest in search results are chosen by sophisticated algorithms used by search engines such as Google. Hence, backlinks pointing to a website, both in quantity and quality, are important components of these algorithms. 

Backlinks are viewed as “votes of confidence” in the authority and relevance of your website. Accordingly, search engine results pages (SERPs) are influenced by the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your website.

Here are a few other significant reasons why backlinks have a great impact on SEO ranking. 

a. When searching competitively, external links are nearly always included

The likelihood of discovering a website ranking without external links is extremely low. This is intensely critical if you want to rank for anything remotely competitive.

b. Trustworthiness 

Secondly, backlinks inform search engines that your website is a reliable source of data. When other websites link to your work, it is an indication that the content is worthwhile and pertinent to the subject matter. This makes it easier for search engines to comprehend the purpose of your website and the types of content you create.

c. Popularity & Authority

Furthermore, backlinks aid search engines in assessing the authority and popularity of your website. Your website is more likely to be seen as an authority on a subject based on the increasing high-quality backlinks it possesses. In search engine results pages, this can help your website rank higher for relevant keywords.

As we all know, links abound on the internet, countless numbers of them. However, Google’s major challenge is sorting the good from the bad in its algorithm for ranking pages. One of three things can happen when Google discovers a link pointing to your website:

• Include it in its algorithm for ranking.
• Ignore it, or don’t consider it important enough to raise your rankings.
• Penalise the site if it determines that the connection is deceptive

By and large, link-building is the most uncontroversial strategy to get your content in front of the right people. 

V

How to Get Backlinks to Improve Your SEO Rankings

In this section, we will consider how your nonprofit can improve its SEO ranking through the use of backlinks. 

 

 

a. Leverage quality content

Building amazing content for your blog or website that other people find awesome will help you get links. Links to your content will naturally come from other website owners who find it entertaining or helpful (or both!).

Make quality content and share it with audiences that will be interested in it. It is human nature to be drawn to the best of the best. The objective is to rise to the top of your space as the tallest “skyscraper.” People should want to link to your content over other options because it is so good.

Though it’s not always the case, having more information can be beneficial if it’s all relevant and fully addresses the subject at hand.

b. Guest Blogging

Writing an article for another blog or website in exchange for a mention and backlink to your website is known as guest blogging. Conversely, you could ask a visitor to write an article for your website, which would generate social media mentions and reciprocal backlinks.

Guest blogging is a fantastic way to expand your reach and develop relationships after you have some high-quality content on your website that is generating backlinks. The ultimate goal of the articles you write for other websites should be to benefit their readers, not just to obtain a backlink to your own. Although they are important, backlinks should only be seen as a positive byproduct of the process.

Make contact with reputable, well-established websites in your field, particularly those that have accepted guest posts in the past.

c. Monitor Competitor Backlinks

An essential component of improving your SEO ranking is monitoring the backlink profile of your rivals. You can discover possible prospects for your website and obtain insightful knowledge about your competitors’ link-building tactics by keeping an eye on their backlink profiles.

Using specialised tools that let you track and analyse backlinks from other websites is necessary to keep an eye on competitor backlinks. With the use of these tools, you can find out about the quantity, calibre, and anchor text of backlinks.

One way to find new websites and pages linking to your competitors is to examine their backlink profiles. This data will assist you in finding relevant websites that are well-known in your industry and could be willing to link to your website.

Even more information about the kinds of content or websites that are drawing backlinks can be gleaned from tracking competitor backlinks. If your link-building strategy is lacking in any area, you can assess the quality and relevancy of these links.

d. Reputable Directories 

Web directories are online resources that list and classify websites according to their industry or niche. Adding your website to pertinent web directories can help you rank higher in search results.

Backlinks can be obtained from reputable website directories that are relevant to your niche and where your site is published. Take care to stay away from spammy directories as Google might interpret them as part of a link scheme. By that standard, stay away from any directories that request a link in exchange.

By expanding your website’s backlink profile and making it more visible to search engines and potential visitors, web directory submissions can help you rank higher in search results. 

e. Google Alerts

Create a Google Alert for your nonprofit name, and you’ll get an email each time the name is mentioned online. You won’t have to pay anything, but you will have to filter out some emails that might not be as pertinent to you as you had intended.

Should your brand be mentioned without a link back to your website, get in touch with the blogger or website mentioning it and ask them to include one! Asking never hurts, but some people won’t answer.

Using applications like Hootsuite allows you to “listen” in on social media discussions where you are mentioned. The tool also allows you to manage all of your social media accounts from one place, in addition to listening to what others are saying about you or your brand.

Backlinks are not all made equal. A backlink’s value is assessed by search engines based on the authority, relevancy, and quality of the website that is linking to it. Backlinks from websites with much authority within your industry or niche are worth more than those from unrelated or low-quality websites.

Much more valuable than a lot of low-quality backlinks are backlinks from respectable websites that are related to your industry or niche. In actuality, the SEO and ranks of your website may need to improve if it has an excessive number of low-quality backlinks.

VI

Top Backlink Tools to Improve SEO Ranking

Your website’s search engine optimisation is impacted by almost every element. Hence, to make sure your website is always operating at its peak, you will need to leverage backlink tools to ensure effectiveness. In this section, we will highlight four backlink tools that can help your nonprofit in improving its SEO ranking. 

 

 

a. Semrush Backlink Gap Tool 

To examine your backlink profile and discover fresh opportunities for link-building, you will need the Semrush Backlink Gap Tool. You can use this backlink analysis tool to see where you’re losing ground to your competitors by comparing the backlink profile of your website.

Also, Backlink Gap provides you with all the information you require about your backlink profile, including the quantity and quality of backlinks, as well as referring domains. Not to mention, it is very simple to use. A few of the criteria you can use to filter the data include date, anchor text, and link type.

Essentially, the SEO ranking tool provides a great way to improve your link profile and develop a more successful link-building strategy. 

b. BuzzSumo 

BuzzSumo is a must-have if you’re seeking a strategy to develop excellent content that connects with your audience. For content marketers, this tool is revolutionary because it lets you identify what your audience is interested in. Also, the tool allows you to locate the most popular content within your industry. 

With Buzzsumo, you can see the websites that are linking to the most popular content in your niche which can present opportunities for your website to gain links. The link-building tool allows you to see the most shared articles on social media platforms by conducting keyword or topic searches. Also, you can use the Backlinks tab to find out who is currently linking to those articles.

Along with learning more about who is sharing the content, you can also find out why it is so popular. Gaining better insight from this data will enable you to produce engaging content for your target audience.

c. Link Research Tools

With Link Research Tools, you can be confident that you are receiving one of the most comprehensive backlink analyses possible. Also, one of the features you will love is the “backlink profile view.”  This allows you to examine each link using over 150 metrics. Better yet, you can alter the metrics and filters to suit the requirements of your study. 

Among the many other filters are power, trust, buzz, contact information, and impact. In addition, the SEO ranking tool allows you to do the following other tasks:

• Remove a penalty from Google
• Observe incoming links.
• Enhance existing backlinks  
• Identify link opportunities
• Recognise link-building trends

d. Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

One website that offers excellent opportunities to obtain press links is called HARO. Also known as Help a Reporter Out, the platform allows you to connect with journalists and sources. You can also receive a backlink from a journalist who chooses to cite your work as a source.

Thus, be sure to answer requests that are pertinent to your work if you see them and you might end up being a source for an article. The best thing about this strategy is that it doesn’t require much work on your part if you correctly set up your HARO account. 

When you choose to sign up on the platform, you will receive three emails every business day. Additionally, you have the option of subscribing to different industries. 

You can answer pertinent pitch requests and remember to add whatever information the journalist requested, along with a link to your website. All types of journalists require citations and quotes to support their reporting. As a result, try to be as detailed as you can. Also, only respond to questions and subjects for which you are genuinely an authority. 

Conclusion 

To sum up, backlinks have a significant impact on SEO ranking. The strategy remains a vital component in determining how visible and authoritative a website is in search engine results. In addition, your website’s search engine optimisation is impacted by almost every element. 

The credibility and dependability of your website in your sector are two of Google’s most crucial ranking factors. As earlier stated, Google searches for websites that link to yours and determine which of these factors to test. 

It takes time and work to establish a solid backlink profile, but the results are worthwhile. To make sure your website is always operating at its peak, don’t forget to frequently check your backlink profile and make any necessary adjustments.