Types of Backlinks
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:17 am
Backlinks can be of different types, each of which has its own characteristics and impact on ranking.
Anchor
These links contain anchor text. Anchor text is the visible, list of lithuania consumer email clickable text in a hyperlink, usually highlighted in blue and underlined. This text often contains keywords that are relevant to the page. This link plays an important role in SEO because it helps engines understand the context and content of the target page. Using relevant and accurate anchors can improve rankings for certain queries.
Anchorless
They do not contain specific anchor text and are usually represented by a URL or phrases like “click here” or “learn more.” These links are less informative for engines, but are still important for SEO, as they contribute to the naturalness of the link profile. Too many anchor links with exact keywords can look artificial and raise suspicions from engines, while non-anchor links make the profile more natural.
Nofollow
The tag for these links contains the rel=»nofollow» attribute. This attribute tells search engines to ignore this link when ranking, meaning they do not pass weight to the target site.
The nofollow attribute was originally introduced to combat comment spam on forums and blogs, but its use has since expanded. Although nofollow links do not directly contribute to the authority of a site, they can still bring valuable referral traffic and increase brand awareness. In 2019, Google announced changes to how nofollow links are handled, introducing additional attributes (rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc”). Since then, nofollow has been seen as a hint for indexing and understanding links.
Dofollow
This type of backlink transfers weight from one site to another. By default, most links are dofollow. This means that systems take them into account when evaluating the page ranking. Dofollows significantly increase search engine rankings because they indicate to systems the trust and authority of your resource.
Natural
These are links that are placed without any agreement between the site owners. These links are created when other users find your content useful or interesting and link to it in their materials. Natural links are considered the most valuable in SEO, as they are a true indicator of quality and popularity.
Purchased
They can be purchased from other sites for money or other types of rewards. While buying links can be a quick way to increase your backlinks and potentially improve your SEO, it is quite risky.
Search engines take a strict approach to buying and selling links that are intended to manipulate rankings. Sites found buying or selling links may be demoted in search results or even excluded from the index entirely.
Eternal
They are intended to be placed on a resource for a long time or permanently. These links are especially valuable in SEO because they provide a steady flow of traffic and maintain rankings over time. They are often placed in content that is itself of a timeless nature - for example, as links in informational articles, research papers or guides. They are an investment in a long-term SEO strategy because they provide a constant boost in authority.
Friended
This term is less common and can be interpreted differently depending on the context. In a general sense, these can be links obtained through friendly or partner resources. This type of backlinks can be based on mutually beneficial cooperation, for example, through content exchange, guest posting, or other forms of partnership. They help expand your audience reach and strengthen connections within your niche or industry. They can be both short-term and long-term, depending on the terms of the cooperation.
Anchor
These links contain anchor text. Anchor text is the visible, list of lithuania consumer email clickable text in a hyperlink, usually highlighted in blue and underlined. This text often contains keywords that are relevant to the page. This link plays an important role in SEO because it helps engines understand the context and content of the target page. Using relevant and accurate anchors can improve rankings for certain queries.
Anchorless
They do not contain specific anchor text and are usually represented by a URL or phrases like “click here” or “learn more.” These links are less informative for engines, but are still important for SEO, as they contribute to the naturalness of the link profile. Too many anchor links with exact keywords can look artificial and raise suspicions from engines, while non-anchor links make the profile more natural.
Nofollow
The tag for these links contains the rel=»nofollow» attribute. This attribute tells search engines to ignore this link when ranking, meaning they do not pass weight to the target site.
The nofollow attribute was originally introduced to combat comment spam on forums and blogs, but its use has since expanded. Although nofollow links do not directly contribute to the authority of a site, they can still bring valuable referral traffic and increase brand awareness. In 2019, Google announced changes to how nofollow links are handled, introducing additional attributes (rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc”). Since then, nofollow has been seen as a hint for indexing and understanding links.
Dofollow
This type of backlink transfers weight from one site to another. By default, most links are dofollow. This means that systems take them into account when evaluating the page ranking. Dofollows significantly increase search engine rankings because they indicate to systems the trust and authority of your resource.
Natural
These are links that are placed without any agreement between the site owners. These links are created when other users find your content useful or interesting and link to it in their materials. Natural links are considered the most valuable in SEO, as they are a true indicator of quality and popularity.
Purchased
They can be purchased from other sites for money or other types of rewards. While buying links can be a quick way to increase your backlinks and potentially improve your SEO, it is quite risky.
Search engines take a strict approach to buying and selling links that are intended to manipulate rankings. Sites found buying or selling links may be demoted in search results or even excluded from the index entirely.
Eternal
They are intended to be placed on a resource for a long time or permanently. These links are especially valuable in SEO because they provide a steady flow of traffic and maintain rankings over time. They are often placed in content that is itself of a timeless nature - for example, as links in informational articles, research papers or guides. They are an investment in a long-term SEO strategy because they provide a constant boost in authority.
Friended
This term is less common and can be interpreted differently depending on the context. In a general sense, these can be links obtained through friendly or partner resources. This type of backlinks can be based on mutually beneficial cooperation, for example, through content exchange, guest posting, or other forms of partnership. They help expand your audience reach and strengthen connections within your niche or industry. They can be both short-term and long-term, depending on the terms of the cooperation.