You have likely been hearing the term backlinks more and more as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) becomes more important. Backlinks are links to your website, blog or online profile. They are also known as inbound links (IBLs).
Why are backlinks important?
In a nutshell, they help you get found on the web.
1) Increases web traffic
When web browsers visit a website (web directory, social network, blog etc…) and click on your inbound link, you get web traffic. The more backlinks you have, the more web visitors you should receive. Relevancy however is important. The more related the source of this traffic to your site, the better the quality of these Internet visitors.
2) Increases search engines rankings
When web searchers use a search engine to find information, one of the key factors to determine your status on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) is based on the number of backlinks to your site. Inbound links give you creditability with Google (and increasingly with other engines). The quality of these incoming links, related topics, is important in your placement in search results. In addition, backlinks from trusted, authoritative, high ranking sites (and pages) improves your position as well.
Ethical linking is critical!
Avoid link farms, and other unethical techniques, as search engines disregard them. You are also at risk of getting your site banned. Links sites, those with a list of URLs, have no value. They can even reduce your linking popularity with search engines. Incoming links from deemed bad online neighbourhoods or black listed sites can hurt your creditability with web visitors and search engines. A good linking reputation is crucial to your success online.
Building a strong linking campaign, that is monitored on an ongoing basis, is one of the most important factors of good SEO. It improves your ability to get found in searches and helps drive targeted traffic to your site.
Do you have quality inbound links to your site?