Types of Backlinks for 2024

The Most Popular 23 Types of Backlinks for 2024

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Want to make your website more visible online but not sure how? If you’re new to the idea of backlinks and how to make them, you’re in the right spot. Discover how these backlinks can turbocharge your website’s SEO. Whether you’re new to digital marketing or a seasoned pro, this guide is your roadmap to success. We’ll simplify various types of backlinks with practical tips for implementation. By the end, you’ll grasp how backlinks fuel SEO, their significance, and effective strategies to elevate your website’s presence. Get ready to elevate your SEO game!

Table of Content

Backlinks, also known as inbound links or external links, are hyperlinks that direct users from one webpage to another. They play a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO), influencing a website’s authority, credibility, and ranking in search results. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Understanding the different types of backlinks and how to acquire them is essential for maximizing their impact on your website’s SEO performance.

In SEO, all efforts, from on-page SEO to off-page SEO, especially backlink creation, matter. There are various types of backlinks that we can create depending on the business needs. The main purpose of creating a backlink is to gain authority for the website and let internet users know about the brand. Here, we are discussing the 23 most popular and commonly used backlink types, which you could implement in your next SEO project or for your business.

Natural backlinks are earned organically, without any deliberate effort on the part of the website owner. They occur when other websites find your content valuable and link to it freely. Natural backlinks are highly valued by search engines because they signal that your content is authoritative and worthy of citation. To attract natural backlinks, focus on creating high-quality, informative content that resonates with your target audience and provides unique value.

  • Create High-Quality Content: Produce informative, engaging content that provides unique value to your target audience.
  • Promote Content: Share your content on social media, forums, and communities to increase visibility and attract natural backlinks.
  • Build Relationships: Network with influencers, bloggers, and industry experts to earn mentions and backlinks from authoritative sources.

Editorial backlinks are links that are included within the content of a webpage by editors, journalists, or bloggers. These links are typically earned through mentions or references to your brand, products, or content in third-party publications. Editorial backlinks carry significant weight in SEO, as they are seen as endorsements from reputable sources. To acquire editorial backlinks, focus on building relationships with journalists, influencers, and industry experts who can feature your brand or content in their articles or publications.

  • Pitch Content: Reach out to editors, journalists, and bloggers with compelling content ideas that align with their audience and editorial guidelines.
  • Provide Value: Offer exclusive insights, data, or expertise to enhance the value of your content and increase the likelihood of editorial coverage.
  • Follow Up: Follow up with editors and journalists to ensure they have everything they need to include your backlink in their content.

Guest blogging involves writing and publishing content on third-party websites or blogs in exchange for a backlink to your own website. Guest blogging backlinks can be an effective way to build authority, increase visibility, and attract referral traffic to your site. When pursuing guest blogging opportunities, prioritize reputable websites with relevant audiences and high domain authority. Ensure that your guest posts provide valuable, insightful content that aligns with the interests and needs of the target audience.

  • Research Opportunities: Identify reputable websites and blogs within your niche that accept guest contributions.
  • Craft Quality Content: Write high-quality, informative guest posts that provide value to the audience and align with the host website’s content standards.
  • Include Backlinks: Include relevant backlinks to your website within the guest post content or author bio to drive traffic and improve SEO.

Social media backlinks are links to your website that are shared or posted on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. While social media backlinks may not directly impact search engine rankings, they can contribute to increased visibility, brand awareness, and referral traffic. To leverage social media backlinks effectively, engage with your audience, share valuable content, and encourage social sharing and interaction.

  • Share Content: Share your website content on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
  • Engage Audience: Engage with your audience by responding to comments, answering questions, and encouraging social sharing and interaction.
  • Encourage Sharing: Encourage followers to share your content by creating engaging posts, using hashtags, and running social media contests or promotions.

Forum and community backlinks are links that are shared or posted on online forums, discussion boards, or community websites. These backlinks can be valuable for driving targeted traffic and establishing credibility within niche communities. To acquire forum and community backlinks, participate actively in relevant discussions, provide helpful insights and solutions, and include links to your website where appropriate. Avoid spammy or self-promotional tactics, as they can damage your reputation and credibility.

  • Participate Actively: Join relevant online forums, discussion boards, and community websites within your industry or niche.
  • Provide Value: Contribute helpful insights, solutions, and answers to questions to establish credibility and build relationships.
  • Include Backlinks: Include relevant backlinks to your website when appropriate, such as in forum signatures or within forum threads, to drive traffic and improve SEO.

6. Resource Page Backlinks

Resource page backlinks are links that are included on resource pages, directories, or lists of relevant websites or content within a particular industry or niche. These backlinks can provide valuable referral traffic and enhance your website’s authority and visibility. To acquire resource page backlinks, identify relevant resource pages within your industry or niche, and reach out to website owners or administrators to request inclusion of your website or content.

How to create Resource Page Backlinks?

  • Identify Opportunities: Search for resource pages, directories, or lists within your industry or niche that may include relevant websites or content.
  • Reach Out: Reach out to website owners or administrators to request inclusion of your website or content on their resource pages.
  • Provide Value: Ensure that your website or content provides value and relevance to the resource page audience to increase the likelihood of inclusion.

Citation backlinks are mentions of your brand, business, or website on other websites or online directories, without necessarily including a hyperlink. While citation backlinks may not directly contribute to link equity, they can still benefit your SEO efforts by increasing brand visibility, credibility, and local search rankings. Ensure that your business information is consistent and accurate across all citations to maximize their impact on your local SEO performance.

  • List Business: Ensure that your business is listed on relevant online directories, review sites, and citation platforms.
  • Update Information: Keep your business information accurate, consistent, and up-to-date across all citations to maximize their impact on local SEO.
  • Request Inclusion: Reach out to directory owners or administrators to request inclusion of your business if it is not already listed.

Image and infographic backlinks are links that are earned by sharing visually appealing content such as images, graphics, or infographics on third-party websites or social media platforms. Visual content can be highly shareable and engaging, making it more likely to attract backlinks and referral traffic. Create high-quality, informative images and infographics that provide value to your target audience and encourage sharing and linking by other websites and users.

  • Create Visual Content: Create visually appealing images, graphics, or infographics that provide value and resonate with your target audience.
  • Share Content: Share your visual content on social media platforms, image-sharing sites, and infographic directories.
  • Encourage Backlinks: Include embed codes or shareable links with your visual content to make it easy for others to share and link back to your website.

Broken link building involves identifying broken or dead links on other websites and reaching out to website owners or administrators to suggest replacing them with relevant, live links to your own content. This strategy can be effective for acquiring backlinks from authoritative websites while providing value by helping website owners fix broken links and improve user experience. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify broken links and opportunities for broken link building in your niche.

  • Identify Opportunities: Use backlink analysis tools to identify broken or dead links on relevant websites within your industry or niche.
  • Reach Out: Reach out to website owners or administrators to alert them to broken links on their site and suggest replacing them with relevant, live links to your own content.
  • Provide Value: Offer high-quality, relevant content that can serve as a suitable replacement for the broken link to increase the likelihood of inclusion.

Edu and Gov backlinks are links from educational or government websites, such as universities, colleges, or government agencies. These types of backlinks are highly regarded by search engines due to the authority and credibility associated with .edu and .gov domains. Acquiring Edu and Gov backlinks can be challenging, but it can be achieved through guest blogging, scholarship programs, or collaboration with educational institutions or government organizations within your industry or niche.

  • Establish Relationships: Build relationships with educational institutions, universities, colleges, or government agencies within your industry or niche.
  • Offer Value: Offer to provide value through guest lectures, workshops, or educational resources in exchange for backlinks from .edu or .gov domains.
  • Collaborate: Collaborate on research projects, scholarship programs, or community initiatives to earn backlinks from authoritative educational or government websites.

Business profile backlinks are links from online business directories, review sites, or social media profiles that feature your business information and website URL. These backlinks can contribute to your website’s local SEO performance and increase visibility in local search results. Ensure that your business profiles are complete, accurate, and consistent across all platforms to maximize the impact of business profile backlinks on your local SEO efforts.

  • Create Profiles: Create business profiles on online directories, review sites, and social media platforms relevant to your industry or location.
  • Optimize Profiles: Optimize your business profiles with accurate, consistent information, including your website URL, contact details, and business description.
  • Request Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and ratings on your business profiles to enhance credibility and attract more backlinks.

Press release backlinks are links that are included within press releases distributed to media outlets, journalists, and news websites. While press release backlinks may not directly impact search engine rankings, they can contribute to increased brand visibility, media coverage, and referral traffic. When creating press releases, include links to relevant pages or content on your website to drive traffic and provide additional context or information.

  • Write Press Releases: Write and distribute press releases announcing newsworthy events, product launches, or company updates.
  • Include Backlinks: Include relevant backlinks to your website within the press release content to drive traffic and provide additional context or information.
  • Submit to Media Outlets: Submit press releases to relevant media outlets, journalists, and news websites to increase visibility and attract backlinks from authoritative sources.

Affiliate backlinks are links that are included within affiliate marketing campaigns or partnerships, where other websites or affiliates promote your products or services in exchange for a commission or referral fee. Affiliate backlinks can drive targeted traffic and sales to your website while increasing brand awareness and visibility. Ensure that your affiliate partnerships are transparent, ethical, and compliant with relevant regulations and guidelines to maximize the benefits of affiliate backlinks.

  • Join Affiliate Programs: Join affiliate marketing programs or partnerships relevant to your industry or niche.
  • Promote Products: Promote products or services through affiliate marketing channels, including websites, blogs, social media, and email newsletters.
  • Include Affiliate Links: Include affiliate links with tracking codes within your promotional content to earn commissions and track referrals from backlinks.

Competitor backlinks are links that point to your competitors’ websites or content from other websites within your industry or niche. Analyzing competitor backlinks can provide valuable insights into their SEO strategies, link building tactics, and areas of opportunity. Identify high-quality competitor backlinks and explore opportunities to acquire similar backlinks for your own website through outreach, content creation, or collaboration.

  • Analyze Competitors: Use backlink analysis tools to analyze the backlink profiles of your competitors and identify high-quality backlink opportunities.
  • Explore Opportunities: Explore opportunities to acquire similar backlinks for your own website through outreach, content creation, or collaboration.
  • Differentiate: Differentiate your backlink strategy by offering unique value, content, or partnerships to attract backlinks from authoritative sources within your industry or niche.

DoFollow links are hyperlinks that allow search engine crawlers to follow them and pass on link equity to the linked website. These links are valuable for improving search engine rankings and increasing website visibility.

  • Identify websites within your niche or industry that allow DoFollow links in their content or comments.
  • Create high-quality content that provides value to the target website’s audience.
  • Reach out to the website owner or webmaster and propose collaborating on content or projects that could result in a DoFollow link back to your website.
  • Ensure that the DoFollow links are natural and relevant to your website’s content and target keywords.

Example:

If you run a travel blog, you could reach out to travel websites and offer to write guest posts about your recent travel experiences. In return, the travel websites could include DoFollow links back to your blog within the guest posts.

Introduction: NoFollow links are hyperlinks that do not allow search engine crawlers to follow them and pass on link equity to the linked website. While these links may not directly impact search engine rankings, they can still provide valuable referral traffic and brand exposure.

  • Identify websites within your niche or industry that allow NoFollow links in their content or comments.
  • Create valuable and engaging content that provides value to the target website’s audience.
  • Reach out to the website owner or webmaster and propose collaborating on content or projects that could result in a NoFollow link back to your website.
  • Monitor the NoFollow links regularly to ensure they continue to provide value in terms of referral traffic and brand exposure.

Example

If you run a food blog, you could reach out to cooking websites and offer to contribute recipes or cooking tips. Even though the links may be NoFollow, they can still drive valuable traffic to your blog from interested readers.

Blogroll links are a collection of links to other blogs or websites that are typically displayed on a blog’s sidebar or footer. These links can provide valuable exposure and referral traffic for the linked websites.

  • Identify blogs within your niche or industry that have a blogroll section on their website.
  • Reach out to the blog owner or webmaster and propose adding your website to their blogroll.
  • Offer to reciprocate by adding their blog to your own blogroll if applicable.
  • Ensure that the blogroll links are relevant and provide value to the audience of both websites.

Example
If you run a beauty blog, you could reach out to other beauty bloggers and propose adding each other’s blogs to your respective blogrolls. This way, both blogs can benefit from increased exposure and referral traffic from interested readers.


Slideshows, audio, and video links are multimedia content formats that can be used to create engaging and interactive experiences for website visitors. These links can provide valuable backlinks and enhance user engagement on your website.

  • Create high-quality slideshows, audio recordings, or video content related to your niche or industry.
  • Upload the multimedia content to your website or video-sharing platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo.
  • Optimize the titles, descriptions, and tags of your multimedia content to include relevant keywords and attract organic traffic.
  • Share the multimedia content on social media platforms and websites within your niche to attract backlinks and increase visibility.

Example

If you run a fitness website, you could create a series of workout tutorial videos demonstrating various exercises and upload them to your website and YouTube channel. You could then share the videos on social media platforms and fitness forums to attract backlinks and engage with your audience.

Footer links are links placed at the bottom of a webpage, typically in the footer section. These links can provide valuable navigation options for website visitors and also serve as a way to distribute link equity throughout the website.

  • Identify relevant pages or sections of your website that would benefit from additional navigation options.
  • Determine the most appropriate anchor text and URL for each footer link.
  • Add the footer links to your website’s footer section, ensuring they are organized and easily accessible to visitors.
  • Regularly review and update the footer links to ensure they remain relevant and provide value to visitors.

Example: If you run an e-commerce website, you could include footer links to important pages such as the product catalog, customer support, and FAQ section. This would make it easier for visitors to navigate your website and find the information they need.

Site-wide links are hyperlinks that appear on every page of a website, typically in the header, footer, or sidebar. These links provide consistent navigation options for users and can also contribute to the distribution of link equity throughout the website.

How to Create site wide links?

  • Identify important pages or sections of your website that would benefit from site-wide navigation options.
  • Determine the most appropriate anchor text and URL for each site-wide link.
  • Add the site-wide links to your website’s header, footer, or sidebar, ensuring they are prominently displayed and easily accessible to visitors.
  • Monitor the performance of the site-wide links and make adjustments as needed to optimize user experience and navigation.

Example: If you run a news website, you could include site-wide links to sections such as “Home,” “News,” “Sports,” “Entertainment,” and “Contact Us.” This would allow visitors to navigate between different sections of the website seamlessly and find the content they are interested in.

21. Testimonials and Reviews

Testimonials and reviews are endorsements or feedback provided by satisfied customers or clients. These endorsements can be displayed on your website as testimonials or reviews and can also include links back to the source of the endorsement.

  • Collect testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers or clients through surveys, interviews, or feedback forms.
  • Obtain permission from the individuals to use their testimonials or reviews on your website.
  • Create a dedicated page or section on your website to display the testimonials and reviews, along with links back to the original source.
  • Encourage satisfied customers or clients to leave reviews on third-party review websites such as Yelp, Google My Business, or Trustpilot, and include links back to your website in their reviews.

Example: If you run a graphic design agency, you could display testimonials from satisfied clients on your website’s homepage. Each testimonial could include a link back to the client’s website or social media profile, showcasing the credibility and authenticity of the endorsement.

Redirect links are hyperlinks that automatically forward users from one URL to another. These links can be used to redirect outdated or broken URLs to new locations, ensuring a seamless user experience and preserving link equity.

  • Identify outdated or broken URLs on your website that need to be redirected.
  • Determine the new destination URL for each redirect link.
  • Implement the appropriate redirect method, such as a 301 redirect for permanent changes or a 302 redirect for temporary changes.
  • Test the redirect links to ensure they are functioning correctly and directing users to the intended destination.

Example: If you have recently updated the URL structure of your website, you could set up redirect links from the old URLs to the new ones. This would ensure that users who access the old URLs are automatically forwarded to the corresponding new pages without encountering any errors.

23. Web 2.0s

Web 2.0s are platforms or websites that allow users to create and publish content, such as blogs, social media profiles, and wikis. These platforms can be used to create backlinks to your website by publishing content with embedded links.

  • Identify relevant Web 2.0 platforms within your niche or industry, such as Blogger, WordPress.com, or Tumblr.
  • Create accounts on these platforms and set up profiles with relevant information about your website or business.
  • Publish high-quality content on these platforms, including articles, blog posts, or multimedia content, with embedded links back to your website.
  • Interact with other users and engage with communities on these platforms to increase visibility and attract more traffic to your website.

Example: If you run a photography website, you could create a blog on a platform like WordPress.com and publish articles about photography tips, techniques, and equipment reviews. Within these articles, you could include links back to relevant pages on your website, such as galleries or portfolio pages.

Creating different types of backlinks is beneficial for SEO for several reasons:

  1. Diversification: By generating a variety of backlinks from different sources, you create a diversified backlink profile. This helps in building a robust link profile that appears natural to search engines.
  1. Increased Authority: Different types of backlinks from reputable and relevant sources contribute to increasing the authority of your website. This, in turn, improves your website’s credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines.
  1. Broader Reach: Each type of backlink may target different audiences or demographics. By creating diverse backlinks, you can reach a broader audience and attract more traffic to your website.
  1. Risk Mitigation: Relying solely on one type of backlink strategy can be risky. If that strategy becomes ineffective or if the source of those backlinks changes its policies, your website’s SEO performance may suffer. Diversifying your backlink portfolio reduces this risk.
  1. Enhanced Relevance: Different types of backlinks allow you to target specific keywords, topics, or niches. This enhances the relevance of your website’s backlink profile, making it more likely to rank well for targeted search queries.

In conclusion, creating various types of backlinks contributes to a well-rounded and effective SEO strategy, leading to improved rankings, visibility, and organic traffic for your website.

Related reading: Top Off-Page SEO techniques with tips and tool.

Focus on Local SEO

Optimizing your site for local search can help you attract backlinks from local directories and media.

Network with Local Businesses

Building relationships with local businesses can lead to backlink opportunities from partnerships and collaborations.

Leverage Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and testimonials on review sites and local directories, which can lead to backlinks.

Use Local Press Releases

Distributing press releases to local media outlets can help you gain backlinks from news sites.

Join Local Business Directories

Listing your business in local directories can help you gain backlinks and improve your local SEO.

Utilize Free Tools and Resources

Take advantage of free SEO tools and resources to identify backlink opportunities.

Create High-Value Content

Focus on creating high-value content that naturally attracts backlinks, even without a budget.

Engage in Community Building

Building a community around your brand can help you gain backlinks from engaged members and their networks.

Network with Other Site Owners

Networking with other site owners in your niche can lead to collaboration opportunities and backlinks.

Leverage Existing Relationships

Reach out to your existing network and ask for backlinks. Friends, family, and professional contacts can help you get started.

Conclusion

Knowing the different types of backlinks and how to create them is essential for improving your website’s search engine rankings and visibility. By implementing a diverse and strategic backlinking strategy that incorporates various types of backlinks, you can enhance your website’s authority, relevance, and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Whether it’s through widget and sidebar links, author bio links, or directory links, each type of backlink plays a unique role in boosting your website’s SEO efforts. So don’t overlook the power of backlinks in your digital marketing strategy—start building them today and watch your website climb the search engine rankings!

What are the different types of backlinks?

The various types of backlinks include widget and sidebar links, author bio links, directory links, blog comments, and contextual links, among others. Each type offers unique benefits and plays a role in enhancing your website’s SEO strategy.

What are contextual links, and why are they important?

Contextual links are links placed within the body of content on a website, surrounded by relevant text. They are important for SEO because they provide context and relevance to the linked content, enhancing its credibility and authority. To obtain contextual links, collaborate with websites in your niche and propose adding links within relevant content.

What are backlinks and why are they important for SEO?

Backlinks are links from one website to another. They play a crucial role in SEO by signaling to search engines that your website is credible and trustworthy. When reputable websites link to your content, it boosts your site’s authority and can improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

How do I create backlinks for my website?

Creating backlinks involves reaching out to other website owners or webmasters and proposing collaborations, such as guest posting, link exchanges, or content partnerships. It’s essential to focus on quality over quantity and ensure that the backlinks are relevant and add value to both websites.

Are all backlinks equally valuable?

No, not all backlinks are created equal. The value of a backlink depends on various factors, including the authority and relevance of the linking website, the anchor text used in the link, and the context surrounding the link. High-quality, authoritative backlinks from reputable websites are more valuable than low-quality or spammy backlinks.

How can I monitor the effectiveness of my backlink strategy

You can monitor the effectiveness of your backlink strategy using various tools and metrics, such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and third-party SEO tools like Ahrefs or Moz. Keep track of changes in your website’s search engine rankings, organic traffic, and the number of backlinks pointing to your site to assess the impact of your backlink strategy.