Backlinks are links from other websites to one's own. They are a central ranking factor because link-based authority (the principle behind the PageRank algorithm) is hard to manipulate: earning a link requires persuading another site that the content has unique value. Backlink quality depends on five characteristics: relevance (ordered by a relevancy pyramid that trades relevance for abundance), organic traffic as a trust proxy, authority, the quality of the linking site's own link profile, and editorial standards (harder-to-earn links are worth more). Growth in unique referring domains is the key link-building metric. Within search engine optimization, a sub-field of digital and inbound marketing, link building's most scalable form is creating linkable assets (content with proven linkability) and promoting them through value-based outreach and relationship building, rather than high-volume prospecting.
Backlinks are links from other websites to one's own. They are a central ranking factor because link-based authority (the principle behind the PageRank algorithm) is hard to manipulate: earning a lin…