Backlink
A link from another website to yours. Links from relevant, trusted sites help search engines judge that your business is real and worth showing.
A backlink is a link on another website that points to yours. If your local chamber of commerce lists your business with a link to your site, that’s a backlink.
Search engines have long used links as one signal of how trusted and relevant a site is. A link from a respected, related site is like a recommendation.
Why it matters to a small business
Good links help your site and your Google profile appear for local searches. Google lists links as part of a business’s prominence in its local ranking tips. They also send real visitors.
Quality matters far more than quantity. Useful links for small businesses usually come from:
- Local organizations: chamber of commerce, business associations, sponsors.
- Suppliers, manufacturers and partners who list dealers or installers.
- Local news coverage and community event pages.
- Industry associations and certification bodies.
- Customers’ websites, where it makes sense.
What to avoid
Buying links, joining link schemes, or paying for hundreds of links from unrelated sites breaks Google’s spam policies and can harm your site. Be wary of anyone selling links in bulk.
Example
A landscaping company sponsors a youth soccer league and a garden show. Both list sponsors with links. The company also asks the stone supplier it uses to list it as an installer. Those few relevant local links are worth more than a pile of directory links.
You can see who links to you in Google Search Console.
Learn more
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