If you want to improve your website rankings, you need to understand what makes a good backlink. Backlinks remain one of the strongest signals in Google’s algorithm. But not all backlinks are equal. Some help, others do nothing, and the worst can damage your site.
In this guide, we break down what makes a good backlink and how to build the kind of links that actually support your SEO long term.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink is a hyperlink from one website to another. Think of it as a vote of confidence. When another site links to yours, it’s a sign that your content has value.
But what makes a good backlink is not just that the link exists. The quality, context, authority, and placement all play a role in how useful that link is to your SEO. According to Google’s original PageRank patent, links pass value. But not all links pass equal value.
Authority: Trust From the Right Sources
Why Authority Matters
One of the key indicators of what makes a good backlink is the authority of the linking domain. A link from a respected industry site carries more weight than one from a low-traffic blog. Ahrefs’ study of over one billion pages confirmed this: backlinks from high-authority domains correlate strongly with better rankings.
Authoritative links usually come from sites with strong organic traffic, a solid publishing history, and trusted content. These links signal to search engines that your content is also trustworthy.
Relevance: Why Context Is Everything
Relevance is often overlooked, but it is just as important as authority. A backlink from a gardening blog to a tech site will look out of place. Google’s John Mueller has noted that relevance can outweigh raw authority.
Relevant backlinks come from pages that cover similar topics. The closer the subject matter, the more valuable the link becomes. A finance blog linking to a mortgage calculator is a stronger signal than a general news site doing the same.
How to Evaluate Relevance
To assess relevance, consider:
- The topic of the linking page
- The section of the page where the link appears
- The surrounding text and its connection to your content
Context and Link Placement
Context matters. Search engines evaluate where on a page a link appears. Links within a meaningful article carry more weight than those tucked into a footer or comment section.
Google prefers editorial links. These are naturally placed within useful content, not inserted in template headers or resource lists. The link’s context should support the article, not just exist for SEO.
Understanding Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable part of a hyperlink. The words used here affect how search engines interpret the link. But this is not about keyword stuffing. Balanced and consistent anchor text helps search engines understand the destination page without triggering penalties.
A good backlink uses varied anchor text that includes branded, generic, and partial match terms. This avoids looking manipulated and supports natural link growth.
Examples of Anchor Text Types
| Type | Example |
| Branded | Visit Landmark Web Design |
| Partial Match | learn more about backlinks |
| Generic | click here |
| Naked URL | www.example.com |
Editorial Links: The Best Kind
Editorial links are given because your content deserves it. These are not bought or begged for, they are earned. Editorial backlinks usually appear in:
- Quoted articles or blogs
- Industry roundups
- Research citations
- Interviews or guest appearances
These links are the clearest sign of trust from another website.
A Healthy Backlink Profile
What makes a good backlink profile is not just a few perfect links. It’s about diversity, growth over time, and authenticity.
Characteristics of a Strong Profile
- Variety of referring domains
- Natural growth pattern
- Balanced anchor text
- Links from different types of content
Backlink diversity tells Google that links are earned from various, organic sources, not artificially created.
The Importance of Referral Traffic
Backlinks should also bring users. If a link sends visitors who stay on your site, engage with content, and return, it has real-world value. These behavioural signals support your SEO.
Sites that refer regular traffic become long-term assets. Think beyond rankings. Consider brand awareness and conversions.
Crawlability and Technical Value
Google needs to crawl a backlink for it to count. Links in noindex pages or within blocked scripts may not pass any value. Tools like Screaming Frog and Google Search Console help you verify if your backlinks are visible.
Avoid placing backlinks behind login walls or in locations that block bots. A good backlink is one that Google can find and understand.
Avoiding Toxic Links
Not all backlinks are good. Toxic links can harm your site and even lead to penalties. These links often come from:
- Spammy directories
- Unrelated forums
- Scraped content
- Paid link farms
Disavowing links in Google Search Console can help clean up your backlink profile, but prevention is better than cure.
White Hat vs Grey Hat
Understanding what makes a good backlink includes knowing which methods are sustainable. White-hat techniques follow Google’s guidelines. Grey-hat strategies blur the lines.
Comparison Table
| Strategy Type | Example Activities | Risk Level |
| White Hat | Guest posts, editorial mentions | Low |
| Grey Hat | Reciprocal linking, expired domains | Moderate |
| Black Hat | Link buying, PBNs | High, penalised |
Stay as close to white-hat as possible. It offers long-term stability.
Tools to Help You Analyse Backlinks
Several tools can help you monitor what makes a good backlink and find opportunities to build more.
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- Moz Link Explorer
- Google Search Console
Use these to audit your existing backlinks, research competitors, and track your link-building campaigns.
Practical Link Building Tips
Now that you know what makes a good backlink, here are some ways to earn them:
- Create data-driven content with unique insights
- Submit expert quotes through journalist request platforms like HARO and Qwoted
- Reach out to relevant blogs offering original guest articles
- Identify broken links on related sites and suggest your content
- Build useful tools, calculators, or checklists others want to reference
- Answer niche-specific questions on platforms like Reddit and Quora with links to your content when appropriate
Avoid outreach that feels robotic. Personalise your emails and offer real value.
A Glossary of Backlink Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Dofollow | A standard backlink that passes SEO value to the linked site |
| Nofollow | A link that includes a rel=nofollow tag, instructing Google not to pass SEO value |
| UGC | User-generated content, often found in forums or comments |
| Anchor Text | The clickable text in a hyperlink |
| Link Juice | The SEO value or authority passed through a backlink |
| Domain Authority | A metric estimating the strength of a domain’s backlink profile |
How Google’s Algorithm Has Changed
Google has evolved significantly in how it values and evaluates backlinks. Key updates include:
- The Penguin Update (2012), which penalised unnatural link building
- The Link Spam Update, which targets links made primarily to manipulate rankings
- Continuous improvements to link interpretation, now integrated into the core algorithm
What makes a good backlink today is very different from ten years ago, with proven techniques now prioritising quality, relevance and trust over sheer volume. Quality, not quantity, now defines success.
Internal Links vs Backlinks
Internal linking is not the same as backlinks, but it still plays a key SEO role. Good internal links help distribute authority across your site, improve crawlability, and guide users to key pages.
Backlinks pass value from other sites, while internal links shape the flow within your own. A combination of both builds a strong SEO foundation.
Real-World Example
Imagine a local architect writes a blog on sustainable housing. A construction magazine features the article in a list of resources, linking to the blog in the main content. The link appears mid-paragraph, uses anchor text like “modern eco home ideas,” and brings referral traffic over time.
This is what makes a good backlink: relevance, authority, visibility, and impact.
Backlinks That Make a Real Impact
A good backlink comes from a relevant, credible trustworthy source. It uses natural anchor text, sits in useful content, is crawlable by Google, and preferably brings real traffic.
Focus on building links with strategic purpose, backed by research and quality. The best backlinks are not built in bulk, they are earned through consistency and credibility.
This is what makes a good backlink. Understand it, invest in it, and your SEO will thank you.
At Landmark we can help you with a backlink strategy, contact us to find out the different SEO packages we offer.
