Definition
A backlink (also called inbound link or incoming link) is a hyperlink from an external website pointing to a page on your website. Backlinks are one of Google's most important ranking signals because they act as 'votes of confidence'—each quality backlink suggests your content is valuable and trustworthy. Not all backlinks are equal: links from high-authority, relevant websites in your industry carry more weight than links from low-quality or unrelated sites. Building a strong backlink profile requires creating valuable content that naturally attracts links, strategic outreach, and relationship building.
Real-World Example
A digital marketing blog publishes a comprehensive guide to AI marketing automation. TechCrunch references and links to this guide in their article about marketing trends. That TechCrunch link is a high-value backlink that boosts the blog's authority and search rankings for AI marketing topics.
Related Terms
Domain Authority (DA)
Technical & SEOScore predicting how well a website will rank in search results
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Technical & SEOPractice of optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results
Page Authority (PA)
Technical & SEOScore predicting how well a specific page will rank in search results
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