What are backlinks, and do they still matter for SEO?
A backlink is a link on someone else's website that points to yours. Yes, backlinks still matter. Google Search Central says Google uses links both to find new pages to crawl and as a signal when deciding how relevant a page is.
ShoaibUpdated 3 min read
Why do backlinks matter?
- Discovery. Google finds many new pages by following links. A link from a site Google already visits helps it find yours.
- Relevance. Google says it uses links as a signal of relevance, and that the clickable words in a link (the anchor text) tell people and Google something about the page being linked to.
The bigger picture of how Google finds and ranks pages is in what SEO is and how it works.
Should I buy backlinks?
No. Google's spam policies list "buying or selling links for ranking purposes" as link spam. That includes paying with money, goods or services. Excessive link swaps and automated link-building are also on the list. Paid links are only fine when they're marked as sponsored or nofollow, which means buying links to climb Google is exactly what the policy is written to stop.
How do I get good backlinks honestly?
| Way | Example |
|---|---|
| Be worth citing | A clear guide or price list others refer to |
| Local listings and partners | Suppliers, associations, business directories you actually belong to |
| Press and collaborations | A news mention, a joint event, a guest interview |
| Fix what already exists | Ask sites that mention you to add a link |
How long before links make a difference?
Links build slowly, like the rest of SEO. If you need customers this month, run search ads alongside. See how to run an ad on Google.
Want link-building and SEO handled as part of your digital marketing? See our SEO, GEO & AEO service.