Backlinks
Links from other websites to yours — one of Google's top 3 ranking factors.
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines treat them as evidence that someone found the page worth referencing, so a small number of links from genuinely relevant, trusted sites moves rankings far more than a large number of low-quality ones. Authority built this way is usually the slowest constraint to lift.
Definition
Backlinks (also called inbound links) are links from external websites pointing to your website. They are one of Google's top 3 ranking factors because they serve as "votes of confidence" — when a reputable site links to you, it signals to Google that your content is trustworthy and valuable.
Quality matters more than quantity. One backlink from a DR-80 news site is worth more than 100 links from low-quality directories.
Why It Matters
Backlinks are the hardest ranking factor to manipulate, which is exactly why Google trusts them. Sites with strong backlink profiles consistently outrank competitors with more content but fewer links.
Example
Creating a free, genuinely useful tool (like SlapMyWeb's website audit) naturally attracts backlinks. When bloggers write "use this free tool to check your site speed," that is earned link building at its best.
Related Terms
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