Backlinks have been part of Google's ranking algorithm since PageRank, and while the modern algorithm weighs many more signals, link-based authority remains one of the strongest correlates with ranking ability for competitive queries. Not all backlinks carry equal weight: a link from a topically relevant, genuinely authoritative site placed editorially within real content is worth more than dozens of low-quality directory or footer links. Key quality signals include the linking site's own authority and traffic, topical relevance to the linked page, whether the link is followed or nofollowed, and whether it's placed naturally within content versus stuffed into a sitewide footer or sidebar. Buying links or joining link schemes violates Google's spam policies and can trigger a manual action if detected.
Example
A niche skincare blog earns a backlink from a well-known dermatology publication after being quoted in an article about ingredient safety — a high-relevance, high-authority link earned through PR, not payment.
Related terms
Related Reading
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A 404 error is the standard HTTP status code returned when a requested page doesn't exist on the server — the classic 'page not found' response.
A/B Testing (SEO)
A/B testing in SEO is the practice of showing two versions of a page element — usually a title tag, meta description, or on-page element — to see which one earns a better click-through rate or ranking outcome.
AI Citation
An AI citation happens when an AI assistant like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Gemini references or links to a specific page as the source for part of its answer.
