Backlink Types
Classifies a link from one website to another by how it was earned, where it appears, or which HTML attribute it uses to control authority transfer.
If you treat every backlink type as equally valuable, you risk missing the authority signal that only editorial links reliably provide.
Key points
- Prioritise editorial links earned through valuable content over any other type.
- Avoid link schemes like PBNs or paid placements without correct sponsorship labelling.
- Check link attributes: dofollow passes authority; nofollow, sponsored, and UGC do not.
- Do not overvalue low-quality directory, comment, or social profile links for SEO impact.
- Relevance and placement of the linking page often matter more than the link type alone.
Two links, one SEO outcome
A travel blog publishes a natural editorial link to your guide on 'best hiking boots' after a journalist finds it useful. That link is dofollow, from a relevant site with high authority. Meanwhile, you pay for a directory listing on a generic business site; the link is nofollow and sits in a footer. The editorial link drives referral traffic and helps your rankings; the directory link adds no authority signal. Google's spam policies flag the paid placement if not labelled as sponsored.
Three ways backlinks are classified
- By acquisition method How the link was earned: natural editorial, guest post, digital PR, HARO, link insertion, reciprocal, UGC, directory, PBN, or Wikipedia backlinks. Each carries different risk and authority potential. A sound backlink strategy balances these types.
- By HTML attribute The rel attribute tells search engines how to treat the link: dofollow (default) passes authority; nofollow, sponsored, and UGC block it. You set this in the link tag.
- By placement Where the link appears on the page: body content, sidebar, footer, or comment section. Contextual links within the main text are more valuable than peripheral ones.
Four mistakes to avoid when evaluating backlink types
- Ignoring link attributes Assuming all backlinks pass ranking value the same way. Nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links do not contribute to authority signals, though they may still drive traffic.
- Overvaluing quantity Collecting hundreds of low-quality directory or comment links over a single, relevant editorial link. Google's link spam policies penalise manipulative patterns.
- Using link schemes PBNs, paid placements without sponsorship labelling, excessive reciprocal exchanges, or auto-generated links violate Google's spam policies and risk manual action.
- Ignoring relevance A link from an unrelated, low-authority site adds little value even if it is dofollow. Relevance of the linking page matters more than the link type alone.
Three attributes that change link value
- Dofollow versus nofollow Dofollow is the default hyperlink and can pass authority. Nofollow tells crawlers not to treat the link as a ranking signal. Sponsored and UGC are similar to nofollow.
- Editorial versus paid Editorial links are earned naturally when someone references your content. Paid links must be labelled with rel='sponsored' to comply with Google's guidelines.
- Contextual versus sitewide A link within the main body of a relevant article is far more valuable than a sitewide footer link across every page on the same domain. The anchor text of the link also matters for relevance.
Common questions
What is a backlink in SEO?
A backlink is a link from one webpage to another webpage on a different site. It signals trust and authority to search engines.
How do you create backlinks?
Create valuable content that others want to reference, then use outreach, digital PR, or HARO to earn editorial links naturally.
What are the best backlinks for SEO?
Natural editorial links from relevant, authoritative sites placed in the body of the article are the strongest type for SEO.
Sources
- Google Search Central Official documentation on link attributes and best practices.
- Google Search Central - Link spam policies Defines prohibited link schemes and paid link labelling.
- Google Search Central - Qualify outbound links How to use rel attributes for sponsored, UGC, and nofollow links.
- Semrush Practical classification of backlink types and their SEO impact.
- Linkscope — High quality backlinks How to classify link types without vendor jargon.