What is a Backlink? How to Get Free Backlinks for Your Business

Ever wondered why some websites dominate Google while others struggle to be seen?
Why do certain pages rank higher, even when their content isn’t better? 

The answer often comes down to one critical factor: backlinks.

But how do you get this vote of confidence and prove to the search engines you’re worth ranking in the top 3 results?

What Are Backlinks and Why Are They Important?

Here’s a backlink example from the Manifest to our website:

Backlinks have always been among Google’s top-ranking factors, and today, they are no different. According to the latest research, backlinks are the second most important ranking factor after quality content.

Authority, visibility, and credibility.

These are the three key benefits of getting backlinks from high-quality websites. When a credible website links to your content, it signals to Google and other search engines that your website is also reliable and valuable.

And how do you ensure your backlinks correspond to these three key factors?

A sustainable and beneficial approach will be to develop link-building strategies tailored to a specific industry. Focusing on organic and meaningful connections will help you gain relevant backlinks and secure long-term SEO success.

High-Quality vs. Low-Quality Backlinks: Characteristics and Types of Backlinks

Content quality is the top priority for search engine algorithms when ranking websites. The same applies to the backlinks. Having a couple of links from high-quality and authoritative websites is more trustworthy than a thousand low-quality backlinks.

All search engines prioritize providing real value to the readers, and your link-building strategy should, too.

What Makes a High-Quality Link?

Most high-quality backlinks share a set of similar characteristics, including:

1. Niche and Content Relevance. Links from related industries carry more weight than those from unrelated sources. Even if you manage to secure a backlink from a website with high domain authority, it won’t provide the meaningful SEO value you expect if it lacks contextual alignment with your website.
2. Natural Anchor Text Distribution. The anchor text (the clickable text of a link) should be naturally integrated into the content. Over-optimized anchor text (e.g., stuffing exact-match keywords like “best Chinese restaurant near me in Los Angeles”) can signal manipulative tactics and hurt rankings.
3. Authority of the Linking Website. Not all websites hold the same weight in Google’s eyes. Links from high-authority domains (such as Nytimes, WashingtonPost, or industry leader websites like SearchEngineJournal or Hubspot) carry more SEO value than links from low-trust. 
4. Traffic-Driving Potential. A good backlink doesn’t just help with rankings but can also drive referral traffic. Links from sites with high engagement and readership bring actual visitors who will likely be interested in your content. This is the ultimate definition of a good link – as far fetched it’ll sound to SEO people telling you otherwise, links were created to be clickable and lead to another page. So naturally if users find the context and place where the link is added natural, they’ll click on it to learn what’s it about. 
5. Editorial Placement. Naturally acquired backlinks within high-quality content are preferable to those placed in low-value locations like comment sections or sidebars. 

6 Types of High-Quality Backlinks

If you want to build a strong backlink profile, try focusing on earning some of the following types:

What Makes a Low-Quality Link?

Good backlinks work in favor of your SEO strategy and improve your website’s ranking. On the contrary, bad ones have the opposite effect and can even lead to penalties.

There are certain red flags for low-quality links that you should watch out for, such as:

7 Types of Low-Quality Backlinks

Revisit your link-building strategy to ensure the following types of low-quality backlinks are avoided:

• Links purchased from a low-authority website that exists purely to sell backlinks violate Google’s guidelines.
• Posting irrelevant comments on blogs with backlinks adds no value and can harm your credibility.
• Excessive reciprocal linking, such as “I link to your website, if you link to mine,” is manipulative in Google’s eyes.
• Submitting your website to unrelated and low-quality directories will only harm and ruin your ranking potential.
• Overuse of backlinks in forum signatures looks unnatural and rarely provides SEO value. “Forum” can be any community were you can plant your website’s link.
• Links coming from compromised websites can be flagged as harmful by search engines.
• Backlinks placed in the footer of every page on a low-quality site can be a red flag for manipulation.

Technical Checklist: Types of Link Attributes

Backlink sources are crucial for the algorithms to identify their quality, authority, and relationship to your content. But it’s also important to pay attention to certain technical attributes that influence whether a backlink passes the SEO value or should be ignored by the search engine crawlers.

We’ve further collected some of the key types of link attributes to help you understand their purpose and impact on your SEO strategy.

Dofollow Links

Links that don’t have the rel=”nofollow” attribute in the HTML are dofollow by default. The majority of links on the Internet are dofollow, meaning when the search engine crawlers visit a website, they will give it credit as a backlink to the page it points to.

The HTML code of a dofollow link may look like this:

<a href=”https://thewebsite.com/”>Click here</a>

Why Dofollow Links Matter for SEO?

• Passes link equity (SEO value) from one site to another
• Helps improve domain authority and page rankings
• Enhances a site’s credibility in search engine algorithms

When to Use Dofollow Links?

• When linking to valuable, relevant resources
• In editorial content where a link is naturally earned
• When referencing studies, case studies, or citations

Dofollow links should be used responsibly. Google rewards natural backlinks but penalizes those that appear to be manipulative or artificially acquired.

Nofollow Links

Search engines are programmed to ignore links with the “nofollow” tag attached to them. Here’s a classic example of such a link:

<a href=”https://thewebsite.com” rel=”nofollow”>click here</a>

Why Nofollow Links Exist?

• Prevent passing link equity to untrusted or irrelevant sites
• Reduce the risk of spam and link manipulation
• Often used for paid or user-generated content

When to Use Nofollow Links?

• Sponsored or paid links (per Google’s guidelines)
• Affiliate links (if not clearly disclosed, they may require nofollow)
• User-generated content (like forum comments or blog post comments)
• Links to low-quality or unverified sources

Nofollow backlinks don’t directly impact SEO and rankings, but they can still bring relevant traffic to a website.

Sponsored Links

The rel=”sponsored” attribute informs search engines that the link has been paid for or is a part of a sponsorship agreement. It is similar to the nofollow attribute, meaning it won’t benefit your SEO efforts.

A sponsored link may appear in the search engines like this:

<a href=”https://www.example.com” rel=”sponsored”>Check out this product</a>

What’s the Goal of Sponsored Tag?

• Comply with Google’s advertising policies.
• Prevent penalties for unnatural link building.
• Protect a website’s credibility.

When to Use Sponsored Links?

• Sponsored guest posts or advertorials
• Paid product placements
• Affiliate partnerships (in some cases, unless otherwise disclosed)

Affiliate Links

Affiliate links are often used for monetization without manipulating rankings. Such links are quite common for the e-commerce industry, influencer marketing, and affiliate programs to indicate that the referring website earns a commission for generating sales or traffic.

An example of an affiliate link is:

<a href=”https://www.example.com/product?ref=affiliateID” rel=”nofollow”>Buy this product</a>

SEO Best Practices for Affiliate Links

• Google recommends using nofollow or sponsored attributes for affiliate links to ensure compliance with search guidelines.
• They do not pass link equity, but they can drive referral traffic and revenue.
• Always disclose affiliate relationships for transparency.

When to Use Affiliate Links?

• Affiliate marketing partnerships
• Product recommendations on blogs
• E-commerce collaborations with brands

UGC (User-Generated Content) Links

The rel=“UGC” attribute signals Google that the link is a user-generated one rather than added by the website owners. Such links help crawlers differentiate spammy content from genuine recommendations by real users.

An example of a UGC link is:

<a href=”https://www.example.com” rel=”ugc”>User comment link</a>

Why Do UGC Links Matter?

• Help prevent comment spam
• Protect site authority from bad external links
• Ensure search engines treat user-generated links appropriately

When to Use UGC Links?

• Blog comments with external links
• Forum discussions
• Q&A platforms like Quora or Reddit

Google doesn’t penalize sites for allowing UGC links, but failing to moderate them can lead to a bad backlink profile.

How Authority Domains Boost High-Quality Backlink Success 

Domain Authority (DA) – Moz

• Definition: DA is a predictive ranking score developed by Moz that estimates how likely a website is to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs) compared to its competitors.
• Scale: 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of ranking.
• Calculation: DA is calculated using dozens of factors, primarily focused on the quality and quantity of inbound links, and uses a machine learning model to best correlate Moz’s link data with actual rankings.
• Usage: DA is a comparative metric, best used to benchmark your site against competitors rather than as an absolute measure of SEO performance.
• Key Factors:
  • Number of unique linking domains
  • Quality of those domains
  • Overall size and strength of the site’s link profile

Domain Rating (DR) – Ahrefs

• Definition: DR is a metric by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile, focusing on the quality and quantity of external links pointing to the domain.
• Scale: 0 to 100, with a logarithmic progression (it’s much harder to move from 80 to 90 than from 20 to 30).
• Calculation: DR is based on:
  • Number of unique referring domains (with more weight given to unique domains than multiple links from the same domain)
  • Quality and DR of the linking domains
  • Only considers “dofollow” links; “nofollow” links are excluded.
• Usage: DR is best used to assess the relative strength of a site’s backlink profile, not as a direct predictor of search rankings.
• Key Factors:
  • Unique referring domains
  • Authority of linking domains
  • Dofollow vs. nofollow link ratio

Authority Score (AS) – Semrush

• Definition: AS is a proprietary metric from Semrush that measures the overall quality and SEO performance of a domain, integrating backlink data with additional signals like organic traffic and user behavior.
• Scale: 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting greater authority and trustworthiness.
• Calculation: AS combines several factors:
  • Quality and quantity of backlinks
  • Organic search traffic
  • User engagement and behavioral signals
  • Ratio of followed to no-followed links.
• Usage: AS provides a more holistic view of a site’s authority and is best used for competitive comparison and evaluating potential link-building targets.
• Key Factors:
  • Backlink profile strength (quality, quantity, diversity)
  • Organic traffic and visibility
  • User engagement metrics

Examples of High Domain Authority Websites and Why They Are Authoritative

To understand why some websites have higher DA than others, let’s analyze a few industry-leading sites that consistently rank at the top.

Forbes (DR 94): Authority Through Trust and Longevity

Forbes is a leading business publication with a strong reputation. It is frequently cited by news agencies, businesses, and governments, increasing its authority. Forbes publishes insightful, expert-written content that aligns with E-E-A-T principles. This means the site focuses on expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, earning it a high DA.

Backlinks from Forbes are highly valuable because search engines recognize it as a trusted authority in business and finance.

The Guardian (DA 93): Strong Editorial Standards

Founded in 1821, The Guardian is a respected journalism outlet. Their articles undergo rigorous fact-checking and quality control, ensuring content accuracy. This reputation makes The Guardian one of the most valuable sources for media backlinks. Its high standards and credibility naturally attract backlinks from governments, educational institutions, and other media organizations.

HubSpot (DA 93): Industry Thought Leadership

HubSpot provides data-driven marketing insights, which businesses rely on. Their blog posts, guides, and research reports attract thousands of backlinks from marketing professionals. Backlinks from HubSpot are valuable for marketing-related websites, as they indicate high industry relevance and authority.

Proven Strategies to Get Free Backlinks

Focusing on value-driven and strategic link-building methods is essential for websites that want to obtain high-quality backlinks and boost domain authority. Link building doesn’t always require great investments. Acting smart and following ranking guidelines can make a big difference.

Here are some tools to help you find free backlink opportunities:

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging or posting suggests writing articles for other websites related to your industry and inserting links to your site. This is an accepted link-building strategy that helps with SEO and also positions you as an authority in your industry.

1. Identify relevant blogs in your industry that accept guest posts.
2. Pitch valuable, well-researched content ideas.
3. Include a natural backlink to your website within the content or in the author bio.

Link Exchanges

You can exchange links with other websites. However, this should be done strategically to avoid penalties from the ranking algorithms.

1. Find complementary websites (not direct competitors) that provide value to your audience.
2. Offer a mutually beneficial link exchange where both websites gain relevant backlinks.
3. Ensure links appear naturally within the content rather than looking artificial.

Directory Submissions and Citations

Submitting your website to reputable directories can help build backlinks while increasing local and industry-specific visibility.

1. You can submit your website to local and relevant directories like Clutch, Yelp, or Yellow Pages.
2. Ensure your business information is accurate and consistent across all directories (name, address, phone, and services).

Resource Lists

Many websites create curated resource lists that link to the best industry tools, guides, and articles.

1. Identify relevant resource pages within your niche.
2. Reach out to site owners and suggest your content as a valuable addition.

Author Bio Links

When you contribute guest posts, always include an author bio with a link back to your website.

1. Ensure the bio is relevant to the topic and showcases your expertise.
2. Use natural anchor text (e.g., “SEO expert at [YourWebsite.com]”).

Products

Businesses selling physical or digital products can refer to e-commerce platforms and review websites for backlinks.

1. Ask online stores, partners, or distributors to link to your site.
2. Reach out to review sites and bloggers to feature your product.

Converting Brand Mentions into Links

Sometimes websites mention your brand but don’t link back. This is a prime opportunity to reclaim those backlinks and appear higher in search results.

1. Use Google Alerts or Ahrefs to find unlinked mentions.
2. Reach out to the site owner and politely request a backlink.

Press Release

A well-crafted press release can attract backlinks from news websites and industry publications.

1. Write newsworthy announcements (e.g., product launches, company updates).
2. Distribute through PR platforms like PR Newswire or PRWeb.

Broken Link Building

This involves finding broken links on other websites and suggesting your content as a replacement. While broken link building is common in the SEO community, you should still be cautious about the source website domain authority, its relevance to your niche, and the quality of your suggested content.

1. Use Ahrefs or Semrush to find dead links.
2. Reach out to the site owner with a replacement suggestion.

Engage in Community Forums and Q&A Sites

Sites like Quora or Reddit are ideal platforms for online discussions, where your potential target audience may ask questions about your niche. Participate in these communities and include links to relevant content on your website when appropriate. Just be sure not to overpromote yourself and appear spammy.

1. Answer only relevant questions and those where you can provide value.
2. Include a link to your relevant content in your answer.

Analyze Competitor Backlinks

Studying your competitors’ backlinks helps you find potential link opportunities. It also shows what works well in their strategy and what doesn’t so you can make improvements.

1. Use Ahrefs or Semrush to analyze your competitors’ backlinks.
2. Look for patterns and common link sources.
3. Reach out to websites linking to them and pitch your own content.

Digital PR – Participate in Interviews and Podcasts

Being featured in podcasts, expert roundups, and interviews is an excellent way to get backlinks.

1. Establish yourself as an authority in your industry to increase the likelihood of being invited to podcasts and interviews.
2. Share insightful content regularly, engage with your audience on social media, and contribute to industry forums and discussions.
3. Provide unique insights and expertise in interviews.

Reclaim Lost Backlinks

If backlinks to your site have been removed or broken, you can reach out and request restoration.

1. Use Ahrefs or Google Search Console to track lost links.
2. Contact the site owner to fix or reinstate the link.

Create High-Quality, Shareable Content

The foundation of natural backlink acquisition is creating valuable, original content that others want to reference. This includes in-depth guides, case studies, data-backed posts, or unique perspectives. Focus on solving real problems, making the content visually appealing, and optimizing it for both readers and search engines.

Digital PR

Digital PR blends traditional media outreach with SEO goals by getting your brand featured in authoritative publications. Craft compelling stories around your business and pitch them to journalists or bloggers in your niche. Use platforms like HARO or Muck Rack to find journalists looking for expert insights.

Repurpose Content

Transforming existing content into different formats—such+  as turning a blog post into a video, infographic, podcast snippet, or LinkedIn carousel—can increase its reach and generate backlinks from different platforms. Each repurposed piece opens up new backlinking opportunities when shared across channels or featured in niche communities.

Link Placement

Suggest your content as an additional, educational resource in existing blog posts or guides on other websites. Reach out to site owners with a relevant article where your link can naturally enhance the reader’s understanding. Emphasize the mutual benefit and keep the tone collaborative, not transactional.

Infographics and Videos

Visual content like infographics and videos are highly shareable and often cited by other websites. Create informative, beautifully designed visuals with embedded branding and a link to your original content. Offer them to bloggers and publishers in your niche to feature in their content.

Establish Yourself as an Editor in Other Websites

Securing an editorial role or becoming a contributor to reputable industry blogs or online magazines increases your credibility and allows for regular backlink inclusion. Ensure that any links you place are relevant, contextually appropriate, and add real value to the reader.

Create a Free Tool

Offering a useful tool—like a calculator, checklist generator, or SEO audit tool—can naturally attract backlinks. People love sharing tools that help them solve problems. Make sure it’s easy to use, provides genuine utility, and include a strong landing page optimized for SEO.

Use Three-Way Link Swap Platforms (like Pitch Panda)

Three-way link swaps involve three different websites exchanging backlinks in a circular pattern to avoid reciprocal linking. Platforms like Pitch Panda facilitate these connections safely. Be strategic and ensure all involved sites are relevant and authoritative to avoid search engine penalties.

Use Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a high-authority domain, and getting your link there (if relevant) can drive traffic and credibility. Find broken links or outdated references related to your niche, then suggest your content as a replacement. Be factual, neutral, and make sure the link truly adds value.

Resource Page Link Building

Many websites host resource pages linking to helpful tools or information in a specific niche. Find these pages with search queries like “inurl:resources + [your topic]” and reach out with a personalized pitch. Make sure your content aligns closely with the theme of the resource page.

Tools to Help You Find Free Backlink Opportunities

You can have a thoroughly developed link-building strategy and a team of SEO specialists to implement it, but the right tools can make all the difference.

Some of the most widely used backlink analysis tools are Ahrefs and Semrush, both offering advanced insights into a website’s backlink profile. Such tools can provide information about the referring domains, anchor text distributions, and lost backlinks. You can also use them to track your competitors and monitor their strategies.

Other tools that can help you find free backlink opportunities include Moz’s Link Explorer, Majestic SEO, and BuzzSumo. These tools focus on analyzing a website’s content and its performance in terms of social shares and backlinks.

Measuring the Success of Your Backlink Strategy

Once you have the best-working route to earn backlinks for your website, the next crucial step is to measure the success of your strategy. Here are some metrics you can use:

1. Organic Traffic Growth: Use tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, or Semrush to track whether your link-building efforts drive more visitors to your website. High-quality backlinks will result in steady traffic growth.
2. Keyword Rankings Improvement: Backlinks help boost your position for target keywords. Advanced SEO tools allow tracking keyword movements and assessing whether your backlinks influence rankings.
3. Backlink Profile Strength: Keep a constant eye on the total number of backlinks, linking domains, and their authority.

Revisiting these and other insights your SEO tools provide will ensure that your backlink strategy delivers the expected results.

Choose quality over quantity. 

This is the golden rule of backlinking. While acquiring numerous backlinks from low-quality sources may be tempting, your authority and ranking potential immensely depend on the quality of your backlink profile.