It’s 2022, and by now, everyone should know what a backlink is if they work with SEO – Search Engine Optimization. Backlinks are used when your business, brand, or website includes hyperlinks to other web pages and vice-versa. When you create a backlink, you allow your visitors or clients to check out other websites and content. Backlinks are also crucial elements for SEO because they increase credibility.

Google loves backlinks. It also loves ranking websites based on these backlinks. Do backlinks right, and your website will rank higher on Google Search. Mess it up, and your rankings might take a dip. 

However, SEO experts over the years have said that backlinks aren’t enough for higher rankings. They’re right; backlinks alone can’t help your website reach a high ranking. But backlinks are still vital for SEO. So, why is that?

Why Backlinks Alone No Longer Impact SEO Rankings

Google once used to rank websites with more backlinks higher. The company considered having a high number of backlinks as reputable and legit. So, they would rank these websites higher in search results.

However, it didn’t take dishonest SEO companies long to start misusing this feature. They would flood their client websites with spam links to rank them higher. Google caught wind of it, and they no longer allow backlinks to decide the rankings alone.

Quality Over Quantity

With its Penguin algorithm update, Google changed the way it interpreted backlinks. It no longer considered the volume of backlinks as reputable. Rather, it looked at how the links themselves ranked on Google, their quality and content, and how much traffic they were bringing in. This algorithm changed the game forever. In a way, it’s why Google still considers backlinks while judging and ranking a website.

Backlinks are Now Relatable

Since quality gets preference over quantity these days, SEO companies look for relevance when using backlinks. They also consider other factors, like domain authority (DA). For instance, Adroited follows a model where they only use backlinks with higher DA scores and no red flags. Adroited SEO services ensure relevancy by linking topics synonymous with the content or webpage. So, they will link websites related to web design, coding, or UI/UX design if they are optimizing the content on web development. 

It is not only a safe approach but an effective one as well. This approach allows SEO service providers to rank their client websites higher on Google Search. Relevancy is what’s keeping backlinks going in 2022.

Growing Popularity of Internal Links

We’ve already established that external links can be risky. One wrong move and Google will push you down the rankings. 

However, internal linking is one way to play things safe while improving your rankings. These links allow Google to rank your website higher by showing them which pages of your website are vital. You can do that by using descriptive anchor text so the algorithm can pick it up. 

One thing to remember here is that you can’t overdo it with internal links either. Too many internal links on the same page will dilute their value. Limit yourself to two or three internal links every 500-700 words.

Growing Popularity of Guest Blogging

Guest posting has been a thing for some time now. In most cases, people will pay websites with higher DA scores to host their links as backlinks. Google is aware of it and allows it too. Of course, the backlinks have to meet Google’s standards. So, whatever we’ve discussed so far, websites must follow those guidelines even when receiving guest posts.

Guest postings allow website owners to earn from their high DA scores. Your content can contain links that redirect to your website or product when you’re guest posting. So, you’re doing product placement in a way. That’s what website owners will charge you for, and it’s a recognizable business model now. Besides, as long as the content is of high quality, the website owner is also benefitting, as Google recognizes that their website posts quality stuff.

In all these instances, it’s clear that backlinks are super important for SEO. Whether you’re running a personal website or a business site, you can’t do without backlinks if you want to gain traction. Of course, there’s a limit to using backlinks, and staying within that limit is crucial to making the most of this feature.