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20+ Types of Backlinks Link Builders Should Know

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20+ Types of Backlinks Link Builders Should Know
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When you’re new to link building, there are so many terms to grasp. Heck, there are dozens of backlink types to know your way around. And if you stay too buried in inaction, you can stay stuck there forever.
But, now that you've made it to this blog, that won't happen. We'll pull the curtain off of 20+ types of backlinks that all link builders should know. So, by the end of this blog, you'll know enough to not be stumped by link-building jargon.
To that end, let's begin...
When it comes to link building, organic links are like gold. They are the links that are naturally earned based on the quality and relevance of your content.
These are natural links that are earned when other websites mention your brand or content within their editorial content without any agreement or incentive.
Similar to editorial links, these are links where your brand is mentioned by other websites, but without necessarily linking back to your website.
Manual links involve direct actions on your part to acquire backlinks from other websites. While they require more effort, manual link-building strategies can be highly effective in generating quality backlinks.
These are agreements between two websites to link to each other.

B. Three-way exchanges

This involves three websites where A links to B, B links to C, and C links back to A, creating a link triangle.
Read more about link exchanges here
These are links obtained by identifying broken links on other websites and suggesting your own relevant content as a replacement.

D. Resource page links

These links are acquired by getting your website or content listed on a resource page of another website.

E. Guest post links

These are links earned by contributing high-quality content to another website as a guest author, typically including a link back to your own website within the author's bio or content.
These links are obtained by analyzing the backlink profile of your competitors and reaching out to the same sources to acquire similar links.
This involves finding mentions of your brand or content on other websites that don't currently link back to your site and reaching out to request the addition of a link.
P.S.: Obtaining manual links can be challenging for small websites. The outreach alone can be a dizzying prospect, given the time and resources involved. That’s why we built Smartlinks — an innovative platform that eliminates outreach and facilitates quality link-building.
👉 Try Smartlinks for Free!

3. Visual content and media-based links

Visual content plays a crucial role in engaging online audiences and can also serve as a powerful link-building tool.
Let's explore some effective strategies for building visual content and media-based links:-
These are links obtained by creating and sharing infographics, with the embedded code containing a link back to your website.
When other websites use your images, they provide a link back to the source or credit your website.
These links are acquired when your videos are embedded on other websites, usually with a link back to your website.
These links are obtained by sharing images on platforms like Pinterest, Flickr, or Instagram, which link back to your website.
These links are earned by sharing audio content, such as podcasts or music, on platforms like SoundCloud or iTunes, with links back to your website.
These are links obtained when your podcast episodes are shared on other websites or directories, typically with a link back to your website.
Social media platforms have become a powerful tool for building connections, engaging with audiences, and promoting your content. They also provide opportunities for acquiring social links, which can contribute to your overall link-building strategy.
Let's explore different types of social links you can leverage:-
These links are obtained when your website or content is shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
These links are acquired by submitting your website or content to social bookmarking sites like Reddit, Digg, or StumbleUpon.
These links are created when you include links to your website within your social media profiles.
Online forums and communities provide valuable platforms for discussions, knowledge sharing, and building relationships within your industry or niche. Participating in these platforms can not only help you establish yourself as an authority but also earn backlinks from relevant sources.
Let's explore different types of forum/community-based links you can get your hand on:
These links are placed within your forum profile signature, appearing at the end of your forum posts.
These are links included within your forum profile, usually in a designated field.
By actively participating in online communities or forums, you can include links to your website within relevant discussions or responses.
The placement of your backlinks within a webpage can impact their visibility and effectiveness. Understanding the different options for link placement can help you optimize your link-building strategy.
Let's explore the various types of link placement:-

A. In-content links

These links are placed within the main body of the content on a webpage.
These links appear in the header or footer section of a webpage, typically site-wide.
These links are placed within the sidebar of a webpage, often appearing on multiple pages of a website.

7. Links Based on Anchor Text:

Anchor text refers to the clickable text that is used to create a hyperlink. It plays a crucial role in search engine optimization and link building as it provides contextual information to both users and search engines about the linked content.
Let's explore the different types of anchor text you can utilize:-

A. Exact match anchor text links

These are links where the anchor text, the clickable text that contains the link, exactly matches the target keyword or phrase you want to rank for.

B. Partial match anchor text links

In these links, the anchor text contains a variation or partial match of the target keyword or phrase.

C. Branded anchor text links

These links use your brand name or a variation as the anchor text.
Link attributes are HTML tags that provide additional information about the nature of a link. They can influence how search engines perceive and treat those links.
Here are the types you should know:-
These are links that pass on link equity and influence search engine rankings.
These links have a rel="nofollow" attribute added to the HTML code, signaling search engines not to follow or give weight to the link for ranking purposes.
These links have a rel="sponsored" attribute and are used to identify links that are part of advertising or sponsored content.

D. UGC (User-Generated Content) links

These links have a rel="ugc" attribute and indicate that the link was created by a user, such as in comments or forum posts.
Well, organic links are rare. Manual, outreach-driven links take too much effort. And the rest of the types pack barely enough links enough to acquire consistently.
So, what do you do when you need to build high-quality, relevant backlinks at scale? Well, you do it the zero-outreach way, with Smartlinks.
With it, all you have to do is:-
  • Enter keywords you need backlinks for,
  • Get matched with opportunities,
  • Send a one-click backlink request,
  • And voila!
You earn backlinks without dizzying prospecting, tiring outreach, or never-ending negotiations. Just focus on creating link-worthy content and Smartlinks does the rest.
Sounds like something worth giving a shot? Then try it live now! 👉 Try Smartlinks for Free!
 

Written by

Angad Singh
Angad Singh

Content marketer at Smartlinks.ai and Smarttask.io