Ranking on search engines without a diversified and high-quality backlink profile is like trying to walk without feet. Not only is it hard to look at, but it's also nearly impossible to do.
If you've been wondering how to pull off a good backlink profile, stick around. This post explains what a backlink profile is and the factors affecting it.
What Is a Backlink Profile?
A backlink profile refers to the cluster of links that points to your site. Contrary to popular belief, a backlink profile doesn't just involve the number of backlinks a site has. It also details other features like the following:
Types of links
Anchor text
Referring domains
Referring pages
Link location
A strong backlink profile makes it easier for your pages to get higher rankings, drive organic traffic, raise brand awareness, and more.
In particular, your backlink profile affects your Google ranking. It's because the search engine crawls through the internet to check the quantity and quality of your backlinks. Then, Google determines whether or not your site has enough authority on a specific topic.
If so, you'll likely rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). If not, you'll probably stay at the SERP abyss.
Many factors affect your backlink profile (more about them below). These include the total number of backlinks and the quality of the referring domains.
Fortunately, you can use tools for link building, SEO principles, and manual outreach link building to sway these factors in your favor. You also need to understand how they work so you can monitor and build a compelling backlink profile.
Factors Affecting a Backlink Profile
Here are the factors affecting your backlink profile:
Total Backlinks
As the name implies, this refers to the total number of backlinks pointing to your site. Generally speaking, websites with more backlinks tend to outrank websites with fewer backlinks.
However, the truth about backlinks is that it's not all about the numbers.
If your competitor has more backlinks than you, it doesn't mean they'll outrank you for specific keywords. Remember, the quality of the websites pointing to yours also matters, leading us to the next section: referring domain quality.
Referring Domain Quality
A referring domain refers to a website linking to yours. Technically, a referring domain can give your website traffic because of the backlink/s that it includes in its content.
For instance, your website has 500 backlinks. However, they come from only five websites. Although you have many backlinks, your backlink profile could be stronger. It's because only five websites find your content valuable and authoritative enough.
The more unique referring domains your backlink profile has, the better Google sees you. It's because many websites across the internet trust your content.
In addition, the domain ranking (DR) of the websites linking to your website matters.
DR refers to the site ranking or overall reputation of a website. Backlinks from websites with high DRs become more valuable in Google's eyes.
On the other hand, links from websites with low DRs can weaken your backlink profile. It’s because Google crawlers see them as questionable websites linking to yours.
Anchor Text
An anchor text refers to a hyperlink's clickable (often blue and underlined) text.
Google pays attention to anchor texts. It relies on them to know what the content contains. Anchor texts also provide users with relevant information about the link's destination.
Ideally, anchor texts should contain the keywords you want to rank for. However, it's not always the case. You might get non-relevant anchor text, so you should monitor the ones you get.
Remember, Google crawlers like natural-looking backlinks. For this reason, your backlink profile should have non-spammy anchor texts.
On-Site Link Location
Search engines also consider the location of the backlinks on the linking page.
Is it in the body? In the comment section? Is it used as a reference?
The location tells search engines about your page. High-quality websites linking to yours in the body means that they trust you. The same thing happens when they use your page as reference links (e.g., links that come after "according to" and "based on").
On the other hand, Google doesn't see a user linking to your website in the comment section as trustworthy. Given this, Google won't likely consider that link a significant backlink.
How Toxic Backlinks Hurt Your Backlink Profile
Toxic backlinks harm your backlink profile’s health. These backlinks usually include:
Low-DR referring domains
Spammy, paid links
Irrelevant or spammy anchor text
Referring domains with no organic traffic signals
You must identify toxic links to reduce their impact on your backlink profile. Plus, Google crawlers can now better identify toxic backlinks, so you must avoid them at all costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does backlink mean?
A backlink refers to a link from another website pointing to yours. It helps Google determine how your website will rank.
What does the backlink profile measure?
The backlink profile measures the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your website. A backlink profile affects your ranking on Google because the search engine evaluates it.
What is a backlink example?
A backlink example is any blog post you find that links to another source or page. Press articles and product reviews are also examples of content with backlinks.
What are strong backlinks?
Strong backlinks are natural, trustworthy, and relevant backlinks. These links come from websites with high DRs. Strong backlinks pass the most value to your website, with medium-quality links following them. However, you should avoid spammy, low-quality backlinks.
Conclusion
Building a strong backlink profile means putting in the time and hard work. In many cases, doing so can take years. If you want to create a strong backlink profile that search engines won't tag as spam, we're here to help.
Tribu LinkBuilding is an experienced link building outsourcing agency helping business owners get backlinks through white-hat strategies that Google won't penalize. Plus, you only have to pay after we get live links. Contact us to jumpstart your link building success now!