What is a backlink in SEO?
A backlink is a link on another website that points to your website. In SEO, backlinks matter because Google uses links to find new pages and as one signal of which pages are relevant and trusted. For a local business, the best backlinks come from real local sources like your chamber of commerce, suppliers and trade associations.
Backlinks are also called inbound links or incoming links. They all mean the same thing. For example, if your local chamber of commerce lists your electrical company in its member directory with a link to your site, that is a backlink. If you link from your own home page to your own panel upgrade page, that is an internal link, not a backlink.
Why do backlinks matter to Google?
Backlinks matter to Google for two reasons: they help Google find your pages, and they help Google judge which pages deserve to rank.
Google's link guidance says it uses links as a signal when determining the relevancy of pages and to find new pages to crawl. Its SEO Starter Guide adds that the vast majority of new pages Google finds every day are found through links. A brand new website with zero backlinks can sit unnoticed for weeks.
Google's ranking systems guide says PageRank, its original way of studying links, is still part of its core ranking systems. The same guide makes clear that links are one signal among many. A page with great links and thin, unhelpful content still struggles.
For the map results, links matter too. Google's local ranking guidance says prominence, meaning how well known a business is, is based partly on how many websites link to your business. Reviews are part of that picture as well.
What are the parts of a backlink?
Every backlink has three parts worth knowing: the page it sits on, the words that are linked, and any label attached to it.
- The linking page. A link from a page about home improvement in your city carries more meaning than a link from a page about car insurance in another country.
- The anchor text. The clickable words. Google says good anchor text is descriptive, reasonably concise and relevant to both pages. "Smith Plumbing" or "water heater repair in Tempe" tells Google more than "click here."
- The rel attribute. A small label in the link code that tells Google what kind of link it is. More on these below.
Here is what a plain backlink looks like in the code of someone else's website:
<a href="https://www.smithplumbing.com/">Smith Plumbing</a>
What is the difference between follow and nofollow links?
A regular link, sometimes called a "follow" link, has no special label. Google can follow it and count it. Labeled links tell Google to treat them differently.
| Link type | Code label | When sites use it | How Google treats it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular link | None | Normal, editorial links | Can be followed and counted |
| Sponsored | rel="sponsored" | Ads, paid placements, sponsorships | Generally not followed |
| User-generated | rel="ugc" | Comments, forum posts, reviews | Generally not followed |
| Nofollow | rel="nofollow" | Links a site does not want to vouch for | Generally not followed |
Google's guide to outbound links says links with these labels will generally not be followed. A sponsored link from a local event page can still send you real customers. It just is not a ranking vote.
What makes a good backlink for a local business?
A good backlink comes from a real website with real readers, has something to do with your trade or your town, and exists because someone chose to link to you.
| Good local backlink | Risky backlink |
|---|---|
| Your chamber of commerce member directory | A "submit to 500 directories" bundle |
| A supplier or manufacturer's list of certified installers | A paid post on a site that sells links to anyone |
| A local news story about your business | An article on a site in another language with no readers |
| A youth sports team you sponsor (marked sponsored is fine) | A "link to me and I will link to you" swap ring |
| A trade association you belong to | Links stuffed into forum signatures or comments |
The left column is slower to build. It also lasts, and it helps people find you even if Google never counted the link at all.
Which backlinks should you avoid?
Avoid any backlink that exists only to move rankings. Google's spam policies define link spam as creating links to or from a site primarily to manipulate search rankings. Its examples include:
- Buying or selling links for ranking, including trading goods or services for links
- Excessive link exchanges, or partner pages that exist just to cross-link
- Using automated programs or services to create links to your site
- Low-quality directory or bookmark site links
- Forum comments with keyword-stuffed links in the post or signature
Google says sites that break its spam policies may rank lower or not appear in results at all. If someone offers you "100 high-authority backlinks" in a cold email, that is the kind of deal Google is describing. Our guide to black hat SEO covers the other shortcuts that backfire.
Are backlinks the same as citations?
No. A backlink is a clickable link to your website. A local citation is any mention of your business name, address and phone number on another site, such as Yelp, Apple Maps or the Better Business Bureau. Some citations include a link to your site, and some do not.
Both help a local business. Citations help confirm your details are accurate across the web, and backlinks help with discovery and ranking. Our guide to local citations explains which listings matter most.
How do you earn your first local backlinks?
Earning local backlinks is mostly about relationships you already have. Here is a simple order to work through.
- Join your local chamber of commerce or business association and make sure your listing links to your website.
- Ask the brands you install or use whether they list certified installers or providers, and get on that list.
- Check your trade associations for member directories.
- Sponsor something local you actually care about, such as a school fundraiser or a youth team.
- Offer a useful quote or tip to a local reporter or blogger when your trade is in the news, such as after a storm or a heat wave.
- Ask partner businesses you truly work with, such as a realtor who refers inspections, to mention you on their site.
Our step-by-step guide on how to get backlinks covers each of these in detail.
It also helps to give people something worth linking to. A chamber or supplier is far more willing to link to a clear, fast site with real photos and a page for each service than to a single page with a phone number. That is the kind of site our web design work focuses on.
How do you check the backlinks you already have?
Google Search Console has a free Links report. It shows the top sites linking to you, which of your pages get the most links from other sites, and the link text those sites use. Google notes that the report shows a sample, not every link, but it is enough to spot your strongest links and anything that looks off.
Want to know where your links stand?
Larkpin is a local SEO, web design and AI automation agency for US local businesses. Local link building is part of our local SEO services, and we only go after links from real local sources. If you want to see how your visibility compares with the competitors above you, start with the Free Missed-Lead Audit.