What is Backlink Type?
A backlink type is just a way of categorizing or grouping different backlinks based on their characteristics and where they are coming from.
The type of backlink matters because it impacts how valuable and powerful that backlink is.
What Are The Different Types of Backlinks?
Backlinks are like throwing a vote for a website, but not all votes count the same. There are actually many different types of backlinks, and they each have their own value and importance.
Understanding the different types can help you get the right kind of backlinks for your website.
The Main Backlink Categories
Relevance
The backlinks that pack the biggest punch are the ones from websites that are super closely related to your own website's topics and industry.
These "relevant" backlinks show search engines that your site is an authority on that subject matter. The more relevant the linking website, the better that backlink vote is.
Authority
Popular, well-respected, and trusted websites carry a lot of authority and influence. So backlinks from authoritative sites act like very powerful and credible endorsement votes for your website.
The link's value rises along with the authority of the linking site.
Source
Backlinks can come from all sorts of different sources across the internet - blogs, online directories, forums, social media platforms, and more.
The source of the backlink can impact how valuable and meaningful that backlink vote is seen to be.
The Most Common Backlink Types
Editorial Backlinks
These are golden backlinks that you earn naturally.
They happen when another website simply thinks your content is so valuable and useful that they decide to link to it of their own accord to recommend it to their audience. It's an unsolicited backlink vote.
Guest Post Backlinks
With this type, you contribute some content like an article or blog post to another website. In exchange, you get to include a backlink back to your own website.
Guest posting allows you to get exposure to their audience while earning a relevant backlink.
Online Directory Backlinks
These are backlinks that come from being listed and having your website's URL included on various online directory websites.
Some are general directories and others are niche-specific for certain industries.
Forum Backlinks
By participating in popular online forums and communities related to your industry's topics, you can sometimes leave comments that allow you to include a backlink to your website at the end.
Social Media Backlinks
These are the backlinks that get created when people share or mention your website, content, or brand on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others.
Nofollow vs Dofollow
Some backlinks have a special "nofollow" attribute attached which tells search engines not to count that as an endorsement vote - they are called nofollow backlinks.
Other "dofollow" backlinks don't have that and allow the link value to be counted.
Others
There are some other more niche and specific types too, like .edu and .gov backlinks from educational and government websites which are seen as highly authoritative. Or local citation backlinks for local businesses listed online.
Moreover, there are contextual backlinks which are the valuable backlinks added in the body of the text where it's relevant and meaningful.
Takeaway
The type of backlink impacts how valuable and authoritative that endorsement vote from that website is for yours. The goal is to earn high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative sources.