A backlink is simply a link from one website to another.

Search engines like Google use backlinks as a ranking signal because when one website links to another, it means they believe the content is noteworthy.

The easiest way to think of backlinks would be as conversations among websites.

For example, John is a blogger, and he writes a very interesting article about a sports event.

Another blogger, Samantha, links to John’s article when sharing her perspective. Since she writes about the topic on her well-known online magazine site, this creates a backlink to John’s post.

Because the online magazine is popular, many other sites will link back to her article. This increases the online magazine’s authority, and John’s article also gets a valuable backlink from a reputable site.

Basically, it’s a win-win.

On the other hand, dofollow links are the type of backlink that everyone wants. Just keep in mind that those coming from respected sites hold the most value. This kind of backlink can help improve your search engine rankings.

However, there are dofollow links that are considered bad or ‘toxic’. These links come from suspicious sites or are gained by breaking the search engine terms of service.

This may cause Google to penalize or even de-index your site. Remember, it’s not about the quantity of backlinks but rather the quality that makes the difference in ranking.

Building backlinks to your site takes time and effort. Here are 7 simple ways you can start building quality backlinks for your website:

You can also begin doing competitive backlink research. In order to do this, you will need to see the backlinks of your competitors who are ranking well.

Keeping an eye on your backlinks is very important. Google Webmaster Guidelines require you to ask toxic website owners to remove their links from your site. If you don’t, then Google can penalize your website, and your page rank will begin to drop in search results.

So, it’s important to know how to answer these 3 questions:

Thankfully, the answer is easy with the right tools.

You can use Google Search Console to help grow your site and see your backlinks, but it can take a lot of time, and it’s limited in what it can do.

However, there are faster and better backlink checker tools available. For example, by using Semrush, you can quickly answer all three of those important questions and much more.

Semrush has two main areas that deal specifically with backlinks. The first is the Backlink Analytics section, which lets you study your competitors, and the second is the Backlink Audit area.

With a tool like Semrush, you can do keyword research, see your competitors’ backlinks, and manage yours in one convenient place.

Keeping track of your backlink profile will tell you a lot about the value of your site and is an important part of your site’s SEO strategy.

We hope this guide helped you learn what are backlinks and how you can use them to grow your website. You may also want to see our Additional Reading list below for related articles on useful WordPress tips, tricks, and ideas.