If you’ve ever watched the animated movie “Shrek,” you might remember the story of Princess Fiona — she was beautiful, sang wonderfully, and was an ideal bride. However, if not for the rumors about her being locked away in a tower guarded by a fierce dragon, she might have remained there forever without ever meeting her prince. The same applies to any website: no matter how unique, useful, reliable, and expert its content is, it risks remaining invisible to search engines without confirmation of its relevance from external sources — namely, SEO links, also known as backlinks.
Below, you’ll learn what SEO links are and how to create SEO links, along with valuable insights on how to maximize the effectiveness of this SEO method.
The answer to the question “What is an SEO link (backlink)?” in simple terms is this: it’s a regular hyperlink placed with the purpose of positively influencing the promoted site’s ranking in search engines. If we draw an analogy with human communication, such links act as a kind of recommendation from donor sites to the promoted ones. That is, when a donor site links to another, it signals to search engines: “This resource can be trusted.”
By the way, to determine trust levels through external links, Google still relies on the well-known PageRank algorithm developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, which came into effect back in 1996.
Of course, it has undergone numerous updates and optimizations since then, but its core purpose — factoring in external site recommendations when calculating page authority — remains unchanged.
On the other hand, today’s PageRank prioritizes the quality of backlinks over their quantity. In fact, it can now detect unnatural links, manipulative practices, and purchased traffic — all tactics that black-hat SEOs heavily relied on about a decade ago.
To summarize, inbound links to a website are important because they:
Unlike regular links, which are used without the goal of promoting a particular web resource (for example, an author might simply find your content valuable and reference it to respect copyright rules), SEO links are placed intentionally, aiming to boost the resource’s rankings in search results.
It’s also important to note that backlinks are not always obtained for free — their placement often requires payment or meeting specific conditions set by the donor site.
To better understand the significance of SEO links, let’s find out how exactly Google perceives them and which aspects this search engine prioritizes.
Link equity is determined by the quantity and quality of the “signals” passed through an SEO link.
For example, if a promoted website receives a backlink from an authoritative source (such as Forbes), that link will carry much more weight than one obtained from a comment on an unmoderated online portal.
Google’s algorithms analyze the placement of the SEO link (whether it’s naturally embedded within the text, located in the footer, or placed in a comment section), its natural integration — noting that Google highly disfavors spam — the frequency of link placements on the same site, as well as the authority and topical relevance of the donor domain.
Another crucial factor is the anchor text — that is, the visible text where the SEO link is embedded.
Google independently recognizes SEO link attributes as signals.
As mentioned above, the anchor text is the text under which the SEO link is placed. For example, in the phrase “buy a leather jacket,” the anchor is the keyword itself, and Google interprets it as a hint about the content of the linked page. Optimizing anchor texts is considered a fine art: overstuffing anchors with keywords can lead to penalties, while overly long or complex phrasing can result in loss of contextual clarity.
SEO links play an extremely important role in the work of any specialist engaged in website promotion through search engines. However, relevance is crucial when using them. Before placing backlinks, it’s important to understand which types are best suited for specific tasks. We have compiled a detailed table to help you navigate all these nuances independently.
| Type of Link | What It Represents | Its Role in SEO |
| Internal | A link placed within the promoted website that leads to other pages of the same site. | Simplifies page discovery for search bots and distributes link equity internally across the website. |
| External | A link from the promoted website to external web resources. | Serves as an indicator to search bots that the content is open and contextually relevant. |
| Backlink | An SEO link placed on external sites that points to the promoted domain. | Boosts the domain’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines. |
| Natural | Acts as an organic reaction to high-quality content. | Considered one of the most valuable and transparent SEO tools. |
| Paid | Obtained through payment. | Can be beneficial for SEO when used wisely. |
| Rented | Temporary in nature, often placed in footers or sidebars. | Provides temporary link equity to the domain but requires ongoing monitoring. |
| Topical | A link from websites within the same niche or industry. | Enhances relevance and builds trust toward the promoted site according to Google. |
| Outbound | Links placed on the promoted domain that lead to external sites. | Shapes the ecosystem of the promoted domain, influencing its perception as a trustworthy source by search bots. |
| Inbound | Links placed on external sites that point to the promoted site. | Forms the foundation of link building. |
| Crowd Link | Links placed in comments on forums, social networks, or blog platforms. | These are relatively inexpensive to obtain but may be less effective. |
Overall, as we can see, all types of SEO links can be beneficial for promoting a domain — as long as they are used properly and appropriately.
It’s important to understand that external links are not a “magic wand,” and in some cases, they can actually cause harm. Let’s look at these cases in more detail below.
If there are too many SEO links and they all use the same keywords in their anchor texts (especially when brand mentions are involved), the website can be penalized by Google due to perceived manipulation of public opinion.
“Toxic” links include those associated with sanctioned or adult content (especially if the search query is unrelated). This category also includes automatically generated backlinks — even if they are free, Google’s bots may interpret them as attempts to artificially boost the site’s authority.
A sharp surge in external links, measured by dozens (or even hundreds) of new backlinks in a short period (such as a week), can raise suspicions among search bots — particularly if the promoted web resource is new and previously lacked significant popularity.
The Penguin algorithm, implemented by Google in 2012, tracks unnatural link placements related to SEO. As of 2025, it operates as an integral part of Google’s core algorithms, functioning in real time. Thus, a promoted site can be penalized almost instantly and then recover just as quickly after cleaning up its link profile.
The Disavow Tool is a tool for rejecting harmful external links. Although many SEO specialists consider it outdated, it still works — provided it’s used thoughtfully. Otherwise, there is a real risk of inadvertently “cutting off” valuable link equity that benefits the promoted resource.
Search engine algorithms continue to evolve, but just like 20 years ago, links — both external and internal — can bring tremendous benefits to website rankings, provided they are used correctly. In particular, working with backlinks can be most effective when promoting young websites, platforms operating in highly competitive niches, or sites that require accelerated indexing.
At the same time, building a backlink profile may not be a top priority if the website’s basic internal optimization aspects — including its structure and semantic core — are not yet properly set up. It’s also wise to hold off on link building if the site has already been subjected to search engine penalties or if you lack a clear understanding of the quality of the commercial links you are acquiring. Therefore, carefully analyze the quality of your SEO links — because chasing quantity alone can ultimately have disastrous consequences for the promoted website.
SEO links to a website are a type of hyperlink (mention) but are created with a specific goal — to influence SEO performance. Thus, not every hyperlink qualifies as an SEO link.
In highly competitive business niches, it is almost impossible to succeed without purchasing external links. Nevertheless, investing in external website optimization must be done thoughtfully, avoiding the sole focus on acquiring the maximum number of SEO links at the lowest possible cost.
Helpful links are thematic and natural links from trusted resources. On the other hand, harmful links typically include mass-purchased backlinks and links from irrelevant sites or those flagged for spammy backlink profiles.
Yes, it is possible — especially when dealing with narrow, local niches or when you have a strong content strategy. However, such cases are relatively rare, which is why link building remains one of the standard approaches in SEO.
Enjoyed the article?
Discover ideas worth your time — stories,
trends, and tools that shape the future
Join our newsletter for curated
insights and important updates
Latest Articles
