7 Backlinks Types That Truly Help Your Business Website Grow

Do you know that 74.3% of link building is paid, with an average amount of 83 USD for each? You may wonder, is paying for backlinks worth it? Are there better alternatives to buying backlinks? What’s best for my business? Let’s know more.

What is a backlink?

A backlink is a link that leads to your website on other websites; just like another website is mentioning yours to give you more traffic. Only you have to well-choose the websites you need to cooperate with for these mentions. Backlinks could be paid, free; could have high-authority or low ones; could increase your website traffic, and could be very harmful to your SEO.

Types of backlinks proper to use for your business website

Starting with the best backlinks to use for your business website and down the list:

Editorial backlinks

Editorial backlinks are the best, they’re like posting good quality content that brings you viral organic reach. Editorial links are free backlinks; you don’t pay for them nor ask anyone to do them for you. Mentioning your website in a blog content of other websites as a source of information is an example of editorial backlinks. It tells Google that your content is healthy, and it significantly improves your SEO performance by signaling to search engines that your content is authoritative and credible.

And all it needs is to work on high-quality content that adds true value to your visitors.

Press release backlinks

Having your business website mentioned by press and media websites, which can happen by default when your business does something interesting for the press, and it can also happen through an agreement with press platforms.

Edu and Gov backlinks

This is also a super type of backlinks, for your website to be mentioned in a website that ends up with (.gov) or (.edu). Google considers these two high-authority websites, and would rank your website higher when it happens.

But how can you get backlinks from GOV or EDU websites?

These websites are highly selective about who they link to, and it can be challenging to obtain backlinks from them. Here are some strategies to help you earn backlinks from .edu and .gov websites:

Participate in governmental initiatives, exhibitions, conferences, and sector chambers recognized by the government or somehow connected to.
Sponsor educational or governmental events such as workshops, conferences, or public forums can earn you a backlink from the event’s official page.
Create high-quality, relevant content, like research-oriented articles or white papers that connect your sector to education or public policy.
Offer scholarships for university students, against posting about your business on their website. And again, make sure it’ll be relevant to your business sector.
Create student discounts or offers.
Fund an educational project relevant to your field.
Some .edu and .gov sites also allow guest contributions or have newsletters; offer them to write one.
Engage with your local government in public health, education, civic projects, or charity projects.

Backlinks from .edu and .gov domains are valuable, but they require time, effort, and a focus on building meaningful relationships and providing value. Also, avoid trying to buy these types of backlinks, because it can be detrimental to your SEO and your credibility. Instead, focus on offering real value, create a strong network, and work on building good relationships; eventually these institutions may link back to you normally.

If you realize the heart of the previously mentioned strategy, which is giving a true value to the websites you need them to link to yours, you’ll be able to apply them to earn any type of backlinks.

Directory backlinks

Every once in a while you can see a website that collects all cosmetic websites in a directory, or all fashion websites, or all grocery shopping websites. And you’ll definitely find one relevant to your business sector.

Just make sure you pick up a high-authority directory website, not a spam one. Though most of the directory websites keep the backlinks in a Nofollow form, yet Google still recognizes you and ranks your website for it.

Testimonial backlinks

Actually, some of the directory websites provide a review section for the audience to write about their experience with your business. This is a great deal to have, it’s not only a backlink for your website, it’s also a trust and an authority.

Another way for earning testimonial backlinks is posting a review for a co-business company, that would share your business link on their own website along with your testimonial.

Social media backlinks

Placing your website links in a post, in the comments, user profiles, or the news feeds. Posting your website links on LinkedIn for example, will give you Dofollow Backlinks, but Facebook and X will keep your links in a Nofollow form. Though, they’re the Nofollow Backlinks that every business must do because social media are considered to be a great deal for digital marketing efforts, paid campaigns, taking advantage of the crowd, and socializing with your audience.

Some of the commonly used social media backlinks:

Video backlinks: Links are generated by the description, comment, or credit of your videos when they are uploaded to platforms such as YouTube.
Influencer backlinks: Having an influencer mentioning your website in their content, considered a vote of confidence by Google.
Podcast backlinks: By being a guest on a podcast, or having your website mentioned in a podcast. Podcast platforms like:

Apple Podcasts.
Stitcher.
Spotify.
Google Podcasts.
Podchaser.
Podcast Addict.
Podcorn.

Image backlinks

That type of backlinks is more proper for businesses that depend on images and photography, like fashion and cosmetics. Generating images relevant to your business that can be shared with your website links on image/photography websites, just like Flicker, Getty Image, and Pinterest.

Things to avoid in link building process for your business website

Don’t do comment and forum backlinks: Posting the website links in comments of every forum is a game of beginners, but when it comes to a website of a reputable company, it can give it a lower value than its worth; plus, Google considers it spam.
Don’t do niche edits backlinks: It’s positive to have your website mentioned in other website’s blogs, yet it’s very negative to get that done on blogs that have already been published. Editing on existing content to add your links can be detrimental for your website, no matter how authorized the website you’re seeking backlinks from, or how viral that content is.
Don’t buy backlinks: It’s very common to buy backlinks, yet Google still doesn’t like it.

These acts may bring you truly bad SEO results or a negative reputation for your business.

Last but not least, seek help from a professional digital marketing agency that can guide you to best SEO practices for your business, already have good relationships with websites relevant to your sector, and will work professionally on ranking your website higher. Contact Rosella now.