Backlinks are one of the most powerful signals for rankings that search engines use to help them measure the authority (or trust) and relevance of a website. That said, not all backlinks are a creating the same SEO value. All links have a different influence on your site. Some links can significantly impact your ranking, while others help branding, traffic, or to create a natural link profile. An awareness of your types of backlinks will help you construct a safe and sustainable link-building effort that improves your results without risking penalties. Below outlines a full breakdown of major backlink categories, how they function, and when to use them.
SEO Backlink Types Explained for Better Rankings
1. Dofollow Backlinks:
Dofollow backlinks are the default and most authority link for SEO. Dofollow backlinks pass on PageRank (also know as “link juice”). Dofollow backlinks allow the crawlers on a search engine to decide if the content is important from a website linking to you. The more authoritative and relevant the site linking to the content, means the do follow link will have a better impact on your overall authority and rankings. Dofollow backlinks are fed into developing a powerful SEO strategy because they influence keyword rankings; increase trust in your site by Google; and finally your domain authority builds over time, as you gain Dofollow links.
What They Are
A dofollow backlink is the common link type that allows search engines to crawl the link and pass authority (link juice) from one domain to another.
Why They Matter
- Transfer PageRank to another domain
- Improve domain authority and keyword rankings
- Strongest backlinks for SEO
Best Sources
- Editorial links
- Relevant blog posts
- Authoritative sites in your niche
- Resource pages
SEO Tip:
Be focused on earning dofollow links naturally from high authoritative, niche-relevant sites.
2. Nofollow Backlinks:
Nofollow backlinks have the rel=”nofollow” attribute which tells search engines not to pass ranking signals. Even though nofollow links do not influence PageRank directly, they still play an important role in building a trustworthy and realistic link profile. Nofollow links create referral traffic, improve brand signals, and preserve balance within a backlink footprint which is what search engines look for when determining natural link profiles. Google has also now begun rolling out algorithms that consider nofollow links in a context of other links when evaluating authority.
What They Are
A nofollow backlink tells search engines to not pass link equity.
Why They Still Matter
- Can drive referral traffic
- Build brand signals
- Support a natural link profile
- Can help rankings indirectly
Where You Will Usually See Them
- Blog comments
- Social media links
- Forum profile
- Sponsored post
SEO Tip
To create natural diversity, a healthy backlink profile should consists of both dofollow and nofollow links.
3. Editorial Backlinks:
Editorial backlinks from a publisher are the greatest quality links to earn because they occur in a natural way to the publisher. Editorial backlinks are when a publisher links to your content simply because it is valuable content that they want to reference in their piece. Editorial links happen without any manipulation on your part- and that’s what Google loves most, when there is actual trust and reference to their websites and your expertise or content.
Editorial backlinks often come from publishers and writers from high-authority websites. These types of backlinks provide a strong return on SEO with stabilization and results often forming over time.
What Are Editorial Backlinks
Negatively earned backlinks placed by a publisher or writer because that agreed that the article or content was valuable and worth referencing in their pieced.
Examples
- Citing your tutorial in a blog post
- Mentioning your content statistics or research
- Quoting your expert opinion in their writing
Why Are Editorial Backlinks the Best
- Natural passed links (Google values more)
- Links that come from high-authority sites
- Links create great temporary relevance
SEO Tip:
Create original research and content, draw their attention in with data, or provide thought leadership content to draw backlinks to your site.
4. Guest Post Backlinks:
Guest post backlinks are developed by writing articles for credible sites in your niche. In addition to allowing you to control your topic and the anchor text, guest post backlinks prove your expertise to new audiences and build strong brand awareness. Guest posting is still one of the safest and most reputable link building strategies when done ethically, with content published on legitimate sites. Guest posts combine SEO value, credibility, and referral traffic all in one action.
What They Are:
Links earned from authoring articles on reputable sites.
Benefits:
- Control over anchor text
- High authority, if the host site is reputable
- Branding nourished + referral traffic
SEO Tip:
Only guest post on relevant, legitimate sites—don’t dabble in networks or low-quality blogs.
5. Profile Backlinks:
Profile backlinks originate from developing profiles on directories, forums, community websites, and professional websites. They are a bedrock for local SEO (especially for new websites that have not developed basic credibility, they will provide a basis for increased NAP consistency for local businesses). They also help to build support for your brands online position. Often they are nofollow links, however, search engines will still identify them as signals of legitimacy.
What They Are
Backlinks that come from profiles you develop on the ANY variety of websites!
6. Social Media Backlinks:
Social media backlinks are available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Similar to the profile backlinks mentioned, social media backlinks are typically nofollow links, however, they greatly advance any business’s visibility online.
A high level of engagement can foster an influx of traffic and indicate to search engines that your business is popular. Second order natural backlinks often arise due to viral content or generally shared content on social media from blogs and other publishers.
What They Are
Backlinks that come from social media platforms.
Benefits:
- Massive opportunity for traffic
- Increases brand exposure
- Signals marketing popularity to search engines
SEO Tip
Content should be shared on social media at regular intervals to increase shareable social signals.
Benefits:
- Very good for foundational SEO
- Increases brand trust
- Assists with citations and NAP signs
SEO Tip:
Complete the entire profile with accurate business information and use branded anchor text!
7. Backlinks from Directories and Citations:
Citation and directory backlinks are important for local SEO. Citations and directory backlinks signal to Google that your business information is correct; this builds trust and legitimacy about your website.
If your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) has consistent information across directory backlinks, your chances of being found on Google Maps and local search results improve. Quality citation and directory backlinks also provide authority, which is important for local businesses.
What They Are:
- Links coming from local directories and/or business listings.
- Why They Matter Most for Local SEO
- NAP consistency improves local ranking
- Adds local relevance
- Builds trust with Google Maps
SEO tip:
Please only submit your business to clean and reputable directories—nothing spammy, please!
8. Forum Backlinks:
Forum backlinks come from being part of relevant conversations and threads, usually on Reddit, Quora, and specialized forums related to your niche.
Forum backlinks tend to generate targeted traffic when used appropriately and help establish your authority, etc. Forum backlinks need to be apart of your legitimate discussion and should not be spammy whatsoever. Quality forum backlinks build trust, brand visibility, and diverse links in a reasonably balanced manner.
What They Are:
Links earned from forums or discussing relatively niche-related topics.
Benefits
- Targeted traffic
- Builds authority within your niche
- Natural Link Diversity
SEO tip
Do not attempt to spam in any way—only share a link if it will truly help the discussion, etc.
9. Image Backlinks:
Image backlinks occur when other sites use your visuals (infographics, images, or graphics) and credit you as a source.
Image backlinks tend to develop naturally and can create very powerful editorial links. Infographics tend to generate the best links because they are easily shareable and are a convenient source for citation.
What They Are
Backlinks that are generated from sites that use your visuals or infographics.
Benefits
- Strong, natural editorial links
- High authority from pubications using your visuals
SEO Tip
Create unique infographics that are useful and upload infographics with strong metadata.
10. Resource Page Backlinks:
Resource page backlinks are links found in “Best Tools”, “Top Resources” or “Useful Guides” ports on websites.
Because the site is dedicated to providing trusted resources or tools these links will often have strong authority. Getting put on a resource page will not only validate your content but also produce sustainable traffic.
What They Are
Links that are placed on curated resource pages.
Benefits:
- High authority on pages with curated content
- Very SEO-friendly
SEO Tip
Outreach and pitch your content to those curating resource pages.
11. Footer and Sidebar Links (Use Caution):
Because they are made available at all pages of your site, footer and sidebar links have a unique characteristic called “Sitewide links.” While footer and sidebar link types do not always have to be natural in nature, they tend to be used incorrectly by many webmasters as ways to generate spam. As such, they will receive additional scrutiny from Google when the links don’t have a legitimate relationship between both sites.
What are these backlinks?
Sitewide footer and sidebar backlinks.
How do these backlinks pose a risk to SEO?
If Google does not consider these backlinks to be naturally occurring, they will likely view these backlinks as being “manipulative” in nature.
SEO tip: Only utilize these backlinks when it is clearly legitimate to do so.
12. Paid Links or Sponsored Links (Very High Risk):
Paid backlinks are links that have been purchased through third-party sites (usually not the sites themselves). Paid links are heavily regulated by Google, and every paid backlink must contain the proper attribute values (rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”). If a link is not marked as a paid link, then Google will penalise both the buyer and seller because Google views that sort of link as manipulated. Paid links should only be used when it is absolutely necessary, specifically for brand or advertising purposes, and should never be used to manipulate rankings.
What are paid links?
Paid backlinks, usually marked with the correct sponsored attribute.
How do paid links pose a risk to SEO?
If a site has bought a paid link but has not labelled the link properly according to Google, the site will be penalised by Google.
SEO Tip: Always use the correct attributes when buying paid links, and never use low-quality paid links.
Conclusion
Backlinks come in many forms, and each type contributes differently to your site’s visibility and authority. The true power of a strong backlink profile lies in diversity: a natural mix of editorial, niche-relevant, dofollow, nofollow, citation, and social signals.
By focusing on relevance, quality, and white-hat acquisition strategies, you build sustainable SEO growth that stands the test of time.
