THE ANSWER IN A NUTSHELL
Link building and backlinking—are they the same thing?
A backlink is a specific link: it originates from another website and leads to one of your pages. Backlinking refers to the process of acquiring these links. Link building refers to the steps and strategy used to obtain external links. In common usage, backlinking and link building are most often synonymous. Some publications reserve the former for the execution and the latter for the strategy, though not everyone agrees with this distinction. A clear line separates the link—which is an object—from the activity of obtaining it.
What do the terms "backlink," "backlinking," and "link building" mean?
Backlink: a specific inbound link
A backlink is a hyperlink located on a third-party website that points to one of your pages. It is also referred to as an inbound link or a backlink. To describe a backlink, note its source page, its clickable element (text or image), and its destination page. The anchor text corresponds to the clickable words. Outbound links are when one website links to another. The recipient refers to these same links as inbound links.
Backlinking: Acquiring Backlinks
Backlinking refers to the process of obtaining backlinks. The term encompasses both one-time outreach efforts and ongoing work spanning several months. Among SEO professionals, it is most often used as a synonym for link building.
Link Building: Steps and Strategy
Link building refers to the strategies used to obtain external links to a website. It includes the decisions made before each link is created: which pages to promote, on which websites, and with which anchor text. France Num, the public website that supports microbusinesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their digital transformation, defines it as the acquisition of links from other websites. Its definition can be found in its guide to link building.
Link building: the English term
Link building is the standard English term for acquiring links from other websites. It describes the same activity as backlinking.
One link, two perspectives
On the website that mentions you
Outbound link
→
On your website
Backlink / Inbound Link
The same link has a different name depending on the website from which it is viewed.
What is the difference between link building and backlinking?
In common usage, both terms refer to the process of acquiring external links. A backlink is the link that is obtained.
Some publications take it a step further. They reserve the term “link building” for the overall strategy and “backlinking” for the process of acquiring links. This distinction can help organize a project. However, it remains a matter of vocabulary convention, depending on who you’re talking to. Two professionals may use both terms without making this distinction.
The most confusing distinction is between “backlink” and “backlinking.” A report that mentions “backlinking” describes a task. A report that lists backlinks provides page URLs, which you can check one by one. In a quote or brief, ask what each term refers to.
Term | What it refers to | Example |
|---|---|---|
Backlink | A specific inbound link | A link from a blog to your guide |
Backlinking | Acquiring Backlinks | Get this link from the blog |
Link building | Backlink acquisition, such as backlinking | Set up and track links to your pages |
Link Building | The English term for the same activity | A "link-building campaign" |
Internal linking | Links between pages on the same website | Your guide's link to a category |
Linkuma in practice
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Is internal linking part of backlinking?
No, not in the common usage of SEO. Internal linking connects pages within the same website, whereas link building refers to links from other websites. Some broad definitions group all links under the term “link building,” including internal links. This interpretation exists, but it can be confusing.
The two practices complement each other. A backlink points to a page. The internal links on that page then guide readers and search engine crawlers to your other content. A page that receives an external link but doesn’t link anywhere else limits this flow. To organize these links, read our article on link-building strategy.
What does a backlink look like in a real-world example?
Let's consider a fictional online store that sells gardening tools. This example is intended to clarify the meaning of each term, without implying any specific outcome.
The store has published a guide titled “How to Prune a Rose Bush.”
A gardening blog publishes an article on rose care. It includes a link to this guide, with the anchor text “rose pruning guide.”
In the guide, an internal link leads to the "Pruning Shears" category in the store.
The link from the blog to the guide is a backlink. The link from the guide to the category is part of internal linking. Identifying this blog, proposing the topic, and choosing the landing page and anchor text are all part of link building—which others might call backlinking.
Blog readers who click on the link are taken to the guide, where they can then navigate to the category. Search engine crawlers can also follow these links.
THE SAME JOURNEY, TWO TYPES OF CONNECTIONS
Another website
Gardening Blog
Your website
Guide to Roses
Your website
Category: Pruning Shears
Fictional example: The blog mentions your guide; your guide then offers a category that is useful to the reader.
What is the purpose of backlinks in SEO?
Backlinks are among the signals that search engines use to evaluate a page. Search engines examine inbound links to understand the relationships between pages. Their relevance depends, among other things, on the topic and editorial context.
The goal of link building is to improve a website’s visibility and brand awareness in organic search results. Links also serve direct purposes. They help search engine crawlers discover your pages. They can drive traffic to your site when a reader clicks on a link in an article. An article published on a website read by your target audience also raises awareness of your brand, independent of search engines.
Their impact on rankings varies. An SEO strategy combines content, the technical aspects of the website, and its popularity. Backlink analysis is part of this process. A backlink does not guarantee a specific ranking, and its effect varies depending on the competition for a given search query. Link building supports pages that already provide good answers to users’ search queries.
How can you tell if a backlink is high-quality?
A backlink is evaluated based on the site that publishes it, the page that contains it, and the page that receives it. Five criteria are sufficient for an initial screening.
01
Thematic Proximity
Check how closely your business, the website’s topic, and the topic of the article that mentions you align. A gardening blog that mentions a guide to roses makes sense to its readers.
02
The Editorial Context
The link appears within the body of an article, surrounded by text that discusses the topic. The reader understands why it is there. A standalone link at the bottom of the page provides less context for the reader.
03
The landing page
A good choice of destination leads to the page that is most useful to the reader, which isn't always the home page. Make sure that this page exists, loads properly, and contains internal links of its own.
04
The Anchor
The anchor text refers to the words the reader clicks on. The link’s anchor text describes the destination page using natural language. The context should indicate what the reader will find when they click. Across all your links, alternate between brand names, website addresses, and descriptive phrases.
Fictional example
The three things to check
Article topic
How to Care for and Prune a Rose Bush
Link Anchor
rose pruning guide
Destination page
Guide “How to prune a rose bush”
The clickable text announces the topic of the destination page.
05
Referring domains and metrics
A referring domain is a separate website that links to yours at least once. Multiple links from the same website count as a single referring domain. The number of backlinks and the number of websites that link to you therefore represent two different metrics.
Third-party tools also calculate scores, such as Majestic's Trust Flow, a metric that estimates trust based on inbound links. These metrics are estimates generated by these tools. These scores are not ratings assigned by Google.
To assess the quality of the links, cross-reference these indicators with your review of the site. Its editorial value also depends on the care taken in producing the articles.
How can you get backlinks for your website?
You can earn backlinks by publishing useful resources or collaborating on articles with other websites. These techniques can be combined. To create useful links, start with your website’s content and the needs of your target audience.
Create a useful resource. A guide, a study, or a free tool gives other websites a reason to link to you.
Submit a guest post. This practice, known as guest blogging, involves writing for another website in your niche and including a link to your page.
Build media relations and partnerships. A supplier, nonprofit, or local media outlet may mention your company and include a link.
Prepare to purchase links through a platform. A link-building platform lists websites organized by topic, along with their metrics. You order an article that includes your link.
Your backlink-building strategy depends on the time you have available, your budget, and your priority pages. An SEO agency or consultant can help you choose them. The step-by-step method is detailed in our article on how to build backlinks.
How does an order work at Linkuma?
01
Choose your sites
Browse the catalog or leave the selection to your project manager.
02
Order your articles
The articles you order contain a link to the page you want to support.
03
Find your posts
You receive a notification on publication. The article can be viewed in your client area.
How can you track your backlinks, and what mistakes should you avoid?
The analysis begins with a table: source page, destination page, anchor text, and publication date for each link. Check regularly to ensure that the link is still active and that the destination page is responsive. Next, track your pages’ rankings for their keywords, as well as your backlink profile and referring domains.
At Linkuma, you’ll receive a notification whenever a new post is published. You can then access the articles from your customer dashboard. See the page on tracking a backlink campaign.
A few checks can help prevent errors when creating and tracking links:
Send all links to the home page, even though your guides and categories need them.
Repeat the same anchor text word for word on each link.
Choosing a website based solely on its score, without considering whether its articles offer high-quality content.
Accepting a link from a website unrelated to your business or from a low-quality page.
Delete or move a page that has backlinks without setting up a redirect.
Ignore internal links on the page that receives the link.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a backlink in SEO?
It is a hyperlink published on another website that leads to one of your pages. Search engines take this into account, along with other signals, when evaluating that page.
Should we say "link building" or "backlinking"?
Both terms are used. “Link building” is the usual term for this activity. Use one term consistently in your documents to avoid misunderstandings.
Is an outbound link a backlink?
It all depends on your perspective. The link you create to another site is an outbound link for you and a backlink for them.
What are the three pillars of SEO?
The three factors most commonly cited are technical aspects, content, and popularity. Technical aspects make the site readable by search engine crawlers. Content addresses the user’s search query. Popularity comes from inbound links—that is, link building.
What are the different types of backlinks?
They are often classified by origin: spontaneous editorial link, guest post, partner link, directory, or press article. These categories describe the sources of the links. A backlink can also be placed on text or an image.
How many backlinks should you aim to get?
There is no one-size-fits-all number for all websites. The number you need depends on your pages, the results of their analysis, your niche, and the websites already ranking for your search queries. First, assess the quality of each website and the diversity of your referring domains.
How much does a backlink cost?
There is no one-size-fits-all price. The price depends on the publishing site, its topic, its metrics, and the content of the article. Compare what each offer includes before placing an order.
How can you improve your website's backlink profile?
Start by publishing pages that are worth linking to: guides, data, and tools. Promote these resources to websites whose readers might find them useful.
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