Backlink

A backlink is a link on someone else's site that points to a page on yours. If a trade blog mentions your guide and links to it, that's a backlink. Search engines treat links a bit like references. A link from a trusted, relevant site says another publisher thought your page was worth citing.

Not all backlinks are equal. One link from a relevant site your audience reads usually matters more than dozens from pages nobody visits. Relevance, the quality of the linking page, whether the link is editorial, and the anchor text all play a part. Google has never published an exact formula, so be wary of anyone who claims one.

Practical point: look at where your links come from, not just how many you have. Open your backlink profile and ask whether a real person could plausibly have found you through each one. If the answer is no for most of them, fix the sourcing before you add more.