Backlinks

Definition

Backlinks are inbound links from other sites. They are commonly used as authority and trust signals, but the value depends on the linking site's quality, topical relevance, and how natural the link is — not just the count.

Why it matters

• Authority signal — Google treats quality backlinks as 'votes' proving content deserves recommendation
• Competitive differentiator — when content is similar, more and better backlinks usually win
• Accelerates indexing — pages linked by authoritative sites get discovered and trusted faster
• Referral traffic — highly relevant backlinks bring targeted visitors with better conversion rates
• Brand building — mentions from well-known media boost brand awareness and credibility
• AEO citation source — AI assistants tend to cite sources with multiple authoritative links
• Long-term asset — good backlinks continue delivering value, unlike ads that stop when budget runs out

How to implement

• Create linkable assets — free tools, original research, industry reports, exclusive data
• Guest posting — publish guest articles on authoritative sites in your niche
• Broken link building — find competitors' dead links and offer your content as replacement
• HARO/journalist queries — respond to reporter questions to earn media citations
• Shareable content — create infographics, cheat sheets, comparison charts
• Build personal/company brand — give talks, accept interviews, participate in community discussions
• Monitor competitors — use Ahrefs/Semrush to analyze competitor backlink sources for opportunities

Examples

# Linkable Asset Types (Link Bait)

## 1. Free Tools (Most Effective)
Example: Meta Tags Generator, SEO Analyzer
→ Other sites naturally link when writing tutorials

## 2. Original Data/Research
Example: '2024 E-commerce SEO Survey Report'
→ Media and bloggers cite with source links

## 3. Ultimate Guides
Example: 'Complete Core Web Vitals Guide (2024 Edition)'
→ Becomes the authoritative reference for the topic

## 4. Resource Compilations
Example: '50 Free SEO Tools List'
→ Gets included in other 'resources' roundup articles

# Monitor backlinks with Ahrefs API
# 1. Get site's backlink list
curl "https://api.ahrefs.com/v3/backlinks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"target": "yoursite.com", "mode": "domain"}'

# 2. Monitor new/lost backlinks
# Set up weekly cron job to compare changes

# Free alternatives:
# - Google Search Console → Links
# - Moz Link Explorer (limited free)
# - Ubersuggest (daily limit)

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