Backlinks
Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors. This page covers backlinks, referring domains, anchors, and link types.
What Are Backlinks?
A backlink is a link from one website to another. When site A links to site B, site B has a "backlink" from site A. Search engines treat backlinks as votes of confidence — the more quality backlinks a page has, the more likely it is to rank well.
Why it matters
Backlinks remain one of Google's top ranking signals. Pages with more high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher than pages with fewer or lower-quality links.
Referring Domains
What is it?
The number of unique websites (domains) that link to you. If example.com links to your site from 10 different pages, that counts as 10 backlinks but only 1 referring domain.
Diversity matters
Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable text of a hyperlink. Search engines use it as a signal to understand what the linked page is about. For example, a link with the anchor text "best SEO tools" tells search engines the target page is relevant to that phrase.
Types of anchor text
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Exact match | "SEO tools" linking to an SEO tools page |
| Partial match | "best tools for SEO" |
| Branded | "Nexting" or "Nexting.ai" |
| Naked URL | "https://nexting.ai" |
| Generic | "click here", "read more" |
Dofollow vs Nofollow
Links can carry a rel attribute that tells search engines how to treat them:
Dofollow (default)
Passes "link equity" (ranking power) to the target page. These are the most valuable type of backlink.
Nofollow
Tells search engines not to follow the link or pass authority. Common on user-generated content, ads, and sponsored links.
Nofollow links still have value
Broken Backlinks
Broken backlinks are links from other sites pointing to pages on your domain that return a 404 error. These represent wasted link equity — other sites are trying to send you authority but it's being lost.
How to fix
- 301 redirect — Redirect the broken URL to the most relevant existing page.
- Recreate the page — If the topic is still valuable, publish new content at the old URL.
- Reach out — Contact the linking site and ask them to update the URL.
Actionable Tips
- 1.Monitor your referring domains trend — a growing count signals improving authority.
- 2.Aim for backlinks from sites with higher DR than yours for maximum impact.
- 3.Regularly check and fix broken backlinks to recapture lost link equity.
- 4.Diversify your anchor text — avoid over-optimizing with exact-match anchors.