Backlink
A link from another website to a page on yours. Google uses links as a signal and to discover pages; it gives no “enough” number and treats manipulative links as spam.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-10-08
A backlink is a link from another website to a page on yours. Google says it uses links as a signal when judging how relevant pages are and to find new pages to crawl, and that PageRank, one of its core ranking systems, still exists in an evolved form. It does not say that more backlinks mean higher rankings, and it treats links made to manipulate rankings as spam.
What it is and where the boundary lies
A backlink, also called an inbound or incoming link, is an <a href> on someone else’s page that points to yours. Its anchor text tells people and Google something about your page. A backlink is not the same as a mention without a link, and it is not a score: tools that rate links with their own numbers are estimating, and Google publishes no such score.
How it differs from similar terms
| Term | What it describes | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Backlink | a link from another site to yours | another site |
| Internal link | a link between your own pages | you |
| Nofollow link | a link marked with a hint not to pass endorsement | the linking site |
| Anchor text | the clickable words of the link | the linking site |
Why it matters
Google’s ranking systems guide says its systems understand how pages link to each other and that PageRank continues to be part of its core ranking systems. In practice a link from a relevant, trusted page can bring readers as well as signals, and links are how Google finds many new pages. But Google’s starter guide says that links from other sites happen naturally over time, so the sustainable route is to publish something worth linking to.
Good and risky backlinks
- Editorial links given because the page is useful are what Google describes as natural.
- Paid links are acceptable only when marked rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".
- Link exchanges at scale, automated links and keyword-rich anchors in guest posts or press releases on other sites are examples Google lists as link spam.
- User-generated links, such as in comments, should carry rel="ugc" or nofollow when you are the site that hosts them.
How to see your backlinks
- Open the Links report in Search Console and look at top linking sites, top linked pages and top linking text.
- Remember it is a sample: Google says it is not a comprehensive list, tables are capped at 1,000 rows, data can be stale, it does not show whether a link is nofollow and it groups sites by root domain.
- Export the lists and keep dated copies so you can compare later.
- Check the pages that link to you before you judge them.
Practical example
| Question | How to answer it |
|---|---|
| Which page of mine is linked? | top linked pages |
| Which site links? | top linking sites (grouped by root domain) |
| With which words? | top linking text |
| Is it nofollow? | the report does not say; open the linking page |
| Is it still there? | the data can be stale; check the live page |
A list of linking sites does not tell you which links help. It tells you where to look.
Common mistakes
- Counting backlinks as a goal: Google gives no “enough” number.
- Buying links without qualifying them: Google lists this as link spam.
- Trusting a third-party score: it is an estimate, not a Google metric.
- Treating the Links report as complete: it is a sample.
- Ignoring links to deleted pages: redirect or restore them; see link reclamation.
How to validate the result
Judge a link campaign by what happens on the linked pages: compare equal periods of clicks and impressions with the same filters, and note whether the new links came from pages that send real visitors. The lesson on link building and brand shows how to separate a page’s gain from the site trend.
More questions
How many backlinks do I need?
Google gives no number. Documentation describes links as one signal among others.
Do nofollow backlinks count?
Google treats nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints, not commands, so their effect is not fixed. Mark links honestly rather than trying to game them.
Can I see all my backlinks in Search Console?
No. The Links report is a sample capped at 1,000 rows per table.
Next practical step
Open the Links report, export top linking sites and top linked pages, and note any page that other sites link to but that now returns a 404.
Related concepts
- Link building — earning links on purpose.
- Backlink audit — reviewing the links you have.
- PageRank — the link-analysis system Google still uses in evolved form.
- Disavow — Google’s tool for links you do not want counted.
- Link reclamation — recovering links that point to dead URLs.