Top 15 Types of Backlinks (And Which Ones Actually Help SEO)

What exactly are backlinks? It’s simple. Backlinks are one of the most misunderstood parts of SEO. I talk to business owners all the time who know they “need backlinks,” but aren’t sure which ones actually move the needle — or worse, which ones could hurt their rankings.

Here’s what I’ve learned after working on SEO campaigns across different industries: not all backlinks are created equal. Some build real authority. Some are just filler. And some are outdated tactics that can do more harm than good. If you don’t understand the difference, it’s easy to waste time chasing links that don’t help.

In this post, I’m breaking down the top types of backlinks you need to know — what they are, how they work, and which ones deserve your attention. If you want clarity instead of confusion around link building, this will give you a solid foundation — and if you’d rather have a Phoenix SEO Agency handle it for you, that’s an option too.

What Are Backlinks (And Why They Matter For Rankings)

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. In simple terms, they act like recommendations. When another site links to you, it signals to search engines that your content is worth referencing.

Google uses backlinks as one of its core ranking factors. The more high-quality, relevant websites that link to you, the more authority your site builds in the eyes of search engines. That authority often translates into higher rankings.

But here’s the key: not all backlinks carry the same weight. A link from a trusted, relevant website is far more valuable than dozens of low-quality or spammy links. That’s why understanding the different types of backlinks — and which ones actually help — is critical if you want to improve your SEO the right way.

Good vs Bad Backlinks: What You Need To Know First

Not all backlinks help your rankings. Some build authority. Others can quietly drag your site down.

A good backlink usually comes from a relevant, trustworthy website. It’s placed naturally within content, makes sense to the reader, and points to something genuinely useful. These are the links that build real authority over time — the kind Google wants to see.

A bad backlink, on the other hand, often comes from low-quality directories, spammy blogs, link farms, or irrelevant sites. If a link looks forced, paid for without disclosure, or mass-produced, it’s a red flag. Google has spent years getting better at ignoring — or even penalizing — manipulative link tactics.

If you remember one thing, make it this: focus on earning links that you’d still want even if search engines didn’t exist. Relevance, quality, and context matter far more than sheer volume.

Keep in mind that you don’t just want low-cost SEO services but also good quality. Your goal isn’t just the lowest price, but the best value.

The 5 Most Powerful Types of Backlinks

If you only focus on a few types of backlinks, make it these. These are the links that consistently move rankings, build real authority, and hold up long-term. Everything else is secondary.

Dofollow Backlinks

Dofollow backlinks are the standard type of link that passes authority from one website to another. When a trusted site links to you with a dofollow link, it signals to Google that your content is worth referencing. That authority transfer is one of the core reasons backlinks impact rankings.

But here’s the important part: it’s not about chasing dofollow links everywhere. A dofollow link from a low-quality or irrelevant site won’t help much — and in some cases, it can hurt. The real value comes from earning dofollow links from reputable, relevant websites in your industry.

The safest and most effective way to get them? Publish strong content, build relationships, and contribute value. Avoid shortcuts, link schemes, or mass link exchanges. Long-term authority beats quick wins every time.

Editorial Backlinks

Editorial backlinks are some of the strongest links you can earn. These happen when another website references your content naturally within an article, blog post, or news piece.

In other words, they link to you because your content genuinely supports their topic.

Search engines love editorial links because they’re hard to fake. You can’t buy them at scale without risk. You earn them by publishing content that’s insightful, data-driven, or genuinely useful.

If you want more editorial backlinks, focus on creating resources people actually want to cite: original research, strong opinion pieces, in-depth guides, or clear explanations of complex topics. When your content becomes a reference point, links follow.

Guest Post Backlinks

Guest posting is still a powerful strategy — when done correctly. The idea is simple: you contribute a high-quality article to another website in your industry, and in return, you earn a backlink.

When guest posting is done with relevance and quality in mind, it works well. You get exposure to a new audience, build authority, and earn a contextual link from a real website.

What doesn’t work anymore? Mass-produced guest posts on low-quality sites just to “get links.” Google is very good at spotting that pattern.

The key is to treat guest posting as a credibility-building opportunity, not just a link play. Contribute real value. Write something their audience would appreciate. When done right, guest posting builds both authority and relationships.

Contextual Backlinks

Contextual backlinks are links placed naturally within the body of a page’s content. These are powerful because they’re surrounded by relevant text, which helps search engines understand why the link exists.

For example, if someone writes an article about local SEO and links to your in-depth guide on the same topic within a paragraph, that’s a strong contextual link.

These links often overlap with editorial links, but the key feature is placement within relevant content — not in a footer, sidebar, or random list.

If you focus your efforts on earning contextual, relevant links from real websites, you’ll build a backlink profile that actually supports rankings instead of just inflating numbers.

HARO / Digital PR Backlinks

These backlinks come from being quoted as an expert in articles, news pieces, or industry publications.

Platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) connect journalists with subject-matter experts. When you provide a strong quote or insight, you can earn a backlink from high-authority media sites.

These links are powerful because:

• They’re editorial
• They come from trusted publications
• They’re very hard to fake

Digital PR links often outperform traditional outreach because they combine authority, relevance, and brand credibility. 

Secondary Backlinks That Support Your SEO

These backlinks usually won’t skyrocket your rankings on their own — but they still play an important supporting role. Think of them as reinforcement. They help build trust, diversify your link profile, and strengthen your overall authority.

When used correctly, they support your primary backlinks and make your SEO strategy look natural and well-rounded.

Directory Backlinks

For local businesses especially, directory backlinks are important for credibility and consistency — they’re also a core part of any strong Local SEO Phoenix strategy.

High-quality directories — especially niche or local ones — help search engines verify your business information. They also strengthen your local SEO by reinforcing your name, address, and phone number across the web.

The key is selectivity. Stick to reputable, relevant directories. Avoid mass-submitting your site to hundreds of low-quality listings. Consistency matters more than quantity here.

Profile Creation Links

Profile links come from account pages on platforms like industry forums, business networks, or social platforms. These links are usually nofollow and not heavily weighted — but they still contribute to your overall digital footprint.

The value isn’t just the link. It’s the legitimacy. A real business should have profiles on relevant platforms in its industry.

Just avoid creating dozens of thin, empty profiles purely for link building. Focus on platforms where you can actually participate or contribute.

Testimonial Backlinks

Testimonial backlinks are earned when you leave a review or testimonial for a product or service you genuinely use, and the company publishes it with a link back to your website.

These can be solid supporting links because they’re natural and based on real relationships. They also reinforce your credibility within your industry.

The important part is authenticity. Don’t manufacture testimonials just for links. When they’re real and relevant, they can add meaningful diversity to your backlink profile.

Press Release Backlinks

Press releases can generate backlinks when you have something genuinely newsworthy to announce — like a launch, partnership, or major milestone.

Most press release links are nofollow, and Google doesn’t treat them as powerful ranking signals. But they can still create exposure, brand awareness, and occasionally lead to stronger editorial links if picked up by news outlets.

The mistake is using press releases purely as a link scheme. Use them for real announcements, not backlink volume.

Social Media Backlinks

Social media links typically don’t pass ranking authority directly. However, they still matter.

When your content gets shared, it increases visibility. More visibility means more chances for someone to discover your content and link to it from their website.

Think of social media as distribution, not direct SEO power. It helps your content travel — and that visibility can indirectly lead to stronger backlinks over time.

Remember, secondary backlinks won’t replace high-authority editorial or contextual links. But when combined with strong primary backlinks, they help create a natural, balanced profile that search engines trust.

Resource Page Backlinks

Resource page backlinks come from curated lists of helpful links on a specific topic. These pages are often created by bloggers, universities, nonprofits, or industry organizations to point readers toward useful tools and guides.

When your content is included on a relevant resource page, it’s a strong signal. It means someone reviewed your page and decided it was genuinely helpful for their audience. That kind of contextual, editorial-style placement carries real weight.

To earn resource page backlinks, focus on creating content that deserves to be listed — in-depth guides, step-by-step tutorials, original research, or comprehensive explanations of a topic. Then identify relevant resource pages in your industry and reach out with a simple, value-focused message. If your content truly fits, these links can become some of the most stable and trustworthy backlinks in your profile.

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is when you find a broken (dead) link on another website and suggest your content as a replacement.

It works because you’re helping the site owner fix a problem while also earning a backlink. When done properly, this can result in high-quality contextual links from real, relevant pages.

The key is to:

• Target relevant sites in your niche
• Offer genuinely helpful replacement content
• Personalize your outreach

This is one of the cleaner, more sustainable outreach strategies when handled professionally.

Link Types That Can Hurt Your SEO If Used Incorrectly

Not every backlink is a good backlink. In fact, some link-building tactics that used to “work” years ago can now do more harm than good.

Search engines are much better at spotting manipulation. If a link looks forced, automated, or irrelevant, it’s often ignored — and in some cases, it can raise red flags.

Here are a few link types that require caution.

Forum Comment Links

Forum links aren’t inherently bad. If you’re active in a legitimate industry forum and occasionally reference a helpful resource on your site, that’s completely fine.

The problem starts when people drop links purely to build backlinks.

Posting generic comments like “Great post!” followed by a link to your site is spam. Doing this at scale can damage your credibility and, in extreme cases, trigger penalties.

If you participate in forums, do it for the right reasons:

• Be active in discussions that are relevant to your niche
• Contribute real insight
• Only link when it genuinely adds value

If you wouldn’t post it without the link, don’t post it.

Spam Directories

Directories can support SEO when they’re reputable and relevant. But spam directories are a different story.

Low-quality directories that exist solely to sell links offer little to no value. Many are filled with thin content, unrelated businesses, and outbound links to questionable websites.

Submitting your site to dozens or hundreds of these directories doesn’t build authority. It just inflates your backlink count with low-trust signals.

A good rule of thumb: if the directory looks outdated, stuffed with ads, or accepts any submission instantly without review, skip it.

Overused Infographics

Infographics can be powerful when they’re genuinely helpful and well-designed. The issue arises when they’re used purely as a link scheme.

In the past, some marketers created low-quality infographics and distributed them widely with keyword-heavy anchor text just to build backlinks. Search engines caught on.

If you create an infographic, focus on:

• Original data or useful insights
• Clean, professional design
• Natural anchor text

An infographic should earn links because it’s useful — not because it’s part of a mass outreach campaign.  When it comes to risky link types, the theme is simple: intent matters. If the primary goal is to manipulate rankings instead of provide value, it’s usually a strategy worth avoiding.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: What’s The Real Difference?

At a basic level, the difference comes down to authority.

A dofollow link passes ranking power from one site to another. When a trusted website links to you with a standard (dofollow) link, it can help improve your authority and search rankings.

A nofollow link, on the other hand, includes a tag that tells search engines not to pass ranking credit through that link. It doesn’t directly boost your rankings the way a dofollow link can.

But that doesn’t mean nofollow links are useless.

Nofollow links can still:

• Drive referral traffic
• Increase brand visibility
• Diversify your backlink profile

And that last point is important. A natural website will have a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links. If 100% of your backlinks are dofollow, that can look unnatural.

The goal isn’t to chase only dofollow links. It’s to build a healthy, balanced backlink profile from real websites. When your link growth looks natural, search engines are far more likely to trust it.

How To Actually Build High-Quality Backlinks

High-quality backlinks aren’t built overnight — and they’re rarely the result of shortcuts.

The foundation is strong content. If your website doesn’t have pages worth linking to, no outreach strategy will fix that. Publish content that solves real problems, answers common questions, or provides unique insights. The better your content, the easier it is to earn links naturally.

Next comes relevance and relationships. Reach out to websites in your industry. Offer guest contributions. Share useful resources. Build connections with other business owners, bloggers, or media contacts. Real relationships lead to real links.

Finally, focus on consistency. Backlink growth should look natural over time. A steady stream of relevant links is far more powerful — and safer — than a sudden spike from questionable sources.

If you concentrate on value, relevance, and patience, your backlink profile will strengthen in a way that supports long-term rankings.

Common Backlink Mistakes Small Businesses Make

One of the biggest mistakes is chasing quantity over quality. More links do not automatically mean better rankings. A handful of strong, relevant backlinks will outperform dozens of weak ones.

Another common mistake is buying cheap backlinks from services that promise hundreds of links for a low price. These often come from spammy networks and can do more harm than good.

Many small businesses also ignore anchor text. Overusing keyword-heavy anchor text can look manipulative. Natural, branded, and varied anchor text is much safer.

And finally, some businesses neglect internal improvements while obsessing over links. Backlinks work best when your site already has strong content, clear structure, and solid technical SEO — if you’re unsure where your site stands, understanding why your website isn’t ranking is a good place to start.

If you avoid shortcuts and focus on building authority the right way, backlinks become an asset — not a risk.

Wrapping Things Up: What’s the real takeaway when it comes to backlinks?

After working on SEO for years, I’ve seen one pattern over and over: it’s not about getting the most links — it’s about getting the right ones. A handful of strong, relevant backlinks will do far more for your rankings than dozens of weak or spammy ones — if you’re ready to build authority the right way, our Scottsdale SEO Company can put the right strategy in place. When you focus on quality, relevance, and long-term strategy, that’s when you start seeing steady, meaningful growth.

If you’re building links, I’d encourage you to slow down and be intentional. Ask yourself: does this link actually make sense? Would I want it even if Google didn’t exist? That mindset alone will keep you on the right track. Backlinks aren’t magic — but when you understand how they really work, they become one of the most powerful tools in your SEO strategy.