{"id":12242,"date":"2026-07-03T19:56:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T19:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diib.com\/learn\/?p=12242"},"modified":"2026-09-25T16:31:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T16:31:07","slug":"what-are-backlinks-and-does-your-business-need-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diib.com\/learn\/what-are-backlinks-and-does-your-business-need-them\/","title":{"rendered":"What are backlinks, and does your business need them?"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"what-are-backlinks-article\">\n<header id=\"article-header\">\n<p id=\"article-published-date\">\n      <strong>Published:<\/strong><br \/>\n      <time datetime=\"2026-07-03\">July 3, 2026<\/time>\n    <\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"article-introduction\">\n<p>\n      A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Backlinks can help<br \/>\n      search engines discover pages, understand how topics connect, and assess<br \/>\n      whether other sites consider a page worth referencing.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Most businesses benefit from earning relevant backlinks. However, the<br \/>\n      goal is not to collect the largest possible number. A few useful links<br \/>\n      from credible, closely related websites can be more valuable than<br \/>\n      hundreds of links created only to influence rankings.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      The practical approach is simple: build a useful website first, then earn<br \/>\n      links through strong content, real relationships, and legitimate<br \/>\n      promotion.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"what-is-a-backlink\">\n<h2>What is a backlink?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      A backlink\u2014sometimes called an inbound link\u2014is a clickable link on<br \/>\n      another website that sends people to a page on your site.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      For example, imagine that a local newspaper publishes a guide to home<br \/>\n      renovations and links to a contractor\u2019s cost calculator. That contractor<br \/>\n      has earned a backlink. The link can send referral traffic to the<br \/>\n      calculator and help search engines find and understand the page.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Backlinks are different from internal links. A backlink comes from<br \/>\n      another website. An internal link connects two pages on your own site.<br \/>\n      Both matter, but they serve different purposes.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Google says it uses links to find new pages and as a signal when<br \/>\n      determining page relevance. That makes links one part of a much larger<br \/>\n      search system\u2014not a guarantee that a page will rank.<br \/>\n      <a\n        href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/crawling-indexing\/links-crawlable\"\n        target=\"_blank\"\n        rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n      ><br \/>\n        Learn how Google uses links<br \/>\n      <\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"why-backlinks-matter\">\n<h2>Why do backlinks matter for SEO?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Backlinks can support SEO in three main ways.\n    <\/p>\n<div id=\"backlinks-help-discovery\">\n<h3>They help search engines discover pages<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Search engines follow crawlable links as they explore the web. A link<br \/>\n        from an established page can give a search engine another path to find<br \/>\n        your content.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        You should not depend on backlinks for discovery alone. Strong<br \/>\n        internal links and an XML sitemap give search engines clearer ways to<br \/>\n        reach important pages on your site.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"backlinks-provide-context\">\n<h3>They provide context<\/h3>\n<p>\n        The page containing a link, the words used in the link, and the<br \/>\n        surrounding content can help explain what the destination page covers.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        A landscaping association linking to a guide about drought-resistant<br \/>\n        lawns provides clearer context than an unrelated entertainment blog<br \/>\n        linking to the same guide without explanation.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"backlinks-drive-referral-traffic\">\n<h3>They can bring qualified visitors<\/h3>\n<p>\n        A backlink has value beyond rankings. A relevant link can send people<br \/>\n        who are already interested in your product, service, or expertise.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        For a small business, that referral traffic may be the most immediate<br \/>\n        benefit. A link that brings five qualified prospects can be more useful<br \/>\n        than a link that looks impressive in an SEO report but sends nobody.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"what-makes-a-backlink-valuable\">\n<h2>What makes a backlink valuable?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      There is no single public score that determines whether Google values a<br \/>\n      backlink. Third-party metrics such as domain authority or domain rating<br \/>\n      can help with comparison, but they are not Google ranking metrics.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Evaluate a link using a few practical questions.\n    <\/p>\n<div id=\"backlink-relevance\">\n<h3>Is the linking page relevant?<\/h3>\n<p>\n        A link should make sense for the reader. A local tourism site linking<br \/>\n        to a hotel, a supplier linking to an authorized retailer, or an<br \/>\n        industry publication citing original research all create a clear<br \/>\n        connection.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Relevance does not need to be exact. A business can naturally earn<br \/>\n        links from local organizations, news outlets, professional<br \/>\n        associations, partners, and adjacent industries.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"backlink-site-credibility\">\n<h3>Is the site credible?<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Look at the website as a customer would. Does it publish original,<br \/>\n        useful information? Is the business or publisher identifiable? Does<br \/>\n        the site have a real audience and a clear purpose?\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Avoid judging a site only by a single SEO metric. A smaller local<br \/>\n        chamber of commerce may be highly relevant and trustworthy even when a<br \/>\n        backlink tool gives it a modest authority score.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"backlink-placement\">\n<h3>Is the link placed naturally?<\/h3>\n<p>\n        A useful backlink usually appears where it helps the reader. It may<br \/>\n        cite a statistic, recommend a resource, identify a partner, or provide<br \/>\n        more detail about a topic.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        A link inserted into an unrelated paragraph, repeated across hundreds<br \/>\n        of low-quality pages, or hidden in a footer is less likely to provide<br \/>\n        meaningful business value.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"backlink-audience-value\">\n<h3>Can the link send the right audience?<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Consider whether people who visit the linking page could realistically<br \/>\n        become customers, partners, subscribers, or advocates.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        This keeps backlink decisions tied to business outcomes instead of a<br \/>\n        number on a dashboard.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"nofollow-links-and-seo\">\n<h2>Do nofollow links help SEO?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Links can include attributes such as<br \/>\n      <code>rel=\"nofollow\"<\/code>,<br \/>\n      <code>rel=\"sponsored\"<\/code>, or<br \/>\n      <code>rel=\"ugc\"<\/code>. These attributes give Google information about<br \/>\n      the nature of the link.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Google recommends using <code>sponsored<\/code> for advertisements and<br \/>\n      paid placements, and <code>ugc<\/code> for links in user-generated<br \/>\n      content. Google treats these attributes as signals about the link rather<br \/>\n      than a simple guarantee that it will be ignored.<br \/>\n      <a\n        href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/crawling-indexing\/qualify-outbound-links\"\n        target=\"_blank\"\n        rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n      ><br \/>\n        Review Google\u2019s link attribute guidance<br \/>\n      <\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      A nofollow link is not necessarily worthless. It can still send referral<br \/>\n      traffic, build awareness, support a partnership, or lead to other<br \/>\n      mentions.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Do not reject a legitimate media mention or industry listing simply<br \/>\n      because the link is nofollow. Judge it by the audience, context, and<br \/>\n      business opportunity.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"does-every-business-need-backlinks\">\n<h2>Does every business need backlinks?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Most businesses need some links to compete for valuable searches, but<br \/>\n      the amount varies.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      A well-established local business in a low-competition market may<br \/>\n      perform well with a strong Google Business Profile, accurate local<br \/>\n      information, useful service pages, reviews, and a modest number of<br \/>\n      relevant links.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      A new company competing nationally for a popular commercial term will<br \/>\n      usually need a much stronger combination of content, technical SEO,<br \/>\n      brand recognition, and backlinks.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Start by reviewing the pages that already rank for your target searches.<br \/>\n      If credible competing pages consistently have more relevant referring<br \/>\n      websites, backlinks may be an important gap.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      However, fix your own page first if it is thin, slow, unclear, difficult<br \/>\n      to use, or poorly matched to the search. Links cannot make an unhelpful<br \/>\n      page useful. Google recommends creating reliable content for people<br \/>\n      rather than content designed mainly to manipulate rankings.<br \/>\n      <a\n        href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/fundamentals\/creating-helpful-content\"\n        target=\"_blank\"\n        rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n      ><br \/>\n        Review Google\u2019s helpful content guidance<br \/>\n      <\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"how-to-earn-backlinks\">\n<h2>How can a small business earn backlinks?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"create-link-worthy-content\">\n<h3>Create something worth referencing<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Useful resources make outreach easier. Examples include:\n      <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Original research<\/li>\n<li>Local data<\/li>\n<li>Calculators<\/li>\n<li>Templates<\/li>\n<li>Comparison guides<\/li>\n<li>Checklists<\/li>\n<li>Clear answers to difficult customer questions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n        The content does not need to be huge. A simple resource that solves a<br \/>\n        specific problem can earn more links than a long article that repeats<br \/>\n        common advice.\n      <\/p>\n<div id=\"link-worthy-content-action\">\n<p>\n          <strong>What to do first:<\/strong> Review the questions customers<br \/>\n          ask most often. Create one resource that answers a difficult<br \/>\n          question better than the pages currently ranking.\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"use-business-relationships\">\n<h3>Use existing business relationships<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Review your relationships with suppliers, distributors, professional<br \/>\n        associations, chambers of commerce, community groups, event<br \/>\n        organizers, and business partners.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Some may maintain member directories, partner pages, case studies, or<br \/>\n        resource lists. Ask only where a link would be useful and accurate for<br \/>\n        their audience.\n      <\/p>\n<div id=\"business-relationships-action\">\n<p>\n          <strong>What to do first:<\/strong> Make a list of 10 organizations<br \/>\n          that already know your business. Check whether each has a relevant<br \/>\n          directory, partner page, or resource section.\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"contribute-expertise\">\n<h3>Contribute expertise<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Journalists, podcasters, trade publications, and local news<br \/>\n        organizations regularly need informed sources. Offer a useful quote, a<br \/>\n        clear explanation, or original data without demanding a followed link.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Coverage can produce referral traffic, branded searches, credibility,<br \/>\n        and future opportunities even when the link is qualified.\n      <\/p>\n<div id=\"contribute-expertise-action\">\n<p>\n          <strong>What to do first:<\/strong> Prepare three short expert<br \/>\n          comments about common issues in your industry. Make each one clear<br \/>\n          enough for a journalist or publisher to use.\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"recover-lost-backlinks\">\n<h3>Recover links you have lost<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Websites change. Pages are removed, URLs move, and mentions become<br \/>\n        unlinked.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Monitor important backlinks and investigate valuable losses. A polite<br \/>\n        note pointing to the correct replacement page may restore the link.\n      <\/p>\n<div id=\"recover-lost-backlinks-action\">\n<p>\n          <strong>What to do first:<\/strong> Review recently lost links.<br \/>\n          Prioritize links from credible sites that previously sent traffic or<br \/>\n          pointed to an important page.\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"find-broken-link-opportunities\">\n<h3>Find relevant broken links<\/h3>\n<p>\n        When a reputable site links to a resource that no longer exists, you<br \/>\n        can suggest a useful replacement from your site.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        This works only when your page genuinely fits the original context.<br \/>\n        Sending mass emails about unrelated broken links creates noise and<br \/>\n        rarely builds trust.\n      <\/p>\n<div id=\"broken-link-action\">\n<p>\n          <strong>What to do first:<\/strong> Look for broken resources on a<br \/>\n          small group of highly relevant industry or local websites. Contact<br \/>\n          the publisher only when your content is a close replacement.\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"backlink-tactics-to-avoid\">\n<h2>What backlink tactics should you avoid?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Google defines link spam as links created primarily to manipulate search<br \/>\n      rankings. Examples include buying or selling links for ranking purposes,<br \/>\n      excessive link exchanges, automated link creation, and low-quality<br \/>\n      directory or bookmark links.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      These tactics may cause links to lose their ranking benefit or lead to<br \/>\n      broader search penalties.<br \/>\n      <a\n        href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies\"\n        target=\"_blank\"\n        rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n      ><br \/>\n        Review Google\u2019s spam policies<br \/>\n      <\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Paid promotion is not automatically a problem. The link should be marked<br \/>\n      with <code>rel=\"sponsored\"<\/code> or <code>rel=\"nofollow\"<\/code> so the<br \/>\n      commercial relationship is clear.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Be cautious when a provider promises a fixed number of links without<br \/>\n      explaining:\n    <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Which websites will publish them<\/li>\n<li>Whether the sites are relevant<\/li>\n<li>How the links will be earned<\/li>\n<li>Whether payment is involved<\/li>\n<li>What audience the links can reach<\/li>\n<li>Whether you can review the placements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n      A package built around volume often creates links that have little<br \/>\n      business value and may violate Google\u2019s spam policies.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"should-you-disavow-backlinks\">\n<h2>Should you disavow spammy backlinks?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Usually, no.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Most established sites collect strange or low-quality links over time.<br \/>\n      Google says most sites do not need the Disavow Links tool because its<br \/>\n      systems can determine which links to trust.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Google recommends disavowing only when you have a considerable number of<br \/>\n      spammy, artificial, or low-quality links and those links have caused\u2014or<br \/>\n      are likely to cause\u2014a manual action. Using the tool incorrectly can harm<br \/>\n      performance by asking Google to ignore useful links.<br \/>\n      <a\n        href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/webmasters\/answer\/2648487?hl=en\"\n        target=\"_blank\"\n        rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n      ><br \/>\n        Review Google\u2019s Disavow Links guidance<br \/>\n      <\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Do not disavow a link simply because a third-party tool labels it<br \/>\n      \u201ctoxic.\u201d First, check Google Search Console for a manual action and<br \/>\n      review whether your business or an agency deliberately created<br \/>\n      manipulative links.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Seek experienced help when the risk is unclear.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"how-to-measure-backlink-progress\">\n<h2>How should you measure backlink progress?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Track quality and outcomes, not just totals.\n    <\/p>\n<p>Review:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>New referring websites<\/li>\n<li>Visits from backlinks<\/li>\n<li>Leads or sales from referral traffic<\/li>\n<li>Links to priority pages<\/li>\n<li>Important links that disappear<\/li>\n<li>Competitor links that reveal realistic opportunities<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\n      Do not treat every new link as a win or every lost link as a problem.<br \/>\n      Focus on links from websites that are relevant, credible, and capable of<br \/>\n      reaching the right audience.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      A useful monthly question is: \u201cWhich links helped the right people find<br \/>\n      our best pages?\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      That keeps backlink work connected to visibility, trust, and revenue.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"what-to-fix-first\">\n<h2>What should you fix first?<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Before launching a backlink campaign, work through these priorities:\n    <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Make sure your important pages are useful and complete.<\/li>\n<li>Add clear internal links to those pages.<\/li>\n<li>Fix broken pages and incorrect redirects.<\/li>\n<li>\n        Identify the pages most likely to attract links or generate revenue.\n      <\/li>\n<li>\n        Review the links your closest search competitors have earned.\n      <\/li>\n<li>Create one resource that is genuinely worth referencing.<\/li>\n<li>\n        Begin targeted outreach to relevant people and organizations.\n      <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\n      This order prevents you from spending time promoting pages that are not<br \/>\n      ready to compete or convert visitors.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-bottom-line\">\n<h2>The bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>\n      Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. They can help search<br \/>\n      engines discover and understand pages, and they can bring qualified<br \/>\n      visitors directly to your business.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Most businesses benefit from earning backlinks, but quantity is not the<br \/>\n      goal. Prioritize links that make sense to a reader, come from credible<br \/>\n      and relevant sources, and support pages that already provide real value.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Fix your website and content first. Then earn links through useful<br \/>\n      resources, expert contributions, partnerships, and thoughtful outreach.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n      Avoid shortcuts built only to manipulate rankings, and use the Disavow<br \/>\n      Links tool only in the limited situations Google recommends.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"diib-article-cta\">\n<p>\n      Use diib\u00ae to check your backlink profile, compare referring websites,<br \/>\n      and find the pages that need stronger support.\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Published: July 3, 2026 A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Backlinks can help search engines discover pages, understand how topics connect, and assess whether other sites consider a page worth referencing. Most businesses benefit from earning relevant backlinks. However, the goal is not to collect the largest possible number. A few [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":12243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"acf":{"faq":"<section id=\"backlinks-faq\" aria-labelledby=\"backlinks-faq-heading\">\r\n  <h2 id=\"backlinks-faq-heading\">\r\n    Frequently asked questions about backlinks\r\n  <\/h2>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-what-is-a-backlink\">\r\n    <h3>What is a backlink?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      A backlink is a link from another website to a page on your website.\r\n      Backlinks can help people discover your business and give search engines\r\n      more context about your content.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-do-backlinks-help-seo\">\r\n    <h3>Do backlinks help SEO?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Yes. Relevant backlinks can help search engines discover pages,\r\n      understand how topics connect, and assess whether other websites consider\r\n      a page useful. Backlinks are only one part of SEO and do not guarantee\r\n      higher rankings.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-does-every-business-need-backlinks\">\r\n    <h3>Does every business need backlinks?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Most businesses benefit from earning some relevant backlinks, but the\r\n      amount depends on the market and competition. A local business in a\r\n      smaller niche may need fewer links than a company competing nationally.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-how-many-backlinks-do-i-need\">\r\n    <h3>How many backlinks do I need?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      There is no universal target. Focus on whether competing pages have links\r\n      from credible, relevant websites and whether your backlinks bring useful\r\n      traffic. Quality and context matter more than a raw total.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-what-makes-a-good-backlink\">\r\n    <h3>What makes a backlink valuable?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      A valuable backlink usually comes from a credible and relevant website,\r\n      appears naturally within useful content, and can send the right audience\r\n      to your page. A link should make sense to the reader, not exist only to\r\n      influence rankings.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-do-nofollow-links-help\">\r\n    <h3>Do nofollow backlinks have value?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Yes. A nofollow link may still send referral traffic, build awareness,\r\n      support a partnership, or lead to additional mentions. Do not judge a\r\n      link only by whether it is followed.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-should-i-buy-backlinks\">\r\n    <h3>Should I buy backlinks?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Do not buy links for the purpose of manipulating search rankings. Paid\r\n      advertising and sponsorships can be legitimate, but the links should use\r\n      the appropriate sponsored or nofollow attribute.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-how-to-get-backlinks\">\r\n    <h3>How can a small business earn backlinks?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Create useful resources, contribute expert insights, work with relevant\r\n      partners, join credible local or industry organizations, recover lost\r\n      links, and suggest replacements for broken resources when your content\r\n      is a close match.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-should-i-disavow-spammy-links\">\r\n    <h3>Should I disavow spammy backlinks?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Usually, no. Most websites collect low-quality links over time, and\r\n      Google can often ignore them. Consider disavowing only when you have many\r\n      artificial links and they have caused, or are likely to cause, a manual\r\n      action.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div id=\"faq-how-to-measure-backlinks\">\r\n    <h3>How should I measure backlink performance?<\/h3>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Track new referring websites, referral traffic, leads, links to priority\r\n      pages, important lost links, and realistic competitor opportunities.\r\n      Measure business value, not just the total number of backlinks.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>","time_read":"","menu-side":"<nav id=\"table-of-contents\" aria-labelledby=\"table-of-contents-heading\">\r\n  <h2 id=\"table-of-contents-heading\">Table of contents<\/h2>\r\n\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#what-is-a-backlink\">\r\n        What is a backlink?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#why-backlinks-matter\">\r\n        Why do backlinks matter for SEO?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n\r\n      <ul>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlinks-help-discovery\">\r\n            They help search engines discover pages\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlinks-provide-context\">\r\n            They provide context\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlinks-drive-referral-traffic\">\r\n            They can bring qualified visitors\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n      <\/ul>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#what-makes-a-backlink-valuable\">\r\n        What makes a backlink valuable?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n\r\n      <ul>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlink-relevance\">\r\n            Is the linking page relevant?\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlink-site-credibility\">\r\n            Is the site credible?\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlink-placement\">\r\n            Is the link placed naturally?\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#backlink-audience-value\">\r\n            Can the link send the right audience?\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n      <\/ul>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#nofollow-links-and-seo\">\r\n        Do nofollow links help SEO?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#does-every-business-need-backlinks\">\r\n        Does every business need backlinks?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#how-to-earn-backlinks\">\r\n        How can a small business earn backlinks?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n\r\n      <ul>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#create-link-worthy-content\">\r\n            Create something worth referencing\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#use-business-relationships\">\r\n            Use existing business relationships\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#contribute-expertise\">\r\n            Contribute expertise\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#recover-lost-backlinks\">\r\n            Recover links you have lost\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n        <li>\r\n          <a href=\"#find-broken-link-opportunities\">\r\n            Find relevant broken links\r\n          <\/a>\r\n        <\/li>\r\n      <\/ul>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#backlink-tactics-to-avoid\">\r\n        What backlink tactics should you avoid?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#should-you-disavow-backlinks\">\r\n        Should you disavow spammy backlinks?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#how-to-measure-backlink-progress\">\r\n        How should you measure backlink progress?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#what-to-fix-first\">\r\n        What should you fix first?\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n\r\n    <li>\r\n      <a href=\"#article-bottom-line\">\r\n        The bottom line\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n<\/nav>","cta_title":"How can diib\u00ae help me improve my website today?","cta_text":"<p>Welcome to diib! Our analytics platform syncs to your Google Analytics account (not required to start) in just 60 seconds and helps over 800,000 business owners affordably grow their website by showing them how to grow. We offer a free basic website scan and a variety of PRO memberships starting at just $29.99 a month.<\/p>\r\n<p>With so many members we are also able to provide <strong>wholesale pricing<\/strong> combined with very high-quality work on services such as:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Quality backlink development (DA10-DA80 websites)<\/li>\r\n<li>Professional Google Analytics installations<\/li>\r\n<li>Website speed analysis and optimization<\/li>\r\n<li>Keyword research<\/li>\r\n<li>Article writing and publishing (500-5000+ words)<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Create your free account by entering your website below and we'll be able to show you all the other services we offer to our members!<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","new_slogan":"Our AI will Check Your Website for Free in 60 Seconds!","hero_button_text":"Check My Website Free","answer_first":"","meta_description":"","learn_faq_1_question":"","learn_faq_1_answer":"","learn_faq_2_question":"","learn_faq_2_answer":"","learn_faq_3_question":"","learn_faq_3_answer":"","learn_faq_4_question":"","learn_faq_4_answer":"","learn_faq_5_question":"","learn_faq_5_answer":"","learn_faq_6_question":"","learn_faq_6_answer":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What are backlinks, and does your business need them? - diib\u00ae - Learn<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Backlinks help Google recognize trust and authority for your website. Learn more about backlinks from diib.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/diib.com\/learn\/what-are-backlinks-and-does-your-business-need-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What are backlinks, and does your business need them? - diib\u00ae - Learn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Backlinks help Google recognize trust and authority for your website. Learn more about backlinks from diib.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/diib.com\/learn\/what-are-backlinks-and-does-your-business-need-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"diib\u00ae - Learn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-03T19:56:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-25T16:31:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/diib.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/backlinks.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"George Marie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What are backlinks, and does your business need them? - diib\u00ae - Learn","description":"Backlinks help Google recognize trust and authority for your website. 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