Although links are a crucial part of any effective SEO strategy, not all links are made equal. Understanding link relevance can significantly impact how well your website performs in search results.
When it comes to SEO, one of the most neglected and important metrics is backlinks. Your website will grow exponentially if you can get other websites to link to yours. But not just any websites. You’ll get the best results from relevant links, and the best link building agencies can find them for you.
If you succeed in understanding link relevance, it can help you develop a better, more effective link profile and increase your website’s online visibility.
What is a relevant link?
Relevant links have a connection to your website – and not by linking to it. They have something in common with your business. For example, if you are a wedding planner, a relevant link would be from a bakery that bakes wedding cakes. You are in a connected industry, but you aren’t competitors.
Your link relevance means that you could have found each other organically rather than through buying and selling links. Google will find your backlinks to each other more meaningful than if a company that makes eyeglasses links to you – as you have no relevant connection. However, you could have link relevance if you are both doing business in a nearby location. Google will consider your link to an irrelevant business if you are in a similar town or you are neighbors in a strip mall.
Why is link relevance important?
Relevant businesses connecting to each other is important in the realm of Google search results. When building links, you want to find a business with authority, power, and relevance. If you can get websites with those factors, your business will grow.
If you have authority, then you need more power and relevance. If you have a backlink from a powerful website, then you need links from other types of sites. All can help your website grow, but you’ll benefit the most from having backlinks from relevant, trustworthy, and powerful sites.
What is link authority?
Link authority means that the entire website is trustworthy. Websites like CNN, The Washington Post, and Target have authority because Google trusts their content. If you can get CNN to link to you, you’ll get attention from Google. The search engine will rank your site higher simply because you received a backlink from a trusted organization.
What is link power?
Link power is the extra attention the powerful website gives to you. For example, if your wedding planner site got a backlink from The Knot, Google would give your website a higher ranking. The powerful website gives your website more power and authority that you cannot get on your own as a small business.
What are the best links to have?
When it comes to backlinking, the best ones are the ones you can get. If your links aren’t relevant, powerful, or trustworthy, that’s ok. You need as many as you can get from real websites that may or may not be related to yours. You’ve got to start somewhere, with a goal of getting links to websites with the trifecta of power, relevance, and authority. Keep creating useful and entertaining content and sharing it on social media. Eventually, you’ll get the links you want.
