25 Powerful Backlink Types Every SEO Must Know (2025)

Backlinks come in all shapes and sizes—some build long-term authority, while others can sink your site if you’re careless. Not all links are created equal, and lumping them together is like comparing a Michelin-star meal with fast food.

In this guide, we’ll break down every major types of backlink, explain how they work in simple terms, and show you where they shine (and where they flop).

By the end, you’ll know which backlinks are worth chasing, which ones just pad your profile, and which ones you should avoid like the plague.

Earned & Natural Backlinks (Best Quality)

These are the holy grail of backlinks—you don’t buy them, beg for them, or drop them in random places. Instead, people link to you because your content, tools, or ideas are genuinely worth sharing. They’re harder to get but carry the most long-term SEO value.

1. Editorial Backlinks

What it is: Natural links added by other websites because your content genuinely helps their readers. These links are earned, not requested or purchased, and usually appear within the content itself rather than in author bios.

Why it matters: Google rewards content that experts and websites find valuable enough to cite. Editorial backlinks are the closest thing to academic citations in the digital world, offering authority, trust, and long-term SEO benefits.

Example: Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO earns editorial backlinks from hundreds of marketing blogs because it’s considered a definitive resource.

Pros:

• High authority and trust with search engines
• Natural and long-lasting
• Can drive targeted referral traffic

Cons:

• Difficult to earn; requires high-quality, link-worthy content
• Limited control over anchor text

2. Acknowledgment Backlinks

What it is: Links when someone acknowledges your contribution, product, or content.

Why it matters: Usually small, but can strengthen industry relationships.

Example: A blog writing “Thanks to XYZ tool for simplifying our workflow” with a link to your site.

Pros:

• Builds industry relationships
• Adds trust signals

Cons:

• Low SEO value individually
• Not scalable for large-scale link-building

3. Image Backlinks

What it is: A website uses your image and credits your site as the source.

Why it matters: Search engines can index your images, and these backlinks help traffic and authority.

Example: You create a chart comparing SEO tools. Other blogs embed it and link back to you as the source.

Pros:

• Can generate traffic through visual content
• Adds diversity to your link profile

Cons:

• Usually lower authority than editorial links
• Hard to track if the image is copied without attribution

4. Infographic Backlinks

What it is: Links gained when people embed your infographic.

Why it matters: Highly shareable and visually appealing content often gets linked naturally.

Example: Creating an SEO infographic that blogs reference with a link to your site.

Pros:

• Highly shareable; can go viral
• Earns backlinks naturally when others embed your infographic

Cons:

• Requires design and promotion effort
• SEO value depends on who embeds it

5. Influencer Backlinks

What it is: Links from influencers in your niche mentioning your content or tool.

Why it matters: Combines traffic, authority, and trust.

Example: A SaaS influencer shares your blog post with a link to your site.

Pros:

• Combines traffic, trust, and authority
• Helps brand recognition and industry authority

Cons:

• Can be expensive or hard to convince influencers
• Results vary depending on influencer engagement

6. Podcast Backlinks

What it is: Links from podcasts, usually in show notes or guest mentions.

Why it matters: Niche authority and traffic; indirect SEO benefit.

Example: Appearing as a guest on a marketing podcast with a link back to your site.

Pros:

• Authority and niche credibility
• Can generate targeted traffic

Cons:

• SEO value is usually indirect
• Requires effort to appear on or host podcasts

7. Backlinks from Webinars

What it is: Links from webinar pages or recaps.

Why it matters: Authority and traffic from niche audiences.

Example: Hosting a webinar on SaaS marketing and getting linked on the host site.

Pros:

• Targeted audience; drives relevant traffic
• Adds authority in niche topics

Cons:

• Requires hosting or participating effort
• SEO value depends on the platform’s authority

Content-Driven Backlinks (Manual but Legit)

If you can’t wait around for people to discover your content, this bucket is for you. These links come from putting in the effort—writing guest posts, sharing tools, or creating testimonials. They require time and strategy, but they’re perfectly safe when done right.

8. Guest Post / Guest Blogging Backlinks

What it is: Writing an article for another website and placing links back to your own site. The strongest backlinks are contextual—woven naturally into the content where they help the reader—rather than stuck in an author bio.

Why it matters: If the site is relevant, authoritative, and has a real audience, guest posts can boost rankings, authority, and referral traffic. They also position you as a subject-matter expert.

Example: Writing a guide on “10 Proven SEO Strategies for SaaS Companies” for a marketing blog and including a link to your own SaaS SEO case study within the article.

Pros:

• Provides contextual, SEO-friendly links
• Builds topical authority in your niche
• Can drive qualified referral traffic
• Strengthens industry relationships

Cons:

• Time-intensive to create high-quality posts
• Many sites impose strict link rules
• Article farms or paid “guest posts” add little SEO value

You can check our Guest Posting Service Here

9. Niche Edit Backlinks (Link Insertions)

What it is: Links placed into existing articles on authoritative sites, often older posts that need fresh updates or additional resources.

Why it matters: Faster than guest posting because you’re improving an existing piece rather than creating new content. When done ethically, you add real value to the article while earning a contextual backlink.

Example: Finding an outdated guide on “Top SEO Tools 2022” and reaching out to suggest adding your updated 2025 SEO tool as a resource, with a contextual link to your site.

Pros:

• Quick turnaround compared to guest posts
• Contextual links in aged, authoritative content carry strong SEO weight
• Strengthens outdated resources by making them more relevant

Cons:

• Many sellers push spammy, paid link inserts on irrelevant sites
• Editors may reject your request if your resource doesn’t add genuine value
• Overuse in poor contexts can trigger Google’s link spam filters

You can check our Niche Edits Service Here

10. Press Release Backlinks

What it is: Backlinks generated when your press releases are picked up by news websites or PR platforms.

Why it matters: Good for brand awareness and occasional SEO value if the sites are authoritative. The catch is most PR distribution services just push thin, duplicate content to hundreds of low-quality sites, which does little for rankings.

Example: Launching a new SaaS feature and distributing a press release to tech news sites.

Pros:

• Can generate media attention and brand awareness
• May attract high-authority links from real news sites when journalists cover your story

Cons:

• Limited SEO value if news outlets don’t include dofollow links
• Often ignored if the press release isn’t genuinely newsworthy

11. Testimonial Backlinks

What it is: Backlinks from providing a testimonial to another business or product.

Why it matters: Builds trust and usually comes from reputable sites.

Example: Writing a testimonial for an SEO tool, and the company links to your site.

Pros:

• Usually from high-authority sites
• Builds credibility and trust

Cons:

• Small in number; can’t scale easily
• Less control over anchor text

12. Free Tool / Resource Page Backlinks

What it is: Links from pages that curate top resources on a specific topic—e.g., “Best SEO Tools 2025” or “Ultimate Marketing Resources.”

Why it matters: These pages exist to recommend valuable resources. A backlink here acts as an endorsement from an authoritative site, boosting credibility and driving targeted traffic.

Example: Getting your SaaS tool listed on a competitor’s “Top Marketing Tools” resource page.

Pros:

• Naturally attracts backlinks when your resource is genuinely useful
• Builds authority and niche credibility
• Can generate consistent referral traffic over time

Cons:

• Requires creating a high-quality resource (tool, guide, or template)
• Needs active outreach to resource curators
• Success rate varies; not all pages will link back

Community & Engagement Backlinks

These links live where conversations happen—in comments, forums, and social platforms. They don’t pack much SEO punch, but they’re good for brand visibility, referral traffic, and signaling that you’re active in your niche.

13. Comment Backlinks

What it is: Links in blog comments or forum discussions.

Why it matters: Blog comments rarely boost SEO since most are nofollow, but they can drive niche traffic and help build relationships that may lead to stronger backlink opportunities.

Example: Commenting on a digital marketing blog and linking to your guide on backlink strategies.

Pros:

• Easy to get
• Can drive niche-specific traffic

Cons:

• Low SEO value if overused
• Can look spammy if not done genuinely

14. Forum Backlinks

What it is: Backlinks earned from forum posts or user profiles.

Why it matters: Great for driving targeted niche traffic and building authority in communities. Limited direct SEO impact unless the forum itself has strong authority.

Example: Answering a question on a SaaS forum and linking to a detailed guide on your site.

What works: Thoughtful, helpful contributions in niche communities where your expertise solves real problems.

What doesn’t: Spammy signature links or self-promotional posts that add no value.

Best platforms:

• Niche industry forums with DA 40+
• Reddit (topic-specific subreddits)
• Quora for broader educational reach
• Professional hubs like GrowthHackers

Strategy: Build trust first, link later. A good benchmark is 10 helpful posts for every 1 link share.

Pros:

• Drives targeted traffic and visibility
• Builds credibility and relationships in your niche

Cons:

• Low SEO value unless from highly authoritative forums
• Risk of being flagged as spam if abused

15. Social Media Backlinks

What it is: Links shared on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

Why it matters: These are almost always nofollow and carry minimal SEO weight. They’re valuable for traffic and brand awareness, not rankings.

Example: Sharing a blog post on LinkedIn with a link to your website.

Pros:

• Drives traffic and content visibility
• Builds social proof

Cons:

• Usually nofollow, so minimal SEO value
• Traffic is temporary if not supplemented with content engagement

Smart approach: Use social media to amplify content that can earn real backlinks, not as a direct SEO tactic.

Business & Directory Backlinks

Think of these as the “basics” of link building. Business listings, local directories, and badges won’t catapult you to page one, but they’re important for building trust, brand presence, and local SEO foundations.

16. Business Profile Backlinks

What it is: Links from creating profiles on business platforms or directories.

Why it matters: Often dofollow links; boosts local SEO and authority.

Example: Listing your business on Google Business Profile, Crunchbase, or niche-specific directories.

Pros:

• Boosts local SEO and discoverability
• Usually easy to get

Cons:

• Limited SEO value individually
• Profiles must be maintained to avoid outdated info

17. Directory Backlinks

What it is: Submitting your business to online directories.

Why it matters: Reputable directories can boost local and niche SEO. Spammy ones can damage rankings.

Example: Adding your SaaS company to G2, Capterra, or industry-specific directories.

Pros:

• Simple to set up
• Improves visibility in local/niche searches
• Local businesses benefit from trusted listings (Google Business Profile, Yelp, Yellow Pages, premium industry directories)

Cons:

• Low-quality directories harm SEO
• Minimal ranking impact in 2025
• Mass directory submissions are largely a waste of time

18. Badge Backlinks 

What it is: Links from badges showing awards or certifications.

Why it matters: Builds credibility and can attract links naturally.

Example: Winning a “Top SaaS Tool 2025” badge and getting linked on the awarding site.

Pros:

• Builds credibility and authority
• Often earned from reputable sites

Cons:

• Limited SEO value if the badge is in a sidebar or footer
• Doesn’t drive significant traffic on its own
• Hard to earn

19. Citation Links

What it is: Links that cite your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on external websites, directories, or local listings. These may or may not include a clickable link to your site.

Why it matters: Citation links help search engines verify your business’s existence, legitimacy, and consistency across the web. They are crucial for local SEO and improving rankings in map packs or location-based searches.

Example:  A local plumbing business listed on Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angi, including its address, phone number, and website link.

Pros:

• Strengthens local SEO and visibility in map searches
• Increases credibility and trust for your business
• Can indirectly drive referral traffic from local directories
  

Cons:

• Limited direct SEO value if the citation doesn’t include a link
• Duplicate or inconsistent NAP info can hurt rankings
• Doesn’t replace high-quality contextual backlinks

You can check our Citation Link Building Services here

Technical & Link Attribute Types

Not all backlinks are about where they come from—some are about how they’re structured. Dofollow and nofollow are simply link attributes that tell search engines whether or not to pass authority. Both matter for a healthy link profile.

20. Dofollow Backlinks

What it is: Backlinks that pass SEO value to your site.

Why it matters: The ones you want most for ranking.

Example: A trusted industry blog links to your article with a dofollow link in the content.

Pros:

• Passes link equity, directly helping SEO
• Strengthens your website authority

Cons:

• Hard to get from high-authority websites
• Over-optimization of anchor text can look unnatural

21. Nofollow Backlinks

What it is: Backlinks that don’t pass SEO value.

Why it matters: Helps diversify your link profile; still valuable for traffic and brand awareness.

Example: Social media posts linking to your blog usually use nofollow links.

Pros:

• Helps diversify your backlink profile
• Can drive referral traffic and brand visibility

Cons:

• Doesn’t pass link equity (SEO value)
• Shouldn’t be your main link-building strategy

Acquired Backlinks

Here’s where things get dicey. Paid links, footer links, and private blog networks (PBNs) can give you a quick boost but come with serious risks if abused. Google’s penalties are no joke, so approach this bucket with extreme caution.

22. Paid / Sponsored Links

What it is: Links you purchase.

Why it matters: Risky; Google may penalize if they’re manipulative. Use only for sponsored content with rel=”sponsored”.

Example: Paying a relevant blog for a sponsored article mentioning your tool.

Pros:

• Quick way to get links
• Can be targeted for niche relevance

Cons:

• Risky; can violate Google guidelines
• Temporary benefit if Google detects manipulation

How Link-Building Services Help:
Professional link-building services can identify safe, high-quality sponsored opportunities, manage outreach, and ensure links comply with Google’s guidelines to minimize risk.

23. Footer Links (Should Be Avoided)

What it is: Links in website footers.

Why it matters: Generally low SEO value but can help navigation and consistency.

Example: “Partnered with XYZ company” link in footer sections.

Pros:

• Easy to place and consistent across pages
• Can help internal navigation

Cons:

• Low SEO value compared to contextual links
• Overuse on other sites can look manipulative

24. PBN Backlinks (Should Be Avoided)

What it is: Links from Private Blog Networks.

Why it matters: Risky—can boost rankings temporarily but often penalized by Google. Only advanced SEOs may attempt this.

Pros:

• Can temporarily boost rankings
• Complete control over content and anchor text

Cons:

• Very risky; can lead to penalties
• Low long-term sustainability

Other Backlink Types

There are also a handful of links that don’t fit neatly into the main categories. On their own, these usually won’t drive major SEO gains, but they can add diversity to your backlink profile. When kept natural and balanced, they help signal a healthy mix of references pointing to your site.

25. Tier 2 Backlinks

Link Bucket: Supporting / Secondary Links

What it is: Backlinks that point to your primary (Tier 1) backlinks rather than directly to your website. They are designed to support and strengthen the impact of your main links.

Why it matters: When done carefully, Tier 2 backlinks can help your Tier 1 links perform better, potentially improving your content’s visibility and credibility in search results. The focus should always be on relevance and quality.

Example:
Posting helpful comments on industry blogs or forums that link to a guest post you published on an authoritative site, adding context and value.

Pros:

• Supports the effectiveness of your main backlinks
• Can enhance your content’s reach and authority indirectly
• Helps search engines recognize the relevance of Tier 1 links

Cons:

• Limited direct SEO impact on your site
• Ineffective if the sources are unrelated or low-quality
• Requires thoughtful planning to avoid appearing manipulative
• May deliver little value without the right strategy

---

With our Tier 2 backlinking service, we handle the process strategically—building supportive links that amplify the authority of your existing backlinks. This ensures you get the benefits without the trial-and-error or wasted effort.

Why You Need a Mix of Backlink Types

A strong backlink strategy doesn’t rely on a single type. Combining editorial, guest posts, social mentions, and niche-specific links ensures a natural link profile that improves SEO and protects against penalties.

Diversifying your backlinks increases referral traffic, enhances authority, and signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy.

Quality Indicators: How to Spot Valuable Backlinks

Technical Metrics

• Good Domain Authority: 20+ (Moz metric—enough to show the site has some authority)
• Organic traffic: 1k–5k/month (via SEMrush/Ahrefs—steady, real visitors)
• Referring domains: 30+ (indicates the site earns links naturally)

Content Quality Signals

• Original, well-researched content
• Regular publishing schedule
• Engaged audience (comments, shares)
• Professional design and functionality

Relevance Factors

• Same industry or complementary niche
• Audience overlap with your target market
• Contextually appropriate link placement

Common Backlink Mistakes That Kill Results

Mistake #1: Obsessing Over Domain Authority

Reality: A DA 25 site with perfect relevance beats a DA 60 site with no connection to your niche.

Mistake #2: Buying Bulk Backlinks

Why it backfires: Google can easily identify unnatural link patterns. One penalty can wipe out months of work.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Anchor Text Diversity

The problem: Using your exact target keyword in every backlink looks manipulative.

Better approach: Mix branded anchors, generic phrases, and partial matches naturally.

Mistake #4: Only Linking to Your Homepage

Missed opportunity: Link to your best content pieces to distribute authority and help more pages rank.

Advanced Strategies for Serious Results

The HARO Method

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) connects you with journalists needing expert sources.

Process:

1. Sign up for daily emails
2. Respond only to highly relevant queries
3. Provide genuinely useful quotes
4. Include your credentials and website

Success rate: 1-5 backlinks per month with consistent effort.

Broken Link Building

Find broken links on relevant sites and suggest your content as a replacement.

Tools: Check My Links browser extension, Ahrefs broken link checker

Success rate: 10-25% response rate when done thoughtfully.

Digital PR Campaigns

Create newsworthy content that naturally attracts editorial coverage.

Examples:

• Industry surveys with surprising findings
• Controversial but well-researched opinions
• Free tools that solve real problems
• Timely commentary on industry trends

Measuring Backlink Impact

Metrics That Matter

• Rankings improvement for target keywords
• Organic traffic increase to linked pages
• Domain authority growth over time
• Referral traffic from backlink sources

Tools for Tracking

• Ahrefs: Best overall backlink analysis
• SEMrush: Good for competitive analysis
• Moz: Reliable domain authority metrics
• Google Search Console: Free insights into your backlink profile

The Reality of Link Building Timelines

Immediate impact (1-4 weeks):

• Referral traffic from new backlinks
• Indexation of new pages

Short-term impact (1-3 months):

• Authority page rankings improve
• Brand awareness increases

Long-term impact (3-12 months):

• Domain authority growth
• Broader keyword rankings improve
• Compound effect as quality content earns more links

The Bottom Line

Backlinks remain one of the most powerful ranking factors in SEO. But the key is to focus on quality, relevance, and context, not just the number of links. Editorial, guest post, and niche edit backlinks will give you the most SEO value, while directories, forums, and social links can supplement your strategy.

If you want to skyrocket your website rankings without wasting time on low-value links, a professional backlink service like badass backlinks can help you build high-quality backlinks safely and effectively.

---