Glossaire
Backlink
An inbound link from another site: a vote of confidence that remains a major authority signal for Google.
Definition
A backlink is a link pointing to your site from another site. To a search engine, it is a vote of confidence: the more links a site receives from reliable, relevant sources, the more authoritative it is considered. Backlinks remain one of the most influential ranking signals.
Why it matters
Excellent content with no inbound links struggles to emerge. Backlinks pass authority and help engines discover and assess your pages. Beware, though: quality beats quantity, and artificial or mass-bought links expose you to penalties.
In practice
- Favour natural links, earned through content worth citing.
- Aim for topical relevance: a link from a site in the same field is worth more.
- Avoid mass link buying and artificial link schemes.
- Do not confuse a backlink (inbound external link) with internal linking (links between your own pages).