How to recognize quality backlinks

Not all links are equal in value. It is important to understand what makes a backlink high-quality, why it matters for SEO, and how to build a link profile that enhances your website’s visibility and brand trust.

Backlinks are clickable links from other websites that point to your resource. They have been a part of Google’s algorithm since its inception. Obtaining high-quality links can significantly improve your rankings in search results.

Despite numerous publications on link building, it is not always clear what truly constitutes a “high-quality backlink.”

In this article, we will explain:

• What a high-quality backlink is;
• Its main characteristics;
• How examples of quality links impact SEO;
• The limitations of metrics such as Domain Authority;
• How to avoid risky patterns in link-building strategies.

What Is a High-Quality Backlink?

A backlink is a link from another website to a page on your resource. It is considered high-quality when it comes from a relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy source and is naturally integrated into the page’s context.

Such links not only increase trust from search engines but also create a positive perception of your brand among users. Essentially, it acts as a “recommendation” from an authoritative source.

Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Google understands how easy it is to acquire a large number of low-quality links. This was previously a common manipulative tactic. That is why today, poor-quality links are devalued or may even result in penalties.

One high-quality backlink can positively influence ranking.
A hundred low-quality ones, on the other hand, can cause harm.

Even from a reputable source, it is important to have diverse link sources — excessive links from a single website have diminished impact.

Key Signals Google Looks For

Google evaluates backlinks based on several parameters:

• PageRank — the original metric of link quality, accounting for the number and weight of donor sites.
• Relevance — how closely the source’s topic and the page align with your website.
• Editorial placement — links within main content are more valuable than those in footers or sidebars.
• Anchor text — naturally worded without excessive keyword usage.
• Indexability and dofollow attribute — the link must be accessible to Google and pass authority.
• Traffic and visibility — ideally, the backlink drives real users.
• E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) — the link should reinforce your reputation.
• Overall profile — a natural, diverse set of links without a “spammy” appearance.

Read more about how to get quality backlinks.

Confirmed Google Signals of Backlink Quality

Although social media and influencers are increasingly important for brand awareness, Google remains the main “judge” in SEO. Therefore, when assessing link quality, it is worth focusing on signals that Google directly or indirectly recognizes as meaningful.

Relevance

Relevance is one of the key search signals. While Google documentation does not always explicitly mention “backlinks,” in practice, most links Google considers spam originate from irrelevant or low-quality resources.
Links from sites that share your topic, niche focus, or geographic focus are perceived as more natural and useful for users — thus, they carry higher value in the eyes of the search engine.

Editorial Placement

Google gives more weight to links placed within the body copy of an article than those in template areas like footers, sidebars, or partner lists. As Matt Cutts explained, footer links may not carry the same “editorial weight” because they are often duplicated across all pages of a site. In contrast, a link placed within a paragraph usually indicates that a real author or editor added it, making it more contextually relevant — and therefore a more valuable signal to Google.

Natural Language

Modern Google systems use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning models, allowing algorithms to better “understand” the meaning of sentences rather than individual words alone. Therefore, it is important that a link appears natural within a sentence:

• Is the link logically placed?
• Is the sentence readable and smooth with it included?
• Does it make sense in the overall context of the article?

If the answers are positive, it is a good sign. Conversely, a page with text “stuffed” or overloaded with keywords, even if it contains a link to you, may appear spammy and reduce the link’s value.

Anchor Text

A quality anchor should be descriptive, moderately concise, and relevant both to the page it is on and the page it links to. Google advises avoiding completely neutral phrases like “click here” or “read more,” as they provide little information. After the Penguin update, it became clear that excessive use of exact-match keyword anchors could have negative consequences. Therefore, it is better to vary anchors: use your brand name, partial-keyword phrases, or natural phrases rather than consistently using exact-match keywords.

Overall Link Profile

Google looks not only at individual links but at all links collectively — that is, the overall backlink profile of the site. Modern AI-enhanced algorithms can detect patterns indicative of non-organic practices: purchased links, link exchange networks, or mass automated injections. Individual spam links (e.g., from low-quality directories) are often ignored, but repeated patterns of suspicious activity can trigger algorithmic or manual penalties.

PageRank: Still Exists, but Hidden

Although the algorithm has evolved significantly, PageRank remains part of Google’s core systems.

Previously, its scores were publicly available, but in 2016 Google hid them due to abuse during spammy link building.

Today, to assess authority, you can use third-party metrics such as:

• Authority Score from Semrush;
• Domain Rating (DR) from Ahrefs;
• Domain Authority (DA) from Moz.

All of these serve as alternatives to PageRank and help gauge the approximate strength of a donor site.

Learn more about marketing attribution: models, tools, and best practices.

10 Signs of High-Quality Backlinks

We’ve already looked at what Google says about link quality. But what do high-quality backlinks look like in practice? Here are ten key characteristics to pay attention to.

Topical Relevance to the Page Being Linked

The site linking to you should be relevant to your topic. This matters not only for SEO — relevant links also provide practical value to users.

Ask yourself:
“Would this site be interesting to my users?”
If the answer is “yes,” the link is likely relevant.

Examples of relevant sites:

• Resources in your niche or related topics;
• Companies or brands with a genuine connection to your business;
• Sites serving the same geographic region.

For example, if you run a premium clothing boutique on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Los Angeles, useful backlinks could come from:

• Fashion blogs and online magazines;
• Lifestyle or shopping websites;
• Local directories, such as Abbot Kinney Boulevard merchant listings;
• Los Angeles travel guides (e.g., Discover Los Angeles);
• Brands you have collaborated with.

General high-quality links are also possible — e.g., from well-known directories like Yelp or Hotfrog. But in most cases, it should be clear why this site would naturally want to link to you.

Comes from an Authoritative Site in Your Niche

The donor site should be authoritative.

For example:

• National media carry more weight than small local newspapers;
• Established niche portals are more valuable than random blogs.

PageRank used to be the main measure of site authority. Now it’s hidden publicly, so SEO tools are used instead:

• Authority Score (Semrush)
• Domain Rating (DR) (Ahrefs)
• Domain Authority (DA) (Moz)
• Trust Flow / Citation Flow (Majestic)

For example, Search Engine Land has an Authority Score of 58/100 — a fairly strong result. Remember that the scale is logarithmic: the higher you go, the harder it is to improve.

Links from authoritative sites in your niche carry special weight.
However, one authority metric alone does not determine backlink value — it’s important to evaluate the entire link profile comprehensively.

Enhances E-E-A-T

A backlink acts as a “trust signal” to your site. If it comes from an authoritative and reliable source, it positively affects your brand.

This is directly related to the E-E-A-T concept (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Google aims to show people and companies with proven expertise and credibility in search results.

Examples of backlinks that enhance E-E-A-T:

• A quote from your expert in an article;
• Links to research or data you provided;
• Team member bios highlighting professional achievements.

All of these reinforce your expertise and trustworthiness in the eyes of Google.

Read more about E-E-A-T diagnostics using AI.

Uses Natural Anchor Text (Without Keyword Stuffing)

Google recommends that anchors be natural, understandable, and useful to users.

Common mistakes:

• Too many exact-match keyword anchors → may trigger penalties;
• Attempts to manipulate rankings by artificially repeating phrases.

What works better:

• Partial-match keywords;
• Anchors that logically fit the context;
• Using your brand name as a safe and natural option.

For example:

• For the Search Engine Land homepage, the anchor “Search Engine Land” is appropriate;
• For a specific page — a more specific phrase relevant to the topic.

Phrases like “click here” aren’t harmful, but they provide little SEO value.

Placed in Editorial Content

Editorial backlinks (within the main body of an article) carry far more weight than links in footers, sidebars, or repeated blocks.

Example:
The culinary blog Smitten Kitchen, in a zucchini and potato focaccia recipe, included a link to purchase baking sheets. This is a natural link, logically integrated into the content and useful to readers.

Surrounded by Semantically Related Content

It’s not just the site’s overall topic that matters, but also the text around the link.

Google, using NLP, can understand the content and assess whether the anchor and its surrounding text match the topic.

Example:
If you sell snack products (roasted peanuts), a valuable backlink would be in an article like “Top 10 Beer Snacks,” especially if other related products and keywords appear nearby: “salty,” “in-shell,” “organic,” “crispy,” “hi-oleic,” etc.

This approach is called contextual integration: the link is embedded in content that enhances its naturalness and usefulness.

Indexed and Dofollow (with a Healthy Link Mix)

Indexation:
If the linking page isn’t indexed in Google, the link won’t count.
Check via the site: operator or SEO tools (Semrush, Detailed SEO Extension).

Reasons a page may not be indexed:

• noindex tag;
• robots.txt blocking;
• duplicates;
• page not yet discovered by Google.

Nofollow vs. Dofollow:

• Dofollow passes PageRank → primary SEO value.
• Nofollow is still valuable: referral traffic, brand mentions, profile balance.

A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of dofollow and nofollow links.

Drives Referral Traffic or Increases Brand Visibility

Backlinks are valuable not only for SEO but also for traffic acquisition.

For instance, a link from National Geographic (9M users/month), even if nofollow, can bring significant visibility and potential clicks.

You can measure this in GA4:
Reports > Life Cycle > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition → Session source/Medium → filter “referral”

Not Part of a Link Scheme or Obvious Exchange

Links shouldn’t result from schemes or spam.
Google explicitly warns against:

• “link to me and I’ll link to you” on a mass scale;
• Buying links without nofollow/sponsored tags;
• Link farms.

Single exchanges in B2B contexts (e.g., a case study + client post) are fine. Systematic schemes are not.

Matches Natural Link Velocity

The speed at which backlinks appear (link velocity) should look natural.

• Normal: steady, gradual growth.
• Bad: sudden spikes of hundreds of links — appears manipulative.

You can check this in Semrush by comparing dynamics with competitors.

High-Quality and Low-Quality Backlinks

Determining whether a link is high-quality or not is not always simple. It is more of a spectrum with different gradations rather than a black-and-white “good” or “bad.” The same link can be useful in certain cases and less valuable in others. Ultimately, it comes down to your professional judgment, which considers multiple factors.

Let’s look at examples of good, bad, and outright harmful backlinks.

The Good

Imagine you run a blog about healthy eating, and a well-known platform for fitness enthusiasts publishes an article with tips on proper nutrition. In the article, the author mentions your site as a source of statistics on protein consumption and includes a link to your article within the main body of the text.

Why this is a good backlink:

• Relevance: The topic of the resource and the article is directly related to your site.
• Editorial placement: The link is placed in the body of the article, not in the footer or sidebar.
• Source authority: The platform has a high level of trust and carries weight in Google’s eyes.
• Naturalness: The link appears logical, is organically integrated into the text, and is the result of an editorial choice.
• Dofollow: This allows the page’s “weight” to be passed to your site.
• Anchor text: The anchor is informative, for example, “according to the protein consumption study,” rather than a generic phrase like “click here.”

The Bad

Imagine a blog post about meteorite collecting on an astronomy blog. At the end of the text, in the author bio, we see the following:

Author bio:
Jack Gray lives in New Mexico and has been watching the sky since he was a small, human child. His collection of meteorites numbers over 200 examples. His book, “Build backlinks for astronomic growth,” is available on Amazon.

Problem: A link to a book about SEO in an article about meteorites appears irrelevant and unnatural.

However, if this link is nofollow, it will most likely not cause harm: Google will ignore it. Many spammy comments in blogs fall into this category.

The Ugly

The worst examples are links that harm your site. They violate Google’s rules and can result in a manual action or even an algorithmic penalty (for example, Google Penguin).

Example:

The fast, brown vulpine leaps over the lethargic husky. Buy dog treats. You cannot teach an old chihuahua anything. The chihuahua will probably bite you. Let sleeping dogs sleep.

Here we see:

• The text is spun — compiled from different fragments and rewritten to appear unique.
• The content is illogical, looking like a random set of phrases.
• The site where this is posted likely exists solely to sell spammy links.
• The link is dofollow and uses an exact-match anchor (for example, “buy dog treats”) → a typical signal of a low-quality, artificial backlink.

Tools to Check Backlinks

To understand whether your current backlinks are harmful, you can use a range of tools:

1. Google Search Console
   A free way to see a list of external links.
   Navigate to Links → Export External Links to download the list.
2. Semrush
   Offers comprehensive tools for viewing and auditing backlinks.
   Backlink Analytics allows you to check the profile of any site by URL.
3. Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)
   Allows you to view the history of a page.
   You can check whether the page was always relevant or repurposed for selling links.
4. Other tools
   Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic, Link Research Tools — all help analyze backlink profiles, identify risky domains, and discover new opportunities for high-quality links.

Summary:

• Good backlinks = relevant, editorial, authoritative, natural.
• Bad backlinks = irrelevant, artificially inserted, but not seriously harmful (if nofollow).
• Ugly backlinks = spam, exact-match anchor in spun content, link farms → direct SEO threat.

Scale High-Quality Links While Avoiding Harmful Patterns

Your overall backlink profile matters a lot. It is important that the process of link building looks natural and does not create a risk of receiving penalties from Google.

In addition to balancing dofollow and nofollow links and avoiding excessive use of exact-match anchors, there are several other factors to consider.

Mediocre Links Can Be Harmful

We already know: high-quality backlinks are good, spammy ones are bad. But what about those that are “somewhere in the middle”? They might have some authority, but not much. They may be partially relevant, but not 100%.

Should you have them?

The truth is, they can harm your SEO strategy.

Imagine that over several months you systematically build mediocre links. Eventually, Google may simply devalue or ignore them. This means you have wasted time and resources — instead of focusing on a smaller number of higher-quality links.

Moreover, if you suddenly stop building these links, it may cause a sharp change in link velocity. This will look unnatural and can negatively affect SEO.

Risks of Sudden Link Velocity Spikes

Link velocity is the rate at which new backlinks appear. The principle here is: “slow and steady wins.”

This does not mean you cannot gradually accelerate the pace of link building. You can — but only smoothly, avoiding sudden spikes.

The Problem with AI Guest Post Networks

There may be a temptation to use AI to create mass guest posts and gain a large number of links. This is a bad idea.

AI-generated content is usually shallow, unoriginal, and lacks real expertise (E-E-A-T). And you wouldn’t put your name under such an article, would you?

Yes, this method can quickly provide many links, but at the same time, it creates dangerous link velocity spikes. Google explicitly warns:

“Using generative AI tools or other similar tools to generate many pages without adding value for users may violate Google’s spam policy on scaled content abuse.”

How to Create Programmatic Content Without Programmatic Links

Programmatic content refers to pages generated automatically (for example, a page for each branch of a store). This can be useful if done correctly and if the pages provide value to users.

But! The same approach to links is strictly prohibited. Programmatic links always look unnatural, and Google detects them quickly.

Avoid templated outreach emails and excessive automation.
Instead, create high-quality content that naturally attracts links, and conduct outreach based on genuine relationships.

What Google Says About Bad Links

Google clearly defines its link spam policies to help sites avoid penalties and reduce low-value content online.

Policies Against Link Spam

Google considers the following practices as spam:

• Buying or selling links (including barter of goods/services for a link)
• Link exchanges
• Automatically generating links
• Requiring a client or third party to add a link without the option to mark it as nofollow or sponsored
• Text ads without a nofollow or sponsored tag
• Links from low-quality directories
• Mass-distributed widgets with embedded links
• Footer or template-based links
• Comment spam on forums
• Low-quality content created solely for acquiring links or manipulating rankings

Note: In some highly competitive niches (e.g., gambling or loans), buying links is common. But this directly violates Google’s policies, and you act at your own risk.

Google Penguin and “Unnatural Links”

After launching the Penguin algorithm, Google introduced the concept of “unnatural links.” The essence is that backlinks should appear naturally.

In 2021, John Mueller confirmed that today, Penguin mostly devalues spammy links instead of punishing individually. But if the overall profile looks unnatural, it can result in serious penalties for the entire site.

Google Search Central Blog

The official Google blog is the most reliable source of recommendations.

For example, it explains that low-quality links include:

• Missing or overly long/generic anchors
• Too many links in a row
• Comment spam

Google directly states:

“Some webmasters abuse other sites by exploiting their comment fields, posting tons of links that point back to the poster’s site in an attempt to boost their site’s ranking.”

Indirect Sources of Information

Sometimes we learn about Google algorithms not from official statements but from leaks. For example, in 2024 a data leak confirmed:

• PageRank is still a factor in the system
• There is a phraseAnchorSpamPenalty related to spammy anchors (especially exact-match)

Now You Know What High-Quality Backlinks Are — It’s Time to Get Them

High-quality links are authoritative, trustworthy, and — most importantly — natural.

This is not just theory. Improving your backlink profile can truly impact SEO, organic traffic, and ultimately, revenue.

If you want to quickly and safely increase your site’s authority and boost organic traffic, we can do it for you.

Our team of SEO experts analyzes your site, develops a strategy for acquiring high-quality backlinks, and helps improve visibility in search engines.

Order an SEO service today — and receive a clear plan to improve rankings and increase traffic for your business.

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