If you have read anything about SEO, you will have come across backlinks. They are often described as the most important part of SEO, and small business owners are regularly emailed by people offering to sell them.
This guide explains what backlinks are, why they help, which ones are worth having and how a small business can earn good ones without paying for them or breaking Google’s rules.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. If your local newspaper writes about your business and links to your website, that is a backlink. So is a link from a supplier’s website, a trade body’s member directory or a charity you support.
You will also hear backlinks called inbound links or external links. They all mean the same thing.
Links between pages on your own website are called internal links. They are just as much a part of SEO, and we explain why later in this guide.
Why Backlinks Help SEO
Google says it “uses links as a signal when determining the relevancy of pages and to find new pages to crawl”. In simple terms, backlinks do two jobs.
- They help Google find your pages. Google’s crawlers follow links from page to page, so a link from a well-known website can lead Google to your site.
- They act like a recommendation. When a trusted website links to yours, it suggests your website is worth visiting. A link from a respected organisation in your field carries much more weight than a link from a site nobody visits.
Backlinks also send visitors. A link from a local news story or a popular industry website can bring people straight to your site, whatever it does for your rankings.
What Makes a Good Backlink?
Not all backlinks are equal. One good link can do more than hundreds of poor ones. The best backlinks tend to have three things in common.
Relevance
The linking website is connected to what you do or where you are. For a garden designer, a link from a horticultural society is more relevant than a link from a car dealer.
Trust
The linking website is well known and respected, such as a national charity, a trade body, a university or a local newspaper. SEO tools call this authority, and give each website a score, but the simplest test is whether your customers would recognise and trust the website.
A Natural Reason to Link
The link exists because the other website wanted to point its readers to you, such as a news story about your work, a list of members or a partner page.
An Example From Our Work
We worked with a forest nursery whose whole approach is teaching children about the outdoors and protecting nature. One of the links we secured for them was from a Wildlife Trust.
That link ticked every box. Wildlife Trusts are well-known, trusted organisations, and the link was closely relevant to what the nursery teaches. We combined it with local links and a handful of others, and together they worked very well for the nursery.
The lesson for other small businesses is that the best links usually come from organisations that already share your values or your customers. You don’t need hundreds of links. You need the right ones.
How a Small Business Can Earn Backlinks
Here are the places we usually start for small businesses.
- Organisations you already work with: suppliers, partners, venues and wholesalers often have pages listing the businesses they work with.
- Trade bodies and accreditations: professional bodies and schemes often list their members with a link.
- Local groups: chambers of commerce, business networks and town or village websites.
- Charities and community projects: if you support a charity, sponsor a local team or volunteer, ask whether they list their supporters.
- Local press: a new service, an award, a milestone or a project in the community can make a story for a local news website.
- Useful content: a helpful guide, local research or a free resource can earn links from people who find it useful.
- Industry directories: reputable directories in your field, rather than generic directories that list anyone.
When you ask for a link, keep it simple and personal. Explain why the link would help their readers, not just you.
Backlinks to Avoid
Google’s spam policies define link spam as “creating links to or from a site primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings”. Examples Google gives include:
- buying links, or posts that contain links;
- giving goods or services in exchange for a link;
- using automated programs to create links;
- adverts or advertorials with keyword-rich links spread across many sites.
If someone emails offering you hundreds of backlinks for a small fee, delete the email. At best, the links will be ignored. At worst, they can harm your rankings.
If you do pay for a sponsorship or an advert that includes a link, the link should be marked as sponsored, so Google knows it is paid.
Don’t Forget Internal Links
Many small business owners we meet think backlinks are the only links that count. Links between your own pages help too, and you have complete control over them.
Google says that “every page you care about should have a link from at least one other page on your site”. Internal links help Google find your pages and understand which ones are most important. Before you chase backlinks, make sure every blog post links to the service it relates to and your main service pages are linked from your homepage.
Our guide on how to do SEO yourself explains internal linking step by step.
Backlinks and AI Search
AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Mode draw on what other websites say about you, as well as on your own website. A mention on a respected website, with or without a link, helps AI tools understand who you are and what you are known for.
The same approach works for both. Earn mentions and links from relevant, trusted organisations, and make sure they describe your business accurately. Our guide on how to appear in AI search explains more.
How to Check Your Backlinks
Google Search Console’s Links report shows which websites link to yours and which of your pages they link to. It’s free, and it’s the best place to start.
Tools such as Ubersuggest, Ahrefs and Semrush show more detail, including links to your competitors. Looking at who links to your competitors is a good way to find organisations that might link to you too. Our SEO checklist for small business websites includes link checks alongside the other basics.
Want Help Earning Links?
Earning good links takes time and relationships. Our SEO services for small businesses include finding and earning relevant, trusted links for your business, alongside the technical and content work that helps those links count.
FAQs
What Is a Backlink in SEO?
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Google uses links to find new pages and as a signal when working out how relevant a page is.
How Many Backlinks Does a Small Business Need?
There is no set number. A few relevant links from trusted organisations usually help more than many links from unrelated or low-quality websites.
Should I Buy Backlinks?
No. Buying links breaks Google’s spam policies. The links may be ignored, and they can harm your rankings.
Are Directory Links Worth Having?
Reputable directories in your industry or area can help, especially for local SEO. Generic directories that list any business for a fee rarely help.
What Is the Difference Between Backlinks and Internal Links?
Backlinks come from other websites to yours. Internal links go from one page on your website to another. Both help Google find and understand your pages.