# What Are Backlinks? How to Tell Good Links From Risky Ones > A beginner's guide to backlinks: how Google uses links, what counts as link spam, when to use nofollow, sponsored and ugc, and how to check your own links in Search Console. | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Published | 2026-10-13 | | Category | Beginner | | Author | Aro Ogata | | Tags | beginner, SEO basics, backlinks, link spam, nofollow, SEO | | URL | https://linksurge.jp/blog/en/backlinks-beginners-guide/ | --- ## Key Takeaways: A backlink is a recommendation. How you got it matters more than how many you have "You need more backlinks." "Want to buy some links?" Spend a week in SEO and you'll hear both. New marketers often ask me whether more links are always better. The honest answer is: partly true, partly dangerous. Here's the short version. 1. **A backlink is a link from another site to yours** — Google says it uses links as a signal to understand how relevant a page is and to discover new pages to crawl 2. **Good links are earned because the content is useful** — Someone cited your data, recommended your guide, or referenced your work. PageRank, the link-analysis system Google has used since its early days, is still part of its core ranking systems 3. **Risky links are built to manipulate rankings** — Google calls this "link spam." Its examples include buying or selling links for ranking purposes, excessive link exchanges and automated link building. Violations can push a site lower in results or remove it entirely 4. **Paid links are fine if you label them** — Mark them with `rel="sponsored"` or `rel="nofollow"`. Google says buying and selling links for advertising isn't a policy violation as long as they're qualified this way Let's break each of these down. --- ## 1. What Is a Backlink? A backlink is a link on someone else's website that points to a page on yours. You'll also hear "inbound link" or "incoming link." They all mean the same thing. Say you published a guide to choosing carry-on luggage. A travel blogger reads it, finds it useful, and links to it in their packing checklist. That link is a backlink to your site. ### Related terms worth knowing Link vocabulary piles up fast, so here's a quick reference. | Term | Meaning | |:--|:--| | Backlink (inbound link) | A link from another site to yours | | Outbound link (external link) | A link from your site to someone else's | | Internal link | A link between two pages on the same site | | Anchor text | The clickable words in a link, like "click here" or "how to choose carry-on luggage" | | Linking site | The site or page where the link appears | For how internal links fit into site structure, see "[Topic Clusters & Internal Linking Strategy](/blog/en/topic-cluster-internal-linking-strategy/)." ### Think of a backlink as a reference letter A reference from someone credible, written because they genuinely vouch for you, carries weight. A reference you paid for, or wrote yourself and signed with someone else's name, destroys your credibility the moment it's discovered. Links work the same way. --- ## 2. How Google Uses Backlinks With the basics in place, let's look at what Google's own documentation says. ### Links help Google find pages and understand them Google states that it "uses links as a signal when determining the relevancy of pages and to find new pages to crawl." So links do two jobs: 1. **Discovery** — Google's crawler (the program that visits and reads pages) follows links to find new pages 2. **Understanding** — Which pages link to you, and with what words, helps Google figure out what your page is about and how useful it is For the full journey from crawling to ranking, read "[How Search Engines Work](/blog/en/how-search-engines-work/)." ### PageRank is still part of the system Google's guide to its ranking systems has a section on "Link analysis systems and PageRank." PageRank is one of the systems Google has used since it launched. The guide says how it works "has evolved a lot since then, and it continues to be part of our core ranking systems." Still, links are one signal among many. Honestly, when someone asks me why a page ranks, link counts aren't where I start. Whether the page answers the searcher's question, and whether it can be trusted, matter just as much. > References: > [Link best practices for Google - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/links-crawlable) > [A guide to Google Search ranking systems - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ranking-systems-guide) --- ## 3. Good Links vs. Risky Links Here's the part that actually affects your site. ### Good links are given freely What good links have in common: the person linking chose to, because they thought their readers would benefit. - Another site cites your data or explanation as a source - A news outlet links to you as part of its reporting - A blogger in your niche points readers to your guide for more detail - A partner or industry association links to you to explain the relationship Google also describes good anchor text: it "is descriptive, reasonably concise, and relevant to the page that it's on and to the page it links to." It warns against stuffing anchor text with keywords. ### Risky links are built to game rankings Google's spam policies define link spam as "creating links to or from a site primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings." Its examples include: | Type | What it looks like | |:--|:--| | Buying or selling links | Exchanging money, goods or services for links for ranking purposes, including sending someone a product in exchange for a write-up with a link | | Excessive link exchanges | "Link to me and I'll link to you" swaps, or partner pages that exist only for cross-linking | | Automated link building | Using programs or services to create links to your site | | Required links | Requiring a link in terms of service or a contract without letting the other site qualify it | | Advertorials and guest posts | Paid articles with links that pass ranking credit, or keyword-optimized anchor text in guest posts, articles or press releases on other sites | | Low-quality directories | Links from low-quality directory or bookmark sites | | Widget and template links | Keyword-rich, hidden or low-quality links in widely distributed widgets, footers or templates | | Forum comments | Optimized links stuffed into forum posts or signatures | ### What happens if you use them? Google says it detects policy violations "both through automated systems and, as needed, human review." Sites that violate its policies "may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all." When a human reviewer finds a violation, Google issues a manual action and notifies you in Search Console. Two are link-related: "Unnatural links to your site" (problem links pointing at you) and "Unnatural links from your site" (problem links you're placing on others). My honest advice: don't bet on "they'll never notice." Recovering from a manual action means auditing links one by one, asking site owners to remove them, and filing a reconsideration request. For a closer look at private blog networks and why they backfire, read "[Satellite Sites & PBNs Are Dead](/blog/en/satellite-site-seo-risks-2026/)." > References: > [Spam policies for Google web search - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies) > [Link best practices for Google - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/links-crawlable) > [Manual Actions report - Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9044175?hl=en) --- ## 4. Link Attributes: nofollow, sponsored and ugc Now that we've separated good from risky, there's one more tool to know: link attributes. Adding `rel="..."` to a link's HTML tells Google what kind of link it is. ```html An ad link ``` | Attribute | When to use it | |:--|:--| | `rel="sponsored"` | Advertisements or paid placements (commonly called paid links) | | `rel="ugc"` | Links inside user-generated content, like comments and forum posts | | `rel="nofollow"` | When neither of the above applies and you'd rather Google not associate your site with the linked page, or crawl it from your site | You can combine values in a space- or comma-separated list. Google says links with these attributes "will generally not be followed," though the linked pages can still be found and crawled through sitemaps or links from other sites. ### Paid links are fine when they're labeled This trips up a lot of people. Google says it "does understand that buying and selling links is a normal part of the economy of the web" for advertising and sponsorship. It's not a policy violation as long as those links are qualified with `rel="nofollow"` or `rel="sponsored"`. The problem is hiding payment and making a paid link look like an editorial one. If you run affiliate links, also check your affiliate network's own guidance on how to mark them. ### Don't be afraid of outbound links The opposite mistake is common too: slapping nofollow on every outbound link to avoid "leaking" value. Google says "linking to other sites isn't something to be scared of," and recommends using nofollow "only when you don't trust the source, and not for every external link on your site." > References: > [Qualify your outbound links to Google - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/qualify-outbound-links) > [Spam policies for Google web search - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies) > [Link best practices for Google - Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/links-crawlable) --- ## 5. Common Misconceptions and Mistakes Link advice mixes outdated habits with current rules. Here are the misunderstandings I see most. ### Myth 1: "More backlinks are always better" Chasing raw numbers pulls you toward low-quality directories and automated tools, which is exactly what link spam looks like. What matters is whether relevant sites link to you because your content helps their readers. ### Myth 2: "Free products for reviews with links is a safe tactic" Google specifically lists sending someone a product in exchange for a write-up with a link as buying links. If you do influencer or blogger outreach, ask for `rel="sponsored"` on those links. ### Myth 3: "All reciprocal links are banned" The policy targets excessive link exchanges and pages made only for cross-linking. Two business partners naturally linking to each other to explain their relationship isn't the same thing. ### Myth 4: "Disavow every sketchy link right away" Google says that "in most cases, Google can assess which links to trust without additional guidance," and most sites don't need the disavow tool (a way to tell Google to ignore certain links). It's meant for sites with a considerable number of spammy or artificial links that have caused, or likely will cause, a manual action. ### Myth 5: "Nofollow all outbound links to be safe" As covered in Section 4, Google recommends nofollow only for sources you don't trust. Linking to reliable sources is good for readers. > References: > [Disavow links to your site - Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2648487?hl=en) > [Links report - Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9049606?hl=en) --- ## 6. How to Check Your Own Site Start with Search Console. It's free. 1. **Open the Links report** — It shows your most-linked pages, top linking sites and top linking text. Keep in mind that it's a sample, not a complete list, and tables are capped at 1,000 rows 2. **Open the Manual Actions report** — If there are no manual actions, you'll see a green check mark 3. **Don't panic over unfamiliar linking sites** — Check for a manual action notice before even thinking about disavowing New to Search Console? "[Your First Hour in Google Search Console](/blog/en/search-console-first-hour/)" walks through the basics. To see who links to your competitors, you'll need a third-party tool. [LinkSurge](https://linksurge.jp/)'s backlink analysis lists backlinks and anchor text patterns for any domain, alongside tools like Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz. One more thing worth watching in the AI search era: unlinked brand mentions. How your brand is described on other sites and in AI answers is increasingly part of your off-site reputation. [LinkSurge](https://linksurge.jp/)'s [AIO brand mentions](https://linksurge.jp/features/mentions/) shows which questions bring up your brand in AI answers. For the bigger off-site picture, read "[Off-Site SEO and GEO](/blog/en/offsite-seo-geo-2026/)." {{linksurge-card}} --- ## Quick Check ### Q1: What does Google say it uses links for? Answer: To determine the relevancy of pages and to find new pages to crawl. Links are one signal among many. ### Q2: Is every paid link a policy violation? Answer: No. Paid or sponsored links are fine as long as they carry `rel="sponsored"` or `rel="nofollow"`. ### Q3: Should you disavow every unfamiliar link you find? Answer: Usually not. Google says most sites don't need the disavow tool. It's for sites with many spammy links that have caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a backlink? A backlink is a link from another website to yours, also called an inbound link. Google uses links as a signal to judge page relevance and to discover new pages. ### Can I buy backlinks? Buying links for ranking purposes is link spam under Google's spam policies. Paid placements are allowed for advertising as long as the link is marked with `rel="sponsored"` or `rel="nofollow"`. ### What's the difference between nofollow, sponsored and ugc? Use sponsored for ads and paid placements, and ugc for links in user-generated content like comments and forum posts. Use nofollow when neither applies and you don't want Google to associate your site with the linked page. ### How can I get backlinks safely? Publish things other sites want to reference: original data, clear explanations and documented hands-on testing. Specific tactics are covered in "[Safe Link Building in 2026](/blog/en/safe-link-building-guide-2026/)." --- ## Conclusion: Give People a Reason to Link A backlink is a recommendation from someone else's site. Start by opening the Links and Manual Actions reports in Search Console to see where you stand. Then review any paid, sponsored or requested links and make sure they're labeled. When you're ready to build links on purpose, the next step up is "[Safe Link Building in 2026: 5 White-Hat Strategies](/blog/en/safe-link-building-guide-2026/)." The previous articles, "[What Is YMYL?](/blog/en/ymyl-beginners-guide/)" and "[What Is E-E-A-T?](/blog/en/eeat-beginners-guide/)," explain how reputation and trust connect. Up next in the series is "[Your First Hour in Google Search Console](/blog/en/search-console-first-hour/)." The full reading order is in the "[SEO, GEO and AIO Beginner Curriculum](/blog/en/seo-beginner-curriculum/)," and the "[SEO Glossary for Beginners](/blog/en/seo-glossary-beginners/)" covers unfamiliar terms. [LinkSurge](https://linksurge.jp/)'s backlink analysis shows the backlinks and anchor text patterns for your site and your competitors.