Short answer: A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Google finds most new pages through links, and uses them as one of its many ranking signals. For local results, the number of sites that link to you also feeds Google’s prominence factor. A local business gets them by being worth linking to and easy to find: listings, partners, press and promotion. Buying links or swapping them for rankings breaks Google’s spam policies.
Backlinks and how Google uses them
Google finds pages mainly through links from pages it has already crawled, and many of those are on other websites.
Links are one input among many. Google says PageRank, the algorithm that uses links, is one of its core algorithms but only one of many ranking signals. In local results, its prominence factor also weighs how many websites link to a business, along with its reviews.
The visible text of a link, the anchor text, tells people and Google what the linked page is about. Clear link text, such as your business name or what you do, tells people more than “click here”.
From Google Search Central, “SEO Starter Guide”, and Google Business Profile Help, “Tips to improve your local ranking on Google”, read November 2, 2026.
Which ways of getting links Google accepts
Google defines link spam as creating links to or from a site mainly to manipulate search rankings.
| How you get the link | What Google says |
|---|---|
| Other sites link to you on their own | It happens naturally over time, and promoting your site helps people find it |
| You pay for a link or a post | Link spam if it is for ranking. Fine for ads when the link has rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" |
| You swap links with other sites | Excessive link exchanges, or partner pages only for cross-linking, are link spam |
| A tool or service creates links for you | Using automated programs or services to create links to your site is link spam |
| You list your business in directories | Low-quality directory or bookmark site links are an example of link spam |
Google reads the rel value of each link. A link with rel="nofollow" tells Google that the site would rather not be associated with the linked page. A link with no rel value is a regular link that Google fetches and parses.
From Google Search Central, “Spam policies for Google web search” and “Qualify outbound links to Google”.
How a local business can earn backlinks
- Put your website on your Google Business Profile and on the listings your customers use, such as Bing, Apple Maps and Facebook.
- Fix the listings that still show an old site, phone or address, so every link leads to the right place.
- Ask the businesses you have real ties with, such as suppliers, partners or your chamber of commerce, whether they list members or partners.
- Give local press and associations a reason to mention you: an event, a sponsorship, a result or local data.
- Promote what you publish on social media, in your community and by word of mouth.
- Print your web address on your business cards, letterhead, posters and other materials.
- Skip paid links for rankings, mass link swaps and tools that create links. If you pay for a placement, ask for rel="sponsored".
Our guides on adding your business to Google Maps and on local citations cover the listings step by step.
From Google Search Central, “SEO Starter Guide” and “Spam policies for Google web search”.
What we found on our own profiles
On November 2, 2026, we opened 10 of our own directory and social profiles to see which ones link to our site. Three blocked our check. Of the other seven, four had a link to us and three had none.
Two of the four links, on GoodFirms and Feedbax, carry rel="nofollow". One, on Agency Spotter, has no rel value, and LinkedIn sends visitors through its own redirect. The profiles still help people find us and keep our details right, but only one of the four is a plain link.
Before you ask anyone for a link
- Your website is on your Google Business Profile and your main listings.
- No listing links to an old site or shows an old phone.
- The businesses and groups you work with know where to link to you.
- Your web address is on your printed materials.
- You don’t pay for links for rankings or swap links in bulk.
- Any paid placement uses rel="sponsored".
RememberEarn links by being easy to find and worth mentioning: listings, partners, press and promotion. Never buy links for rankings, and ask for rel="sponsored" on anything you pay for.
If you want help earning links and cleaning up your listings, see our local SEO service.
Quick answers about backlinks
What is a backlink?
A backlink is a link on another website that points to yours. Google finds most new pages through links, and the visible text of the link, the anchor text, tells people and Google what the linked page is about.
Do backlinks still matter for SEO?
Yes, but they are one signal among many. Google says PageRank, the algorithm that uses links, is only one of its many ranking signals. In local results, Google’s prominence factor also counts the websites that link to a business.
Are nofollow links worth anything?
People can still click them and find you. Google accepts nofollow on paid links because those must not pass ranking credit, so don’t count on a nofollow link for rankings. Directory profiles often use it.
Can I buy backlinks?
Not for rankings. Google calls buying or selling links for ranking purposes link spam. Paid placements are fine for advertising, as long as the link carries rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".
Do directory listings count as backlinks?
They are links, and many use nofollow. Listings on the sites your customers use help people find you. Google lists low-quality directory or bookmark site links among its examples of link spam, so skip directories that exist only to sell links.
Sources
All read on November 2, 2026. Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide, Spam policies for Google web search and Qualify outbound links to Google. Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google. Our own case: 10 of our profiles, opened on November 2, 2026.