If you have read anything about SEO, you have almost certainly come across the word backlinks. They sound technical, but the idea behind them is straightforward — and understanding them can make a real difference to how easily potential customers find your business on Google.
This guide explains what backlinks are, why search engines care about them, and what you can realistically do to build more of them without spending a fortune or getting penalised.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink is simply a link from one website to yours. If a local newspaper writes about your business and includes a link to your website, that is a backlink. If a supplier lists you on their website with a link, that is a backlink. If someone recommends you in a blog post and links to your site, that is a backlink.
From Google's perspective, every backlink to your site is a signal that someone else found your website worth pointing to. Think of it like word-of-mouth, but in digital form. The more credible websites that link to you, the more Google tends to trust your site — and the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Why Do Backlinks Matter?
When Google first launched, it needed a way to decide which websites deserved to appear at the top of search results. Its original insight was that the most useful websites would naturally attract links from other websites. A site that nobody links to is probably not that valuable; a site that hundreds of trusted sources link to is probably worth reading.
That logic still underpins how Google works today. Backlinks are one of the strongest ranking signals in its algorithm. A website with strong backlinks from reputable sources will generally outrank one that has weak or no backlinks, even if the content is similar in quality.
For small businesses, this matters because it means that simply having a well-built website with good content is not always enough to outrank competitors who have accumulated more credible links over time. Building backlinks is part of long-term SEO.
Not All Backlinks Are Equal
This is the part most guides skip over, but it is important. A single link from a well-respected national newspaper is worth far more than a hundred links from low-quality directories that nobody reads.
Google evaluates backlinks based on several factors:
The authority of the linking site. A link from a recognised industry association, a major publication, or a well-established local business carries much more weight than a link from a newly created blog or a spammy directory.
Relevance. A link from a site in your industry — a builder getting linked to from a construction trade magazine, for example — is more valuable than a link from an unrelated site, even if that site is reputable.
Anchor text. This is the clickable text used in the link. A link that says "Bristol bathroom fitters" pointing to your site tells Google something specific about what your business does. A link that just says "click here" is less informative.
Whether the link is followed or not. Most links pass authority from one site to another. Some links are marked "nofollow," which tells search engines not to count them as a ranking signal. Nofollow links still have value — they drive traffic and build awareness — but they do not directly boost your search rankings in the same way.
Where Do Backlinks Come From?
For most small businesses, backlinks come from a handful of common sources:
- Business directories — Submitting your business to respected online directories like Yell, Thomson Local, or industry-specific directories is one of the easiest ways to start building links.
- Local press — If a local newspaper or community news site covers a story about your business, they will often include a link to your website.
- Suppliers and partners — Many businesses have a page listing their suppliers or recommended partners. If you have good relationships with other businesses, ask whether they would include a link to your site.
- Trade associations — Being listed as a member of a recognised trade body often comes with a link on their member directory.
- Customer websites — If you work with other businesses, some of them may include a list of suppliers or credits that links back to you.
How to Get More Backlinks for Your Business
Building backlinks takes time, but it does not require a big budget. Here are approaches that work for small businesses.
Get listed in reputable directories. Start with the basics: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yell, and any industry-specific directories relevant to your trade. These are straightforward to set up and provide a consistent source of legitimate links.
Reach out to local press. Local newspapers, community magazines, and regional online publications regularly run stories about local businesses. If you have an interesting story — you have just launched, expanded, hit a milestone, or are doing something different — it is worth contacting them. A single feature in a respected local publication can send both traffic and a useful backlink.
Create something worth linking to. Useful, original content naturally attracts links over time. A guide that answers a question your customers frequently ask, a tool that helps people solve a problem, or a well-researched article about your local area gives other websites a reason to link to you. This is a long game, but it compounds.
Ask suppliers and partners. If you have a good working relationship with a supplier or business partner, ask whether they would be willing to add your business to a partners page or suppliers section on their website. Many businesses have these and simply have not updated them for a while.
Sponsor local events. Community events, local sports teams, and charity fundraisers often list sponsors on their websites with a link. The link value may be modest, but it builds local relevance and community goodwill at the same time.
Guest posting. Writing an article for an industry blog or trade publication, with a link back to your site, is a legitimate way to earn quality backlinks. It takes effort, but if your article is genuinely useful, it tends to stay online for years.
What Not to Do
Some SEO tactics that once worked have since been penalised by Google. These are worth avoiding:
Buying backlinks. Paying for links from directories or link farms is against Google's guidelines. It occasionally appears to work in the short term, but Google is good at detecting unnatural link patterns, and the penalties — including being removed from search results entirely — are severe.
Link exchanges. "I'll link to you if you link to me" arrangements can work when they are genuinely relevant and occasional, but coordinated link swapping at scale is the kind of thing Google penalises.
Spammy directory submissions. Submitting your site to hundreds of low-quality directories purely for links is a waste of time at best and damaging at worst. Focus on directories that are genuinely useful to the people you are trying to reach.
How to Check Your Backlinks
If you want to see which websites currently link to yours, you can use Google Search Console — it is free and gives you a list of the sites linking to you. Tools like Ahrefs and Moz offer more detailed analysis, though they have a cost attached.
Checking your backlinks occasionally is useful. It lets you see whether your link-building efforts are paying off, and it helps you spot any unusual or low-quality links pointing at your site that you might want to disavow.
Backlinks are not the only factor in how Google ranks your site, but they are one of the most important ones for competitive search terms. The businesses that put the time into building a genuine, relevant collection of links over the years tend to hold their positions in search results more reliably than those who focus on content alone.
If you want to improve your website's performance in search results and are not sure where to start, get in touch — we can take a look at your current situation and give you practical advice on what would make the biggest difference.