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Ohne Zweifel ist einer der am häufigsten diskutierten Aspekte im SEO-Bereich die Rolle von Backlinks.
Selbst im Jahr 2024 bleibt die Relevanz von Backlinks in der SEO unbestreitbar, obwohl ihre Bedeutung und Funktionsweise sich im Laufe der Zeit entwickelt haben.
Im folgenden Blogbeitrag werde ich mich deshalb mit der Frage "Sind Backlinks im Jahr 2024 noch wichtig?" beschäftigen und Ihnen meine Erfahrungen und Perspektiven darstellen.
Was sind Backlinks?
Backlinks, auch als Rückverweise oder Inbound Links bekannt, sind Links, die von einer externen Webseite auf eine andere Webseite verweisen.
In der digitalen Welt sind Backlinks ein zentrales Element, das Suchmaschinen verwenden, um den Wert und die Relevanz einer Website zu bewerten.
Sie dienen dabei Google, Bing und anderen Suchmaschinen als Indikatoren für die Beliebtheit und Vertrauenswürdigkeit einer Webseite.
Je besser der Backlink Aufbau und die Backlink Strategie einer Seite ist, desto höher wird sie bei Suchanfragen in den Suchmaschinenergebnissen eingestuft.
Wenn zum Beispiel jemand deine Webseite in einem Blogpost, einem Artikel oder auf einer anderen Webseite erwähnt und dabei einen Link zu deiner Seite setzt, hast du einen Backlink von dieser Quelle erhalten.
Wenn du auf eine andere Webseite verlinkst, stellst du einen Backlink für diese Seite bereit.
In der SEO-Welt werden Backlinks oft als Empfehlungen betrachtet.
Sie sind damit vergleichbar mit einem Gütesiegel im Internet.
Wenn eine vertrauenswürdige, relevante Webseite auf deine Website verlinkt, interpretiert Google das dementsprechend als Zeichen dafür, dass deine Inhalte von Wert sind.
Sie sind also nicht nur Verweise, sondern auch Ausdruck von Vertrauen und Anerkennung im digitalen Raum.
Wie funktionieren Backlinks?
Zu Beginn des Internets nutzten Suchmaschinen primär den Inhalt einer Webseite, um deren Relevanz zu bestimmen.
Dies führte jedoch dazu, dass viele Websites ihre Seiten mit Keywords überfüllten, um die Rankings zu manipulieren.
Es wurde schnell klar, dass ein besserer Indikator für die Qualität und Relevanz einer Seite erforderlich war.
Hier kamen Backlinks ins Spiel.
Wie bereits erklärt agieren Backlinks als digitale Empfehlungen oder Vertrauensabstimmungen von einer Webseite zur anderen.
Wenn Website A auf Website B verlinkt, interpretieren Suchmaschinen dies als einen Vertrauensbeweis von Website A für Website B.
In den Augen der Suchmaschine erhält Website B durch diesen Backlink eine gewisse Glaubwürdigkeit, auch "Link Juice" genannt.
Die Qualität und Relevanz der verlinkenden Webseite sind dabei von entscheidender Bedeutung.
Ein Backlink von einer renommierten und thematisch relevanten Webseite hat mehr Gewicht und trägt mehr zur Domain Autorität der verlinkten Seite bei als ein Link von einer weniger relevanten oder einer Spam-Seite.
Suchmaschinen verwenden dabei komplexe Algorithmen, um die Qualität, Relevanz und Vertrauenswürdigkeit eines Backlinks zu bewerten.
Dinge wie der Kontext, in dem der Link platziert ist, der Ankertext des Links, die Autorität der verlinkenden Seite und viele andere Faktoren spielen dabei eine wichtige Rolle bei der Bestimmung des Werts des Backlinks.
Warum sind sie wichtig?
Backlinks repräsentieren in den Augen von Suchmaschinen ein Zeichen des Vertrauens.
Aber trotzdem stellt sich die Frage: Warum sind Backlinks wichtig?
Wenn andere Websites auf deine verlinken, suggeriert das, dass deine Inhalte wertvoll und nützlich sind.
Je mehr hochwertige Backlinks eine Website besitzt, desto wahrscheinlicher wird sie als vertrauenswürdig betrachtet.
Dementsprechend neigt sie dazu besser abzuschneiden im Suchmaschinen Ranking.
Ein weiterer Vorteil von Backlinks ist der durch sie verursachte organische Traffic.
Ein gut positionierter Backlink auf einer thematisch relevanten oder populären Website kann einen kontinuierlichen Besucherstrom auf deine Seite lenken.
Diese Besucher sind in der Regel von hoher Qualität, da sie bereits durch den Inhalt der Ursprungsseite interessiert wurden und dann durch den Link zu dir geführt werden.
Durch Backlinks hast du ausserdem auch die Möglichkeit, dein Netzwerk in deiner Branche zu erweitern.
Ein Link von einer relevanten Website kann als eine Art Einladung gesehen werden, wodurch Beziehungen und Partnerschaften geknüpft oder vertieft werden können.
Zusätzlich fördern sie aber auch das Web-Crawling.
Suchmaschinen nutzen Bots, um das Web zu durchsuchen und neue Inhalte zu indexieren.
Backlinks erleichtern diesen Bots die Entdeckung neuer Webseiten, wodurch eine schnellere Indexierung deiner Seite möglich wird.
Die folgende Grafik zeigt dir noch einmal im Überblick, warum Backlinks wichtig sind:
Welche Arten von Backlinks gibt es?
Backlinks können grob in interne und externe Links kategorisiert werden.
Während interne Links eine Verknüpfung zwischen verschiedenen Seiten derselben Domain darstellen, verbinden Backlinks eine Webseite mit einer anderen Domain.
Innerhalb dieser groben Unterteilung lassen sich verschiedene Arten von Backlinks identifizieren:
Dofollow, Nofollow, Bildlinks und Trashlinks.
Im folgenden Abschnitt möchte ich dir die Dofollow- sowie Nofollow-Backlinks näher bringen:
Dofollow-Backlinks
Dofollow-Backlinks beanspruchen eine essentielle Rolle bei der Positionierung einer Webseite innerhalb der Suchmaschinen.
Diese Links ermöglichen es den Suchalgorithmen, der Verlinkung zu folgen, was nicht nur intrinsischen Mehrwert für eine Webseite schafft, sondern ebenso die verlinkte Seite durch die substantielle Übertragung von Linkjuice signifikant stärkt.
Intrinsic added value means that a backlink, for example in a blog article, can offer added value to a user, as it provides extended information outside the blog article.
Linkjuice, on the other hand, is a metric for quantifying the strength and quality of a backlink.
This means that it becomes clear how much power a backlink has or how much another page is strengthened by this backlink.
Nofollow backlinks
In contrast, there are nofollow backlinks, which have the exact opposite effect by explicitly instructing search engines not to follow the respective link.
As a result, the referring page is not directly linked to the target website.
According to current algorithms, Google, for example, primarily regards nofollow links as indicative clues.
This includes, for example, links from social networks, forums, press releases, guestbooks, Wikipedia entries, pingbacks and directories.
However, their relevance should not be underestimated, as they contribute significantly to the diversity and thus to the naturalness of the backlink profile.
Naturalness in connection with backlinks primarily refers to profiles that have various backlinks on one page, i.e., for example, a mixture of DoFollow and NoFollow backlinks, but also profiles that have some voluntary links from topic-relevant sources.
In addition, social media in particular can contribute to increased attention and, as a result, an increase in website traffic through nofollow backlinks.
How can I get more backlinks?
You're probably asking yourself the question:
How can you gain more and, above all, high-quality backlinks?
The answer is complex and requires a combination of proven strategies and creative approaches.
In the following sections, I will explain the most important strategies to you in more detail:
Business Citations (NoFollow)
Business citations are references to a company's name, address, and telephone number in online directories and other websites.
These referrals are important for local SEO because they help confirm a company's authenticity and credibility in a specific region or market.
Many of these business citations come as nofollow links.
Although nofollow links don't have the same direct SEO value as dofollow links, they are still important.
#1 They provide real traffic.
This means that people who search regional directories or business directories can find your business and click on to your website.
#2 They send trustworthy signals to search engines that your company actually exists and operates in the specified region.
#3 Nofollow links contribute to a diversified and natural-looking link structure, which is rated positively in the eyes of search engines.
To fully utilize the potential of business citations, companies should ensure that their information is consistent and up-to-date, regardless of which directory or platform it is listed on.
Partner Outreach
Partner Outreach is a digital networking tool that shows its strengths particularly in the area of search engine optimization.
It is the targeted approach of building and maintaining relationships with potential partners, influencers, bloggers, and other websites or industry experts in order to gain backlinks and references.
The key to successful partner outreach lies in relevance and mutual benefit.
Instead of indiscriminately contacting websites or influencers on social media, companies should focus on those that fit their field of business thematically.
A common basis or a common interest significantly increases the chance of successful cooperation.
It's not just about asking for backlinks.
Relationships can be built in various forms, whether by sharing content, offering a guest contribution, collaborating on studies, or organizing webinars and online events.
The aim is to create added value for both sides.
A well-thought-out partner outreach can therefore not only increase the number of backlinks, but also increase traffic and improve brand recognition.
content marketing
Content marketing has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for increasing online visibility and driving engagement in recent years.
At its core, content marketing is about creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content in order to attract and retain a well-defined target group.
But apart from addressing customers directly, content marketing also has an immense influence on search engine optimization and in particular on building backlinks.
High-quality content is like a magnet for backlinks.
If you create well-founded articles, detailed studies, illustrative infographics, or informative videos that offer real value, other sites are more likely to link to your content.
This often happens organically, for example when bloggers, journalists, or industry experts come across your content and use it as a reference or to further their own readership.
However, effective content marketing goes beyond simply creating content.
Promoting this content, whether through social media, email marketing, influencer collaborations, or paid advertising, is just as important to maximize its reach and impact.
The more visibility your content gets, the more likely it is that others will notice it and make links.
However, it is important to emphasize that not all content attracts backlinks.
The key lies in quality and relevance.
The content must therefore not only be well-written or produced, but also address the needs and questions of your target group.
Overall, content marketing is not only a means of increasing customer engagement and retention, but also a good tool for increasing organic visibility by gaining valuable backlinks.
HARO
HARO, short for “Help a Reporter Out,” is an innovative platform that brings journalists together with experts and sources of information from various industries.
Originally developed to make it easier for reporters to access qualified sources for their stories, HARO has also established itself as valuable for link building and expanding the online presence of brands and professionals.
The way HARO works is simple but effective.
Journalists who need information, quotes or background knowledge for their articles make inquiries on the platform.
Experts and professionals who are registered with HARO can respond to these inquiries and share their expertise.
When a journalist uses the information provided in their article, a backlink to the expert or company's website is often included.
For brands and individuals, HARO offers an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their authority in their area of expertise while getting high-quality backlinks from renowned media websites.
However, it is important to stress that success at HARO requires quality.
Quick, ill-considered answers are seldom selected.
It is crucial to respond to inquiries with in-depth knowledge and real added value for journalists.
Unlinked Brand Mentions
Unlinked brand mentions are mentions of your company, brand, or products on websites, blogs, or social media that don't link directly to your website.
While these mentions are already valuable for brand recognition on their own, they also provide an excellent opportunity to generate valuable backlinks.
Unlinked brand names arise for various reasons.
Maybe a blogger wrote about your product and forgot to include a link.
Or a satisfied customer has reported on their positive experiences with your service in a forum without creating a link.
Such mentions are often worth their weight in gold as they are made by real users and in a positive context.
The process of using such mentions starts with monitoring and identification.
Tools like Ahrefs can help you search the web for mentions of your brand or business.
As soon as you discover an unlinked brand name, you can contact the website owner or author and thank you for mentioning it.
In the same communication, you can carefully ask whether it would be possible to add a link to your site, as this could help readers get more information directly from the source.
Overall, unlinked brand names offer a win-win situation:
You're not only strengthening your backlink structure and SEO, but you're also strengthening relationships with bloggers, authors, and your target audience.
It's a method that is both discreet and effective and can add real value to your link building strategy.
Broken Links Outreach
The “broken links outreach” method is a proven tactic within search engine optimization that benefits both website operators and visitors.
The core of this strategy is identifying so-called “dead links” on other websites that lead to content that no longer exists or has been moved, and offering an alternative, functional resource — ideally from your own website.
But how does that work exactly?
The Internet is constantly changing, and content can be moved, deleted, or reorganized over time.
This often means that external links that once led to this content run nowhere.
For website owners, such broken links are problematic because they can affect the user experience and negatively impact their ranking in search results.
That's where Broken Links Outreach comes in.
By using tools such as the”Broken Link Checker“Can you search websites in your industry for broken links.
If you find a link like this that leads to a topic or content that is similar to your own or that you've even improved, you can contact the site owner.
Inform them about the broken link and offer your own content as an alternative.
Broken Links Outreach is therefore a proactive method of gaining high-quality backlinks while helping the online community.
It's a win-win situation that, if done correctly, can lead to higher traffic and better rankings.
Buy backlinks
Buying backlinks is a practice that has always been the subject of controversy in the SEO world.
At first glance, it appears as a quick and easy way to increase the number of inbound links to a website and thus potentially improve its search engine ranking.
But as with many things, there are some significant drawbacks and risks here too.
Backlinks are valuable for one simple reason:
They signal to search engines that a website is considered trustworthy and authoritarian.
This trust is built up through organic, voluntary links.
However, when backlinks are bought, this authentic recommendation is missing, and the links can be seen as artificial and manipulative in many cases.
Search engines, particularly Google, have made significant efforts over the years to identify such practices and penalize websites that use them.
Google's Penguin update, which was first introduced in 2012, was specifically aimed at identifying and punishing websites with unnatural link profiles.
So if websites are caught buying backlinks, it can result in serious penalties, including loss of search engine rankings.
In addition, when buying backlinks, there is always the risk of being associated with low-quality websites.
This can not only damage a website's SEO profile, but also its credibility and reputation in the eyes of visitors.
However, it is important to emphasize that not all purchased links are bad per se.
There are legitimate opportunities, such as sponsored content or advertising, where links can be purchased.
But transparency is key here too, and such links should always be provided with a “nofollow” attribute to make it clear that this is a paid partnership.
The following table once again provides an overview of all factors that are used to obtain more backlinks.
Alternatives to backlinks
While backlinks are undoubtedly an essential pillar in search engine optimization (SEO), they are far from the only way to improve a website's visibility and ranking.
It is essential to build a balanced and diverse SEO portfolio that goes beyond pure link building strategies.
This ensures that your website is robust and resilient in various aspects of optimization.
In this context, there are two crucial areas that are often regarded as alternatives or additions to link building: technical optimization and on-page optimization.
They both have their own value and methods for improving the overall experience for your visitors and encouraging search engines to rank your site higher.
I'll explain the two areas in more detail in the following sections:
Technical optimization
Technical optimization forms the basis of every successful SEO strategy and can be achieved through a experienced Swiss SEO agency be improved.
It refers to improving the technical aspects of a website in order to facilitate the crawling and indexing processes of search engines and at the same time improve the user experience.
While a website's content and backlinks are often the visible parts of the SEO iceberg, technical optimization lies underneath and ensures that everything runs smoothly.
A central element of technical optimization is the loading time of a website.
In our fast-paced digital world, users expect fast loading times, and even the slightest delays can cause visitors to jump off.
Search engines recognize this and reward websites that load quickly and efficiently with better rankings.
But it's not just about speed.
The structure of the website, including a clear hierarchy and meaningful internal linking, allows search engines to find and index content more easily.
This is complemented by a clean and efficient code structure that is free from errors and complies with modern web standards.
Another aspect is mobile optimization.
With a steadily growing share of users accessing websites via mobile devices, it is essential that websites work well on smaller screens and are user-friendly.
Google has set the mobile index as the main index for web crawling activity, which underlines the importance of this aspect.
Finally, safety is also a key concern.
HTTPS encryption not only protects user data, but is also regarded as a positive ranking factor by search engines.
Overall, technical optimization ensures that a website's foundation is solid so that other SEO efforts — such as content creation and link building — can effectively build on it.
On-page optimization
On-page optimization refers to the measures taken directly on a website to improve its position in search results.
In contrast to off-page strategies, such as building backlinks, on-page optimization focuses on the content and HTML structure of a page.
The quality and relevance of content are at the heart of every on-page strategy.
Search engines like Google reward content that is informative, well-researched, and unique.
This means that website operators should regularly create high-quality content that meets the needs and interests of their target group.
But it is not just about the content.
The structure of the website is also crucial.
Title tags, meta descriptions, and headlines should be carefully selected to make it clear to both users and search engines what the page is about.
At the same time, they help to increase the click rate from search results.
In addition, internal linking also plays an important role.
It helps search engines understand the context between different pages on a website and can effectively distribute “link juice,” also known as “link juice,” to strengthen a page's authority.
Overall, on-page optimization is an ongoing process.
As search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, website operators must also regularly adapt and update their strategies in order to remain visible and always be one step ahead of their competitors.
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