Our Links Are Trusted By 2,500+ SEO Agencies
Our Links Are Trusted By 2,500+ SEO Agencies
By the Rhino Rank team
15th Jan 2024
When it comes to boosting your website’s relevance and authority, homepage backlinks from thought leaders in the industry are considered the old standard. Not only do homepage backlinks demonstrate a website’s relevance and authority, which are some of the key factors when determining Google search engine rankings, but they also increase a website’s organic traffic and boost credibility.
However, product links, service links, and category page links can also significantly improve a website’s overall SEO, and ultimately your site will always benefit from having more links pointing to it.
However, as the homepage typically receives the most traffic (referral, organic, and direct), is it better to get a backlink to your homepage or an internal page?
This post will discuss everything you need to know about homepage backlinks, including what homepage backlinks are, the importance of having quality homepage backlinks, and how to obtain homepage links.
Let’s dive right in!
Homepage backlinks, also known as homepage URLs, are hyperlinks on external websites that point back to your website’s homepage, a top-level page. These links have tremendous search engine optimization (SEO) value and are critical for improving your site’s search engine ranking and overall internet visibility.
Your homepage’s authority grows when you create backlinks from local media houses and other third-party sites. Your website will then pass this authority to the other pages that link to your homepage, giving them a much needed boost. As a result, page authority gradually flows down the internal link structure of your entire site, with the links closer to the top of the link chain gaining the most authority and receiving the most benefit.
Big brands can control the market for particular sets of search phrases in this way. Even newly created pages may rank highly due to the authority of their domain and effective internal linking techniques.
Homepage backlinks therefore play a key role in elevating your website’s online presence and SEO performance.
Generally, homepage backlinks have considerable value in digital marketing and SEO, which will pass authority to other website pages and positively impact Google rankings. However, whether these links are superior to other placements depends on many aspects and objectives – there is no definitive answer.
The following are factors to consider to understand the value of your homepage backlinks:
The value of your homepage backlink from websites with high domain authority (DA) is incredibly strong. In this case, the authority of the backlinking site is more valuable than the link placement. This means that homepage backlinks from less authoritative sites will have a smaller impact on your SEO and digital marketing campaigns.
The value of your homepage backlinks depends on their relevance to the source material and target sites. Generally, backlinks from websites within your industry and niche are more valuable to your SEO campaigns and users. However, homepage backlinks are not always the most contextually relevant option.
Diverse and organic backlink profiles carry an extremely high value, this means that Google and other search engines rarely highly rank websites that solely depend on homepage backlinks.
So, ensure your site displays a natural and balanced link profile; you can use tools like Google Search Console to assist you. Your site should have a perfect combination of internal homepage links, deep links, and internal links from different sources.
The competition in your niche and industry has a big impact on your homepage backlinks’ value. For instance, homepage links coming from authority websites in a highly competitive industry can have incredible value to your SEO goals. On the other hand, in less competitive industries, other link placements might offer a bigger benefit to your SEO endeavors.
Your homepage backlinks are only valuable if the visitors click on them and are successfully directed back to your website – it all depends on the user’s behavior. Often, links with valuable content on a particular topic can draw in more clicks and user engagement, leading to better referral traffic.
The value of your homepage backlinks is linked to the quality of the content it links to Therefore, put effort into creating valuable, informative, and high-quality content to attract links from authoritative websites.
Authoritative websites are highly sought after, and getting homepage backlinks from them is usually challenging. However, obtaining other backlinks, like guest placements that promote products to services, is relatively easy.
Whether you are an online retailer, car dealership, or FinTech entrepreneur, Backlinks from reliable and authoritative sites will improve your brand’s reputation and credibility, essential metrics in SEO ranking.
Consider the example of a tech startup. You’ll get more credibility if you secure media coverage and links coming from TechCrunch or if your website is mentioned by giant media households like the BBC, New York Times, or TechRadar. These links will not only significantly enhance your industry authority and drive organic traffic to your websites, but will also showcase you as an industry leader.
Quality homepage backlinks help pages rank higher in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) of Google and other search engines, not just for your homepage but also for internal pages. However, if you don’t have high-quality backlinks to any of your internal pages, you’re missing out on a crucial ranking opportunity.
Generally, quality homepage backlinks showcase that your pages rank higher for most keywords and are the thought leader in your field, ultimately attracting more website users.
A Backlinko study found that more backlinks correlate with greater Google ranks. Therefore, you must make sure you are acquiring quality links if you want links to improve your ranking.
However, you must avoid backlinks that break Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, such as utilizing a link scheme intended to monopolize search results.
This is probably the best answer to the “Why are backlinks important?” question.
When the internet first went live, links were only used for navigation purposes. However, backlinks have evolved, and now high-quality links not only help users navigate different sites but also guide online users from one site to another based on their individual goals and intent.
Therefore, although the idea that high-quality links increase the amount of traffic to your site has stayed the same, Google now also considers links as a ranking component.
As mentioned, relevant press coverage can direct users to your web page. As a result, they market your company to new audiences who could become clients. Additionally, you can add this traffic to a retargeting list to focus on various paid media channels.
One of the primary methods for finding, crawling, and indexing content on the web is through links, which Googlebot relies on to explore new web pages.
This means that more links from a trustworthy website to your site will help Google index your material more quickly, which could help it rank higher.
Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is popular among bloggers, journalists, and experts seeking publicity. Meaning it is a great place to gain website links to your homepage!
HARO has a free plan with two emails, entailing a digest of queries for the entire week. This will help you get started with your link-building opportunities, especially if you don’t have a budget for building backlinks.
The SourceBottle platform, like HARO, is designed to link sources and journalists together via email.
This platform allows you to search for link-building opportunities through its query dictionary. Unlike HARO, you won’t wait for a daily email.
The Monitor Backlinks tool makes discovering and keeping track of your homepage backlinks a breeze.
This platform also simplifies finding out the sources your competitors use or earn on their homepage backlinks.
X (formally Twitter) is one of the useful resources for finding guest post opportunities that let you include your homepage link in the author profile.
Use the search bar to enter phrases like “guest post,” just like you’d do on Google.
Numerous factors in SEO can affect how well your site performs. Therefore, it’s critical to optimize your whole site if you want it to rank as highly as possible in the search engines. Paying close attention to your website’s backlink profile is one crucial component.
Link building is one of the most efficient strategies to raise your keyword rankings and improve organic traffic, regardless of whether you have a WordPress website, a Shopify website, or a website on any other platform. However, earning high-value homepage backlinks might be more complex than expected.
To build a solid link-building profile for your website, it’s essential to first understand “what makes a good backlink.” The answers to this require various research techniques to identify the top link prospects to get more links.
Here are some indicators of a good homepage backlink profile:
The referring domain’s authority plays a significant role in assessing the quality of a backlink. At this stage, strive to build backlinks from more reliable referring domains.
A homepage backlink from a referring domain with a high authority score gives Google confidence that your content is valuable.
Google utilizes a ranking algorithm called Domain Authority (DA), which has a scale of 1 to 100, as one of its indicators to determine how highly your site will appear in search engine result pages.
However, your ranking depends on many factors, including the number of high-quality homepage backlinks and the general SEO effectiveness of your website.
Anchor texts provide context to your backlinks and indicate which keywords your site should rank for. Anchor text comprises recognizable characters and phrases that link to another website, these words must include background information about the website they are linking to.
To alert users that the text represents a hyperlink, anchor text is frequently bolded, highlighted, or uses a different font color.
Strong anchor text containing the target keyword or phrase is necessary for building a solid backlink portfolio. Google and other search engines recognize the relevance of anchor text, making it a critical element in any SEO strategy.
Checking to see if all your backlinks are pointing to the correct web page is critical for assuring the quality of your link. The backlink endpoint URL must be related to the target phrase and referring site.
Google and other search engines take into account the relevance between your homepage and the pages that link to it. Therefore, a high-quality hyperlink will always point to a relevant content topic and the right kind of material. This contributes to the credibility and authority of your website’s brand.
Building a do-follow backlink profile instead of a no-follow backlink profile should be at the top of your list if you want to make the most of your backlinks. Do-follow backlinks are more valuable and aid in improving a website’s position in organic search results.
All hyperlinks are do-follow by default, and since search engines can crawl them, authority can be transferred from the referring site to the target page.
Do-follow links are preferable because they can increase your website’s authority and send another signal to Google about the reliability of your content.
Finding the most relevant and suitable backlink-building opportunities is crucial while searching for fresh link prospects. Identifying and pursuing link-building opportunities that align with your particular topic and niche is important.
Additionally, you can create backlinks based on their local relevancy, which indicates how closely related they are to your location-specific target keywords.
Your link profile will appear more natural if your links are relevant to your website. A good backlink should always come from a page and domain that are closely related, regardless of its format.
It is essential to consider the link placement on the referring page to ensure your backlink has the highest possible SEO impact.
The more prominently placed a backlink is, the more impact it will have on the search results and the more traffic it will generate for your website.
The level of authority your site will obtain improves when a backlink is positioned at the top of the referring page. For instance, it is preferable to have links in the headline or first paragraph of a blog post rather than the footer or last paragraph.
The homepage offers an additional effective backlink insertion opportunity, such as showing up in a content snippet from the linking page.
Getting links organically is one of the most critical elements of a good backlink. The focus should always be on creating high-quality, valuable content that naturally attracts links from other websites.
Buying backlinks is a common SEO problem because they can reduce your website’s authority if placed incorrectly, like in the case of spam links and link farms. Backlinks from reputable, high-quality sources must be organically produced to be the best for your website. Use Google Search Console to determine the perfect balance.
Before you obtain a backlink, make sure you check the link opportunities carefully. Any external websites from which you obtain backlinks must be credible and authoritative.
The authority score of a referring domain is a crucial factor to consider, as your site gains credibility and visibility when a referring domain has a high domain authority score. It is essential to avoid any external links that are spammy or have an adverse history that could endanger your website.
Your search rankings and website authority will improve if you have backlinks from reliable sources.
Every backlink you obtain should ideally be pertinent to your niche, particularly if the web admin has similar goals to yours.
Naturally, everyone with social media or access to a blog post can link to your website, so as long as the incoming links aren’t obvious spam, you shouldn’t be concerned if you notice a few of them coming in.
These links, though, ought to make up a respectable minority in your link profile. The pattern becomes suspect if the number continues to grow over time.
Monitoring backlinks can assist you in determining the specialized relevance of backlinks to your site.
The backlink to your homepage must be relevant and effective enough to generate traffic and sales, particularly if it is placed closely beside natural material and includes a well-designed Call-To-Action (CTA).
A backlink randomly inserted into the text with no relevancy will never make sense to the visitors or Google.
The first two factors on this list – contextual and niche relevance – are directly tied to traffic value. You may understand the backlink’s impact and traffic potential by looking at its Citation Flow (CF) and the amount of Google Analytics visits.
Additionally, you can also look into each backlink’s social shares and replies (if any are accessible).
For a backlink to your site to be of organic value, it must be indexed. Otherwise, it could mean that the referring site owner has been penalized by Google, something you want to avoid impacting your site.
Your search engine optimization (SEO) endeavors depend on your ability to obtain backlinks. More organic traffic results from an effective link-building strategy that raises your site’s authority and ranks.
But not all backlinks are equal in worth. Here are efficient ways to create high-quality homepage backlinks. A few of the most common inquiries competitors backlinks will also be addressed.
Select markets that are comparable to or equal to yours to appear in.
Bloggers and journalists frequently use forums and platforms like SourceBottle, HARO, and MyBlogU to connect with experts.
Responding to comments on these platforms will increase a site owners’ chances of being featured and having thier homepage linked, referenced, or cited.
Here are your two options to go about this:
Another fantastic strategy to gain simple homepage backlinks is to post roundups or interview experts in various categories, a technique loved by many bloggers.
Try it, especially if the bloggers you want to work with are well-known in your niche. Participate in the roundup if it is open, or arrange to be interviewed.
If you are lucky enough, you may land some interviews and your brand visibility will skyrocket as a result.
Top tip: Make things simple for the interviewer.
Email outreach is one of the most effective link-building tactics. You can accomplish it in many ways, such as reaching out to websites that post regular newsletters within your niche or seeking recommendations from relevant sites.
Ask bloggers via email to link to your website and promote it as the go-to location for their audience to find valuable materials.
It is even better to focus on industry publications and influencer blogs; these web pages have much more authority and can help you establish your own website authority, credibility, and thought leadership.
Guest posting is also a great link-building approach, especially if you make them worthwhile, credible, and unforgettable. The webmaster will outrightly accept your guest post request if you’re creating content that is valuable to their audience and follows their writing format.
A simple Google search for phrases like “write for us” or “guest blogging guidelines” can pull up dozens of websites in your niche that accept guest posts and their requirements for quality content.
A homepage hyperlink is typically included in the paragraph that serves as your author bio at the top or bottom of the guest post.
Make your bio enticing to the blog or guest post’s readers by explaining why they should go and check our your website. For instance, if they read your guest posts about email marketing, they can find more effective email marketing guidelines on your website.
People can easily give credit to the creator of an e-book if you include a homepage link in it and it is circulated.
Additionally, Google indexes the backlink in a white paper or e-book if it is available as a downloaded PDF.
Press release links can occasionally be nofollow links, which means they don’t directly impact search engine rankings. However, they can still drive significant traffic and offer SEO benefits.
To maximize the impact of your press releases:
When it comes to attracting natural backlinks, creating high-quality and compelling content is key.
Remember that content is only king if it governs legitimately and not fraudulently. Yes, if your content reigns, it is king and benefits from inbound links.
The structure and content of your webpage must also reign supreme. In other words, linking to your site owner’s website must be worthwhile.
If your clients utilize and enjoy a product or service, you can ask them to leave a review. Positive reviews, that include hyperlinks, can then be shared on social media platforms to prove brand credibility and generate referral traffic.
The quality of your content is the most important factor to consider. Bloggers may include you in their upcoming article or invite you to a guest blogging opportunity if your comments significantly improve the post’s substance.
Regarding homepage backlinks or any other form of backlinking to your site, it’s important to prioritize quality over quantity. Remember, not all backlinks are good; some are detrimental to your SEO, brand reputation, and link-building campaigns.
Here is a list of homepage backlinks that you should avoid:
Only obtain a backlink to your homepage via an online directory if it is relevant to your business. Most directories are low-quality backlink factories that will only hurt the backlink profile and send out harmful signals.
Be cautious when you sign up for unfamiliar groups, especially if you’re merely doing it to get a homepage hyperlink to your profile. Avoid doing it! If you want to avoid the harm of spam links, only sign up for and engage in forums that are relevant to your industry.
Excessive use of overly optimized anchor text in your homepage backlinks appears unnatural and may prompt Google to penalize your website. Instead, use different anchor text, like generic, branded, or partially matched anchors.
No-follow inbound links are not necessarily harmful, but too many pointing to your homepage may appear unnatural. Natural homepage backlink profiles should strike a balance between the number of dofollow links and nofollow links; otherwise, Google may assume that you’re trying to manipulate the ranking algorithm.
This is where one site owner reaches out to another and convinces them to backlink each other’s sites to improve their rankings. While having reciprocating links is not necessarily punishable by many search engines, link exchanges should appear natural and not excessive.
Footer and sidebar links are not necessarily bad, but if used excessively, Google may assume it is a tactic to manipulate the ranking algorithm. Always ensure the links are relevant and valuable to the users.
Homepage backlinks take effort and time because, unlike content pages, they’re less relevant and more brand-oriented.
This article has exhausted everything you need to embark on your homepage link building journey. You can now create fantastic homepage backlinks that inspire confidence in Google and among users.
A general guideline states that around one-third of your hyperlinks should refer to other pages, while the remaining two-thirds should return to your homepage. This is not, however, a hard and fast rule, and your link ratio will vary depending on your industry, domain age, and link profile.
A backlink is a link from one website that points to another website. For instance, in the digital marketing industry, a marketing agency may link to another website’s page on SEO tools using anchor text like “best SEO tools.”
Here are the three popular backlink types:
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