Backlinks are important in determining website rankings in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO). Unfortunately, not all backlinks are created equal; bad backlinks can lower a website’s SEO score and overall visibility in search engine results.
So, how do you spot them and why is it critical to remove them from your website’s link profile? Bad backlinks can have a significant impact on the ranking and visibility of a website. Google crawls websites and analyses their backlinks to determine their authority and trustworthiness.
Bad backlinks can cause search engines to raise red flags, potentially resulting in lower rankings or even penalties. According to Ahrefs, 66.3% of pages with organic Google search traffic have at least one backlink pointing to them. This statistic demonstrates the importance of backlinks in SEO and emphasises the importance of reducing the number of bad ones on a website.
What are bad backlinks?
Backlinks from low-quality or spammy websites are considered detrimental to a website’s SEO efforts. Several factors contribute to a backlink being classified as ‘bad’. The trust metrics associated with the linking website are an important consideration. Trust metrics indicate the trustworthiness and authenticity of a website.
Another component of bad backlinks is manipulative anchor text, which involves using unnatural or keyword-rich anchor text in backlinks. Finally, authority scores, like domain authority and page authority, can help determine the quality of a backlink. Low-authority websites have little-to-no internal links or useful content. If a high-authority website contains low-authority pages, it could trigger a spam flag for search engines.
Performing a backlink analysis
A backlink analysis is required to identify and manage all backlinks to your website. To begin, gather a comprehensive list of backlinks pointing to your website using tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush. Each backlink should be evaluated based on trust metrics, anchor text, and authority scores.
It is critical to understand how these factors contribute to the quality of a backlink. Building and regularly updating a link list for your website is a best practice for staying on top of your backlink profile and minimising the presence of bad ones.
Backlink management can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Hiring a professional search engine optimiser (SEO) can have a lot of advantages for your website. A skilled SEO professional can conduct regular backlink audits, identify and remove bad backlinks and devise an effective link-building strategy. Businesses can save time and money by delegating this task to a professional, while also increasing web traffic and website rankings.
Mobimeme offers SEO and backlink analysis
Mobimeme is an experienced South African digital marketing agency that offers comprehensive SEO and digital marketing services. With years of experience, we can help businesses identify and remove bad backlinks, optimise your website’s SEO score and increase your online visibility.
We understand the unique challenges that South African businesses face and can tailor our strategies to maximise results. The presence of poor-quality backlinks can have a negative impact on a website’s SEO score and overall visibility.
Businesses can effectively manage their backlink strategy and improve their website rankings by partnering with a professional SEO agency. Please contact us today for an assessment or to get started with your digital marketing journey.
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