Types of Backlinks: 20 Kinds of Links Ranked by SEO Value, Risk and Effort

Not all links are equal, and knowing the types of backlinks helps you spend your time on the ones that move rankings. Google says it uses links "as a signal when determining the relevancy of pages and to find new pages to crawl" in its link best practices. This guide sorts the 20 most common kinds of backlinks by attribute, source and placement, then gives a table of value, risk and effort for each.

What are the main types of backlinks?

Every backlink can be described along three axes. Mixing them up is the source of most confusion: a guest post link (source) can be followed or sponsored (attribute) and sit in the author bio or in the article (placement).

Types of backlinks by link attribute

The rel attribute of a link tells search engines about its nature. Google documents three values in its guide to qualifying outbound links, and a link without any of them is a normal, followed link (often called "dofollow", though no such attribute exists).

1. Followed links

A plain link with no rel value. It can pass ranking signals to the target page. This is the type most link building aims for.

2. Nofollow links

Marked rel="nofollow", used when the site does not want to vouch for the target. Google announced on September 10, 2019 that nofollow, sponsored and ugc are all treated as hints rather than strict rules, in its post Evolving nofollow. A nofollow link still brings visitors and brand exposure.

3. Sponsored links

Marked rel="sponsored" for advertising and paid placements. Paid links are legitimate advertising as long as they carry this value (or nofollow).

4. UGC links

Marked rel="ugc" for user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. Several values can be combined, for example rel="ugc nofollow".

Types of backlinks by source

This is the classification that matters most for planning, because each source requires a different method.

5. Editorial links

A journalist, blogger or expert links to your page because it is the best reference on a point. These are the hardest links to get and the most valuable, since nobody asked for them.

6. Digital PR links

Links earned from media coverage of your data, a study, a product launch or an expert comment given to a journalist. Our guide to digital PR explains how to run a campaign.

7. Guest post links

You write an article for another site and receive a link in the text or the author bio. Useful when the host site is relevant and edits its content; risky when the main goal is the link with an optimized anchor. See our guide to guest posting.

8. Resource page links

Many sites keep curated lists of useful tools, guides or suppliers. A precise, high-quality page can be added to them on request.

9. Broken link replacement

You find a dead link on a relevant page and suggest your page as a replacement. A broken link checker finds these opportunities on any site.

10. Business directory links

Listings in recognized directories, industry associations and chambers of commerce. A few trusted ones help, mass submissions do not: our guide to business directories lists those that still matter.

11. Local citations

Mentions of your name, address and phone number on local platforms. They support local rankings even without a link, because search engines cross-check them to confirm that a local business exists and where it operates.

12. Profile and social links

Links from your social profiles, marketplace pages, software review platforms and professional networks. Mostly nofollow, but they confirm your brand identity across the web.

13. Forum and community links

Answers on forums, Q&A sites and communities, generally marked ugc or nofollow. Their value is in the traffic and visibility, not in ranking signals.

14. Blog comment links

Links in comment sections. Almost always nofollow and frequently abused by spammers: low value.

15. Partner and supplier links

Links from manufacturers, distributors, clients, integrations or event organizers you work with. Natural and relevant when the relationship is real.

16. Image, infographic and tool links

Sites that reuse your charts, photos or free calculator credit you with a link. Original data and tools are among the most reliable ways to earn links over time.

17. Unlinked mentions turned into links

A site already cites your brand without a link; you ask the author to add one. One of the quickest wins, because the editorial decision is already made.

Types of backlinks by placement

18. In-content links

A link inside the body text, surrounded by related content, carries the most context. Google's guidance asks for anchor text that is "descriptive, reasonably concise, and relevant"; see our page on anchor text.

19. Sidebar, footer and sitewide links

A link repeated on every page of a site adds little beyond the first occurrence, and Google lists widely distributed footer and template links as an example of link spam.

20. Widget and badge links

Links embedded in widgets or badges that other sites install. Acceptable when nofollow and clearly labeled, a spam signal when keyword-rich and hidden.

Which types of backlinks should you avoid?

Google defines link spam as "creating links to or from a site primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings" in its spam policies. Its examples include:

• Buying or selling links that pass ranking credit, including sending free products in exchange for a link.
• Excessive link swaps and partner pages created only to cross-link.
• Automated programs that create links to your site.
• Advertorials, guest posts or press releases that pass ranking credit or use optimized anchors.
• Low-quality directory and bookmark sites.
• Forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature.

Networks of sites built only to link to each other (private blog networks) fall under the same policies. Our guides on buying backlinks and toxic backlinks explain how to spot and handle them.

Types of backlinks compared: value, risk and effort

What matters is less the number of links than the number of distinct, relevant sites linking to you: our guide to referring domains explains why, and our method for getting backlinks turns this table into a plan.

How do you check which types of backlinks you have?

Start with the Links report in Google Search Console, which lists the sites and pages linking to you and the most common anchor texts. Then run a backlink analysis to see the attribute and placement of each link. Sort the result with the table above: if most of your links are directories, comments and profiles, the next step is clear, the profile lacks editorial and PR links. If you find many links from unrelated or low-quality sites with exact-match anchors, review them before deciding whether any action is needed.

Which types of backlinks do AI assistants notice?

ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity build their answers from pages they retrieve and from what they learned during training. A followed attribute means nothing to them: what counts is whether your brand is mentioned on the sources they read. That favors editorial coverage, review sites, comparison articles, directories and community discussions, including nofollow and unlinked mentions that classic SEO tends to undervalue. Our study of Reddit citations in AI answers shows how much community platforms weigh in these answers. To see which sources AI assistants cite in your market, and whether your brand appears, use AI mention tracking.

Conclusion

The best backlink profile is built mainly from editorial, PR, partner and resource links placed in the text of relevant sites, with nofollow and profile links as a natural complement. Avoid anything bought or automated that passes ranking credit. To grow this profile on autopilot, Sorank obtains natural backlinks automatically from its network of 5,000+ users through backlinks acquisition, while you focus on the links only your brand can earn.