Backlinks in SEO Explained: Why They Matter and How to Build Them

Summary

Neal Schaffer explains that backlinks are essential SEO votes of credibility that can dramatically boost rankings, authority, and referral traffic. He distinguishes high‑quality links—dofollow, editorial, relevant, well‑placed, with natural anchor text—from low‑quality or toxic links that can harm rankings, and outlines practical, non‑spammy tactics such as creating link‑worthy content, guest posting, PR outreach, and link reclamation. The article also advises small businesses to first solidify on‑page SEO and content before aggressively pursuing backlinks, integrating link building into a broader branding and relationship‑marketing strategy.