Types of Backlinks in SEO: The Complete Guide for 2026

Short answer: The main types of backlinks in SEO fall into two groups. By link attribute: dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and UGC. By how the link was earned: editorial links, guest posts, resource page links, business directory and citation links, digital PR links, broken-link replacements, image links, profile, forum and comment links, and paid or manipulative links. Editorial links from relevant, trusted sites help most. Paid, automated and private network links can harm your site.

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines read backlinks as references: when a relevant, trusted site links to your page, it suggests your page is worth showing. That is why backlinks have been one of the strongest ranking signals since the earliest days of Google.

But not every backlink counts the same, and some can hurt you. This guide explains all the common types of backlinks in SEO, what each one does, how it is usually earned, and how much you should rely on it. If you run a business in Faridabad or are learning SEO, this is the map you need before you build a single link.

Why the Types of Backlinks in SEO Still Matter in 2026

Google has many ranking signals, but links remain one of the clearest ways for it to judge which pages other people trust. A page with useful content and a few strong, relevant backlinks will usually outrank a similar page with none.

What has changed is quality, which is why knowing the types of backlinks in SEO matters more than counting them. Google’s systems are much better at ignoring spammy links than they were a decade ago. Its spam policies specifically call out buying links, large-scale link exchanges, automated link building and private blog networks. In practice this means a handful of genuine links beats hundreds of cheap ones, and cheap ones can trigger a manual action.

AI search has added one more reason. Tools such as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Gemini tend to cite sources that are already widely referenced. Being mentioned and linked by other trusted sites helps you show up there too.

Part 1: Types of Backlinks in SEO by Link Attribute

The first way to group the types of backlinks in SEO is by attribute. Every link in a page’s code can carry a rel attribute that tells search engines how to treat it. These four are the ones you will see in every backlink tool.

1. Dofollow backlinks

“Dofollow” is not a real attribute. It simply means a normal link with no nofollow, sponsored or ugc value. These links can pass ranking value, often called link equity, to your page. When people talk about “building backlinks”, dofollow links from relevant sites are usually what they want.

2. Nofollow backlinks

A link with rel="nofollow" asks search engines not to pass ranking credit. Since 2020 Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule, so some value may still flow. Even when it does not, nofollow links bring real visitors, brand awareness and a natural-looking link profile. Our guide to dofollow vs nofollow backlinks covers the difference in detail.

3. Sponsored backlinks

rel="sponsored" marks links that were paid for, including advertisements, sponsorships and affiliate links. Google asks site owners to label paid links this way. A properly marked sponsored link is fine. An unmarked paid link that is meant to pass ranking value breaks Google’s spam policies.

4. UGC backlinks

rel="ugc" stands for user-generated content. Blog comments, forum replies and community posts often add it automatically. These links carry little ranking weight but can still send relevant visitors when the discussion is genuinely useful.

Part 2: Types of Backlinks in SEO by How They Are Earned

The attribute tells you how a link is labelled. The source tells you how much it is worth. These are the types you will meet in real link building, roughly from most to least valuable.

5. Editorial backlinks

An editorial link is one a writer adds on their own because your page helped them: a statistic you published, a guide they found useful, a tool they recommend. You did not ask, pay or trade for it. These are the backlinks Google wants to reward, and the hardest to fake. The way to earn them is to publish things worth citing, such as original data, clear explanations and practical checklists.

6. Digital PR and news backlinks

When a newspaper, news portal or industry publication mentions your business with a link, that is a PR backlink. You earn them by giving journalists something useful: a local survey, expert comment on a trend, a genuine story about your business or students. For a Faridabad business, local news sites and city portals are realistic targets.

7. Guest post backlinks

You write an article for another site in your field and include a link back to your own site, usually in the author bio or within the content where it is relevant. Guest posting is legitimate when the article is genuinely useful to that site’s readers. It becomes a problem when it is done at scale on low-quality sites purely for links, or when the site charges for “guest posts” without marking the link. Read our guide to guest posting for backlinks before you pitch anyone.

8. Resource page backlinks

Many sites keep pages such as “Useful tools for students” or “Resources for small business owners”. If you have a genuinely helpful guide, calculator or checklist, you can suggest it to the owner of a relevant resource page. These links are relevant by nature, which makes them valuable.

9. Broken link replacement backlinks

Websites often link to pages that no longer exist. If you find a broken link on a relevant page and you have content that covers the same topic, you can tell the site owner and suggest your page as a replacement. It helps them fix their site and earns you a contextual link. Our step-by-step broken link building guide explains the full process.

10. Business directory and citation backlinks

Listings on Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Justdial, Sulekha, IndiaMART and industry directories are citations. Many of these links are nofollow and carry little direct ranking value, but they matter a great deal for local SEO because they confirm your business name, address and phone number. For local businesses this is a foundation, not an optional extra. See our guide to local citations for Faridabad businesses.

11. Unlinked brand mentions turned into links

Sometimes a site mentions your business by name without linking to it. A polite message asking them to add a link to the mention often works, because they already chose to talk about you. Set up a Google Alert for your brand name to catch these.

12. Image backlinks

When another site uses your photo, infographic or chart and credits you with a link, that is an image backlink. Original images, simple infographics and charts based on your own data tend to be reused. If you find your image used without credit, you can ask for an attribution link.

13. Partnership, association and testimonial backlinks

Suppliers, partners, colleges, associations and event organisers often list the businesses they work with. Writing a genuine testimonial for a tool or service you use can also earn a link from their site. These links come from real relationships, which makes them natural.

14. .edu and .gov backlinks

Links from educational and government websites are often described as extra powerful. There is nothing magical about the domain ending; what matters is that such sites are usually well trusted and link carefully. A genuine link from a college placement page or a government scheme resource is valuable. Paying for links on hacked or spammy .edu pages is not.

15. Profile backlinks

Most platforms let you add a website link to your profile: social networks, business platforms, developer sites, forums. They help people find you and make your brand look established, but they carry very little ranking weight. Create the profiles you will actually use and skip mass profile creation.

16. Forum and community backlinks

Answering questions on Quora, Reddit or industry forums with a link to a helpful page can bring targeted visitors. These links are usually nofollow or ugc. Value comes from answering well, not from dropping links.

17. Blog comment backlinks

Leaving a link in a comment was once a common tactic. Today almost all comment links are nofollow or ugc and are often treated as spam. A thoughtful comment can start a relationship with a blogger; a comment written only for a link does nothing useful.

18. Paid, PBN and manipulative backlinks

These include links bought to pass ranking value, private blog networks (groups of sites built only to link to each other), excessive link exchanges (“you link to me, I link to you” at scale), and automated links from software. They can produce a short-term jump, but they break Google’s spam policies and can lead to a manual action or to Google simply ignoring them. Our guide on toxic backlinks and the disavow tool explains what to do if you already have them.

Internal Links Are Not Backlinks, but They Matter

Links from one page of your site to another are internal links, not backlinks. They do not add new authority from outside, but they spread the authority you already have and help Google understand which pages are most important. We compare the two in backlinks vs internal links.

Which Types of Backlinks in SEO Should You Focus On?

Of all the types of backlinks in SEO, most small businesses and new websites should follow a sensible order: complete your local citations, earn links from partners and associations, publish one or two genuinely useful resources, then pursue resource pages, broken links and a few quality guest posts.

What Makes One Backlink Better Than Another?

• Relevance: a link from a digital marketing blog to a digital marketing course matters more than one from an unrelated site.
• Trust of the linking site: real traffic, real authors and a clean history count for more than a high score in a third-party tool.
• Placement: a link inside the main content, surrounded by related text, is stronger than one in a footer or sidebar.
• Anchor text: descriptive, natural anchor text helps; repeating the same exact keyword everywhere looks manipulative. See our guide to anchor text types.
• Traffic: a link people actually click sends visitors as well as authority.

How to See Which Backlinks You Already Have

Google Search Console’s Links report shows the sites that link to you, free. Tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz give more detail on attributes, anchor text and new or lost links. Our guide on how to check backlinks for free walks through each option.

And if you are wondering how many you actually need, there is no fixed number. It depends on the competition for your keyword. We explain how to estimate it in how many backlinks you need to rank.

Learn Link Building With Real Websites

In the SEO course in Faridabad at AdifySkills, students learn the types of backlinks in SEO hands-on, audit real backlink profiles, build local citations and plan safe link building for live websites, so they learn which links move rankings and which ones only waste time.

Where Each Backlink Type Comes From

Every off-page activity tends to produce a particular type of backlink. Profile creation gives profile links, directories give citation links, forums and bookmarking give user-generated links, and guest articles and PR give editorial links. Our off-page SEO submission sites guide maps every activity to the link type it creates and whether it is worth doing in 2026.

Key takeaways on Types of Backlinks in SEO

• Google has many ranking signals, but links remain one of the clearest ways for it to judge which pages other people trust.
• The first way to group the types of backlinks in SEO is by attribute.
• The attribute tells you how a link is labelled.
• Links from one page of your site to another are internal links, not backlinks.
• Backlink typeSEO valueEffortRisk

  EditorialHighHighNone
  Digital PR and newsHighHighNone
  Resource pageMedium to highMediumNone
  Broken link replacementMedium to h

• Relevance: a link from a digital marketing blog to a digital marketing course matters more than one from an unrelated site.

Further reading

• Google SEO Starter Guide
• Google spam policies

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main types of backlinks in SEO?

By attribute, the main types are dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and UGC. By source, they include editorial, digital PR, guest post, resource page, broken link, directory and citation, image, partnership, profile, forum, comment and paid or network links.

Which type of backlink is best for SEO?

Editorial backlinks from relevant, trusted websites are the most valuable, because the site chose to link to you on its own. Digital PR, resource page and broken link replacements are close behind.

Are nofollow backlinks useless?

No. They can send visitors, build brand recognition and keep your link profile natural. Google also treats nofollow as a hint, so some may still count.

Can backlinks hurt my website?

Yes, if they come from link schemes such as paid links, private blog networks or automated tools. Google may ignore them or apply a manual action. Random low-quality links that you did not build are usually ignored.

Should I buy backlinks?

Buying links that pass ranking value breaks Google’s spam policies. Paid placements are only acceptable when the link is marked sponsored or nofollow, and then they are for visibility, not rankings.

How long do backlinks take to work?

Usually several weeks to a few months, depending on how often Google crawls the linking page and how competitive your keyword is.

Related Reading

• Safe Link Building for Small Businesses

Want to learn this with live campaigns and a trainer beside you? See the full digital marketing course in Faridabad, or check admission and batch dates.