A backlink is a link from one website to another. When Site A links to Site B, that’s a backlink for Site B. Search engines treat backlinks as votes of confidence — a signal that other sites find your content credible enough to reference. The quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your site directly influences where you rank in Google.
Dofollow vs. Nofollow Backlinks
Not all backlinks pass equal value. The two primary types behave differently in how they influence rankings.
- Default link type on the web
- Transfers “link equity” (PageRank)
- Directly improves ranking potential
- What SEO link building targets
- Uses
rel="nofollow"attribute - Common on social media, forums, comments
- Still drives referral traffic
- Contributes to a natural link profile
What Makes a Backlink Valuable?
Not every link carries the same weight. Google evaluates backlinks based on several factors — a single link from a trusted, relevant source outperforms dozens of links from low-quality or unrelated sites.
What to Focus On
- Editorial links from relevant publications
- Links from industry associations and directories
- Links earned through original data or research
- Guest posts on authoritative sites in your niche
- Mentions converted to links (link reclamation)
- Purchased links (violates Google guidelines)
- Link farms and private blog networks (PBNs)
- Mass directory submissions with thin content
- Exact-match anchor text overuse
- Links from irrelevant or spammy sites
For healthcare practices, backlink strategy centers on earning links from local directories, medical associations, health publications, and PR-driven coverage. For a deeper look at how link building fits into a full SEO strategy, see Direction’s guide to healthcare SEO.