What Types of Backlinks Should Companies Build?

Backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors for SEO in 2024. Google’s algorithms heavily consider the number and quality of other sites linking to a page to determine its relevance and authority on a given topic.

But not all backlinks are created equal when it comes to actually improving rankings. Some link building strategies can even do more harm than good if they violate Google’s guidelines.

In this article, we’ll examine the most common types of backlinks companies should focus on building as part of their SEO strategy based on 18 years of experience in the industry.

Editorial Backlinks

The most valuable backlinks come through unpaid editorial mentions on other high-quality sites. These occur when a site naturally references your company within an article or content piece without being paid to do so.

According to recent surveys, editorial links account for nearly 80% of all link building success among top-ranking sites. They help demonstrate your brand’s authority and relevance when established sites link to you editorially.

There are a few ways to earn strong editorial backlinks:

Guest Blogging – Writing and publishing guest posts on industry websites allows you to include natural links back to your site within the article. Focus on high-authority sites that are a good topical fit.
Link Insertions – You may be able to get a link inserted within existing content pieces on other sites by reaching out to the publishers and demonstrating your authority on the subject. But only pursue relevant opportunities that add value for readers.
Linkable Assets – Creating resources like studies, datasets, whitepapers, and other assets that sites may find useful and want to link to. Promote these assets where appropriate.
Media Coverage – Earn press mentions and links through PR efforts like press releases, articles, and outreach campaigns.Brand awareness drives more natural links.

According to Moz’s latest Link Explorer data, the average number of referring domains for a top 100 site is around 1,255. But editorial links make up about 80% of that total on average. So brands should aim to build at least 1,000+ relevant editorial backlinks to have a shot at top rankings.

Sponsorships

Paid sponsorships represent another viable backlink source. Instead of direct advertising, companies pay to become a sponsoring partner of a website. This usually includes a link back to the company site.

Sponsorships differ from standard advertising because they promote the brand as a thought leader supporting the publisher, rather than just pushing a sales message. According to recent surveys, nearly 65% of B2B companies say sponsorships are more effective for driving brand awareness than paid ads alone.

Here are some examples of paid sponsorship packages that deliver valuable backlinks:

Event Sponsorships – Sponsoring industry conferences, meetups or virtual events often includes a backlink on the event website. These contextually relevant links can be very powerful.
Content Site Sponsorships – Media publishers, blogs and other content sites offer sponsorships that place your link prominently on the site. These usually come at a high monthly or annual cost.
Newsletter Sponsorships – Sponsoring newsletter ads or dedicated email blasts allows a link within the email content that reaches opted-in subscribers.

The key is partnering with reputable sites where your brand is a contextual fit. Too aggressive of a sponsorship strategy can make the links look manipulative. Stick to reputable sites with audiences relevant to your brand and keep sponsored links to less than 20% of total links built.

Resource Links

Links from being listed as a resource on other sites fall into the editorial bucket as well and are extremely valuable. These often come from:

Company profile links on directories – Industry directories like Clutch often get good engagement when users search for related companies. Having a listed profile can net solid backlinks.
Lists/roundups – Getting mentioned in content lists like “10 Best Tools for SEO” or similar roundups published on news and media sites provides great contextual backlinks.
Association listings – Industry associations and nonprofit groups that maintain directories of member companies provide opportunity for profile links as an authority in your space.
Product comparison lists – Sites like Capterra allow you to list your product and get linked within comparison posts against other tools.

The key is identifying directories, lists and resources where a listing would provide value to readers and accurately represent your brand as an authority. With user-generated content and links becoming more important, getting listed as a resource site is a smart link building tactic.

User-Generated Links

As Google’s algorithms evolve, links produced from real human interactions carry more weight than those that appear manipulative or paid. User-generated links usually come through:

Product reviews / Brand mentions – Both positive and negative reviews of your products on blogs, review sites, social media, etc. bring valuable links.
Shared social content – Getting your brand’s content shared organically on social nets users, backlinks and brand visibility. Viral posts can generate high-quality linking domains.
Branded hashtags – Promoting hashtags tied to specific campaigns leads to users naturally linking to your site from their posts.
AMAs – “Ask me anything” discussions on forums and Reddit provide opportunities for organic brand mentions.

The key is producing high-quality content and resources users find valuable enough to link to authentically. While you can’t control users, you can develop engagement opportunities that position your brand as an authority worth referencing.

Affiliate Links

Affiliate programs incentivize other sites and users to promote your products through unique coupon codes and commission structures. Partners naturally link back to your site as they drive conversions.

According to Trackonomics, affiliate links result in over 15% of site traffic for many leading ecommerce brands. While the affiliates are financially motivated, Google still considers these editorial links since they promote your brand authentically to relevant audiences.

Run properly, affiliate programs provide significant volumes of contextual backlinks as partners work to recommend your products for their own benefit. Just maintain brand safety standards when evaluating affiliate partnerships.

Paid Links

There are opportunities to purchase paid backlinks on sites willing to post sponsored content and links promoting your brand. However, many of these types of arrangements violate Google’s guidelines. Buying blog posts or paid articles just for backlinks carries significant risk.

Google will often apply manual penalties to sites caught buying links or posting paid articles just for backlinks rather than value to readers. According to Google’s Matt Cutts, brands should “avoid at all costs any links that were built for the sole purpose of manipulating search engine rankings.”

Any paid links must provide value to the site’s normal audiences with transparent disclosure around sponsored posts. While paid links may deliver initial SEO gains, penalties, volatility and reduced performance over the long run make them high risk.

Conclusion

As we can see, not all backlinks impact SEO equally. The best links come from authentic user advocacy, editorial mentions, and transparent sponsorships. Too narrow a focus on building paid links can undermine long-term performance.

A balanced link building approach includes:

Securing relevant editorial links through outreach, content promotion and PR.
Participating as a sponsor where the brand aligns with the platform.
Earning links as a recommended resource on directories and lists.
Developing user-generated and affiliate links by creating shareable content.
While paid links can help grow domain authority, brands must proceed with caution to avoid manual actions. By diversifying your backlink strategy across editorial, sponsorship, affiliates, and resources, you can build a natural link profile that drives sustainable rankings over the long haul.