Glossary

Backlink SEO Glossary (A–Z)

A

  • Anchor Text – The clickable text of a hyperlink, signaling to search engines the topic of the linked page.
  • Authority Link – A backlink from a high-authority website such as Forbes, Wikipedia, or .edu/.gov sites.

B

  • Backlink – A hyperlink from one website to another; also known as an inbound link.
  • Branded Anchor – Anchor text that uses a brand name or domain name.
  • Broken Link Building – A strategy of finding dead links on other sites and suggesting your content as a replacement.

C

  • Citation Flow (CF) – A Majestic SEO metric measuring the number of links pointing to a website.
  • Contextual Backlink – A backlink placed naturally within relevant article content.
  • Curated Link (Niche Edit) – A backlink inserted into an existing, indexed article.

D

  • Disavow File – A file submitted to Google Search Console to tell Google to ignore certain backlinks.
  • Domain Authority (DA) – A Moz metric predicting a website’s ability to rank based on backlinks.
  • Domain Rating (DR) – An Ahrefs metric showing the overall strength of a site’s backlink profile.
  • Dofollow Link – A standard backlink that passes SEO value (link juice).

E

  • Editorial Backlink – A natural backlink given voluntarily by a website for valuable content.
  • Entity Backlink – A backlink that reinforces a brand or entity across the web.
  • Exact Match Anchor – Anchor text that exactly matches the target keyword.
  • Expired Domain – A previously registered domain that is no longer active, often repurposed for SEO.

G

  • Generic Anchor – Anchor text like “click here” or “read more,” offering little keyword context.
  • Guest Post Backlink – A backlink earned by publishing an article on another website.

I

  • Indexing – The process of search engines discovering and storing a backlink in their database.
  • Inbound Link – Another term for a backlink pointing to your site.

L

  • Link Building – The process of acquiring backlinks to increase authority and rankings.
  • Link Equity (Link Juice) – The SEO value that flows from one page to another through backlinks.
  • Link Farming – A black-hat tactic of creating websites that excessively interlink.
  • Link Outreach – Contacting website owners to request backlinks.
  • Link Placement – The location of a backlink on a page (content, sidebar, footer).
  • Link Profile – The overall makeup of a site’s backlinks, including quality, diversity, and relevance.
  • Link Velocity – The rate at which a website gains backlinks over time.

N

  • Natural Backlink – An organic backlink gained without paid or manipulative methods.
  • Nofollow Link – A link with a rel="nofollow" attribute, signaling search engines not to transfer authority.
  • Naked URL – A backlink where the anchor text is the raw URL itself.

P

  • Page Authority (PA) – A Moz metric predicting how well a specific page will rank.
  • Partial Match Anchor – Anchor text that includes the target keyword plus additional words.
  • Private Blog Network (PBN) – A network of authoritative websites built to link back to a target site.

R

  • Reciprocal Link – When two sites agree to link to each other.
  • Referring Domain – A unique website that provides at least one backlink.
  • Root Domain (Linking Root Domain) – The count of unique domains linking to your site, regardless of link quantity.

S

  • Sitewide Link – A backlink that appears on every page of a website (e.g., footer, sidebar).
  • Spam Score – A Moz metric estimating the risk of a site being penalized based on backlink patterns.

T

  • Tiered Link Building – A method where backlinks are built to strengthen other backlinks, indirectly boosting authority.
  • Toxic Backlink – A spammy or harmful backlink that can negatively impact SEO.
  • Trust Flow (TF) – A Majestic SEO metric measuring the quality and trustworthiness of backlinks.

U

Unnatural Link – A backlink created solely to manipulate search rankings, often against Google’s guidelines.
URL Rating (UR) – A metric from Ahrefs that measures the strength of a page’s backlink profile on a scale from 0–100.

V

Vertical Link Building – Acquiring backlinks from websites within the same niche or vertical market for maximum topical relevance.
Viral Backlinks – Natural backlinks earned when content goes viral and gets shared widely across multiple platforms.

W

Web 2.0 Backlink – Links created on user-generated platforms (e.g., WordPress, Blogger, Medium) used for tiered link building.
White Hat Link Building – Ethical, guideline-compliant methods of acquiring backlinks, such as guest posting or digital PR.
Wiki Backlinks – Backlinks gained from wiki-based websites (e.g., Wikipedia, niche wikis).

X

XML Sitemap Backlink – Backlinks discovered and indexed through XML sitemaps, often improving crawlability.
X-Ranker Backlinks – Links pointing to video ranking software campaigns or YouTube videos (term used in video SEO).

Y

YouTube Backlink – Backlinks created from YouTube descriptions, comments, or channel sections.
YMYL Backlink – Backlinks in “Your Money Your Life” niches (finance, health, legal) that require higher authority and trust to rank safely.

Z

Zombie Links – Old or dead backlinks that no longer drive traffic or SEO value, often from expired or penalized domains.
Zero-Cost Backlinks – Free backlinks gained through directories, forums, blog comments, or organic sharing without paying for placement.