Links remain one of the signals Google uses. Relevant editorial links can help people discover your business, but no fixed count guarantees rankings. Links arranged mainly to pass ranking credit can violate Google's spam policies.
A local business should focus on useful resources and relevant relationships rather than buying a promised number of ranking links.
What are backlinks?
A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours. If the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce lists your business with a link, that is a backlink. If a local news story mentions you and links to your site, that is one too.
Search engines have long treated links as a kind of vote. The idea is that people link to things they find useful or credible.
How Google's view of links has changed
In the early years, links were the dominant ranking signal, and people gamed the system by buying them. Google responded with a long series of updates.
Google described using SpamBrain to neutralize unnatural links in its December 2022 link spam update. Neutralized links lose the credit they previously supplied.
Do not assume every later spam update specifically changed link weighting. Use Google's current spam policies to evaluate a method, rather than treating update rumours as evidence.
So links are one signal among many. Good ones help. Bad ones waste money at best and trigger a manual action at worst.
Links that help a local business
Think about real world relationships. Most good local links come from them.
- Business associations and chambers of commerce
- Industry bodies, licensing organizations and trade groups
- Suppliers, manufacturers and partners who list their dealers or installers
- Charities, sports teams and events you sponsor
- Local news sites and community blogs
- Schools, clubs and organizations you work with
- Respected directories relevant to your field
A genuine community link can bring relevant visitors and recognition. It does not establish a published local-ranking score or outweigh every other factor.
Links that break Google's rules
Google's spam policies list these as link spam.
- Buying or selling links for ranking purposes
- Exchanging goods or services for links
- Excessive link swaps between sites
- Automated programs that create links
- Requiring a link as part of a contract with no option to mark it as sponsored
- Low quality directory and bookmark submissions in bulk
- Keyword stuffed links in widgets, footers and templates spread across many sites
- Forum comments with promotional links in the signature
Paid links should be qualified with rel="sponsored"; Google also accepts rel="nofollow". The link attributes help identify the relationship. Paid promotion can have value for readers without being sold as a ranking shortcut.
How to spot a bad link building offer
When evaluating link-building proposals, ask about the method and intended audience. Watch for these warning signs.
- Packages selling a guaranteed quantity of paid links that pass ranking credit
- "Guest posts" on sites that will publish anything for payment
- Promises of links from sites with a high authority score, with no mention of relevance
- Private blog networks
- No willingness to show you where the links will come from
Paying an agency for legitimate outreach work is different from buying ranking links. Ask for transparent reporting and check how paid placements are qualified.
How to earn links the right way
Start with what you already have
Review relevant memberships, partnerships and sponsorships. Ask for accurate listings where appropriate, and ensure paid sponsorship links are qualified rather than demanding ranking credit.
Be worth mentioning
Do something local media or community groups would cover. Host an event, support a cause, share useful data from your industry, or offer expert comment on a local issue.
Create a useful resource
A helpful guide, a local checklist or an original survey gives others a reason to reference you. A mortgage broker might publish a plain guide to first time buyer programs in BC. A physiotherapy clinic might create a return to sport guide for local teams.
Build relationships with related businesses
A wedding photographer, a florist and a venue can sensibly refer to one another. Keep it natural and relevant, not a mass swap.
Fix what is broken
If a linked page moved, redirect it to a genuinely equivalent replacement. If no equivalent exists, keep an appropriate 404 or 410 rather than sending every deleted page to the home page.
What about mentions without links?
A credible mention can create awareness even without a clickable link. Whether an AI service uses it in a recommendation depends on that service and the question.
As AI answers become a bigger part of search, being talked about in credible places matters alongside being linked to.
Should you worry about bad links pointing to you?
Every site collects some odd links from scrapers and spam sites. You did not ask for them, and Google generally ignores them. In most cases, no action is needed.
Google advises disavowing only when there is a considerable amount of artificial or low-quality linking and the links have caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action. It is an advanced tool that can harm performance if misused. Seek qualified help for a known history of link schemes.
Check Search Console for manual actions, but a clear report does not rule out automated ranking changes. Third-party toxicity scores alone are not a reason to disavow links.
Frequently asked questions
How many backlinks does a local business need?
There is no set number or reliable exchange rate between strong and weak links. Prioritize relevant readers and legitimate relationships, alongside the rest of your site's quality.
Is buying backlinks ever safe?
Buying links to manipulate rankings violates Google's policies. Legitimate paid advertising or sponsorship is different when links are appropriately qualified with sponsored or nofollow.
Do nofollow links have any value?
They can bring real visitors and awareness, and they are part of a natural link profile. Google treats nofollow as a hint, not a strict rule.
Can bad backlinks get my site penalized?
Links you bought or built against the rules can lead to a manual action. Random spam links you had nothing to do with are usually ignored.
How long does link building take to affect rankings?
It can take weeks or months for Google to find and weigh new links. Results depend on your competition and the rest of your SEO.
Final thought
Backlinks still matter, but the ones that count are a by product of being a real, active, respected business. Put your effort into relationships and useful content, and the right links tend to follow.
If you want a review of your current link profile or a plan to earn better ones, contact our Abbotsford team.
Sources and further reading
Marketing Pro
https://allinonemarketingpro.com/abbotsford/Drive Your Brand Forward: Captivate Audiences and Build Connections through Strategic Marketing Initiatives.