Growing your online presence is often about getting noticed. But that is not limited to your readers. It is just as important to get noticed by search engines, causing your content to be placed higher when people look for related keywords. Though there is a lot to it, a common practice is to use backlinks.

Backlinks are incoming hyperlinks from one webpage to another. In simple terms, a backlink is a link on a website that directs users to another website. These links are a fundamental aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) and play a crucial role in determining a website's visibility and authority on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Backlinks are important for several reasons:

1. Search Engine Ranking: Backlinks are a major factor in search engine algorithms. Search engines, such as Google, consider backlinks as "votes of confidence" from other websites. Websites with a higher number of quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search results. Backlinks signal to search engines that your website is reputable, trustworthy, and relevant, leading to improved visibility and organic traffic.

2. Authority and Trust: Backlinks act as endorsements for your website. When reputable and authoritative websites link to your content, it enhances your website's credibility and establishes it as a trusted source of information. Search engines view backlinks from high-quality websites as a positive endorsement, which can positively impact your website's reputation and authority in your industry or niche.

3. Referral Traffic: Backlinks drive referral traffic. When users click on a backlink on another website, they are directed to your website. If the linking website has a relevant audience, there is a higher likelihood of attracting interested visitors to your site. Quality referral traffic from backlinks can lead to increased engagement, conversions, and potential customers or clients.

4. Discoverability and Indexing: Backlinks help search engines discover and index your website. When search engine bots crawl websites, they follow backlinks to navigate and index content. Without backlinks, it may be challenging for search engines to find and index your web pages. By having backlinks from reputable sources, you increase the chances of search engines discovering and indexing your content effectively.

5. Relationship Building and Networking: Backlinks can foster relationships and networking opportunities within your industry. When other websites link to your content, it indicates a level of recognition and appreciation for your expertise. This can lead to collaborations, guest posting opportunities, and partnerships, expanding your reach and influence within your field.

It's important to note that not all backlinks are equal. Quality is crucial when it comes to backlinks. Search engines prioritize backlinks from authoritative, relevant, and trustworthy websites. Obtaining backlinks from spammy or low-quality websites can have a negative impact on your SEO efforts. Building a strong backlink profile requires a strategic approach, focusing on acquiring high-quality backlinks from relevant and reputable sources.

But where do you get backlinks and how? Well, there are a number of ways, some more difficult than others. But here is a good list of free sites where you can create backlinks and profiles to help your content place higher.

Facebook

Facebook is not the best for building backlinks, but should be part of a large marketing campaign.

Live Journal

Live Journal is a blogging platform. Post backlinks in your content and profile.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social media site for professionals. Post backlinks on your profile.

Wattpad

Wattpad is a publisher and social media platform with a large community of readers and writers. Backlinks can be placed in your profile and content.

SlideShare

SlideShare is a site that allows for presentations to be uploaded and shared. Place backlinks in your profile or slides.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a media sharing site. Post pins with links to direct traffic.

DeviantArt

DeviantArt is a social media platform for artists to share their art. Post backlinks in your profile or comments.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is site for sharing and listening to audio. Put backlinks in your profile or content descriptions.

Wix

Wix allows you to create a site for free. Use this to direct traffic.

GitHub

GitHub is a platform for sharing and tracking code. Backlinks in projects or a profile are allowed. If you do not have code, you can still post html for a website as a project.

Mix

Mix allows you to curate content. Post your content to create backlinks.

WordPress

WordPress.com allows you to create a site for free. Use this to direct traffic.

Tumblr

Tumblr is a blogging platform. Post backlinks in your content and profile.

Medium

Medium is a social media and publishing platform. Post links in content and your personal description.

Quora

Quora is useful for backlinks, but moderation may require a higher level of quality for posted content.

Alltop

Alltop is an aggregator. All your content can be posted.

Google Sites

Google Sites allows you to create a site for free. Use this to direct traffic.

Google Drive Assets

Certain material on Google Drive is indexed and can be used to create backlinks.

Weebly

Weebly allows you to create a site for free. Use this to direct traffic.

Yola

Yola allows you to create a site for free. Use this to direct traffic.

Blogger

Blogger is a blogging platform. Post backlinks in your content and profile.

Reddit

Reddit can be hit or miss depending on the content you are creating. However, backlinks are easily created.

Twitter (X)

Twitter, or X, is a social media platform. Backlinks in individual posts are acceptable.

YouTube

YouTube is a video content sharing site. Post videos with backlinks in the description.

Vimeo

Vimeo is a video content sharing site. Post videos with backlinks in the description.