In every conversation with an experienced SEO specialist, the term "link profile" comes up at least a few times. I think it's a topic worth discussing. So let's get to the heart of the matter and consider what it is and how to manage it.
Link Profile – Incorrect Definitions
The semantic approach to the term "link profile" can lead someone inexperienced in SEO to inaccurate definitions of this term. Many people might interpret this phenomenon as, for example, links from social media profiles or online forums. This isn't a good approach. Still others approach the topic from a different angle. If someone mentions a profile, they might start thinking about its shape and confuse it with, for example, friendly URL links or the process of internal linking. Unfortunately, this is also a misconception, although these are also very important definitions for every SEO specialist.
Link profile research methodology
If we want to finally answer the question of what a link profile actually is , we need to approach the topic from a bird's eye view. This means considering the collected data or a reliable sample comprehensively. This is the most important thing when examining this aspect, because without such an approach, we will end up failing – without achieving our goal and without any prospects for the future. Now that we know the simplified research methodology, let's move on to the proper definition of this concept.
Link Profile Definition
A link profile is a complete set of links leading to our website. The quality of a link profile is assessed based on an analysis of its origin, type, and anchor text. The link profile also includes an assessment of the quality-to-quantity ratio of links through systematic monitoring of these metrics.
(The rest of the article can be found below the form)
Link profile research
Researching this phenomenon is an ongoing process for any self-respecting SEO specialist. It involves continuous analysis of links pointing to a website, taking into account both current and historical data. The goal of this process is to ensure that a given website has an appropriate portfolio of links leading to the website, which will impact its search engine visibility . Below, we will discuss the individual elements of such analysis.
Link sources
Let's imagine the internet as a vast ocean of content. This ecosystem is composed of fish, which for the sake of this metaphor can be considered individual websites. Links, in this case, are the food these creatures need to thrive and survive in this environment. If our fish are fed sludge, they will either weaken significantly or be completely devoured by larger predators. Therefore, it's important to remember that our fish must be ensured proper growth through a proper diet composed of the right nutrients in the form of the highest quality links . This may seem simple, but it's important to remember that competition in this water is fierce, and the fishing nets of Google's fishing boats will quickly eliminate improperly fed tuna and mackerel. Following the example from above, that is, Ewa Chodakowska, we should adopt a varied diet, because it is precisely through this that we will achieve the greatest strength in these dangerous waters – especially if we are interested in expanding from the Baltic to the Atlantic.
Coming back down to earth, let's examine where these links might be coming from. Links should be diversified, meaning they should come from a variety of sources, including:
- sponsored articles (preferably links from paid and valuable portals with traffic, containing thematically related and unique content);
- forum posts (this method is becoming obsolete, as forums are starting to die out due to the growing power of social media, but it is a good idea to diversify sources);
- internet directories (another method that is becoming less and less relevant in terms of SEO over time; if you decide to use links from directories, choose only those that have some value);
- online newspapers (if you run a local business, try to get an article published on the online portal of newspapers from your region; if you run a business in a larger area, consider cooperating with a newspaper or a trade magazine);
- entries on back-end websites (creating a network of back-end websites and additional landing pages is also an attractive way to acquire links, remember that your back-end websites should not become link farms but reliable satellite websites);
- blog comments (comment on interesting entries by placing a link to your own website in your profile – remember, don't whisper, just comment!);
- affiliate links (you attended a conference, conducted a training course, or the manufacturer of the products you sell has a strong website – try contacting them to place an affiliate link);
- social media (SEOs will probably say that this is stupid because of their limited usefulness in the context of positioning, I think that this topic is interesting and future-oriented – do it in your free time, if only because of the increase in traffic on the website);
- expert content (when running a business, you become an expert over time, so it's worth participating in industry websites and sharing your knowledge – great benefits: you gain links and authority for yourself and your company);
- SWL (link exchange system – a method I do not recommend, although there are probably some magicians who will pour eswuela…);
- ark of the covenant (there are such links that we search for our whole lives and cannot find them, but if by some miracle we discover them, we will be raised to a pedestal of visibility for centuries, centuries, etc.).
So which sources should you use? Ideally, all of those described positively above. It's worth remembering not to focus on a single method and to approach everything thoughtfully. It's important to remember that the presented list of sources is open-ended – seek and you shall find.
Types of external links
In this context, there are essentially two types of links: follow links and no-follow links. So let's discuss which are more beneficial and why it's still worth using both.
No-follow links
We'll start with links that are generally considered unfavorable. In my opinion, the word "unfavorable" isn't appropriate here. Imagine we're in a park. The sun is shining, the temperature feels like 28 degrees Celsius, and everyone is smiling at us. Today, in this park, a well-known local entrepreneur, Mr. Gerard, is handing out free cotton candy at the fountain. Three paths lead to the square by the fountain. Additionally, you can also access it via two well-trodden paths (one from the west, the other from the east). These permanent paths mean that Mrs. Dagmara and her three children: 4-year-old Antoś, 3-year-old Zosia, and six-month-old Helenka, can only reach the cotton candy stand via these designated paths. While it's true that it's possible to reach this promised land for children using well-trodden paths, imagine how poor Dagmara could navigate such bumpy roads with two small children and one toddler in a stroller? That would be a rather inappropriate move. So let's get to the point:
- our Lady Dagmark is a Google robot that moves only on designated routes;
- fixed avenues are follow links, i.e. those that can be navigated by the robot, aka Dagmara;
- trodden paths are no-follow links that will not be used by the robot;
- and the cotton wool stand is our website.
Follow links
The conclusions are obvious. Follow links are links that will directly bring power to our website. So, are no-follow links bad? No, they're not. No-follow links may not bring us value, but added occasionally, they can enhance our link profile – which will be discussed later in the text. I think we'll also agree with the thesis that these types of links (paths) can additionally indicate a website's popularity and don't negate the fact that if they don't reach a Google robot, they won't bring us visits from regular users.
Sponsored links
This parameter is intended for sponsored or affiliate links. This designation was introduced in 2019. Google officially encourages the use of rel=”sponsored” , but you can also use rel=”nofollow” without any consequences.
UGC links
This parameter can be used to mark user-generated content . Rel=”ugc” was created in response to the massive amount of spam that appeared (and continues to appear) on internet forums, in comments on portal posts, and in blogs as part of word-of-mouth marketing.
Types of links
The most popular way to add links is to add them directly in the text. These types of links are probably common knowledge among every internet user. However, I might surprise many by saying that this isn't the only method of adding links. The standard methods include:
- text links (links that we encounter in the text);
- graphic links (placed under an image);
- links from frames (links inserted into the code using an iframe);
- links from redirects (redirection from domain A to B).
In this case, it's worth remembering that, by default, we'll get the most links from text. However, when creating a linking strategy, it's worth considering some diversification in this regard. It's better to add a few ingredients, because a soup with just salt will be unappetizing. But if you add a bit of pepper, marjoram, and a pinch of rosemary, you can count on a tasty morsel in the eyes of our greatest gourmet, Uncle Google.
Anchors in links
If you've made it this far, I sincerely admire you. You were clearly waiting for a bit of perversion, so I won't disappoint you here either. Once, while working with a marketing mining company (a company that deals exclusively with link mining), I overheard one of the link builders humming a Maryla Rodowicz song, but in a completely different version. All I managed to catch was the quote, "because what excites us is called an anchor..." At that stage in my life, I wasn't yet drawn to anchors in text, so it was difficult for me to understand. This aspect may not have changed much for me today, but I know from experience that anchors are more of a passion of SEO experts from the past. My years of observation show that they are worth using, but not at all costs.
I'll answer as follows: yes, it's possible, but is it really beneficial to use it despite its visibility? In my opinion, probably not. It's similar online, as anchors are often synonymous with keywords and look unattractive and a bit "spammy" in even the most interesting text. If you have the opportunity to place a link on a really busy website, consider whether it's worth including a brand link or a regular URL leading to the page. An anchor is simply text that contains a link. When it comes to using them, I also recommend variety, so as not to use just one anchor word consistently.
From experience, I suggest adding keywords in anchors, but in a way that doesn't raise any doubts or unnecessary embarrassment. Finally, let's list the types of anchors:
- zero-match anchor text (e.g. “click here”, “see article”);
- exact-match anchor (e.g. “positioning Kielce”, “responsive websites”);
- partial-match anchor (e.g. “we recommend our responsive websites” – part of the anchor is a phrase and part is not);
- branded anchor (e.g. “verseo.pl”, “Verseo”).
Link quality to quantity ratio
If we were to examine this metric manually, it would make the task much more difficult. Thanks to the development of the SEO industry, we have tools to approximate this ratio. The goal is to achieve a ratio of approximately 1. This means that after dividing the quality factor by the quantity factor (for those in the know, this is just an approximation to explain the problem), our calculator should produce a 1. I personally use Majestic for this purpose, where you can quickly check this without having to sweat creating formulas in a spreadsheet. An example is below.
Therefore, it's best if Trust Flow divided by Citation Flow is as close to 1 as possible. However, I'll warn you that this is difficult to achieve, so it shouldn't be a goal in itself.
Natural link profile
An external linking strategy should always be developed meticulously. The guiding principle of every link builder should be to work thoughtfully. One of an SEO specialist's worst nightmares can be a thoughtless link builder (also known as a link miner or link digger), which can lead to a lot of frustration. When it comes to link building, more important than just looking at numbers and metrics is creating a natural link profile, which is an extremely desirable feature of a website in the SEO process . We can achieve this by remembering the GAD (Head – Authority – Diversification) methodology. I think everyone can already guess what I'm talking about.
Google Filters – What is it?
If Google detects practices that violate search engine recommendations, it may impose a filter on a website or part of it. We wrote in detail about Google filters in an extensive article on our blog: Google Penalties – Is Your Website Facing the Specter of Ban?
However, let us recall the basic information about Google filters in a nutshell.
Filters are divided into:
- Handmade – imposed directly by a Google employee. Information about a possible manual filter can be found in the Google Search Console. While it's possible to remove a manual penalty, it can sometimes take several months.
- Algorithmic – applied by the Google algorithm, so they can only be removed by an algorithm update. Data about the algorithmic filter applied is not visible in GSC, making it very difficult to detect.
What both types of filters have in common is that they are definitely best avoided – they are difficult to remove and negatively impact a website's rankings. One reason for applying filters may be that Google detects an unnatural link profile. Today, the algorithm can detect excessively intense, unnatural-looking link building . Even acquiring very attractive links from the largest domains, but in too short a time and in too large a quantity, can result in a penalty from Google.
The answer to this is link pillowing , or in other words, link profile diversification.
Link pillowing – what does it mean?
When working to improve your website's SEO ranking, be sure to diversify your link profile. Use both dofollow and nofollow links, and use different anchor texts and alt texts for image links. To avoid filters, it's also helpful (and fair) to mark sponsored and affiliate links with the rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" parameter. According to John Mueller of Google, this will further ensure your website's visibility without exposing it to filters. Avoid placing multiple links in a short period of time – an SEO offensive must be conducted sensibly.
And here's a version for the lazy – a video about what a link profile is. 🙂
Link Profile FAQs
A link profile is a collection of all external links (backlinks) that lead to your website from other domains online. It represents your website's profile in the eyes of search engine robots and is one of the most important pillars of positioning (off-site SEO).
Search engines treat links from other websites as virtual "endorsements" or recommendations. If your website is linked from popular and trusted sites, the Google algorithm considers it credible and expert, which translates directly into higher rankings in search results.
An SEO-safe link profile shouldn't appear artificially generated. It's primarily characterized by:
- Diversity: it comes from many different, independent domains.
- Natural growth: links are acquired systematically and evenly over time (without sudden jumps).
- Varied anchor text: anchor texts contain keywords, brand (company) names, URLs, and natural phrases like "click here."
- A mix of attributes: contains both dofollow links that convey positioning power and neutral nofollow links.
A free and basic solution is Google Search Console (in the "Links" tab). However, if you want to conduct a more in-depth audit, check historical link growth, or view your competitors' link profiles, you should use advanced commercial tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, or Semrush.
Toxic links are links from very low-quality sites (e.g., automated link farms, unsecure directories, spammy sites). A large number of them can lead to a Google penalty and a drastic drop in a site's ranking.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
Explains what misconceptions and incorrect definitions of "link profile" appear among SEO beginners.
Describes a general approach to link profile research – emphasizing the need to analyze it holistically and based on broad data.
It outlines the different types of external links and their importance, pointing out that both dofollow and nofollow have their place in an SEO strategy.
It discusses the main types of links used in SEO – text, image, frame and redirect – and encourages you to diversify them.
Explains what Google filters are, why they are applied, and how an unnatural link profile can lead to a decrease in a website's visibility.
Explains what link pillowing is – i.e. diversifying your link profile – and how it helps avoid filters and supports the natural development of a website's visibility.
