What is a link in digital marketing?

It starts small, but it starts well. A single high-quality link can open doors for you that a hundred bad links never will. Be patient, be consistent and always prioritize value.

What is a link?

A link is a hyperlink that connects two contents on the Internet and can be within your own website or come from another domain. The way in which this union is made is through text or image. Technically it is created with HTML using the tag <a href="...">

Links are very useful, since they allow the user and bots to navigate a website from one URL to another.

However, in digital marketing its meaning is much deeper: it is a sign of trust, relevance and popularity.

Google interprets each link as a vote: “this page has valuable information”. And the more votes you receive from other websites (as long as they are of quality), the more likely you are to appear well positioned in search results.

Types of links and how they affect your strategy

1. Internal links

They are the ones that connect pages within your own website. They help to better structure your content, facilitate navigation and distribute the SEO “weight” between your pages.

An example ⬇️

<a href="/como-empezar-en-seo">How to get started in SEO</a>

Here we are saying that within a page of tusitio.com, if you click on the link, you will be redirected to the URL How to get started in SEO, that is, to this URL:

https://tusitio.com/como-empezar-en-seo

My advice: Use descriptive and natural anchor words. Instead of saying “click here,” say something like a “beginner's guide to SEO.” It improves both the user experience and Google's interpretation.

2. External links (outbound)

They are those that lead from your website to another page outside your domain. Although it seems contradictory, linking to other quality sources improves your credibility, since it shows that your content is substantiated.

My advice: Avoid linking to low-quality or unrelated websites. Your reputation is also affected by who you relate to.

3. Backlinks (inbound links)

This is the most important type of link in SEO. These are the links that come from other websites to your site. And although we all want to have thousands, the key is quality, not quantity.

A single backlink from a relevant and authoritative website can be worth more than hundreds of low-level links.

My advice: Don't buy links or use automated tools. Not only does that not work, but it can penalize you. It is committed to building real relationships and offering content that others want to cite.

You might also be interested in this...

Difference between links and referring domains

4. Attributes: Dofollow vs Nofollow

Dofollow: This is the default value. The link conveys authority and allows Google to follow it.

Nofollow: It is marked with rel="nofollow”. It tells the search engine that it should not follow it or transmit authority. Ideal for comments, sponsored links or links from unreliable sites.

My advice: If you have a website with active comments, always nofollow those links. Protect your profile from backlinks.

Why links are still important in 2025

Despite advances in artificial intelligence and constant changes in algorithms, links are still one of the main factors in ranking in Google. Not only that, they help to:

• Distribute PageRank (Google's link rating system)
• Index new pages faster
• Improve the user experience
• Gain notoriety in your niche

But be careful 👁️: accumulating links is no longer enough. Now, Google understands context, intent, and naturalness. So if your link strategy seems artificial or manipulated, it will most likely take a toll on you.

You might also be interested in this:

How to check backlinks in Google Search Console

How to build links that really add up

I can assure you that there are no magic shortcuts in link building. What does work is to work with patience, creativity and consistency.

✅ Create content that others want to share

There is no substitute for real value. Complete guides, original studies, useful infographics... anything that solves a problem or provides knowledge.

Practical example: I once did a comparative study on free SEO tools. In less than three months, I had more than 50 natural backlinks from educational blogs and specialized communities.

✅ Contact relevant people (no spam)

Outreach works, but it has to be personalized and respectful. Don't send generic templates. Research who might be interested in your content and clearly explain why they're interested in collaborating with you.

✅ Guest blogging with discretion

Publishing in media in your industry helps you gain visibility and links. But don't post anywhere. Look for websites with real traffic, active readers and a good reputation.

✅ Claim lost mentions

If someone talks about you or your brand and hasn't linked to you, you can ask nicely. It's a very effective tactic, especially if they're already mentioning competitors.

If you want to know more about creating articles, visit this article:

How to create links for my website

A link isn't just a technical link between two pages. It's a way to connect with users, to demonstrate authority, to build trust and, above all, to improve your organic positioning.

And although today Google no longer looks only at the number of links, it continues to pay attention to quality, relevance and naturalness. Therefore, if you want to grow in the world of SEO, invest time in building a solid, coherent and strategic link network.