Off-Page SEO & Links

Backlink

Quick Definition

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Backlinks remain one of the top three ranking signals.

In context

Quality matters far more than quantity. A single editorial link from a major Canadian publication is worth thousands of forum links. Earned, relevant, contextual backlinks are the only kind that move rankings sustainably.

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Related terms

Resource Page

A resource page is a curated list of useful links on a specific topic, often hosted by industry associations, universities, or authoritative blogs.

PBN (Private Blog Network)

A PBN is a network of websites built or acquired specifically to link to a target site for ranking manipulation.

Paid Link

A paid link is any link acquired in exchange for money or other consideration. Paid links must be marked rel='sponsored' or rel='nofollow'.

URL Rating (UR)

URL Rating is Ahrefs's per-page version of Domain Rating — a 0–100 score for individual page backlink strength.

Digital PR Campaign

A digital PR campaign is a coordinated outreach effort to earn links and mentions from journalists and editorial publications — typically built around a research report, data release, or newsworthy hook.

Citation Flow

Citation Flow is Majestic's 0–100 metric measuring the quantity of links pointing to a page or site.

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