Backlinks or inbound links are invaluable assets in search engine optimization because it helps to improve search rankings. Inbound rinks as ranking signals, and its quality or the way Google weighs it determines how it impacts rankings. However, the links must be from high-quality websites that enjoy considerable authority and are relevant to the linking website. Moreover, the number of links accumulated does not impact ranking because quality reigns supreme. What separates a high-value link from a low-value link in the context of the link. And this is where contextual links come into the picture. These clickable text links remain inserted in the content of the webpage that helps to discover the context or the related idea of the content. Using such links is part of an advanced SEO strategy that helps build the website’s authority that impacts ranking.
Contextual links explained
The link must point to a source that provides additional context to qualify as a contextual link. The paragraph must have similar ideas expressed through the link, which means that the link’s content must behave similarly to the ideas expressed in the paragraph. These links can be natural or artificial. Natural links would voluntarily link to some other relevant website for providing additional context. Manually posted links are artificial. A typical example of an artificial link is when you write a guest post and place a link tactfully within it for linking back to your website. The link’s value depends on its intelligent placement because contextual links enhance the credibility of your website among the search engines and boost SEO scores. Websites with such links gain high popularity, which helps improve the page ranking.
Links that add value
Links that have a deep connection to the context or magnify the context are precious from an SEO perspective as it intends to convey more value to readers. Never would these links cause any distraction because of the relevance to the context. The links should flow naturally within the content so that readers get some hint about the page they would reach on clocking the link. However, it is essential not to confuse a contextual link with an anchor text. Anchor text is the clickable link, whereas the surrounding text defines a contextual link. Usually, a link’s anchor text could be relevant to the web page it is linking. But, if the text or content surrounding the link is irrelevant, then it does not qualify as a contextual link.
For search engines, a contextual link is of higher value than any other link and a Google ranking factor for search engines. Context is important because users derive a superior experience understanding the context. When readers click on a link only to reach a page that seems like a continuation of the content they were looking at earlier, it gives them a more fulfilling experience. The interest in the content grows because of the additional information they could gather by clicking on the contextual link.
Quality over quantity – the link building guideline
Accumulating high-quality links provides a strong foundation for link building which means gathering links from relevant websites instead of placing links that take readers to places they find no interest. The placement of the link must make enough sense with the context. A contextual link is a hundred times better than a hundred low-quality links. The more such links you can accumulate higher will be the value of your website. The quality of links impacts the crawling by the search bots as the bots can assess how closely they relate to similar URLs on the web.
Every contextual link is a ranking factor.
Before Google’s Penguin algorithm update in 2012, Google page rank was determined solely on links. More links pointing to a website increased the website authority, and it means that the number of links helped improve rankings. But in 2012, the Penguin algorithm update underlined the value of links as a ranking factor, ending spammy link building techniques prevalent till then.
Although Google does not officially admit that contextual links are ranking factors, there is no doubt about their impact on ranking.
