Link building glossary

The clickable text of the link — what the reader actually clicks. An anchor repeated too often on the exact keyword being targeted ("cheap backlinks" on dozens of links) forms an unnatural link profile that Google can detect; a brand, URL or generic anchor ("this site", "read more") stays the safer default for most purchased links.

A Majestic metric measuring how many links point to a page, without judging their quality. Always read alongside Trust Flow: a high Citation Flow with a low Trust Flow often signals a site with plenty of low-quality links, a profile typical of spam networks.

An HTML attribute on the link. A "DoFollow" link (the absence of rel="nofollow") passes link equity to the target site; a "NoFollow" link tells search engines to disregard it for ranking. A purchased link should in principle carry rel="sponsored", a nofollow variant built specifically for paid content.

A Moz proprietary metric, scored 0 to 100, comparable in principle to Ahrefs's Domain Rating but computed from a different link index: the two scores often diverge for the same site, which is normal and does not mean one of them is wrong.

An Ahrefs proprietary metric, scored 0 to 100, estimating the strength of an entire domain's link profile from the links pointing to it. It is the metric platforms cite most often when selling a link, but a high DR can be inflated by a handful of outsized links: cross-checking against the domain's real organic traffic gives a more reliable picture.

The share of orders a publisher actually agrees to run, a metric some platforms display to separate a site that genuinely filters its content from one that publishes whatever it is sent. A low rate can signal real editorial control; a 100% rate can signal the opposite.

A payment mechanism where the platform holds the buyer's funds until the link is actually placed and confirmed, before paying the publisher. It protects the buyer against an order that is paid but never delivered; its absence on a platform is a signal worth taking seriously.

A manual or algorithmic action that lowers a site's ranking when it is judged to have manipulated its link profile. A manual action is reported in Google Search Console and can be lifted after a fix; an algorithmic action (such as SpamBrain updates) is never reported individually and shows up as an unexplained drop in organic traffic.

Google's free tools for measuring, respectively, a site's indexing and search traffic (GSC) and its overall traffic (GA4). When a platform shares this data for a site in its catalogue, it represents a higher level of transparency than third-party metrics alone: these figures come directly from Google, not an external tool's estimate.

An article written to be published on a third party's site, containing one or more links to the buyer's site. The most common format on marketplaces, usually offered with or without copywriting included: without it, the buyer must supply publish-ready copy.

A commitment, usually for a fixed period (e.g. 21 days), to replace or refund a link if Google has not indexed the page carrying it within that window. A guarantee is only worth what it is actually honoured in practice — other buyers' feedback remains the best way to check it.

A commitment to keep a link live for a stated period (e.g. 6 or 12 months), with replacement if it is pulled early. Distinct from an indexing guarantee: a link can stay live without ever being indexed, or be indexed and then removed despite the guarantee.

The full set of links pointing to a site, considered for its diversity: types of referring domains, anchor distribution, a mix of natural and acquired links. A profile that is too uniform (same anchors, same site types, purchases bunched in time) draws search engines' attention even if each link looks fine in isolation.

A platform connecting link buyers with real, independently owned publisher sites. The buyer picks the site, sees its metrics before purchasing, and the link runs on a third-party site with its own audience — the model closest to a classic editorial placement.

Adding a link into an article that is already published and already indexed, instead of publishing a brand-new article. The link benefits from the host page's existing ranking, usually at a lower cost than a guest post, but depends entirely on the publisher not removing the insertion later.

A network of sites owned by the same entity, used to sell or rent links to client sites. Entry prices are often very low, but the SEO community distrusts these networks: a rented link disappears if the subscription stops, and if a search engine detects a PBN, it can de-index every site in the network at once.

A permanent link stays in place indefinitely after purchase, with no recurring payment. A rented link (common on networks) only stays visible while a subscription keeps being paid, and disappears once payment stops: a rented link's low entry price hides a recurring cost that a one-time headline price does not show.

A distinct domain that hosts at least one link to your site. The number of referring domains generally matters more than the raw link count: ten links from ten different domains outweigh a hundred links all posted on the same one.

The attribute Google recommends for any paid link, including affiliate links and purchased backlinks. It explicitly discloses a commercial relationship without penalising the site displaying it, unlike an undeclared DoFollow link, which can be read as an attempt to manipulate rankings.

Metrics computed by SEO tools independent of the platform selling the link (Ahrefs, Majestic, Moz, Similarweb...), shown on a site listing to substantiate its quality. They remain estimates, not verified facts: two tools rarely agree on the same figure for the same site, and some platforms only display the ones that flatter them.

A link that does not point to your site directly, but to a page that itself links to you (a tier-1 link). The goal is to strengthen that intermediary page's authority so the link it passes on carries more weight. Common on networks, rarer and more debated on marketplaces that sell direct links.

A Majestic proprietary metric, scored 0 to 100, estimating a site's trustworthiness based on the quality of the sites linking to it, not their count. A site with few but reputable linking domains can carry a high Trust Flow despite a modest Citation Flow.