Reference · Link Building & GEO
Contents
- 1 Link Building & SEO Glossary
- 1.0.1 Backlink
- 1.0.2 Domain Rating (DR)
- 1.0.3 White-Hat Link Building
- 1.0.4 Anchor Text
- 1.0.5 Guest Post
- 1.0.6 Niche Edit
- 1.0.7 Editorial Link
- 1.0.8 Topical Authority
- 1.0.9 GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
- 1.0.10 AI Citation
- 1.0.11 White-Label
- 1.0.12 Referring Domain
- 1.0.13 Link Velocity
- 1.0.14 SERP
- 1.0.15 Organic Traffic
- 1.0.16 Do-Follow vs No-Follow
- 1.1 Related Resources
- 1.2 Want an expert to handle the strategy?
Link Building & SEO Glossary
Clear, jargon-free definitions of the link building, SEO, and AI-search terms you’ll actually encounter when growing your rankings.
New to link building or trying to make sense of an agency proposal? These are the core concepts, explained simply.
Backlink
A link from one website to another. Search engines treat backlinks as votes of confidence — the more high-quality, relevant sites that link to you, the more authority your pages earn.
Domain Rating (DR)
A 0–100 score estimating a website’s backlink authority. Higher DR sites generally pass more ranking value. Backlinkly guarantees placements on DR 50–90 sites.
White-Hat Link Building
Earning links through legitimate, guideline-compliant methods like editorial outreach and genuine content — the opposite of spammy or manipulative tactics that risk penalties.
Anchor Text
The clickable words that contain a link. A natural, varied anchor-text profile signals authenticity to search engines, while over-optimised anchors can trigger penalties.
Guest Post
An article published on another site that includes a contextual link back to yours. A staple of editorial link building. Guest posts vs niche edits →
Niche Edit
A link inserted into an existing, already-indexed article on a relevant site — often faster than a new guest post. Compare the two →
Editorial Link
A link placed within the body of genuine content because it adds value — the highest-quality, most durable type of backlink.
Topical Authority
How comprehensively and credibly your site covers a subject. Links from topically relevant sources build it faster than random high-DR links.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Optimising your content so it gets cited by AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. The full GEO guide →
AI Citation
A mention or link to your brand inside an AI-generated answer. As buyers research through AI, citations become a new visibility channel alongside classic rankings.
White-Label
A service one company produces and another resells under its own brand. Agencies use white-label link building to offer results without in-house fulfilment. Learn more →
Referring Domain
A unique website that links to you. Ten links from ten different domains typically carry far more weight than ten links from a single site.
Link Velocity
The rate at which a site gains (or loses) backlinks over time. Sudden unnatural spikes can look manipulative; steady growth looks organic.
SERP
Search Engine Results Page — the page of results returned for a query. Higher rankings on the SERP mean more clicks and traffic.
Organic Traffic
Visitors who arrive from unpaid search results. It’s the compounding payoff of effective link building and SEO.
Do-Follow vs No-Follow
A do-follow link passes ranking authority; a no-follow link tells search engines not to. A healthy profile contains a natural mix of both.
Keep Exploring
Related Resources
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