A backlink is a hyperlink from another website pointing to yours, and links earned through genuine press coverage are generally treated as a natural signal of a page's importance. Paid or manipulative links, including optimized anchor text in distributed press releases, must be marked with rel='sponsored' or 'nofollow' to comply with search engine policy.
A backlink is a hyperlink on another web resource that points to a given page, also called an inbound or incoming link. Search engines treat backlinks as one signal of a page's importance and authority: broadly, the more links a page earns from other credible, topically relevant sites, the more weight that page tends to carry in search systems, though search algorithms weigh many other factors as well.
Links earned because a journalist covered a genuine story and linked to the source are treated differently from links placed for the purpose of manipulating rankings. Google's spam policies specifically call out optimized anchor text links placed in guest posts or press releases distributed on other sites as a form of link spam when their purpose is to pass ranking credit rather than to help a reader. Google also states plainly that buying or selling links is a normal part of the web's advertising economy and is not itself a violation, provided the links are marked with a rel='sponsored' or rel='nofollow' attribute.
For a communications team, the practical implication is to seek links that come from being covered, not from placing optimized links, and to make sure any link the organization pays to place, such as inside a distributed release, is properly marked so it complies with search engine policy rather than being flagged as manipulative.
How to: 1) Focus outreach on earning genuine coverage rather than placing links for their own sake. 2) If a distributed press release includes a link back to your site, use a plain link rather than heavily optimized anchor text. 3) If a link is paid for or part of a sponsorship, mark it with rel='sponsored' or rel='nofollow'. 4) Track coverage and its links as a measure of real relationships, not just as a ranking tactic.
QUESTIONS
What is a backlink?
It is a hyperlink from another website that points to your page, also called an inbound or incoming link. Search engines generally treat backlinks, especially from credible and relevant sources, as one signal of a page's importance.
Are links in distributed press releases considered spam?
They can be, specifically when the anchor text is optimized to pass ranking credit rather than to help a reader. Google's spam policies explicitly name this pattern in press releases and guest posts distributed on other sites.
Do I need to mark paid links with anything special?
Yes. Google states that paid or sponsored links must carry a rel='sponsored' or rel='nofollow' attribute to comply with its policies; buying and selling links is not itself prohibited, but leaving them unmarked as ordinary links is.
Is a link from real press coverage the same as a paid link?
No. A link a journalist adds because they genuinely chose to cover and cite your organization is treated as an earned, natural link, distinct from a link your organization paid to place, which must be marked accordingly.
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