The importance of Backlinks in your SEO Marketing Plans

Firstly, let us tackle the question of ‘What is a backlink?‘ – Backlinks, which also go by the name of inbound links, incoming links or one way links are simply the word to phrase links from one website to another website. So a third party website will contain a link to your website thus your website gets itself a (vote) backlink from a third party website.

What is the purpose of backlinks? The most important factor here is their importance towards your ranking on search engines such as Google which use backlinks as a points scoring system to improve your site ranking. The more influential, higher Domain Authority ranked websites that have back links to your website proves to Google that your website is of importance and relevance when it comes to the keywords being searched for.

Ok, so now you ask what is domain authority – The term Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine result pages (SERPs).

So what about the importance of backlinks to your business? Well, I am hoping it is relatively clear from the descriptive explanations above that backlinks can drive more visitors to your website. The better job that you do in obtaining backlinks, ie influence status of third party websites and key word links, then the more targeted traffic you can look to acquire.

Within estate agency the importance of backlinks continues and especially relating to localised keywords and local third party websites. With any business you are looking to base your content around what you do and as an estate agent it will mostly focus on local property and local information – By building backlinks with relevant key words such as ‘property for sale in xxxx‘ or ‘how to buy your first home in xxxxx‘ then you are telling Google that your website is a quality reference point when consumers are typing in such terms on their search engine.

How can you generate backlinks? Here is where the hard work begins, but you will see positive results relatively quickly if you do a decent job. For estate agents looking to build their backlinks I suggest the two following main ways in which to do so:

  • Create quality content that is likely to be shared and quoted: I am sure that many people within marketing realise the importance of quality content and having plenty of it. If you are going to take the time, say for this example in writing a blog, then you should make sure it is in-depth and educational. By writing powerful content and sharing it out as wide as possible (ie social media channels) then it is likely that it will be read, shared and (importantly so) referenced in other people’s blogs. For example if I wrote an article based on ‘10 ways to save money on your first time buyer mortgage‘ and someone reading uses one of my quotes in their article and kindly references where they got it from, then I have achieve a valuable backlink which the value increases depending on the domain authority of that sharing website. As a reverse example, the subject of first time buyer mortgages and saving money I will refer to an article from the website ‘which’ including their quote ‘the best mortgage deals currently available to first-time buyers‘.
  • Guest posting: Another great way in which to get your links on to third party website is to offer them your content for free. Here you will soon realise that the quality of your content (and possibly your profile too) will depend if you get a yes or no or even a request to pay for estate agency themed backlinks*. Nothing stops you approaching local / target websites that you would like to get your content on to with a polite introduction email and a suggestion of a topic. For example you could approach the local blinds company and suggest that you will write an article on how blinds can increase their value / appeal of your home – You will simply request a link back for such a service on relevant key words within the article ie ‘as a local estate agency in xxxxxxx we see many luxury property that are calling out for blinds instead of net curtains‘.

* Another option that is growing in popularity is paying for backlinks. This is usually the process adopted when you employ the services of an SEO company, they will seek both free placements, on your behalf, on to third party websites and sometimes pay if the website has a decent DA.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

How to find out when a property was built and why it’s important to know

A leading provider of niche and specialist insurance to the home insurance market, Stanhope, has provided a step-by-step guide to finding out when a property was built and explained why it is so important for the homeowner to know its age. Matthew Ashton a Director of Stanhope said: “Knowing the property’s age is crucial for…
Read More
Breaking News

Five real estate opportunities to watch in 2026

By Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder at ASK Partners The 2025 Autumn Budget offered limited stimulus for the housing market and, persistent headwinds such as sticky inflation, higher for longer interest rates, elevated construction costs, and slow planning processes continue to impact development viability. But there are still reasons for cautious optimism. The UK economy…
Read More
Breaking News

Autumn Budget 2025: What It Means for Buyers, Renters and Landlords

Budget headlines for the property sector: Landlords and property investors are the most directly affected, with slightly higher tax on rental income and frozen tax thresholds. Very high‑value homeowners (£2m+) face a new recurring annual charge from 2028. Renters don’t see direct tax changes, but may end up paying more in rent due to increased…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Most Searched Locations in 2025

Rightmove reveals some of the trends which defined the 2025 property market, from the most viewed homes to the most searched for locations UK’s top property hotspots: London, Manchester, and Glasgow are the most searched for locations in 2025 Capital crowns: Wimbledon, Fulham, and Chiswick are the most searched-for London spots for buyers, while Canary…
Read More
affordable houses glasgow
Breaking News

Consistent support for apprenticeships helps construction

The Government has announced a £725 million package of reforms to the apprenticeship system, including £140m for a Mayoral pilot programme. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The consistent messaging from politicians that apprenticeships should be valued as highly as degrees is fantastic and will be of great benefit…
Read More
Christmas Decorations - Good or Bad for Selling
Estate Agent Talk

6 tips for a stress-free Christmas move

With an average of 87,000 home sales taking place during the month of December, Property DriveBuy has compiled practical advice for those due to complete this festive season, a time already known for being one of the busiest and most emotionally charged periods of the year. Despite this bringing the potential for a more stressful…
Read More