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A backlink is an incoming link from another website. If an industry publication links to your research, that link is a backlink to your research page.
Backlinks can act like recommendations, but that analogy has limits. A website might link to another page to endorse it, cite a source, criticize a claim, display an advertisement, or share user-submitted content. A link isn’t automatically a vote of confidence.
Search engines use links to discover pages and help evaluate their relevance and importance. A relevant editorial link can also send interested visitors directly to your website. The value of a backlink depends on its source, context, placement, and other characteristics. Collecting large numbers of links doesn’t guarantee stronger rankings.
Manipulative link schemes can violate Google’s spam policies. Buying links to influence rankings or participating in schemes designed to manufacture ranking signals can create problems. However, receiving unsolicited links from weak or irrelevant websites doesn’t automatically damage your rankings. Google generally assesses which links to trust, and most sites don’t need to disavow incoming links.
Focus on publishing useful material, building relevant relationships, and earning links that make sense for readers. Outreach is one way to help people discover your content; it isn’t a requirement for every valuable backlink.
Other definitions that help explain the idea.
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