Backlinks: What They Are & Why They Matter
A plain-English guide for anyone who wants to understand how backlinks help your website get found on Google.
What is a backlink?
A backlink is simply a link on someone else’s website that points to your website.
For example, if the NZ Herald published an article and included a clickable link to professionaliq.co.nz, that link is a backlink to your site. You didn’t put it there; they did. That’s what makes it valuable.
Why do backlinks matter?
Backlinks are one of the most important factors Google uses to decide which websites appear at the top of search results. Here’s why they matter for your business:
1. They boost your Google ranking
Google sees backlinks as endorsements. The more quality backlinks your site has, the more Google trusts it, and the higher it appears in search results. If someone in Auckland searches “financial planning NZ” and your site has strong backlinks, you’re more likely to appear on page one instead of page five.
2. They bring visitors directly to your site
Beyond the Google ranking benefit, people click on backlinks. If a popular industry blog links to your website, their readers may click through and become your next client or student. This is called referral traffic — and it’s often high quality because those visitors already trust the site that linked to you.
3. They build your credibility
When well-known or respected websites link to yours, it signals to both Google and real people that your business is legitimate and trustworthy. For a financial services group like Profsee, this is especially important trust is everything in your industry.
Quality over quantity
Not all backlinks are equal. One link from a trusted, well-known site (like our own ) are worth more than links from random, low-quality websites. Google is smart enough to tell the difference, and spammy backlinks can hurt your ranking.
Good backlinks vs. bad backlinks
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✅ Good backlinks |
❌ Bad backlinks |
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From reputable, trusted websites |
From spammy or unrelated websites |
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Relevant to your industry (finance, education, NZ business) |
No connection to your business at all |
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Earned naturally through good content |
Bought in bulk from a link farm |
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Placed within genuine, useful content |
Hidden in footers or comment sections |
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From a site that real people visit |
From sites that exist purely to sell links |
Reciprocal backlinks
You can’t just ask Google for backlinks. Parties have to agree to put them in place.
As business partners, our proposal is to have reciprocal backlinks on each other’s websites.
For Professional IQ, we will add your link to our Blog and/or Employment Partners page, and where relevant, include it on other pages that relate to your services.
For Dacreed, we will include backlinks on a Partners / Recommended Businesses page, as well as within relevant platform, compliance, or training-related content where it makes sense.
If you’re not sure where to put this, here are a couple of easy options:
Option 1 (best option):
Create a simple page called “Partners”, “Recommended Businesses”, or “Who We Work With”.
On this page, you can:
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Add our business name (Professional IQ) and our logo – click here for our logo
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Write 1–2 sentences about what we do for example Professional IQ is one of New Zealand’s leading providers of education and training for those working in the insurance and financial services industries.
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Include a link to our website – https://professionaliq.co.nz/
Option 2 (quick and easy):
Add a short mention and link to us on an existing page, like:
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Your homepage example: “Proud to partner with Professional IQ,
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Your services page example: “Training supported by Professional IQ”
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A blog or resources page example: “Recommended: Professional IQ.”
For more information on Backlinks and how to put them on your website contact Morgan at morgan.howard@professionaliq.co.nz
Quick summary
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What is a backlink? |
A link on someone else’s website that points to your website. |
|
Why do they matter? |
They’re one of the biggest factors in how Google ranks your site in search results. |
|
What makes a good one? |
It comes from a trusted, relevant website and is earned naturally. |
|
What makes a bad one? |
It’s bought, spammy, or from a completely unrelated site. |
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How do you get them? |
Create great content, build partnerships, get featured in publications, and list in directories. |
Want to learn more?
Google’s own guide to how search works explains how links and other signals help determine search rankings. It’s written in plain English and is the most authoritative source available:
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