Backlinks, sometimes referred to as trackbacks or inbound links, are links on other sites that direct users back to your own (this jargon business really isn't too bad is it?). Now, backlinks are pretty important from an SEO perspective, as they can have a big impact on your website’s search rankings. If lots of sites are linking back to your own, it tells search engines that your site is a pretty big deal, one worth talking notice of.

That’s not to say the more backlinks the better; not all links are created equal. Only quality backlinks will give your site more weight in search engine rankings. Links to sites that are completely irrelevant to your own, broken links and links to sites in bad neighbourhoods can all negatively affect your SEO.

But what’s a bad neighbourhood? Well I'm glad you asked, avid reader. A bad neighbourhood, is a server that hosts websites that spam or use other objectionable practices. If your site is hosted on the same server, you can risk being tarred with the same brush and being penalised by search engines.

Now, before getting any deeper into this jargon buster within a jargon buster, quality backlinks (as well as the SEO benefits) will also drive traffic back to your website. So, if you know that your business is mentioned elsewhere on the web, check that it links back to your own site. If there isn't one, there’s no harm in sending a friendly email. Just remember, never use underhand practices for acquiring more backlinks, build them up naturally over time and you will start to see the benefits in your rankings.