Tier 2 Backlinks in SEO [Definition with Examples]

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What are Tier 2 backlinks or Tier 2 Link building?

When you create a backlink to another backlink, it is called a tier 2 backlink.

It means that if you create a backlink to your own website (such as a guest post, web 2.0, or bookmark), and then create other backlinks to the URL of that backlink, they become tier 2 backlinks.

In alternative words:

Tier 2 backlinks are links that come from websites that are not directly connected to your own website. They are like second-level connections.

It also refers to the second layer of backlinks that are built to support and strengthen the first layer, known as tier 1 backlinks.

To understand this concept, let’s imagine you’re planning a big party.

You want to invite as many people as possible, but you also want to make sure that your friends invite their friends, and those friends invite even more people.

This way, you’ll have a large group of people attending your party.

In the world of websites, tiered backlinks work similarly.

The main idea is to create a structure of backlinks that involves multiple tiers or levels.

Example Of Tier 2 Backlinks

Let’s say you have a website about healthy recipes, and you have managed to obtain a few Tier 1 backlinks from reputable cooking blogs.

These Tier 1 backlinks are direct links pointing to your website.

Now, to create Tier 2 backlinks, you would focus on building links to the websites that have already linked to your website.

Here’s an example:

Tier 1 Backlink:
- CookingBlog.com: A popular cooking blog that published an article mentioning your website and linking to one of your healthy recipes.

Tier 2 Backlinks (links to CookingBlog.com):
- FitnessForum.com: A fitness forum where you engage in discussions and include a link to the article on CookingBlog.com that mentions your website.
- SocialMediaCookingGroup: You join a social media group dedicated to cooking and share a post recommending the article on CookingBlog.com that mentions your website.

In this example, FitnessForum.com and the SocialMediaCookingGroup are Tier 2 backlinks because they are not directly linking to your website but instead linking to CookingBlog.com, which already links to your website.

By building these Tier 2 backlinks, you are indirectly strengthening the credibility and authority of the Tier 1 backlink from CookingBlog.com, which benefits your website in terms of search engine rankings and visibility.

Remember, the key is to focus on relevant and reputable websites or platforms when building Tier 2 backlinks to ensure their effectiveness in enhancing your website’s overall backlink profile.

Why Tier 2 backlinks are important?

Backlinks are like votes that show search engines that a website is trusted and important.

Tier 2 backlinks are special because they connect to other websites that already link to the website you want to promote.

This network of connections makes the website more credible.

When you build Tier 2 backlinks, it improves the overall quality of links and helps the website appear higher in search results.

Search engines like Google pay attention to how many backlinks there are and how good they are.

So, having good Tier 2 backlinks is really important to make a website more popular online.

Following are some benefits of tier 2 backlinks, I have found:

Diversification of backlink profile:

Tier 2 link building diversifies your backlink profile by providing additional sources of validation and signaling to search engines that your website is trusted and relevant.

Amplification of Tier 1 backlinks:

Tier 2 backlinks boost the impact of your Tier 1 backlinks by indirectly supporting and reinforcing their value, ultimately improving the overall effectiveness of your backlink strategy.

Expanded reach and visibility:

With Tier 2 link building, your website gains exposure to a wider audience through the network of websites that link to your Tier 1 backlinks.

Long-term sustainability:

Building a strong network of Tier 2 backlinks establishes a more sustainable and resilient backlink profile, as it reduces reliance on a few individual links and spreads the influence across multiple sources.

Competitive advantage:

Using tier 2 backlinks can help your website rank higher in search results than your competitors who don’t use them.

What are the three layers of backlinks?

Tier 1 backlinks: These are the main backlinks that directly link to your website from other websites. They show that other websites trust and value your content.

Tier 2 backlinks: These backlinks do not link directly to your website but instead link to the websites that have already linked to your website (tier 1 backlinks). They provide support and strengthen the value of your tier 1 backlinks.
Tier 3 backlinks: These backlinks point to the websites that have linked to your tier 1 or tier 2 backlinks. They provide additional support and reinforcement to the previous layers.