What Is Editorial Link?
An editorial link is a link to your website that another site adds on its own because it truly likes or trusts your content. You do not pay for it or beg for it. The link sits inside a normal article, blog post, news story, or guide, as part of the writer own words.
Definition
An editorial link is a natural backlink that a writer or editor chooses to place in their content to help readers. It points to a page that gives extra value, such as deeper information, data, tools, or a useful product. The key point is that the link is earned by quality, not bought or forced.
Why Editorial Link Matters
Editorial links matter for several reasons.
- Trust signal for search engines When honest websites link to you by choice, it tells Google and other search engines that your site is reliable and worth ranking.
- Better rankings A few strong editorial links can help your pages move higher in search results more than many weak or spammy links.
- Real visitors Readers who click these links are often very interested in your topic, so they stay longer and are more likely to subscribe, share, or buy.
- Brand reputation Being linked from trusted blogs, news sites, or experts makes your brand look more professional and respected.
How Editorial Link Works
Here is how editorial links usually happen.
- You publish something truly useful, such as a detailed guide, a study, a free tool, or a very clear explanation.
- A blogger, journalist, or expert finds your content while researching their own article.
- They think your page will help their readers understand the topic better.
- They add a sentence that mentions your page and include a clickable link to it inside their article.
- Search engines crawl that page, see the link, and treat it as a high quality vote for your site.
Editorial Link vs Related Terms
Editorial links are different from other types of links.
- Editorial link vs paid link A paid link is placed because someone gave money or free items in return for the link. An editorial link is added only because the writer thinks your content is helpful.
- Editorial link vs directory link A directory link comes from a list of sites inside a directory. An editorial link is inside real content that people read, like articles and blog posts.
- Editorial link vs guest post link In a guest post, you write the article and add links to yourself. With an editorial link, another person writes the article and chooses to link to you.
Example of Editorial Link
Imagine you run a website that shares a clear, free calculator for monthly loan payments. A popular money blog writes an article about how to plan a budget. In that article, they say
“You can use this simple loan calculator to see your monthly payments.”
The words “this simple loan calculator” are a clickable link that goes to your page. You did not ask, trade, or pay for this link. The blogger added it only to help readers. That is an editorial link.
FAQs
Is an editorial link always good for SEO
Most editorial links are very good for SEO, especially when they come from trusted, relevant websites. However links from low quality or spammy sites help less.
How can I get more editorial links
Create content that others want to share, such as original research, clear how to guides, free tools, or useful templates. Promote your work to the right audience, such as bloggers and journalists, but do not push them to link. Let them decide.
Are editorial links safe from Google penalties
Yes, genuine editorial links are what search engines want to reward. Problems come mainly from paid, fake, or manipulative links, not from honest editorial links.
Do editorial links need special anchor text
No. The anchor text the clickable words should look natural in the sentence. It can be your brand name, the page title, or simple words like “this guide” or “this tool”.
Can social media posts count as editorial links
Social posts with links can send traffic and attention, but they usually do not pass the same ranking power as editorial links from normal website pages.
