Simple SEO & Marketing, Ep. 238

What No One Wants to Tell You About Getting High Quality Backlinks for Better SEO
Host: Faith Hanan, Marketing Strategist, Copywriter, Christian Business Coach, Barrel Racer
Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Faith Hanan demystifies the often misunderstood topic of backlinks in SEO. She explains why high-quality backlinks are crucial for improving domain authority, ranking for more competitive keywords, and generating sustainable website traffic. Faith addresses the outdated, “shady” backlink practices of the past and provides honest insight into what it really takes today: patience, authenticity, and relationship-building. Faith shares practical, actionable advice for entrepreneurs seeking to grow their business organically—with a heavy dose of encouragement and real talk about the work involved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What is a Backlink? (03:12)

• A backlink is simply a link from one website to another.
• Backlinks signal to Google and other search engines that your content is valuable and worth referencing.

“A backlink essentially serves a few purposes. One, it shows Google and other search engines that what you are producing is good enough that other people want to reference it.”
— Faith Hanan (04:18)

Why Do Backlinks Matter? (04:35)

• Think of backlinks as “street cred” for your website—just like major basketball players gain respect through iconic moves that get referenced and replicated.
• The more quality sites that reference (link to) your content, the more authority your site gains in Google’s eyes.

“Your website, you want to be the same. And one of the ways you do that is through creating high quality backlinks... It builds your street cred, okay?”
— Faith Hanan (05:13)

Outdated and Shady Backlink Tactics (06:18)

• Old school methods were often spammy—unwanted emails, spam comments, irrelevant or paid-for links.
• Many agencies still offer low-value, mass-produced backlinks that don’t actually help.
• Google is increasingly effective at cracking down on these tactics.

“Old school backlink practices... super, super shady. Like, will you please link to this? No, I don’t even know who you are.”
— Faith Hanan (06:25)

The Real Truth About High-Quality Backlinks (07:12)

• Getting authentic, high-quality backlinks takes real work and time.
• It’s about genuine recommendations and real relationships, not shortcuts.
• Google values links that are editorial and relevant rather than random or paid.

“What nobody wants to tell you about getting high quality backlinks and building your domain authority is this: It takes work, it takes time and it takes work, okay? But in the end, it's going to be worth it because they're genuine.”
— Faith Hanan (07:29)

How to Get High-Quality Backlinks (08:05)

• Genuine Collaborations: Partner or collaborate with other real business owners for mutual backlinking.
• Context Matters: Ensure backlinks make sense—links should be relevant between sites.
• Group Coaching/Masterminds: Engage in group settings (like masterminds or coaching programs) where you naturally connect with others, potentially leading to backlink opportunities.
• Kick-Butt Content: The foundation is excellent content that people actually want to reference.

“You want to pursue backlinks from sites that there’s a genuine connection. Like, your brain can connect the two dots and Google’s brain can connect the two dots.”
— Faith Hanan (08:34)

Real-Life Example (09:10)

• Faith facilitated backlink swaps between her students and clients who had natural synergy in their businesses, showing the power of community.

“Just even being inside of group coaching with other students, inside of masterminds with other business owners... that can help create some connections and you know, be talking grounds for backlinks.”
— Faith Hanan (09:40)

The Long Game: Domain Authority & Bigger Keywords (10:15)

• High-quality backlinks are a primary method to increase your site’s authority, allowing you to compete for more challenging, high-traffic keywords over time.
• Patience and persistence pay off.

Notable Quotes

• "It builds your street cred, okay? Nobody has to explain who Michael Jordan is because he has so much street cred. Your website, you want to be the same." — Faith Hanan (05:18)
• "Thank the Lord, because they were not good anyway. And now Google still cares about backlinks, but they're harder to get because the spammy practices don't work." — Faith Hanan (06:54)
• "It takes work, it takes time, and it takes work, okay? But in the end, it's going to be worth it because they're genuine." — Faith Hanan (07:29)
• "Just know getting backlinks does take work, but it's going to help build your street cred and help you be able to eventually go for bigger keywords with a more difficult search difficulty and a higher search volume." — Faith Hanan (10:19)

Actionable Takeaways

• Prioritize relationships and collaborations over quick-fix link buys or spam.
• Focus on relevance and context when pursuing backlinks—there needs to be a logical connection.
• Participate in mastermind groups, coaching programs, or professional communities for natural backlink opportunities.
• Create stellar, reference-worthy content to attract organic links.
• Be patient and persistent: building high domain authority is a marathon, not a sprint.

Key Timestamps

• 03:12: What is a backlink?
• 04:35: Why do backlinks matter (“street cred” and Google’s preferences)?
• 06:18: What not to do—old-school, shady practices
• 07:12: The truth: Quality backlinks take work
• 08:05: How to earn quality backlinks through collaboration and relevance
• 09:10: Real-life client/student example of mutual backlinking
• 10:15: The long game—domain authority and competitive keywords

Final Thoughts

Faith wraps up with encouragement to seek help if needed, keep building great content, and participate in collaborative communities. She invites listeners to her group coaching program where business owners are connecting and lifting each other up.

“If you are ready for help... it is turning into a really cool community where people are getting to collaborate and learn from each other.”
— Faith Hanan (11:45)

For more resources or to connect with Faith:

• Visit FaithHanan.com
• Join her Facebook community
• Email: info@faithhanan.com

This summary captures the direct, encouraging, and practical tone Faith brings to every episode—empowering entrepreneurs with honest, faith-based marketing advice tailored for sustainable growth.