What Is Backlink?
A backlink is a link from one website to another. Backlinks are a major ranking factor in search engines — the more quality backlinks a page has, the higher it tends to rank.
Why It Matters
Backlinks are one of the most important SEO signals. When external sites link to your domain, they’re effectively voting for your content. This accumulated authority is one of the main reasons to properly redirect old domains rather than just letting them expire.
Backlinks and Domain Forwarding
When you change domains (rebrand, merge, consolidate), your old domain’s backlinks don’t disappear — but they become worthless unless you redirect:
| Scenario | Backlink Status | SEO Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Old domain with 301 redirect | Passes link equity to new domain | Positive — authority transfers |
| Old domain expired | 404 errors for everyone | Negative — all value lost |
| Old domain parked | Visitors see ads | Negative — no value transfer |
Use Cases
- Brand migration:
old-brand.comhas 500 backlinks → 301 redirect tonew-brand.compreserves all value - M&A: Acquired company’s site has authority → forward to parent company domain
- Domain consolidation: Multiple domains → forward all to primary, concentrating backlink value
- Vanity URLs: Short domain gets shared on social media → backlinks on short URL pass value to main site
How Domain Forward Handles This
Domain Forward uses 301 redirects by default, ensuring backlinks pointing to your forwarded domain transfer their link equity to the destination. Enable path forwarding to maintain page-level backlink value.
Related Terms
Related Features
Frequently
asked questions
With a 301 redirect, the link equity from backlinks passing through the old domain is transferred to the new domain. The backlinks still work — visitors and search engines follow the redirect.
Ideally yes, update what you can (your own sites, social profiles, directory listings). But for backlinks you can't control (other people's websites), the 301 redirect ensures they still pass value.
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