Are Forum Backlinks Bad? A Comprehensive Guide

A forum was the best place where people could discuss topics of shared interest, ask questions, and exchange information. People used forums to connect with others who had similar interests, seek advice, share knowledge, and engage in discussions on various subjects.

Forums were especially popular in the early days when search engines were not as efficient, and there was limited information on any topic. Nowadays, search engines have evolved significantly.

Whenever someone types a query, a search engine can display an image, article, video, or any relevant content.

Forums have greatly contributed to people's learning and education through their communities. As people helped others, SEOs saw forums as an opportunity, and unfortunately, they exploited it.

SEOs tried to build quality forum backlinks but in reality the ended up doing a lot of spam!

How did SEOs abuse forums?

A forum is a place where people used to ask questions. Let’s say an SEO professional was working for an insurance company.

They would look for questions that people had already asked or answered related to their field.

They would then respond to an existing question, leaving a link to their website. Alternatively, they would ask a question and include backlinks in forum!

Since this was an extremely spammy approach, they would create several accounts and use them to answer their own questions.

This would turn their solo post into a thread, making it difficult to tell that it was all done by one person.

There are many niches or keywords where you can rank by building only a small number of links.

SEOs did not waste this opportunity and used it to build contextual links at scale.

This made backlinks from forums a bit fishy and their overall impact started dropping!

Forum backlinks in SEO use to work a lot well but now the impact is a bit lower.

Google’s response on forum link building

Forums were the best place for SEO specialists to build contextual backlinks at scale.

Google’s Penguin Update (2012) was the first step taken to counter spam.

It wasn’t an update that specifically targeted forums, but Google started taking action against websites with spammy links.

The majority of forums used to provide "follow" backlinks, but with this update, many changed the backlink type to “no-follow.”

In 2019, Google introduced the “UGC” (User-Generated Content) link attribute to better understand the origin of a backlink.

This attribute indicated that the link came from the user rather than the publisher, helping Google identify links generated by users.

Imagine that Google considers backlinks to rank a website higher, and a website:

• Is 6 months old
• Has 279 total backlinks
• 230 out of 279 backlinks are from forums
• Has no other links or brand mentions

If a website has all these characteristics, it becomes easier for Google and other search engines to take action against it.

This is something that can’t happen naturally.

Google recognizes such patterns to determine if a website is growing organically or due to manipulative tactics.

Also Read: Google’s Perspective on Guest Posting

Are forum backlinks bad in SEO?

Forum backlinks are not inherently bad for SEO as a backlink type.

The impact of forum backlinks can be positive or negative, depending on several factors.

If a forum has good authority and the link is coming from a relevant page, Google will consider it a quality backlink.

Conversely, forum links from low-quality sites are considered bad.

Note: A forum backlink isn’t as strong as a typical guest post on a relevant and high authority website. In case you’re struggling finding the guest post opportunities, visit repute post marketplace to find quality websites easily.

Attributes of Quality Forum Backlinks

Although SEOs have frequently used forum link building, here are some key attributes to consider.

These attributes will help you determine if a backlink from a forum is potentially good for your website:

• A backlink coming from a reputable, trusted forum member.
• The forum link is surrounded by relevant, on-topic content.
• The link is coming from an active forum where people are engaging.
• It adds value without appearing promotional.
• The forum link matches the forum thread's subject.
• There are fewer outbound links.
• People can find the thread through search engines.
• The forum has strict guidelines against creating spam.

These are some of the key attributes to consider when evaluating backlinks from forums.

Attributes of low-quality forum backlinks

All the previous tactics and techniques are considered spam. A low-quality forum backlink is:

• Coming from a forum member who created an account just 2 hours earlier.
• From an irrelevant forum with little to no active members.
• From a thread that has not received a reply or answer for ages.
• Where people are just posting comments and links without describing them.
• Lacking the “nofollow” and “UGC” link attributes.
• From a forum that has been hit multiple times by Google updates.
• By considering these factors, you can determine if your forum backlinks are high-quality or low-quality.

Should forum backlinks be part of your SEO strategy?

Yes, you can include forum backlinks in your SEO strategy, but you have to be careful.

Make sure not to rely too heavily on creating forum backlinks, and avoid making this your primary method of building links.

If you mix forum link building with other types of backlinks, it can benefit your website. Here are some of the benefits you can gain from building backlinks from forums:

1. Forum backlinks help you build authority

Forum links are a type of contextual backlink, and Google values them highly. Similar to web 2.0 link building, other tactics are often overused and potentially used for spamming.

Quality backlinks from forums can help your website build authority. You must ensure that the forum isn’t on Google’s red list.

2. Helps you increase brand visibility

Just like with social media, forums can be another platform to work on while following the right practices. Find active forums within your niche and see them as an opportunity to connect with relevant people.

Create content that encourages engagement, which can help you increase brand visibility in a shorter amount of time. Additionally, you can build relationships and potential partnerships on relevant forums.

Forum backlinks might not pass desired amount of link equity but still they can help you in various aspects.

Just like a forum can be a good way for branding that will help you diversify link profile and implement strategy for getting editor's attention for editorial backlinks. 

3. Quick referral traffic

Forums are a good place to generate relevant referral traffic to your website. When a user clicks on a link and lands on your website, Google considers it referral traffic.

You need to make sure the page you’re linking to is relevant. If the page isn’t relevant, the referral visitors will bounce, negatively impacting your website.

Pro Tip: Always monitor your traffic sources and bounce rate.

4. Content Promotion and long-term SEO Value

If a forum is good and has active users, you can use it to build a few quality and contextual backlinks. Since the forum has active users, it will keep sending referral traffic, which Google values.

This can help you implement the right strategies for content promotion and long-term SEO value. However, make sure to adhere to quality guidelines and follow best practices.

5. Forum backlinks diversify your backlink profile

Forum backlinks are great for diversifying your backlink profile, which is extremely important for webmasters. For instance, Google discourages the deliberate building of backlinks.

They have trained their algorithms to identify websites that are building links artificially so they can penalize them. If you use quality forums for building backlinks, it will diversify your link profile while signaling to Google that the links are coming naturally.

Pro Tip: Do not build the same type of backlinks repeatedly. If you’re over relying on forums, buy niche edits links to diversify your backlink profile. This will save you from a potential Google penalty.

6. Sustainable Link Value

Contextual and relevant backlinks become more valuable for a website as they age. Backlinks you get from relevant forum posts tend to remain active and visible for years. These types of backlinks help you in multiple ways. For instance:

1. You get quality contextual backlinks instantly.
2. They provide sustainable link value.

How to measure the success of your forum link building strategy

SEO is all about following the right practices and keeping track of what you are doing. It is important to consider several factors to assess the effectiveness of your forum link-building strategy. Here are some key things you should consider to measure the success of your forum backlinks:

1. Growth in relevant backlinks

Regularly check the referring domains and backlinks your website has. This will help you stay informed about your backlink growth. You can use SEO tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest, Moz, or any other tool you prefer.

2. Growth in domain authority

As your backlinks grow, you will see an increase in your overall domain rating or domain authority. These are two of the main link metrics that help webmasters determine whether their backlinks are providing value.

If your domain rating isn’t increasing, just relax! It usually takes some time for SEO tools to crawl, fetch results, and update their databases.

3. Increased referral traffic

One quick way to measure the effectiveness of your forum backlinks is to regularly check your website’s traffic sources. The people who visit your website from forums are shown under referral traffic. You can easily check this on your website’s Google Analytics 4 property.

Open Google Analytics and click on "Traffic Acquisition." If you want to find out which forum most visitors are coming from, apply the session source/medium filter.

4. Improved keyword visibility

A common way to measure success from your forum backlinks is to monitor keyword visibility. You can do this manually using Google Search Console or any other SEO tool.

5. Higher search engine rankings

Google uses backlinks as a strong ranking factor. When your keywords start getting more visibility, you will see that your pages are climbing up in the SERPs.

These are some of the simplest ways to determine if your backlinks from forums are performing well.

Note: Repute post helps an active database of 83,000+ websites. You can find backlink opportunities to improve your SEO growth.

How to find quality forums for backlinks?

Using forums for backlinks is a good way to increase your website authority. But, you have to find the relevant forums for building quality backlinks.

Here are some top Google search operators which you can use to find relevant forums for building quality backlinks.

"industry keyword" + "forum"

Example: "digital marketing" + "forum"

"industry keyword" + "discussion board"

Example: "web development" + "discussion board"

"industry keyword" + "community"

Example: "SEO" + "community"

"industry keyword" + "inurl:forum"

Example: "photography" + "inurl:forum"

"industry keyword" + "intitle:forum"

Example: "graphic design" + "intitle:forum"

"industry keyword" + "powered by vBulletin"

Example: "fitness" + "powered by vBulletin"

"industry keyword" + "site:reddit.com"

Example: "content marketing" + "site:reddit.com"

"industry keyword" + "forum" + "join"

Example: "cryptocurrency" + "forum" + "join"

"industry keyword" + "forum" + "register"

Example: "travel blogging" + "forum" + "register"

Best forums for building quality backlinks

Here are some top forums you can use to increase brand mentions and build contextual backlinks.

1. Reddit (reddit.com) - A large and diverse community covering virtually every topic.
2. Stack Overflow (stackoverflow.com) - A go-to forum for developers and programmers.
3. Quora (quora.com) - A question-and-answer platform where experts share insights on a variety of topics.
4. Digital Point Forums (forums.digitalpoint.com) - A leading forum for webmasters and digital marketers.
5. Warrior Forum (warriorforum.com) - Focuses on digital marketing, eCommerce, and business.
6. SitePoint Forums (sitepoint.com/community) - A community for developers, designers, and business owners.
7. Black Hat World (blackhatworld.com) - Discusses SEO, affiliate marketing, and digital marketing strategies.
8. Moz Community (moz.com/community) - A forum focused on SEO, marketing, and analytics.
9. WebmasterWorld (webmasterworld.com) - Discusses website development, SEO, and marketing.
10. NamePros (namepros.com) - A forum for domain name professionals.
11. XDA Developers (forum.xda-developers.com) - Focuses on Android development and customization.
12. The Admin Zone (theadminzone.com) - A community for forum administrators and owners.
13. SiteGround Community (community.siteground.com) - A forum for web hosting and WordPress enthusiasts.
14. SEO Chat Forums (forums.seochat.com) - Focuses on SEO strategies and best practices.
15. Web Hosting Talk (webhostingtalk.com) - Discusses web hosting services and related topics.
16. GameDev.net (gamedev.net/forums) - A forum for game developers.
17. Android Forums (androidforums.com) - A large community for Android users and developers.
18. DaniWeb (daniweb.com) - A community for developers, IT professionals, and tech enthusiasts.
19. TechRepublic Forums (techrepublic.com/forums) - Discusses IT and business technology solutions.
20. Site Owners Forums (siteownersforums.com) - A community for webmasters and site owners.

These forums are recognized for their active communities and the quality of discussions on various topics. If you can’t get a backlink, build brand mentions.

This alone is very helpful for search engines to recognize that your website is good and that people are discussing it across different platforms.

Repute post isn’t just for solo guest post buyers and sellers. If you are running an SEO agency, we can help you automate your backlinks through our white label seo link building services.

Wrapping Up

Search engines, especially Google, are putting a lot of effort into reducing spam. Backlinks are one of the main ways through which you can create spam. We are seeing continuous Google updates in which they detect and penalize websites that engage in spamming.

Forum backlinks are among the tactics SEOs use for creating spam. While many forums are inactive, there are still many forums in different niches that are doing well. Good forums have strict community guidelines, making it difficult to use them for spammy activities. This is the main reason why such forums are still doing well.

If you manage to secure links from quality and relevant forums, it could help your website in many different ways. However, do not overdo it. Always follow the right practices. This could save your website from potential Google actions.

In this article, I discussed forums for backlinks and listed some of the top forums that still work. If I missed something, do let me know.