How schools should think about backlinks and authority | Lillian Purge

How schools should think about backlinks and authority

I have worked with schools, academies, multi academy trusts, independent schools, colleges, and education providers across the UK for many years, and if there is one SEO topic that causes more confusion, bad advice, and quiet long term damage than almost any other, it is backlinks. In my opinion, backlinks are one of the most misunderstood parts of education SEO, largely because the advice schools receive is usually borrowed from commercial industries where the risks, ethics, and expectations are completely different.

Schools are not ecommerce sites. They are not lead generation businesses in the traditional sense. They are trusted institutions responsible for children, young people, families, staff, and communities. Because of that, authority for schools is not built in the same way it is for most organisations, and backlinks must be approached with far more care.

This article explains how schools should think about backlinks and authority in a realistic, ethical, and sustainable way. Not as a numbers game, not as a shortcut to rankings, but as part of a broader trust and credibility ecosystem. Everything here is grounded in real world UK education SEO, safeguarding considerations, compliance expectations, and what I see working long term rather than temporarily.

Why backlinks matter differently for schools

Backlinks still matter in SEO. That has not changed. They are one of the signals search engines use to assess authority and credibility.

However, from experience, backlinks do not function in isolation for schools. A backlink to a school website is not just a technical signal. It is also a reputational signal.

When another website links to a school, it is implicitly endorsing that institution. In education, endorsements carry weight.

Google understands this. It treats school websites as high trust entities and evaluates backlink profiles with a different lens than it would for a retail or marketing site.

In my opinion, this is why aggressive backlink strategies that might work elsewhere often fail or backfire in education.

What authority really means for a school website

Before talking about backlinks, it is important to understand what authority actually means for schools.

Authority for a school is not about dominance or visibility alone. It is about legitimacy, trust, and alignment with recognised institutions and values.

From experience, authority signals for schools include:

Clear governance and accountability
Alignment with local authorities and regulators
Transparent policies and safeguarding information
Community involvement
Consistent reputation over time

Backlinks support this authority only when they reinforce those signals.

Backlinks that contradict or undermine these signals create risk rather than benefit.

Why schools should not chase backlinks like businesses do

One of the biggest mistakes I see is schools being advised to build backlinks using generic SEO tactics.

From experience, this includes things like guest blogging on unrelated sites, paying for links, submitting to low quality directories, or participating in link exchanges.

These tactics may increase link counts, but they rarely increase real authority for schools.

In fact, they often dilute it.

Search engines are very good at identifying unnatural backlink patterns, especially for domains they already categorise as sensitive or authoritative.

For schools, fewer relevant, high quality backlinks are far more powerful than many low quality ones.

How Google views school backlinks through a trust lens

Google does not view all backlinks equally.

From experience, Google evaluates school backlinks based on:

Source credibility
Topical relevance
Institutional alignment
Context of the link
Longevity and stability

A link from a local authority page, an education partnership, a recognised charity, or a reputable news outlet carries far more weight than dozens of links from generic blogs.

This is because those links align with how authority is built in the real world for schools.

Why relevance matters more than volume in education SEO

Relevance is everything.

From experience, a single backlink from a respected education organisation can outperform fifty backlinks from unrelated sites.

Schools operate within a specific ecosystem. Education bodies, local councils, community organisations, inspection bodies, and charities.

Backlinks that come from within or adjacent to that ecosystem reinforce authority naturally.

Backlinks outside it often add little or even raise questions.

Google prefers links that make sense in context.

The danger of paid backlinks for schools

Paid backlinks are one of the riskiest strategies a school can adopt.

From experience, even when paid links are disguised as partnerships or features, they often leave detectable footprints.

If a school website is found to be participating in link schemes, the consequences can include reduced rankings, loss of trust signals, or in extreme cases, manual actions.

Beyond SEO, there is a reputational risk.

Parents, staff, and regulators expect schools to act ethically and transparently. Paid backlinks undermine that expectation.

In my opinion, paid link building has no place in school SEO.

Why directories are usually a poor backlink strategy for schools

Many SEO providers recommend directory submissions as an easy backlink win.

From experience, most directories add little value for schools.

Generic business directories are rarely relevant to education audiences and often contain low quality or spam content.

Search engines understand this and discount these links heavily.

Schools are far better served by being listed in relevant education directories, local authority listings, or trusted community resources where appropriate.

Quality and relevance always beat convenience.

How natural backlinks are earned by schools

The strongest backlinks for schools are earned, not built.

From experience, schools earn backlinks naturally through:

Community partnerships
Press coverage
Educational collaborations
Events and initiatives
Research or thought leadership
Charitable involvement

These links are not created for SEO. They are a byproduct of genuine activity.

Search engines reward this because it mirrors real world authority.

Why local authority links are particularly valuable

Links from local authorities carry significant weight for schools.

From experience, these links reinforce legitimacy, governance, and accountability.

Examples include links from council education pages, admissions information, SEND resources, or community services.

These backlinks align perfectly with how Google expects school authority to look.

They are stable, relevant, and trusted.

The role of press coverage in building authority

Local and regional press coverage is one of the most effective authority signals for schools.

From experience, articles about school achievements, events, inspections, or initiatives often include links back to the school website.

These links are powerful because they come from established news domains and are contextually relevant.

Press links also reinforce brand recognition and community trust.

Schools that actively share positive stories with local media often see SEO benefits as a side effect.

Why education partnerships create strong backlink signals

Schools rarely operate in isolation.

From experience, partnerships with universities, colleges, training providers, charities, and community organisations often result in reciprocal recognition online.

When these partnerships are genuine and documented, backlinks often follow naturally.

These links reinforce topical authority and show that the school is part of a wider educational network.

Google values this interconnectedness.

How content supports backlink earning without manipulation

Content plays a role in backlink earning, but not in the way many SEO guides suggest.

From experience, schools should not publish content just to attract links.

However, useful content that supports parents, students, or educators often gets referenced naturally.

Examples include:

Admissions guidance
SEND resources
Curriculum insights
Safeguarding information
Wellbeing initiatives

When this content is genuinely helpful, other organisations may link to it as a resource.

This is ethical, sustainable authority building.

Why safeguarding considerations affect backlink strategy

Safeguarding is central to school operations.

From experience, backlinks should never compromise safeguarding principles.

This means avoiding partnerships or content placements that associate the school with inappropriate, commercial, or unrelated material.

Search engines may not fully understand safeguarding, but users do.

Any backlink that raises questions about judgement or values damages trust far more than it helps SEO.

How multi academy trusts should approach backlinks

Multi academy trusts face unique challenges.

From experience, trust websites often accumulate authority more easily than individual school sites, but that authority must be handled carefully.

Links to trust level content should be relevant to governance, strategy, or shared services.

Individual schools should still earn their own local authority through community links and local activity.

Over centralisation of authority can weaken local relevance.

Why backlink consistency matters for schools

Consistency is a key authority signal.

From experience, schools with a small number of high quality backlinks that remain stable over time often outperform those with fluctuating or erratic link profiles.

Sudden spikes in backlinks can trigger scrutiny.

Gradual, organic growth aligns with how schools actually build reputation in the real world.

Search engines favour stability.

How negative or low quality links can harm school authority

Not all backlinks are beneficial.

From experience, links from inappropriate, spammy, or irrelevant websites can harm a school’s authority profile.

This is particularly true if such links form a pattern.

Schools should periodically review their backlink profiles, not to obsess over every link, but to identify obvious risks.

In extreme cases, cleaning up harmful links may be necessary to protect authority.

Why schools should not disavow links lightly

Disavowing links is often recommended too casually.

From experience, schools should be cautious with disavow actions.

Removing links without understanding their context can sometimes do more harm than good.

Disavow should be a last resort for clearly harmful links, not a routine maintenance task.

Authority is built through confidence, not constant correction.

How backlinks interact with on site trust signals

Backlinks do not work in isolation.

From experience, their impact is amplified or reduced by on site trust signals.

Clear governance pages, inspection reports, safeguarding policies, and transparent contact information all reinforce backlink value.

If a site lacks these fundamentals, backlinks alone cannot create authority.

Authority is holistic.

Why internal linking supports external authority

Internal linking is often overlooked in school SEO.

From experience, strong internal structure helps search engines understand which pages represent authority.

When external backlinks point to relevant, well linked pages internally, authority flows more effectively across the site.

Poor internal linking can waste backlink value.

How authority affects search visibility beyond rankings

Authority influences more than rankings.

From experience, authoritative school websites appear more frequently in:

Featured snippets
Knowledge panels
Local results
Related searches

Authority increases visibility across the search ecosystem.

This visibility builds familiarity and trust with parents and stakeholders.

Why schools should avoid backlink vanity metrics

SEO tools often emphasise metrics like domain authority or backlink counts.

From experience, these metrics are misleading for schools.

A school with a modest backlink profile but strong institutional trust often outperforms a school chasing higher scores through questionable tactics.

Vanity metrics distract from what really matters.

How to evaluate backlink quality for a school

A simple test is to ask whether the link makes sense.

Would a parent, regulator, or partner expect to see the school linked from this website
Does the linking site have its own credibility
Is the link context appropriate

If the answer is no, the link probably does not support authority.

Why long term thinking is essential in school SEO

Schools are long term institutions.

From experience, SEO strategies should reflect that timescale.

Authority built slowly and carefully lasts. Authority built quickly often collapses.

Schools should think in years, not months.

This mindset protects both SEO performance and reputation.

How ethical considerations strengthen authority

Ethics and authority are closely linked in education.

From experience, schools that act ethically online build stronger trust signals.

Avoiding manipulation, respecting safeguarding, and prioritising accuracy all contribute to authority.

Search engines increasingly reward ethical behaviour indirectly through user satisfaction.

Why backlinks should reflect real world reputation

Backlinks should mirror how reputation is built offline.

Schools earn reputation through community involvement, educational outcomes, and responsible leadership.

Online authority should reflect the same values.

When backlinks align with real world reputation, SEO becomes stable and resilient.

How to explain backlink strategy to governors and leadership

SEO decisions often need oversight.

From experience, explaining backlink strategy to governors or leadership should focus on trust, risk management, and reputation rather than rankings.

Authority building should be framed as digital safeguarding.

This perspective aligns SEO with institutional responsibility.

Why schools do not need aggressive SEO to succeed

Many schools fear being left behind if they do not compete aggressively online.

From experience, this fear is unfounded.

Schools that focus on clarity, transparency, and genuine engagement perform well without aggressive SEO.

Google does not expect schools to behave like marketers. It expects them to behave like schools.

How authority helps schools weather algorithm changes

Algorithm updates often target low quality or manipulative practices.

From experience, school websites built on genuine authority are less affected by these changes.

Their backlink profiles look natural, relevant, and stable.

Authority built correctly acts as protection.

Why schools should prioritise who links to them, not how many

Quantity is not the goal.

From experience, ten meaningful backlinks from respected sources outperform one hundred generic ones.

Authority is about endorsement, not accumulation.

Schools should focus on relationships, not tactics.

Bringing it all together

Schools should think about backlinks and authority as an extension of their real world role, not as a technical SEO exercise.

From experience, the strongest school websites earn authority through relevance, ethics, and genuine community engagement rather than aggressive link building.

Backlinks should reinforce trust, not create risk.

Google wants to surface schools that are legitimate, responsible, and embedded in their educational ecosystem.

Parents want to find schools they can trust.

When backlink strategy aligns with those goals, authority grows naturally and sustainably.

For schools, SEO success is not about being louder than others. It is about being credible, consistent, and worthy of trust.