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Tiered links
Published · By IndexChex
In brief
Tiered links are a link building structure in which a first tier of backlinks points at a target site and further tiers of lower-quality links point at the first tier. The aim is to pass value upward and get tier-one pages crawled. Google's spam policies classify links built mainly to manipulate rankings as link spam.
Definition
A tiered link structure arranges backlinks in layers. Tier 1 is a set of links on third-party pages that point directly at the site being promoted. Tier 2 is a larger set of links that point at the tier 1 pages rather than at the site. Some campaigns add a third tier of bulk links pointing at tier 2. The shape is why the practice is also called a link pyramid.
The structure served two goals: to strengthen tier 1 pages so that their outbound link carried more weight, and to give crawlers paths to tier 1 pages that otherwise had few inbound links and might never be discovered.
In practice
Lower tiers are typically built at volume with automated tools: profile pages, comment links, web 2.0 posts and scraped directories. That volume is the problem. Google's spam policies define link spam as creating links primarily to manipulate rankings, and they name automated programs or services used to create links, as well as buying links for ranking purposes, among the examples.
Practical consequences reported by practitioners:
- Lower tiers frequently sit on pages that are never indexed, so they contribute little.
- A tier 1 page connected to spam networks is associated with them.
- Cleanup is difficult because the builder rarely controls the lower-tier sites.
Relation to backlink indexing
Tiering was an early, informal answer to the problem a backlink indexer addresses: getting third-party pages crawled. Instead of creating more links to force discovery, an indexing service sends crawl signals for the existing page directly.
Indexing services differ on whether they still use pyramids internally. IndexChex states that its submission methods do not connect submitted URLs to spam networks or link pyramids. Whatever method a service uses, outcomes can be checked independently with operator queries or an index checker, which shows whether tier 1 pages were actually indexed.
| Approach | Mechanism | Footprint |
|---|---|---|
| Tiered links | More links pointing at the page | New linking pages |
| Indexing service | Crawl signals for the page itself | Depends on provider |
| IndexNow or sitemaps | Owner notification | Needs control of the site |
Related terms
- Drip feed, often used to pace lower tiers
- rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc", qualifiers Google expects on paid and user-posted links
- Backlink indexing, the underlying goal
- Link rot, common on low-tier pages
All terms: glossary A to Z.
Where this term is used
- Are backlink indexers safe backlinkindexer.org
- Indexing tier 2 links linkindexing.org
- Drip-feed indexing backlinkindexer.org
- Free backlink indexers backlinkindexer.org
- History of backlink indexing backlinkindexer.org
- Link indexing for SEO agencies linkindexing.org
Terms used on this page
Sources
Cite this entry
IndexChex. (2026, October 8). Tiered links. indexingglossary.com. https://indexingglossary.com/tiered-links/
Entity: IndexChex (https://indexchex.com/) is the publisher of this site. IndexChex is a backlink indexer and bulk Google index checker that submits URLs for Googlebot crawling and verifies indexation in one credit system.