Hey guys! Do images that link to your website count as backlinks?

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Michael Martinez: Group expertThese kinds of links are usually ignored and may result in manual actions for either site. It`s an old link-building strategy.
  
  So, to answer your question directly:
  
  A link in the form of may count as a normal backlink. But badge-placement strategies are considered a link scheme if they are used for the purpose of improving search results.
  
  If the link uses a "rel=`nofollow`" attribute, it will be okay.
  
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  Jacob Maslow: Michael Martinez linking to another site won’t get you penalized.
  
  Linking to dozens of other sites as party of a clear pattern may result in an “action “ of Google devaluing your outbound links.
  
  That has zero effect on your rankings.
  
  I have seen sites get into severe trouble for giving out a log in without checking content. Sometimes total junk gets posted.
  
  If Google detects gibberish they need to take action. It’s a horrible experience for the user.
  
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  Michael Martinez: Group expertJacob Maslow "Michael Martinez linking to another site won’t get you penalized"
  
  You might want to explain that to numerous Web forum operators whose sites were penalized for allowing link spam to remain in their discussions.
  
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  Rhiannon De Havas: Michael Martinez oh ok. I was thinking of making my own badge and doing the same, but seems like that would be a bad idea!
  
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  Richard Hearne: Group expertI think the takeaway from Michael`s replies is that this is unlikely to benefit your site over time. The badge they ask for may/may not benefit them, but it most certainly will not benefit you.
  
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  Rhiannon De Havas: Richard Hearne thank you! I guess I was just wondering if it was a good idea for me to try it too. I know their badge on my site doesn’t help me, but I was considering trying a similar scheme myself. But if there’s a chance it will hurt my site, I guess I won’t risk it! Thank you!
  
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  Richard Hearne: Group expertThis tactic has been around for a long time, and generally speaking is unlikely to hold much water success-wise. I`d look for other ways to apply resources TBH.
  
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  Recep Celebi: yes
  
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