Forum backlinks are links to a website that are created in forum posts or forum signatures. They are a type of backlink, which are incoming links from external websites pointing to a particular webpage. Backlinks are an important factor considered by search engines when determining the relevance, authority, and popularity of a website.

Forum backlinks are typically created by participating in online forums and including a link to a website within the forum post or in the signature section of the user's profile. These links are often clickable and can direct users to the linked website when clicked. Forum backlinks were once popular for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes, as they were seen as a way to increase a website's visibility and search engine rankings.

However, it's important to note that the value of forum backlinks for SEO has diminished over time. Search engines, such as Google, have become more sophisticated in their algorithms and now place greater emphasis on the quality and relevance of backlinks. Forum backlinks are often considered low-quality links because they are easily manipulated and can be associated with spammy or low-value content.

Moreover, many forums now use "nofollow" attributes on external links, which instruct search engines not to pass any SEO value from those links. This further reduces the impact of forum backlinks on search engine rankings.

In summary, while forum backlinks were once used as a tactic to improve search engine rankings, their effectiveness has decreased significantly over time. It is generally more beneficial to focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites through natural means such as creating valuable content, networking, and outreach efforts.