Only the total number of links Paid links Links from any site, regardless of quality Relevance and the authority of the linking site, more than the raw number of links
To remove pages from the index To ask Google to ignore specific harmful backlinks, mainly after link spam or a manual action To build new links To block competitors
Yes, they are the top factor Only for news sites Yes, but only Facebook likes No; Google has said social signals are not direct ranking factors, though they can drive traffic and discovery
They are the same Algorithmic demotions are listed in Search Console Manual actions are never lifted A manual action is applied by a human reviewer and reported in Search Console; an algorithmic demotion happens automatically and is not reported there
Getting a guaranteed ranking Reaching a new audience with quality content; large-scale guest posting for keyword-rich links violates guidelines Avoiding search engine rules Unlimited link building
They always rank first They no longer give a special ranking advantage; Google's 2012 EMD update reduced low-quality EMDs They guarantee rich results They are banned
