Backlinks remain one of the most critical ranking factors in Google's algorithm. These incoming links from external sites to your pages signal trust and authority to search engines.
The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more Google considers your content an authority worth ranking on page 1. Backlinks influence search visibility more than any other factor.
However, not all links are created equal. Low-quality, irrelevant, manipulative links can damage your rankings. The key is finding and monitoring the right backlinks.
This complete guide will teach you how to uncover backlinks to your site, analyze them for quality, track new link growth, fix broken links, and build an ethical, effective link-earning strategy. With the right
knowledge of backlink basics, you can climb the search results and drive more organic traffic to your website.
Let's dive in and explore the world of backlinks and why they matter more than anything for SEO success...
A backlink is any link from an external website that points back to a page on your website. Backlinks are also referred to as inbound links, incoming links, inlinks, or inward links.
When another site links to you, it signals to Google and other search engines that your content is valuable and worthy of ranking well in search results. The more relevant, high-quality backlinks you have from authoritative sites, the better your website will rank.
Google's algorithm uses backlinks to help determine the popularity and authority of a webpage. Pages with more backlinks tend to rank higher on Google, especially when those backlinks come from reputable, high-traffic websites.
Backlinks indicate that your content is useful, and engaging and adds value to your industry. Think of backlinks like votes - the more votes or endorsements your site receives from others, the more Google considers it an expert source worth ranking.
Some key benefits of backlinks include:
Overall, the quantity and quality of your backlinks signal to search engines that your website is valuable and should rank highly in results.
Finding and tracking your existing backlinks is crucial for understanding your current SEO standing. Here are some top ways to find backlinks to your website:
Backlink checker tools allow you to plug in your website URL and generate a list of all the known backlinks pointing to your domain. Some of the top free backlink checkers include:
These tools scan the web and compile a report on all your discovered backlinks. They provide details like the root domain, URL, anchor text, link type (follow vs nofollow), and more.
You can manually search Google to uncover links to your site using advanced search operators:
Review the results for any high-quality backlinks you weren't aware of
Research backlinks pointing to competitor websites in your niche. If they have backlinks you don't, you can aim to earn links from the same websites.
Use a backlink analysis tool to compare your backlinks with competitors' backlink profiles side-by-side. Identify sites linking to competitors but not your site to close the gap.
Check your previous content, outreach efforts, and broken link-building campaigns. Look through old guest posts, resource mentions, press coverage, and interview links.
Revisit outreach templates and emails to jog your memory of past link-building wins. Reach back out to update and revive relationships.
Scan your social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for any mentions, tags, or links to your website. People may be linking to your content without you realizing it.
Log into your website analytics platform like Google Analytics and navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic > Referrals. This source/medium report shows websites driving traffic to your site.
Sort by highest referral volume to see the sites sending you the most visitors. Check whether they also have backlinks to your pages.
When you have a backlink list gathered, you’ll next want to analyze the quality of your links. Not all backlinks are equal - low-quality links can even potentially harm your site.
Follow these best practices for backlink analysis:
Domain authority measures the power and ranking strength of a website on a 0-100 scale. Links from higher DA sites carry more weight.
Aim for backlinks from reputable domains with a DA of at least 30+. Avoid low-quality domains like content farms, spammy directories, and low DA properties.
Page authority is like domain authority but measured for each unique page instead of the root domain. Make sure your backlinks come from decent PA sources too.
Anchor text refers to the visible, clickable text of a link pointing users to your page. Varied, natural anchor text is ideal. Avoid links with over-optimized anchor text like your brand name.
Backlinks ideally come from relevant contextual content, not dumped in spammy link farms. Check where your links are placed within the content. Trusted links often occur naturally within paragraphs and relate to the surrounding text.
Sudden, rapid spikes in backlinks can seem suspicious to Google. Natural link-building is gradual. Use a backlink tracking tool to ensure your profile is growing at a natural pace.
Toxic backlinks come from low-quality, shady, or irrelevant pages that may harm your site. Disavow dangerous links as needed.
Editorial backlinks from genuine mentions are ideal. But other link types like comments and forum posts also have SEO value.
New backlinks help your rankings while lost links may drop you down. Regular checks give insight into new link opportunities and risks.
By thoroughly analyzing your backlink profile, you can identify high-quality backlinks contributing to rankings vs risky links that could potentially harm your site. This helps inform outreach and link-building strategies.
Once you've audited existing backlinks, it's time to grow your profile. Here are some of the top tactics for earning powerful new links:
Great content that offers value naturally attracts links without outreach needed. Create detailed, interesting content that people want to reference and share.
Write and publish guest posts on authority sites in your industry. Include natural links back to your website in the author bio.
Reaching out for podcast, blog, video, and press interviews allows you to insert backlinks in the interview transcript.
Events often link to partner, sponsor, and speaker websites which can generate new backlinks.
Build resources like tools, calculators, datasets, and reports that others find useful to link to.
Ranking content about your local city and region can pull in links from local sites like city guides and directories.
Reputable influencers often have the authority Google looks for in quality backlinks. But make sure links are editorial, not paid.
Unique referring domains (not just pages) are powerful ranking signals. Diversify your backlink sources across many authoritative domains.
Check competitor and complementary sites for new opportunities. Reach out to request high-value links from relevant pages.
The best link-building balances organic earned links with proactive outreach for impactful, relevant placements. Mix both strategies for ongoing growth and diversity.
Broken backlinks are incoming links that lead to a 404 “Page Not Found” error on your site instead of your target page. This happens when you delete or change the URL of a webpage without redirecting the backlink.
Broken links are frustrating for visitors trying to access your content. They also weaken the value of existing backlinks pointing to missing pages.
Follow these tips to fix broken backlinks:
Staying on top of link rot improves referral traffic while keeping your backlink profile clean and strong. Monitor closely and take action on broken links as they occur.
A: The easiest way to get a snapshot of backlinks pointing to your site is through a free backlink analysis tool like Ahrefs Site Explorer, OpenLinkProfiler, or SEMrush's Backlink Analytics. Simply enter your target website and generate a backlink report.
A: Plug your competitor's website URL into a backlink checker tool the same way you'd analyze your domain. Review their top linking domains, anchor text mix, and link growth over time for intelligence that can inform your strategy.
A: The quantity of backlinks matters, but quality is more important. 100 links from spammy ad farms won't compare to 10 authoritative editorial backlinks from trusted industry sites. Focus first on earning links from reputable domains before chasing large volumes.
A: Yes, you can get backlink data for free through Google Search operators like Link: and through Google Search Console's Links report. The data is more limited, but these free options work for basic backlink tracking.
A: Careful filtering is required when disavowing backlinks. Disavowing healthy links by mistake can also negatively impact your site. Only disavow clear spam links from shady sites. If unsure, seek professional SEO advice before mass disavowing links.
A: It takes time for new quality links to positively impact rankings. Google also may devalue links it sees as unnatural or suspicious. Ensure your link-building and anchor text vary across different root domains and avoid over-optimization. Rankings can fluctuate temporarily before improving.
A: Ideally, backlinks should be checked regularly, like monthly or quarterly. Use a backlink tracking tool to monitor new links gained, lost links, and link velocity patterns over time. Watch for unusual spikes that may seem manipulative vs steady organic growth.
A: Create awesome content, do blogger outreach, guest post on authority sites, get interviewed by industry experts, sponsor events, and build relationships with influencers. Put effort into assets worthy of links instead of low-value spam tactics.
A: A balanced approach works best. Mix proactive outreach and promotion to build relationships and request quality links with the consistent creation of remarkable link-worthy content that drives organic links on its own.
Backlinks remain one of the most influential ranking signals for SEO success. By mastering backlink analysis and tracking, you can evaluate your current link profile, address risky links dragging you down, and build an ongoing backlink investment strategy.
Monitor new link opportunities, nurture relationships with sites that drive value, and disavow toxic links as needed. With a balanced, ethical approach, backlink building and management can level up your search visibility and send more qualified traffic to your site over time.
