How to check backlinks: see who links to your site

Why should you check your backlinks?

Checking your backlinks a few times a year is surprisingly useful. You see things you'd otherwise miss.

• You discover who's already writing about you, for example a local newspaper, a supplier or a trade association.
• You find links pointing to a page that no longer exists. With a redirect you can make them count again.
• You see whether lots of strange links suddenly appear, for example from spam sites.
• You learn which of your pages are linked to most. That tells you something about what people find valuable.
• You spot opportunities from competitors: where do they get links that you could get too?

How to check backlinks with Google Search Console

The most reliable free source is Google Search Console. The data comes straight from Google. Here's how to find it:

• Log in to Search Console and choose your website.
• Click Links in the menu on the left.
• Under External links you see three overviews: your top linked pages, the top linking sites and the top linking text.
• Click More on an overview for the full list.
• Use the Export button at the top right to put the data in a spreadsheet.

Search Console doesn't always show every link and gives no judgement on quality. Even so, for most small and medium-sized businesses it's more than enough to get a good picture.

External backlink checkers: free and paid

There are various SEO tools with their own database of links. They often show more than Search Console, such as when a link was found or lost, and their own score for a website's strength. Many tools have a free version with limits, for example only your own site or a limited number of results. The paid versions often cost tens to hundreds of euros a month (indication, check the current price).

Note: every tool has its own score, and it's not a figure from Google. Use a score like that to compare websites with each other, not as absolute truth. You'll find an overview of handy free tools in our article on free SEO tools.

How to tell good backlinks from bad ones

A long list of links says little. It's about quality. Ask a few questions about each important link:

• Is the website real? Does it have visitors, up-to-date content and a clear owner?
• Does the topic fit your business or region? For an installer, a link from a local business association is more valuable than a link from a random foreign blog.
• Is the link in the text, with context around it, or hidden in a long list?
• Is the link text natural, such as your business name or a description of your service?
• Would you be happy if a customer came to you through this link?

Signs of bad links are sites in another language with no connection to you, pages full of links on all sorts of topics, link texts stuffed with exact keywords and links you once bought or swapped in a package.

What to do with spam links and bad backlinks

Almost every website picks up some odd links from spam sites on its own. You usually don't need to worry about them. Google is good at ignoring links like that. So there's no need to hunt them down every month.

It's different if you once bought links or had them placed yourself, or if you get a message about unnatural links in Search Console under Security & Manual actions. Then this is the order:

• Ask the website owner to remove the link.
• If that doesn't work, consider Google's disavow tool. It lets you tell Google not to count certain links.
• Use that tool carefully. Google only recommends it for a real problem. Using it wrongly can switch off good links.
• If you have a manual action, submit a reconsideration request through Search Console after cleaning up.

Winning back lost backlinks

An often-forgotten opportunity is links pointing to a page that no longer exists. This happens mainly after a new website or when you've renamed pages. The link then leads to an error page and delivers nothing.

• In Search Console, check whether any of your top linked pages are URLs that return a 404.
• Set up a 301 redirect for those URLs to the most suitable current page.
• If an important link has disappeared entirely, for example from a partner, kindly ask whether it can be put back.
• Launching a new website? Include linked pages in your redirect plan. See also our SEO checklist for going live.

Checking your competitors' backlinks

With a backlink tool you can also see who links to your competitors. That's no reason to copy everything, but it's a source of ideas. Is a competitor on a local member list, a supplier directory or in an article in the regional paper? Maybe you could be listed there too. Look for patterns, not individual links.

Help with checking your backlinks

At Violexa our online marketing work includes your backlinks: what you have, what you're missing and what you'd be better off cleaning up. We don't buy links and only work with mentions you genuinely earn. That's part of our online marketing, from €599 excl. VAT (€725 incl. VAT) per month, with no minimum term and cancellable monthly with one month's notice.

Want to know how your backlinks are doing? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or at your location, we look at your site together. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions