The number and quality of external links referring to the website is one of the key indicators of the effectiveness of SEO optimization. Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, but backlinks are always taken into account. Even despite the general hysteria of users on the Internet that there is no point in buying links to the site.
You can check which web resources refer to you with the help of specialized services. We will consider them in this publication. This will help you understand how effective the external optimization you've been working on is. We will also consider useful competitor backlink search tools that will help you evaluate their link profile.
How to find out the number of external links on the site?
You can find all links to the site using tools from Google and Yandex. They are free and provide enough information about backlinks.
Google Search Console
In your personal account, you can view links to sites found by googlebots. To search for backlinks from other search engines, you need to check the data additionally.
The report appears in the Links tab. You can get more information by clicking the "More" button. And to download it, the "Export data" button is provided.
Checking links allows you to learn about:
- the number of backlinks (for each page separately and the web resource as a whole);
- donor sites;
- the number of backlinks leading from one web resource;
- anchors;
- the most popular pages (by the number of links).
The advantages of the tool include the display of current data and the possibility of exporting as a file. And the disadvantages include limited functionality and the impossibility of obtaining information about other people's web resources. The tool shows data only about the sites added to the personal account (here you need to confirm the right to own them, so it will not work to add competitors' sites).
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Also, Search Console does not indicate data for a specific period and does not provide an opportunity to generate a report in the form of charts or graphs. Another disadvantage is the lack of information about the growth of the referral mass for the entire time the site is operating. Figures are shown only for today.
Yandex.Webmaster
In Yandex.Webmaster, it is also possible to check links to sites indexed by this search engine. But the functionality here is better than that of Google.
How to view external links to sites? Go to your personal account and open the "Links - External" tab. Information about:
- donors and their ICS parameter (the weight of the transmitted site page directly depends on the authority of the donor);
- date of detection of backlinks;
- linked pages;
- anchors;
- deleted links;
- changes in the link profile.
There are diagrams in Yandex.Webmaster that clearly show the dynamics of increasing the link mass. Plus, you can group data here, which is very convenient.
Key features of the service from Yandex:
- has more advanced functionality than Google's;
- shows the dynamics for the specified period;
- supports data export;
- shows information about donors' ICS.
The disadvantages include a small time coverage and the impossibility of obtaining information on competitors' web resources.
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How to find backlinks on competitors' sites?
In the personal account of Google and Yandex, it is only possible to search for links to the site to which you have access. That is, on your own. And how to find all the competitor's backlinks? There are specialized paid services for this. Let's consider the best of them.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a popular backlink search service. Checks any web resources: domestic and foreign, own and competitors.
It's very easy to use - just enter the URL and click the "Check" button. For the analysis of external optimization, the most interesting are the data on:
- rating of pages and web resource in general;
- backlinks;
- donors;
- growth dynamics for a specific period (for a month, a year or since the creation of the web resource);
- spam level of the link profile.
Ahrefs easily detects cross-links , if any. In this case, an unrealistically large number of backlinks will be indicated against a specific domain. But, most likely, with a more detailed analysis, it will turn out that the link is one - it is simply placed in the sidebar or footer.
The main advantages of the service:
- displaying information about any web resource;
- good functionality;
- quick updating of databases;
- analysis for the entire time of operation of the resource;
- visual graphs and charts;
- detailed information about redirect backlinks.
And it has only one drawback - high cost. However, considering the possibilities of the service, the price is fully justified.
MegaIndex
The main feature of this service is that it distinguishes purchased backlinks from natural ones. Based on this information, it is easy to make corrections and make the link profile better.
MegaIndex also provides information on:
- date of addition and change of backlinks;
- donors and their topics;
- popular backlinks and pages;
- the dynamics of building up backlinks;
- anchors
The reports contain graphs and charts, which allows you to visually analyze the available information. The service is paid, but there is an introductory version - to see and evaluate its capabilities.
Main advantages:
- low price;
- a wide range of tools;
- analysis of the link profile of any web resource;
- visual graphs and charts;
- free trial version.
He has two disadvantages. The first one does not indicate redirect links. The second - there is no data on deleted links in the report.
Serpstat
Serpstat is a multifunctional service that provides many useful tools. Among other things, it is possible to check links to the site (your own or competitors).
Serpstat shows:
- list of backlinks;
- domains ;
- assessment of the trustworthiness of the donor;
- popular pages of the web resource.
Its main advantages:
- tariffs of different cost (you can choose any);
- detailed information about backlinks in the form of visual reports with graphs;
- division of links by type (redirects, images, etc.);
- displaying data on deleted and recently placed backlinks;
- data export;
- analysis of any web resource.
The disadvantages include a slight delay in updating databases. Therefore, the information here is a bit irrelevant.
Xtool
This service is popular among domestic SEO optimizers. Shows information about 500 backlinks for free. To analyze more links, you need to buy the paid version.
Xtool shows information about:
- number of backlinks;
- donors;
- anchors;
- statistics by backlink location levels;
- the ratio of anchors and non-anchors.
The pluses include data uploading and an affordable price. And to the minuses - a long check and inconvenient display of data (in the form of non-clickable links).
LinkPad
You can also find backlinks to the site using the LinkPad service. But its databases are updated very rarely, so the information here is irrelevant. Plus it doesn't find all backlinks.
This service is used only to obtain an overall picture of the web resource. And that - as an additional tool, not the main one.
Pros of Linkpad:
- free version with limitations;
- affordable cost;
- a good amount of data (enough to get the general picture);
- the dynamics of the growth of the reference mass over a long period;
- analysis of any web resources.
In addition to the long updating of databases, the disadvantages include modest functionality and lack of information about redirect backlinks.
Results
There are enough ways to find out external links to the site. Two of them are free, the others are paid. Although some services have a trial version, which is enough to analyze the link profile of the site, check the appearance of backlinks, etc.
Which tools to use - decide for yourself. Everything depends on the tasks here. If you analyze the control profile of your own site, free options are enough. And if you work with a dozen client web resources - then, of course, it is better to take a closer look at paid analogues.
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