Why Check Backlink Count?
- Benchmarking progress — 500 backlinks last month, 600 now = something’s working
- Competitive analysis — Top sites have 10,000+ links and you have 50? Work to do
- Due diligence — Buying a website? Backlink profile reveals SEO history
- Reporting — Track link building progress over time
The Problem with Raw Numbers
A site with 1,000 backlinks can outrank one with 100,000. Quality trumps quantity.
- One link from NYT > hundreds from random blogs
- Dofollow link > nofollow link
- Contextual link in content > footer link
- Relevant niche site > unrelated industry
The raw count is just a starting point.
How to Check Backlinks
Google Search Console (Free, Own Site Only)
- Log into GSC
- Select your property
- Go to “Links” in sidebar
- Look at “External links”
Shows top linked pages, top linking sites, anchor text. Most authoritative data since it’s from Google, but only works for verified sites.
Ahrefs
One of the largest backlink databases. Enter any domain in Site Explorer:
- Total backlinks and referring domains
- Historical data
- Dofollow vs nofollow breakdown
- Domain Rating (DR)
Free version shows top 100 backlinks.
Moz Link Explorer
Uses Domain Authority (DA). Clean, beginner-friendly interface. 10 free queries/month.
SEMrush
All-in-one platform. Shows total backlinks, referring domains, toxic link identification.
Ubersuggest
Budget-friendly option. Basic backlink data at lower price point.
Why Tools Show Different Numbers
Ahrefs shows 50,000 backlinks. Moz shows 30,000. Which is right?
Both are “right”—they measure different things. Each tool has its own crawler with different:
- Database size
- Crawl freshness
- Deduplication methods
- Counting methodology
Focus on referring domains rather than total backlinks. If one site links from 500 pages, that’s 500 backlinks but 1 referring domain. Referring domains is more consistent across tools and more meaningful.
Checking Your Own Site
- Start with GSC — Free, straight from Google
- Cross-reference with paid tool — Ahrefs/Moz find links GSC doesn’t display
- Export your list — CSV for analysis
- Review for quality — Sort by authority, check relevance
Beyond the Numbers
What Actually Matters
- Referring domain authority — One high-authority link > hundreds of low-quality
- Relevance — Links from your industry carry more weight
- Link type — Dofollow passes value, nofollow doesn’t
- Placement — Body content > footer/sidebar
- Functionality — Does the link actually work?
Backlinks Only Count If They Work
Finding backlinks is half the battle. You also need to verify they're actually there and functioning.
Links get removed. Pages go offline. Dofollow quietly becomes nofollow. That report showing 200 backlinks? Some might not exist.
Backlink Checker Pro verifies links in real-time. Upload a CSV, PDF, or Excel file and check each link for existence, link type, and accessibility issues.
Verify Your Backlinks NowCommon Mistakes
- Obsessing over total numbers — How many are spam vs quality?
- Trusting a single tool — Cross-reference at least two sources
- Ignoring referring domains — 100 links from 100 sites > 100 links from 1 site
- Assuming reported links are live — Databases aren’t real-time
- Not tracking over time — Trends matter more than snapshots
How Often to Check
- Monthly — General monitoring for most sites
- Weekly — Active link building or SEO campaigns
- After major events — Viral content, press coverage, ranking changes
- Before decisions — Buying a site, hiring an agency, partnerships
How do I check backlinks for free?
Google Search Console for your own sites. Ahrefs' free checker shows top 100 links for any domain. Moz offers 10 free queries/month. Free tools have smaller databases—paid tools needed for comprehensive analysis.
Why do different tools show different backlink numbers?
Each tool has its own crawler with different coverage, freshness, and counting methods. Focus on referring domains for more consistent comparisons.
What's the difference between backlinks and referring domains?
Backlinks count every individual link. Referring domains count unique websites. One site linking from 50 pages = 50 backlinks, 1 referring domain. Referring domains is the more meaningful metric.
How many backlinks do I need to rank?
No magic number. Depends on keyword competition, content quality, and link quality. Some pages rank with zero backlinks. Others need hundreds for competitive terms. Focus on earning relevant, authoritative links.
How do I tell if a backlink is dofollow or nofollow?
Backlink tools indicate link attributes in reports. Manually: right-click link, Inspect, look for rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc". No rel attribute = dofollow.