What backlinks are and why they matter to search engines
A backlink is straightforward a link from another website that points to yours. When website A links to website B, that link is a backlink for website B. Search engines treat backlinks as a signal that your content is worth reading — the more backlinks you have, especially from websites that are themselves trusted, the higher your site tends to rank in search results.
You do not control whether other sites link to you. But you can find out which sites do, and that information tells you something real about how your website looks to search engines. If you have few backlinks, search engines will have a harder time finding and ranking your pages. If you have many backlinks from low-quality sites, that can actually hurt your ranking.
Finding your backlinks is the first step to understanding how visible your website is and whether you need to take action to improve it.
Key Takeaways
- Free tools like Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools show you backlinks that search engines have found pointing to your site.
- Paid tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz provide more detailed backlink data and let you compare your backlinks to competitors' backlinks.
- Not all backlinks help equally — links from established, relevant websites carry more weight than links from new or unrelated sites.
- You should check your backlinks regularly to spot suspicious links that might harm your ranking and to find opportunities to build relationships with sites that link to you.
Using Google Search Console to see your backlinks
Google Search Console is free and shows you backlinks that Google itself has found. To use it, you must first verify that you own the website. Go to search.google.com/search-console, sign in with a Google account, and follow the steps to add your site. Google will ask you to prove ownership by adding a small piece of code to your website or by uploading a file to your server.
Once verified, click Links in the left menu, then External links. You will see a list of websites linking to you, sorted by how many links each site sends. Click on any domain to see which specific pages on that site link to yours. Google shows you the anchor text — the actual words someone clicks on — which helps you understand what people think your page is about.
Google Search Console is reliable because it shows only links that Google has actually crawled and indexed. The downside is that it shows fewer total backlinks than paid tools do, because Google does not crawl every corner of the internet.
Using Bing Webmaster Tools for a second opinion
Bing Webmaster Tools works much like Google Search Console and is also free. Go to www.bing.com/webmasters, sign in, and add your site. Bing will ask you to verify ownership the same way Google does.
Once verified, click Backlinks in the left menu. Bing shows you a list of linking domains and the number of backlinks from each. The data is usually similar to Google's but sometimes catches links that Google has not yet found, so checking both gives you a more complete picture.
Bing's interface is simpler than Google's, which some people prefer. The trade-off is that Bing provides less detail about individual links and anchor text.
Paid tools that show more backlinks and deeper analysis
Free tools show you what Google and Bing have found, but they do not show you the full picture. Paid tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz crawl the web independently and find backlinks that Google and Bing may have missed. They also calculate metrics like domain authority — a score that estimates how much weight a linking site carries — and let you filter backlinks by quality.
Ahrefs and SEMrush both offer free trials or limited free versions. Ahrefs' free version lets you look up one domain per day. SEMrush's free version gives you limited access to backlink data but enough to see whether a tool is worth paying for. Moz offers a free account with basic backlink data for your site.
These tools cost money because they maintain their own web crawlers and update their data constantly. If you are serious about understanding your backlink profile — especially if you are competing in a crowded industry — a paid tool is worth the cost. If you just want to know whether anyone is linking to you, the free tools are enough.
What to look for when you review your backlinks
Not all backlinks help you equally. A link from a well-established news site or industry publication carries far more weight than a link from a brand-new blog or a directory that accepts links from anyone. When you look at your backlink list, pay attention to the domain authority or domain rating of each linking site — higher numbers mean the link probably helps you more.
Look also at whether the linking site is related to your topic. A link from a site about your industry or subject matter is more valuable than a random link from an unrelated site. If you run a plumbing business, a link from a local home improvement blog helps more than a link from a gaming forum.
Check whether the anchor text makes sense. If your site is about dog training and the anchor text says "cheap electronics," that is a red flag that the link may be spam or low-quality. Legitimate links usually have anchor text that matches the topic of the page being linked to.
Spotting and removing harmful backlinks
Sometimes you will find backlinks from sites that look suspicious — sites full of spam, sites in languages unrelated to your business, or sites that seem to exist only to sell links. These links can hurt your ranking because search engines penalize sites that appear to be buying links or participating in link schemes.
If you find backlinks you believe are harmful, you can disavow them. In Google Search Console, go to Links, then Disavowed links, and upload a list of URLs you want Google to ignore. Bing does not have a disavow tool, but you can contact Bing directly if you believe you are being harmed by spam links.
Do not disavow links lightly. Most backlinks, even from mediocre sites, do not hurt you. Disavow only links that are clearly spam or from sites that have nothing to do with your business.
Finding opportunities to build relationships with linking sites
Once you know which sites link to you, you can reach out to them. If a site has linked to you once, the person who runs it may be interested in your work. You might ask them to link to a new page, or you might find ways to collaborate or share each other's content.
You can also look at which sites link to your competitors and reach out to them. If a site has linked to a competitor in your industry, they may be interested in linking to you too. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush make this straightforward by showing you competitor backlinks side by side with your own.
Building backlinks this way — by creating content worth linking to and building relationships with other site owners — is the only sustainable approach. Buying links or participating in link exchanges violates search engine rules and can result in penalties that tank your ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I check my backlinks?
Check your backlinks at least once a month using Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools. If you use a paid tool, you can set it to email you alerts when new backlinks appear. Regular checking helps you spot spam links early and notice when a site that linked to you has removed the link.
Does it matter if a backlink is "nofollow" or "dofollow"?
Yes. A dofollow link passes ranking power to your site; a nofollow link tells search engines to ignore it for ranking purposes. Nofollow links still bring traffic and visibility, but they do not boost your search ranking. Most tools show you which links are nofollow so you can focus on building dofollow links from quality sites.
What if I have no backlinks at all?
If you are brand new, having no backlinks is normal. Search engines take time to find new sites. Start by making sure your site is submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, then focus on creating content worth linking to. As your site grows and people find it useful, backlinks will follow.
Can I pay someone to build backlinks for me?
You can, but it is risky. Buying links or using link-building services that violate search engine rules can result in penalties that drop your ranking dramatically. The safest approach is to create good content, reach out to relevant sites, and let backlinks develop naturally over time.
Why does Google Search Console show fewer backlinks than Ahrefs?
Google Search Console shows only links that Google has crawled and indexed. Ahrefs and other paid tools maintain their own web crawlers and find links that Google has not yet discovered. Paid tools also include links from sites that Google may deprioritize or crawl less frequently, so they typically show a higher total count.