Backlinks
Backlinks: how to check yours and when to act
A backlink is a link from another site to yours. These guides show how to check your links, read what changed, and decide whether any of it needs action.
What a backlink is
Each backlink has a page that links, a page it points to, and anchor text: the words the link uses. Search engines count links as one signal when they judge the page it points to.
Referring domains
A referring domain is a site that links to yours at least once. One domain that links fifty times still counts once, so follow the referring domain count over time.
Checking your links
The free backlink checker gives estimated totals for one domain, with no account. Its page states the limit on fresh checks before you start.
Reading a link review
A link review lists new and lost links, the anchor text on each, and whether a link is followed or nofollow. Compare it with the last review to see what changed.
Links you did not ask for
Most spam links need no action. Look closer when one points at a page that matters, or when many new links arrive in a few days.
Disavow: most sites do not need it
A disavow file asks Google to ignore the links you list. Read the guide before you upload one. The builder on that page writes the file in your browser, so the list never reaches our servers.
Where competitors get links
Compare a rival's link review with yours. The sites that link to a rival and not to you are the first places to look.
Backlink, referring domain, anchor text, and disavow are defined in the glossary. Open the glossary
Check a domain before you decide
The free checker needs no account. It states its limit on the page before you start.