You finally ran a backlink report. You see hundreds of links. Now what?
Most beginners open the list, scroll for a minute, close the tab, and move on. That’s a waste. A backlink report isn’t a trophy. It’s a repair manual.
Here’s how to check backlinks for your website the right way, without losing your mind.
Why checking backlinks matters more than you think
Links are signals. Some tell Google your site is trustworthy. Others tell Google you might be gaming the system. A bad link profile can tank your rankings slowly. A good one can push you past competitors.
But you can’t fix what you don’t see. That’s why checking is step one.
Step-by-step checklist: how to check backlinks for your website and act on it
Step 1: Get a full list of your backlinks
Use any SEO audit tool that offers a backlink checker. Free options exist, but they show limited data. Paid tools give you the full picture.
Enter your domain. Wait for the report. Export the raw list.
Step 2: Remove your own internal links
Many tools mix internal links (links from your own pages) with external backlinks. Filter them out. You want only links from other domains.
Step 3: Flag the obvious junk
Look for links from:
– Sites with no traffic
– Sites in a different language
– Sites that look like link farms (hundreds of random outbound links)
– Sites with spammy domain names (example: “freepbnlistings.xyz”)
Mark these as “review for removal.”
Step 4: Check for relevance
A link from a cooking blog to your plumbing site? Probably worthless. A link from a home renovation blog to your plumbing site? Gold.
Relevance beats authority most of the time.
Step 5: Find your best backlinks
Sort your list by:
– Domain authority (higher is better)
– Traffic (a link from a site with real visitors)
– Relevance (related topic)
These are your keepers. Note them. If you ever do outreach, these sites are your top targets.
Step 6: Look for lost backlinks
Most tools show links you’ve lost recently. If a high-quality site removed your link, you lost value. Reach out and ask why.
Step 7: Check for sudden spikes
If you gained 500 links in one day, something is wrong. It could be a negative SEO attack or a spammy directory. Investigate.
Step 8: Decide what to do
Your action list:
– Disavow toxic links (submit a disavow file in Google Search Console)
– Ignore irrelevant but harmless links (most are fine)
– Reach out to lost link owners
– Use your best links as proof for future outreach
Common mistakes beginners make when checking backlinks
- Counting all links as equal. A link from a spam site is worse than no link.
- Panicking over a few bad links. Google expects some junk. One bad link won’t hurt you.
- Ignoring nofollow links. They don’t pass authority, but they can drive traffic and brand visibility.
- Not checking competitors. You can use the same keyword research tools to find competitor backlinks and replicate their wins with content optimization.
A good rank tracking tool will also help you see if your backlink cleanup is actually improving your positions.
Mini scenario: how one beginner turned a bad backlink into a traffic win
A beginner checked her backlinks and found a link from a low-quality directory. She almost ignored it. But she noticed the directory was in her exact niche—local plumbers.
She didn’t disavow it. Instead, she checked the directory’s traffic. It had 10,000 monthly visitors. She improved her listing, added photos, and wrote a better description.
Within two months, she got three phone calls from that directory. The link wasn’t powerful for SEO, but it was powerful for leads.
The lesson: not every backlink decision is about rankings.
Final practical takeaway
Checking backlinks is not a one-time task. Do it every three months. Focus on relevance, not quantity. Keep the good links. Disavow the toxic ones. Turn the average ones into opportunities.
If you only have 15 minutes, do this:
1. Export your backlinks.
2. Filter out internal links.
3. Flag the top 10 most suspicious links.
4. Decide if any need disavowing.
5. Check your top 5 best links and see if you can get more like them.
That’s it. You don’t need a massive audit to see results.
For this use case, recommended SEO tool should be compared by pricing, setup difficulty, support quality, refund policy, and whether it fits your workflow.
FAQ
Q: How often should I check backlinks for my website?
A: Every three months is a good rhythm. If you’re actively building links, check once a month.
Q: What’s the fastest way to check backlinks for free?
A: Use Google Search Console’s “Links” report. It’s free and shows your top linked pages and top linking sites. For a full list, you need a dedicated tool.
Q: Should I disavow every low-quality backlink?
A: No. Disavow only if the link is clearly spammy or from a site that could harm your reputation. A few irrelevant links are normal.
Q: Can I check competitors’ backlinks with the same tool?
A: Yes. Most backlink checkers let you enter any domain. This helps you find link-building opportunities.
Q: What’s the difference between a backlink and a referring domain?
A: A backlink is a single link. A referring domain is a unique website. One domain can have hundreds of backlinks. Focus on referring domains first.
