You opened a backlink checker website. You typed in your domain. You clicked “Check.”
Now you have 500 results.
What do you do with them? Ignore the list? Delete everything? Start sending emails to every site?
Most beginners freeze. They see data, but they don’t see a plan. That’s the real problem: data paralysis.
This article gives you a repeatable checklist. You’ll know exactly which links to keep, which to ignore, and which to act on. No fluff. No theory.
Why a backlink checker website is useful (and when it isn’t)
A backlink checker website does one thing: it finds pages that link to your site. That’s it.
That list is useful because Google uses links as a trust signal. If a reputable site links to you, Google assumes your content is trustworthy. If a spammy site links to you, Google might assume the opposite.
But here’s the catch: a raw list of 500 links doesn’t tell you which ones are good. You need a filter. And that filter is what most beginners miss.
The 5-step checklist for any backlink checker website
Use this checklist every time you run a backlink report. It works with any tool—free or paid.
Step 1: Sort by domain authority (or a similar metric)
Every backlink checker website gives you a metric like Domain Authority, Domain Rating, or Trust Flow. Sort your list by this metric. Start with the highest number.
Why? High-authority sites pass more “link juice.” A single link from a DA 80 site can be worth more than 100 links from DA 10 sites.
Step 2: Check link context, not just the URL
Click on the first high-authority link. What does the page look like?
- Is the link surrounded by relevant content?
- Is the link natural (e.g., “as mentioned in this article”).
- Or does it look like a random comment or a footer link?
If the link looks unnatural, Google might ignore it. If the link is in a sidebar or footer, it’s often ignored.
Step 3: Identify the link type (DoFollow vs. NoFollow)
Most backlink checker websites show this in a column. Look for “Follow” or “NoFollow.”
- DoFollow: passes authority. These are valuable.
- NoFollow: does not pass authority. But it can still bring traffic.
Don’t ignore NoFollow links entirely. If a NoFollow link comes from a high-traffic site like Forbes or The New York Times, it can still send visitors to your site.
Step 4: Spot the spam signals
Scroll through your list. Look for these red flags:
- Sites with almost no content
- Sites with hundreds of outbound links
- Sites with gibberish URLs (e.g.,
best-deals-2024-xyz.info) - Links from irrelevant categories (e.g., a link to your pet blog from a casino site)
These are toxic links. If there are many of them, you might need to use Google’s Disavow Tool.
Step 5: Prioritize your actions
Not every link needs an action. Use this table:
| Link Type | Action |
|---|---|
| High authority, relevant, DoFollow | Do nothing. Keep it. |
| High authority, relevant, NoFollow | Do nothing. Keep it for traffic. |
| Low authority, spammy, DoFollow | Consider disavowing if there are many. |
| Low authority, irrelevant, NoFollow | Ignore it. |
| Broken link pointing to your site | Contact the site owner and ask for a fix. |
Common mistakes beginners make
Mistake 1: Trying to remove every bad link
Not every bad link hurts you. If you have one spammy link among 500 good ones, Google usually ignores it. Focus on patterns of spam, not individual incidents.
Mistake 2: Sending outreach emails to every link
“Hi, you linked to me. Can you make it DoFollow?” That’s a good way to get ignored. Only reach out if the link is broken or if you have a genuine reason to ask for an update.
Mistake 3: Using only one backlink checker website
Different tools have different databases. A link might show up in one tool but not another. Cross-check when you find something suspicious.
Mini scenario: How one beginner turned a spam link into a fix
A blogger named Sarah checked her backlinks using a free backlink checker website. She found 15 links from a site called cheap-gadgets-2024.net. The site looked like a directory with no real content.
- She checked the link type: DoFollow.
- She checked the domain authority: DA 3.
- She checked the relevance: zero. Her blog was about gardening.
She had two options:
- Do nothing and hope Google doesn’t notice.
- Disavow the links if she saw a ranking drop.
Sarah decided to wait. She monitored her rankings using rank tracking. After a month, her rankings didn’t change. The spammy links had no impact.
If she had panicked and sent disavow requests, she would have wasted time. Instead, she focused on building real links.
FAQ
Q: Is a free backlink checker website enough for a beginner?
A: Yes, for basic checks. Free tools like Google Search Console or Ubersuggest show your existing links. But they have limited data. For deeper analysis, consider a paid option.
Q: How often should I check my backlinks?
A: Once a month is fine for most sites. If you’re actively building links, check every two weeks. Don’t check daily—you’ll see no change and get frustrated.
Q: What should I do if I find a toxic link?
A: First, check if the link is DoFollow. If it is and there are many, disavow it using Google’s Disavow Tool. If it’s NoFollow or there’s only one, ignore it.
Q: Can a backlink checker website tell me if a link is spam?
A: Not directly. It shows you the domain and the URL. You have to manually check the page to decide if it’s spam.
Q: What’s the most important metric in a backlink report?
A: Relevance. A link from a relevant, low-authority site is often better than a link from an irrelevant, high-authority site.
Final practical takeaway
A backlink checker website gives you a list. You turn that list into action.
Don’t get lost in the data. Use the 5-step checklist:
- Sort by authority.
- Check context.
- Identify DoFollow vs. NoFollow.
- Spot spam signals.
- Prioritize your actions.
Your goal isn’t to have 500 links. Your goal is to have 5 good links that send real traffic and trust.
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: What should I check first when comparing backlink checker website?
A: Start with the real use case, pricing, setup difficulty, limits, support quality, and whether the option matches your workflow instead of choosing only by brand name.
Q: Is backlink checker website enough on its own?
A: Usually no. It should be evaluated together with your process, budget, risk level, and the other tools or accounts involved in the workflow.
Q: How do I avoid choosing the wrong option?
A: Use a short checklist, test on a small use case first, read the refund policy, and avoid tools or services that make unrealistic promises.
