Where to find your inbound links

Inbound links — also called backlinks — are links from other websites pointing to yours. You can see them using free tools built into Google Search Console, or through third-party SEO platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. Google Search Console shows you links Google has actually found; third-party tools show a broader picture but may include links Google hasn't indexed yet.

The fastest way to start is Google Search Console, which costs nothing and connects directly to Google's index. If you haven't set it up yet, you'll need to verify ownership of your website first — Google walks you through this when you sign in with your Google account.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Search Console shows inbound links Google has found on your site, sorted by which pages receive the most links and which linking domains are strongest.
  • Third-party tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush show a wider range of backlinks, including some Google may not have indexed, but require paid subscriptions for full data.
  • A link's value depends on the linking site's own authority and relevance to your topic, not just the number of links you have.
  • Broken links — links pointing to pages that no longer exist — show up in Google Search Console under "Not found" errors and should be fixed or redirected.
  • You can export your backlink data from most tools to track changes over time and spot when new links appear or old ones disappear.

Using Google Search Console to see your backlinks

Open Google Search Console, select your property, and go to Links in the left menu. You'll see four sections: Top linking sites (which domains link to you most), Top linked pages (which of your pages get linked to most), Top linking text (the anchor text used in links to you), and More details (a full list you can download).

The "Top linking sites" section is the most useful starting point. It shows you which external websites send the most links to your site, ranked by the number of links from each domain. Click on any domain to see which of your pages it links to and what text it uses.

Download the full list under "More details" if you want to analyze your backlinks in a spreadsheet. This file includes every link Google has found, the page it points to, and the anchor text. You can sort by date to see when links appeared, or by domain to group links by source.

What third-party backlink tools show you

Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, and Ubersuggest crawl the web independently and maintain their own databases of links. They often find links Google hasn't indexed yet, and they estimate the authority of linking sites using their own metrics — Ahrefs calls it "Domain Rating," SEMrush calls it "Authority Score," and Moz calls it "Domain Authority."

These tools let you filter backlinks by authority level, anchor text, link type (do-follow or no-follow), and whether the link is still live. You can also see competitor backlinks — type in a competitor's domain and see which sites link to them but not to you. This can reveal link sources you hadn't considered.

Most third-party tools offer a free tier with limited data — usually showing your top 10 to 50 backlinks — and paid plans that show everything. Ahrefs and SEMrush are the most comprehensive but cost $99 to $200+ per month. Moz's free tier is more generous than most, showing up to 50 backlinks without payment.

Understanding link quality and relevance

Not all backlinks have equal value. A link from a high-authority site in your industry is worth far more than ten links from low-authority sites with no connection to your topic. Google's algorithm considers both the authority of the linking site and how relevant it is to your content.

A link from a site with high authority but low relevance to your topic still helps, but less than a link from a smaller site that's directly related to what you do. If you run a plumbing business, a link from a local news site matters more than a link from a tech blog, even if the tech blog has more overall authority.

Do-follow links pass authority to your site; no-follow links do not. Most backlinks are do-follow by default. No-follow links still drive traffic and build awareness, but they don't improve your search rankings directly. You can see which type each link is in most backlink tools.

Finding and fixing broken backlinks

A broken backlink is a link pointing to a page on your site that no longer exists. When someone clicks it, they see a 404 error. You can find these in Google Search Console by going to Coverage and looking for "Not found" errors, or by checking your backlink tools for links to pages that return 404 status codes.

Fix broken backlinks by either restoring the page, redirecting it to a similar page, or asking the linking site to update the link. If the page is gone for good, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the most relevant page on your site. This passes the link's authority to the new page and sends visitors to a working page instead of an error.

Reach out to sites linking to your broken pages if the link is from a high-authority source. A simple email asking them to update the URL often works, especially if you suggest a better page to link to instead.

Tracking backlink changes over time

Set up a regular backlink audit to spot trends. Most third-party tools let you export your backlink data as a CSV file, which you can save and compare month to month. Track the total number of backlinks, the number of linking domains, and the average authority of your backlinks.

Watch for sudden drops in backlinks — this can mean a major linking site went down, removed your link, or changed their site structure. A sudden spike might mean you earned a link from a high-authority site, or it could mean a spammer added your link to a directory. Either way, investigating the change helps you understand what's working.

Google Search Console also shows you new links it has found in the past 90 days. Check this section regularly to see which sites are linking to you recently and whether they're relevant to your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay for a backlink tool?

No. Google Search Console is free and shows you all the backlinks Google has found. If you want to see links Google hasn't indexed yet or analyze competitor backlinks, a paid tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush is helpful but not required. Moz's free tier offers a middle ground with more data than Google Search Console but without the full cost.

Why does Google Search Console show fewer backlinks than third-party tools?

Google Search Console only shows links Google has crawled and indexed. Third-party tools crawl the web independently and may find links before Google does, or links on sites Google doesn't crawl frequently. Both numbers are accurate for what they measure — Google's index versus the tool's own database.

Should I try to get links from sites with high authority even if they're not related to my topic?

Links from high-authority sites help, but links from relevant sites help more. A link from a site in your industry, even if it has lower authority, is usually more valuable for search rankings than a link from a major news site with no connection to your business. Focus on earning links from sites your customers actually visit.

What should I do if I find a backlink from a spammy site?

If a link is from a low-quality or spammy site, you can disavow it in Google Search Console. Go to Links, find the linking domain, and use the disavow tool to tell Google to ignore that link. Only disavow links you believe are harmful — most backlinks, even from mediocre sites, don't hurt your rankings.

Can I see backlinks to my competitors?

Yes, with third-party tools. Enter a competitor's domain into Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to see their backlinks. This shows you which sites link to them and can help you identify link sources you should pursue. Google Search Console only shows backlinks to your own sites, not competitors'.