Where to look for backlinks to your site
The fastest way to find backlinks is to use a backlink checker tool — a piece of software that searches the web for links pointing to your domain. Google Search Console shows backlinks that Google has found, but it is incomplete. Third-party tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, and Ubersuggest maintain their own databases of links across the web and often find links Google has not indexed yet.
Each tool works the same way: you enter your domain name, and the tool returns a list of websites linking to you, the anchor text they used, and when the link was first seen. Some tools are free with limits on how many results you see per month. Others charge a monthly subscription for unlimited searches and more detailed information about each link.
The choice between tools depends on your budget and how many backlinks you need to track. If you have fewer than 50 backlinks, a free tool may be enough. If you have hundreds or thousands, a paid tool will save you time and show you patterns you would miss checking manually.
Key Takeaways
- Google Search Console shows backlinks Google has indexed, but third-party tools like Ahrefs and Semrush find links that Google has not yet discovered.
- Each backlink checker displays the linking domain, anchor text, and when the link was found, so you can see which sites send the most traffic and which links may be broken.
- Free tools have monthly limits but work for small sites; paid subscriptions cost $10 to $400 per month depending on the tool and how many searches you need.
- Comparing results across two different tools often reveals links that one tool missed, so checking more than one source gives you a more complete picture.
Using Google Search Console to see backlinks Google knows about
Google Search Console is free and built into Google's own systems, so it shows you the backlinks that Google has already crawled and indexed. Log in to your Search Console account, select your property, and go to Links in the left menu. You will see a list of the top linking domains, the top linked pages on your site, and the anchor text used most often.
The data in Search Console updates slowly — sometimes weeks behind what is actually on the web. Google also does not show you every backlink it knows about, only a sample of the most important ones. For a complete picture, you need to cross-check with other tools.
Search Console is most useful for spotting broken links and understanding which of your own pages attract the most external links. If a page you expected to be popular has few backlinks, that tells you something about how the web sees that content.
Checking backlinks with free tools
Free backlink checkers let you run a limited number of searches each month without paying. Ubersuggest, Moz Link Explorer, and Ahrefs' free backlink checker all work this way. You type in your domain, wait a few seconds, and get a list of backlinks with basic information about each one.
Free tools usually show you the top 20 to 100 backlinks and tell you the domain authority or trust score of each linking site. They do not let you filter by date, anchor text, or link type, and they do not show you historical data about when links appeared or disappeared. If you need to check your backlinks once a month, a free tool is enough. If you check weekly or need to track changes over time, the limits become frustrating.
The trade-off is speed versus completeness. A free tool gives you a quick answer in seconds. A paid tool takes longer to load but shows you far more links and lets you sort and filter them in ways that reveal patterns.
Using paid backlink tools for detailed tracking
Paid tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz charge monthly subscriptions ranging from $10 to $400 depending on the tool and the plan you choose. In return, they show you thousands of backlinks, let you filter by domain authority, anchor text, link type, and date, and track how your backlink profile changes week to week.
Ahrefs is the most expensive but has the largest link database. Semrush costs less and includes tools for keyword research and competitor analysis alongside backlink checking. Moz is in the middle on price and is often recommended for beginners because its interface is simpler. Ubersuggest is the cheapest paid option and works well for small businesses that do not need advanced filtering.
Most paid tools let you set up automatic reports that show you new backlinks, lost backlinks, and changes in your backlink profile each week or month. This is useful if you run a content marketing campaign and want to see whether your new articles are attracting links. It is also useful for spotting when a competitor links to you or when a site that linked to you removes the link.
Comparing results across multiple tools
No single backlink tool finds every link on the web. Each tool crawls the internet differently and maintains its own database, so they often disagree on which backlinks exist and how many you have. Running the same domain through two or three different tools will show you links that some tools miss.
Start with Google Search Console and one free tool. If the results are very different, that tells you the free tool is finding links Google has not indexed yet. Then run the same domain through a second free tool or a paid trial. The links that appear in all three sources are the ones you can trust most. The links that appear in only one tool may be real, but they may also be false positives or links that are about to disappear.
This cross-checking takes time but is worth doing if you are trying to understand your backlink profile for the first time or if you suspect a competitor is using link-building tactics you should know about.
Understanding what the backlink data means
When you look at a backlink, you will see several pieces of information. The linking domain is the website that contains the link. The anchor text is the clickable words the link uses — for example, "best coffee shops" or "learn more here". The link type tells you whether the link is dofollow (passes authority to your site) or nofollow (does not). The domain authority or trust score is the tool's estimate of how much authority that linking site has.
A backlink from a high-authority site like a major news outlet or university is worth more than a backlink from a small blog. A dofollow link is worth more than a nofollow link. A link with relevant anchor text (words that describe your page) is worth more than a link that just says "click here". But even a low-authority nofollow link from a relevant site can send real visitors to your website, so do not ignore links that do not score high on authority metrics.
The date the link was found tells you when the tool first saw it, not necessarily when the link was created. Some tools show you when they last checked that link to confirm it still exists. If a link is old and you have not seen it checked recently, it may be broken.
Finding new backlink opportunities by studying competitors
Most backlink tools let you enter a competitor's domain and see their backlinks. This is useful because it shows you websites that link to sites similar to yours, which means they might link to you too. Look for competitors in your industry or niche, run their domains through a backlink checker, and make a list of the sites linking to them.
Then visit those sites and see whether they link to you. If they do not, you have found a potential link opportunity. If the site is relevant to your industry and has decent traffic, it may be worth reaching out to ask whether they would link to your content. This is called broken link building if you are replacing a broken link on their site, or resource page outreach if you are asking to be added to a list of resources.
Do not assume every backlink your competitor has is a good one. Some links may be from low-quality sites or paid link networks that could hurt your site if you copy them. Focus on links from sites that are relevant to your industry and have real traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Google Search Console show fewer backlinks than other tools?
Google Search Console only shows backlinks that Google has crawled and indexed. Third-party tools maintain their own databases by crawling the web independently, so they often find links before Google does or find links Google never indexes. This is normal and does not mean the other tools are wrong.
Is a backlink from a nofollow link worth anything?
A nofollow link does not pass authority to your site in the way search engines measure it, but it can still send real visitors to your website. If the link is from a relevant site with real traffic, it is worth having even if it does not help your search rankings directly.
How often should I check my backlinks?
If you are running a content marketing campaign or actively building links, checking once a week or once a month is useful to see whether your efforts are working. If your site is stable and you are not actively promoting new content, checking once every few months is enough.
Can I remove backlinks I do not want?
You can ask a website owner to remove a link by contacting them directly. If they refuse, you can disavow the link in Google Search Console, which tells Google to ignore it when calculating your site's authority. Disavowing should be a last resort because it does not actually remove the link from the web.
What is the difference between a backlink and an internal link?
A backlink is a link from another website pointing to yours. An internal link is a link from one page on your site to another page on your site. Backlink tools only show you external links pointing in. To find your internal links, use Google Search Console or a site crawler like Screaming Frog.