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Backlinks play a pivotal role in search engine optimization (SEO). They act as endorsements from other websites, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. While many automated tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush offer convenient ways to analyze backlinks, checking them manually can offer deeper insights into their quality and relevance. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of manually checking backlinks, helping you ensure that your backlink profile remains strong and healthy for SEO.
Although SEO tools can automate much of the backlink checking process, there are distinct advantages to doing it manually. One of the main benefits is that manual checks allow you to notice issues that automated tools might miss, such as backlinks from low-quality sites or irrelevant sources. Moreover, manual checks help you assess the true quality of a link by evaluating the context in which it appears.
Tools may provide data on the number of backlinks and their anchor text, but they can't explain the relevance of the link or its impact on your site's overall SEO strategy. Manually reviewing links gives you a more nuanced understanding of which backlinks are genuinely valuable and which could be harmful.
Additionally, a manual review gives you the opportunity to evaluate the website's content and authority. Does the linking website have relevant, high-quality content that aligns with your own? Is it an authoritative site that could pass along valuable SEO equity, or is it a low-quality, spammy site that might hurt your rankings?
To manually check backlinks, you’ll need a few essential tools. Google Search Console is your starting point, as it allows you to see which sites are linking to you directly from Google’s perspective. The “Links” section in Google Search Console will show you the top domains linking to your site, along with the total number of links and anchor text used. This data is a valuable starting point for your manual analysis.
In addition to Search Console, browser extensions like MozBar and Ahrefs Toolbar can provide real-time SEO metrics for the linking pages you visit. These tools display the domain authority (DA), page authority (PA), and other important metrics directly in your browser, making it easier to assess the credibility of linking sites.
Finally, it’s useful to track your findings in a spreadsheet. Organizing backlink data by linking domain, anchor text, and relevance allows you to spot trends, keep track of problematic links, and manage your backlink profile effectively.
The process of manually checking backlinks involves a few key steps, each designed to help you evaluate the quality and relevance of links. Begin by accessing the backlinks data from Google Search Console or another tool of your choice. This gives you an initial list of all the domains and pages linking to your website.
Once you have the list, the next step is to visit the linking websites. Take the time to assess the quality of their content. Are they reputable, informative sites in your industry, or do they appear to be spammy or low-quality? A high-quality backlink should come from a website that offers relevant content to your niche or industry.
At the same time, check the anchor text used for each link. Anchor text is the clickable text that links back to your site. It should be natural, varied, and relevant to your content. A link that uses overly optimized, keyword-stuffed anchor text might raise red flags for search engines and could harm your SEO efforts.
Another important aspect to check is the authority of the linking page itself. Using tools like MozBar or Ahrefs Toolbar, you can quickly evaluate the domain authority (DA) and page authority (PA) of the linking site. The higher the DA and PA, the more valuable the backlink is likely to be for your SEO. Links from low-authority pages or irrelevant sites can dilute the effectiveness of your backlink profile and even lead to penalties in some cases.
As you check the backlinks, be on the lookout for any that could be considered toxic. Toxic backlinks typically come from spammy websites, sites with poor content, or sites that have been flagged by Google for violations like selling links or engaging in black-hat SEO tactics. These types of links should be removed or disavowed as soon as possible to avoid harming your site’s SEO.
When manually checking backlinks, there are several red flags to watch for. Links from irrelevant or low-quality sites are the most obvious signs of problematic backlinks. These links provide little SEO value and may hurt your site's authority. Links from pages with thin or spammy content should also be considered low-quality, as they are unlikely to pass any real authority to your site.
Another common issue is anchor text that is too heavily optimized with exact-match keywords. While some use of keywords in anchor text is natural, overuse or repetitive keywords can appear manipulative, which may lead to penalties from search engines.
Also, watch for links from domains with low domain authority. While a backlink from a website with a DA of 40 might be valuable, a backlink from a site with a DA of 10 could be irrelevant to your SEO efforts. The authority of the linking site is a crucial factor in determining how valuable the backlink will be for your rankings.
Once you identify toxic or irrelevant backlinks, it’s time to take action. The first step is to contact the website owner or webmaster of the linking site. Politely request that they remove the link. This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s often the best way to eliminate bad backlinks.
If link removal isn’t possible, you can use Google’s Disavow Tool to inform Google that you no longer wish to be associated with certain links. This tool allows you to submit a file that lists URLs or entire domains that you want Google to ignore when evaluating your site. While disavowing links should be a last resort, it’s a powerful way to protect your site from penalties related to harmful backlinks.
Regularly auditing your backlinks is the key to maintaining a healthy link profile. Aim to check your backlinks every few months to ensure there are no harmful links pointing to your site. Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites in your industry.
It’s also important to avoid black-hat SEO tactics like buying links or engaging in link farms. These tactics may offer short-term gains but can lead to long-term penalties that severely impact your rankings.
Creating shareable, valuable content is a proactive way to naturally attract high-quality backlinks. By building relationships with influencers, guest bloggers, and other websites in your niche, you can build a sustainable backlink profile that supports your SEO efforts.
Manually checking your backlinks is an important part of maintaining a healthy SEO strategy. While automated tools can provide useful data, a hands-on approach gives you a deeper understanding of your backlink profile and allows you to make informed decisions about which links are benefiting your site and which ones are harming it.
By regularly auditing your backlinks, addressing problematic links, and focusing on acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks, you can improve your website’s authority, avoid penalties, and achieve long-term SEO success.