{"id":811,"date":"2024-10-17T10:48:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T10:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/?p=811"},"modified":"2026-01-09T13:18:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T13:18:05","slug":"check-backlinks-with-google","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/check-backlinks-with-google\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Check Backlinks with Google: A Step-by-Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"290\" data-end=\"562\">Ever typed <em data-start=\"301\" data-end=\"324\">\u201csites linking to me\u201d<\/em> or <em data-start=\"328\" data-end=\"359\">\u201ccheck backlinks with Google\u201d<\/em> and ended up completely lost in SEO jargon? I remember those days well! Understanding who\u2019s linking to your site and how to check backlinks with Google is a super powerful SEO move.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"564\" data-end=\"818\">You might ask &#8211; why bother? Well, backlinks still carry a lot of weight when it comes to SEO (not to mention GEO) and rankings. Every quality external link is a vote of confidence that tells Google (and AI systems) your content matters. But you need to see which sites are doing that \u2014 and that\u2019s where Google\u2019s tools come in handy.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"820\" data-end=\"850\">In this article, I&#8217;ll run through:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"851\" data-end=\"1131\">\n<li data-start=\"851\" data-end=\"914\">\n<p data-start=\"853\" data-end=\"914\">How to check backlinks with Google using built\u2011in tools<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"915\" data-end=\"973\">\n<p data-start=\"917\" data-end=\"973\">What data actually matters (and which parts to ignore)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"974\" data-end=\"1026\">\n<p data-start=\"976\" data-end=\"1026\">How to spot (and handle) <a href=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/10-tools-for-broken-link-building-success\/\">sketchy or broken links<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1027\" data-end=\"1073\">\n<p data-start=\"1029\" data-end=\"1073\">Steps to turn backlink insight into action<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1133\" data-end=\"1199\">Let\u2019s get started&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2>Why Backlinks Matter in SEO<\/h2>\n<p>Before we dive into how to check backlinks with Google, it\u2019s important to understand <a href=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/why-backlinks-are-important\/\">why backlinks are so crucial for your website<\/a>. Backlinks, also called inbound links, are links from other websites that point to your content. Search engines like Google view backlinks as a vote of confidence. When a reputable site links to yours, it signals that your content is valuable and trustworthy, which can boost your search engine rankings.<\/p>\n<p>Maintaining a varied backlink profile is key for stability in your site&#8217;s SEO performance. Link diversity involves obtaining backlinks from different types of sources, such as blogs, news sites, forums, and directories. This variety signals to search engines that your content is reliable and popular across various platforms. A mixed profile can also protect you from algorithm changes that might impact links from a single source type. Monitoring the range of your backlinks helps ensure a more balanced and healthy overall strategy.<\/p>\n<p>But not all backlinks are the same. <a href=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/relevant-backlinks\/\">High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites<\/a> carry more weight and can significantly improve your SEO. On the flip side, low-quality or spammy backlinks can hurt your rankings, so monitoring them regularly is key.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Top ranking pages on Google have, on average, <strong data-start=\"1308\" data-end=\"1331\">3.8\u00d7 more backlinks<\/strong> than those ranked below them. (Backlinko study)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-784 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Copy-of-compare-SEO-tools-44.jpg\" alt=\"a man with a laptop and large link icon to check backlinks with google\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Copy-of-compare-SEO-tools-44.jpg 600w, https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Copy-of-compare-SEO-tools-44-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>How to Check Backlinks with Google<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you understand the importance of backlinks, let\u2019s walk through the different ways you can check backlinks with Google.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Use Google Search Console to Check Backlinks<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Google Search Console<\/strong><\/a> is a free tool provided by Google that allows you to monitor various aspects of your website\u2019s performance, including backlinks. It provides an easy way to check backlinks with Google and ensures that your link profile is up-to-date.<\/p>\n<h4>How to Check Backlinks with Google Search Console:<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Sign in<\/strong> to your Google Search Console account.<\/li>\n<li>Choose your <strong>website<\/strong> from the list of properties.<\/li>\n<li>Navigate to the <strong>&#8220;Links&#8221;<\/strong> section on the left sidebar.<\/li>\n<li>Under <strong>&#8220;External Links&#8221;<\/strong>, you\u2019ll see a list of websites that are linking back to your site. This shows you the pages on your website that have the most backlinks and the sites linking to them.<\/li>\n<li>Use the information to assess the quality and relevance of the backlinks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Google Search Console offers an overview of your backlink profile, making it easier to manage and analyze your links.<\/p>\n<p>Google Search Console offers advanced features that enhance backlink analysis. You can use comparison reports to observe changes over time, which helps identify trends in backlink growth or loss. The filtering feature lets you narrow down links by attributes such as the source domain, so you can target specific areas needing improvement. These tools provide deeper insight into backlink dynamics, allowing for a more strategic approach.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Use Google Search Operators to Find Backlinks<\/h3>\n<p>Another way to check backlinks with Google is by using Google\u2019s advanced search operators. These commands help you narrow down your search results and find where your website has been linked across the internet.<\/p>\n<p>Some useful search operators to check backlinks include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>&#8220;yourwebsite.com&#8221;<\/strong>: This simple search allows you to find mentions of your website across the web. By placing your domain in quotation marks, Google will return results that mention your site, some of which may include backlinks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>intitle:&#8221;your keyword&#8221; + inurl:&#8221;links&#8221;<\/strong>: This search operator helps you find resource pages or blog posts in your niche that may be linking to your content. Resource pages often feature valuable links and can be great opportunities for future backlinks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Links are really important for us to find content initially. If nobody links to your website, we\u2019ll have a hard time recognizing that it even exists. \u2014 John Mueller, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>3. Set Up Google Alerts to Track Mentions<\/h3>\n<p>While Google Alerts doesn\u2019t directly show you backlinks, it\u2019s a great tool to monitor when your brand or website is mentioned online. Once you\u2019re alerted to a mention, you can check whether it includes a backlink. If not, this gives you the chance to reach out and request a link.<\/p>\n<h4>How to Set Up Google Alerts:<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.uk\/alerts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Google Alerts<\/strong><\/a> and type your website URL in quotation marks (e.g., &#8220;yourwebsite.com&#8221;).<\/li>\n<li>Set up an alert to receive notifications whenever your website is mentioned online.<\/li>\n<li>Review the mentions, and if there\u2019s no backlink, consider contacting the website to ask for one.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-813 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Copy-of-compare-SEO-tools-53.jpg\" alt=\"a large speakerphone with alert icons around it\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Copy-of-compare-SEO-tools-53.jpg 600w, https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Copy-of-compare-SEO-tools-53-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>4. Track Referral Traffic Using Google Analytics<\/h3>\n<p>You can also check backlinks with Google by tracking referral traffic in <strong>Google Analytics<\/strong>. Referral traffic refers to users who come to your site through a link on another site, and this often comes from backlinks.<\/p>\n<h4>How to Track Referral Traffic in Google Analytics:<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Log in to <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/analytics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Google Analytics<\/strong><\/a> and select your website.<\/li>\n<li>Navigate to <strong>Acquisition &gt; All Traffic &gt; Referrals<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Review the list of sites that are referring traffic to your website.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>By analyzing this data, you can determine which backlinks are driving traffic and whether they\u2019re coming from high-quality, relevant sources.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Check for Broken Links with Google<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/what-is-a-broken-link\/\">Broken links can hurt your SEO performance<\/a>, and monitoring them regularly is essential. One way to identify broken backlinks is by searching for mentions of your site that lead to a dead link.<\/p>\n<p>Use the <strong>&#8220;site<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><strong>.com&#8221;<\/strong> search operator to identify backlinks that may lead to 404 errors or broken pages. Once you find these broken links, reach out to the website owner to fix the issue, or redirect the broken link to a relevant, working page on your site.<\/p>\n<h3>Common Backlink Mistakes to Avoid<\/h3>\n<p>Avoid common pitfalls in managing backlinks, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/remove-bad-backlinks\/\">purchasing low-quality links from unreliable sources<\/a>. These can lead to penalties and degrade your link profile&#8217;s quality. Ignoring outdated or toxic links without disavowing them may harm your site&#8217;s reputation. It&#8217;s important to regularly update disavowed links in Google Search Console to reflect current conditions. Another mistake is failing to monitor changes in the quality of backlinks, which could impact SEO negatively if left unchecked. Regular audits are key to maintaining link efficacy.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Focusing on quality [backlinks] over quantity is what can help to protect your site as Google updates. \u2014 Adam Riemer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"44\">How to find backlinks in Google Analytics<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"46\" data-end=\"769\">Google Analytics doesn\u2019t show you a clean \u201cbacklink list\u201d (it\u2019s not a backlink crawler). What it <em data-start=\"143\" data-end=\"148\">can<\/em> show is which sites are sending you traffic via links &#8211; which is still useful for spotting real placements and potential risk. In GA4, go to <strong data-start=\"290\" data-end=\"337\">Reports &#8211; Acquisition &#8211; Traffic acquisition<\/strong>, then filter <strong data-start=\"351\" data-end=\"376\">Session source\/medium<\/strong> to <strong data-start=\"380\" data-end=\"392\">referral<\/strong>. You\u2019ll see the domains that sent visits, plus engagement and conversion data. If you want the actual backlink URLs (the exact pages linking to you), pair this with <strong data-start=\"558\" data-end=\"598\">Google Search Console\u2019s Links report<\/strong> or a dedicated backlink tool. In our experience, GA is best for \u201cwhich links drive real humans,\u201d while Search Console or SEO tools are best for \u201cwhat links exist at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"50\">How to check backlinks in Google Search Console<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"52\" data-end=\"685\">If you want a genuine backlink list straight from Google, <strong data-start=\"110\" data-end=\"141\">Search Console is the place<\/strong>. Open <strong data-start=\"148\" data-end=\"173\">Google Search Console<\/strong>, choose your property, then go to <strong data-start=\"208\" data-end=\"217\">Links<\/strong> in the left-hand menu. Under <strong data-start=\"247\" data-end=\"265\">External links<\/strong>, you\u2019ll see <strong data-start=\"278\" data-end=\"298\">Top linked pages<\/strong> (your pages getting links), <strong data-start=\"327\" data-end=\"348\">Top linking sites<\/strong> (domains linking to you), and <strong data-start=\"379\" data-end=\"399\">Top linking text<\/strong> (common anchor text). Click into any section to drill down and export. In our experience, this report is perfect for spotting sudden spikes, weird anchors, or unexpected domains &#8211; and it\u2019s a great companion to a backlink risk assessment because it shows what Google is actually seeing.<\/p>\n<h2>Best Practices for Checking and Managing Backlinks<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve learned how to check backlinks with Google, here are some best practices to follow:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Focus on Quality<\/strong>: High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites are more valuable than dozens of low-quality links. Prioritize backlinks from reputable sources in your niche.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regularly Monitor Backlinks<\/strong>: Use Google Search Console and Google Analytics to regularly monitor your backlink profile. This will help you stay on top of new backlinks and catch any low-quality or spammy links that could hurt your SEO.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disavow Toxic Links<\/strong>: If you find harmful or irrelevant backlinks, consider using Google\u2019s Disavow Tool to tell Google to ignore them. This can help protect your site from penalties.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build Relationships for Future Links<\/strong>: Don\u2019t just stop at checking your backlinks. Build relationships with the sites linking to you and explore opportunities for future collaborations or guest posts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Learning how to check backlinks with Google is an essential skill for anyone looking to improve their website\u2019s SEO. By using tools like Google Search Console, Google Alerts, and Google Analytics, you can easily monitor your backlink profile and ensure your site is getting high-quality, relevant links.<\/p>\n<p>Take the time to regularly check and manage your backlinks to maintain a strong online presence and improve your search engine rankings.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"362\" data-end=\"403\">FAQs: Check Backlinks with Google<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"405\" data-end=\"655\"><strong data-start=\"405\" data-end=\"468\">Q: Can I check backlinks directly in Google Search Console?<\/strong><br data-start=\"468\" data-end=\"471\" \/>A: Yes! Go to <strong data-start=\"485\" data-end=\"511\">Search Console &gt; Links<\/strong> and you\u2019ll find data under \u201cTop linking sites\u201d and \u201cTop linked pages.\u201d You can export this info to analyse your backlink profile in more depth.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"662\" data-end=\"889\"><strong data-start=\"662\" data-end=\"721\">Q: Does Google Search Console show all of my backlinks?<\/strong><br data-start=\"721\" data-end=\"724\" \/>A: No \u2014 it only shows a <strong data-start=\"748\" data-end=\"767\">sample of links<\/strong> that Google knows about. For deeper backlink analysis, consider pairing GSC data with tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"896\" data-end=\"965\"><strong data-start=\"896\" data-end=\"950\">Q: What should I look for when checking backlinks?<\/strong><br data-start=\"950\" data-end=\"953\" \/>A: Focus on:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"966\" data-end=\"1171\">\n<li data-start=\"966\" data-end=\"1008\">\n<p data-start=\"968\" data-end=\"1008\">Who is linking to you (site authority)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1009\" data-end=\"1051\">\n<p data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1051\">Which pages are getting the most links<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1052\" data-end=\"1085\">\n<p data-start=\"1054\" data-end=\"1085\">Anchor text used in the links<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1086\" data-end=\"1116\">\n<p data-start=\"1088\" data-end=\"1116\">Dofollow vs nofollow links<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1117\" data-end=\"1171\">\n<p data-start=\"1119\" data-end=\"1171\">Spammy or irrelevant domains you may need to disavow<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1178\" data-end=\"1440\"><strong data-start=\"1178\" data-end=\"1237\">Q: Does the number of backlinks in GSC affect rankings?<\/strong><br data-start=\"1237\" data-end=\"1240\" \/>A: Not directly. Google doesn\u2019t rank your site based on a number \u2014 it uses the <strong data-start=\"1319\" data-end=\"1362\">quality, relevance, and trustworthiness<\/strong> of those backlinks. A few strong links are better than hundreds of weak ones.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1447\" data-end=\"1655\"><strong data-start=\"1447\" data-end=\"1492\">Q: How often should I check my backlinks?<\/strong><br data-start=\"1492\" data-end=\"1495\" \/>A: Monthly is ideal for most site owners. If you\u2019re actively running a link-building campaign or recovering from a Google update, check weekly to track changes.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1906\"><strong data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1726\">Q: Can I remove or disavow bad backlinks using Google tools?<\/strong><br data-start=\"1726\" data-end=\"1729\" \/>A: Yes &#8211; if you find toxic or spammy backlinks, you can use the <strong data-start=\"1793\" data-end=\"1816\">Google Disavow Tool<\/strong> to tell Google to ignore them. Only do this if you&#8217;re sure they\u2019re hurting your rankings.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1913\" data-end=\"2131\"><strong data-start=\"1913\" data-end=\"1957\">Q: Does Google Analytics show backlinks?<\/strong><br data-start=\"1957\" data-end=\"1960\" \/>A: Not directly. Google Analytics can show <strong data-start=\"2003\" data-end=\"2023\">referral traffic<\/strong> (visits that come from other websites), but it won\u2019t show a full list of backlinks. That\u2019s what GSC is for.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"790\" data-end=\"836\"><strong>Q: How can I find backlinks in Google Analytics?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"790\" data-end=\"836\">A: Google Analytics (GA4) doesn\u2019t provide a full backlink index. It only shows referral traffic from sites that have actually sent you visits. To view these, go to <strong data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1045\">Reports &#8211; Acquisition &#8211; Traffic acquisition<\/strong> and filter to <strong data-start=\"1060\" data-end=\"1072\">referral<\/strong> sources. For a true backlink list (including links that send zero traffic), use <strong data-start=\"1153\" data-end=\"1193\">Google Search Console\u2019s Links report<\/strong> or a backlink checker tool alongside GA.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"790\" data-end=\"836\"><strong>Q: How can I check backlinks in Google Search Console?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"759\" data-end=\"1117\">A: Go to <strong data-start=\"765\" data-end=\"798\">Google Search Console &#8211; Links<\/strong> to view your <strong data-start=\"812\" data-end=\"833\">Top linking sites<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"835\" data-end=\"855\">Top linked pages<\/strong>, and <strong data-start=\"861\" data-end=\"881\">Top linking text<\/strong>. You can click into each section to see details and export the data. This is the quickest way to check what domains Google has detected linking to your site, then use your risk assessment tool to prioritise which links to review first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever typed \u201csites linking to me\u201d or \u201ccheck backlinks with Google\u201d and ended up completely lost in SEO jargon? I remember those days well! Understanding who\u2019s linking to your site and how to check backlinks with Google is a super powerful SEO move. You might ask &#8211; why bother? Well, backlinks still carry a lot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,21,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backlink-fundamentals","category-google","category-link-building"],"blocksy_meta":[],"modified_by":"Becky Halls","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=811"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3037,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811\/revisions\/3037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3way.social\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}