How to Check My Backlinks in 2025: Guide
You’ve spent hours crafting stellar content, building relationships, and earning links—but are you sure your efforts are paying off? According to Editorial.link, Semrush’s index boasts over 43 trillion links, updated every 15 minutes. That’s huge. You might be wondering: how do I pinpoint which backlinks really matter? Or, more importantly, how to check my backlinks without drowning in data? In this guide, you’ll learn actionable methods to identify, monitor, and analyze your backlink profile. You’ll discover free and premium tools, step-by-step processes, and pro tips to reclaim lost links. Get ready. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- What Are Backlinks and Why They Matter
- How to Check Backlinks Using Google Search Console
- Using Professional Tools to Monitor Backlinks
- Competitor Backlink Analysis Techniques
- Advanced Tips for Backlink Audits in 2025
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- FAQ
- How often should I check my backlinks?
- Can I see all backlinks in Google Search Console?
- What’s a good backlink profile size?
- Conclusion
What Are Backlinks and Why They Matter
Ever heard the phrase “links are votes”? It’s basically true. Backlinks are references from other websites pointing to yours. Why should you care? Because search engines treat these links as endorsements of your content’s quality.
High-quality backlinks can skyrocket your rankings. Low-quality or spammy links can drag you down. That’s the bottom line.
For instance, a local bakery saw organic traffic surge by 35% after earning a feature link on a popular food blog. Real proof. But how do you know when you’ve scored—or lost—a link? You need to keep an eye on your portfolio. After all, links aren’t permanent; they change or disappear all the time.
“Google Search Console provides the most accurate and up-to-date backlink data directly from Google, making it indispensable despite its limitations.” – Editorial.link
Actionable Takeaway: List your top 20 pages and note existing backlinks. That baseline will help you track gains and losses over time.
How to Check Backlinks Using Google Search Console
Ready for a free, reliable starting point? Google Search Console (GSC) is your go-to. Why? It’s directly from Google and it’s free.
First, sign in and navigate to “Links” on the left menu. You’ll see “External links” and “Internal links.” Click “External links” to reveal a sample of ~1,000 most significant backlinks.
Here’s the thing: GSC doesn’t show every link. It gives you the top ones. But these often include your highest-value links.
- Log into GSC and select your property.
- Go to “Links” > “External links.”
- Export the list as CSV for further analysis.
- Filter by “Top linked pages” or “Top linking sites.”
Have you ever missed a key link because you only looked at on-page metrics? It happens. But by exporting and filtering, you’ll spot patterns: which domains link most often, and which pages they favor.
“Links shown as soon as Google indexes them—priceless for real-time monitoring.” – Google Search Console documentation
Actionable Takeaway: Set a monthly reminder to export your GSC backlink report and compare it against your prior exports.
Using Professional Tools to Monitor Backlinks
You might be wondering: why pay for an SEO tool when GSC is free? Simply put, you get more data, quality scores, and alerts.
Top picks for 2025 include:
- Semrush (Pro plan at $117/month) – 43 trillion links, real-time alerts
- Ahrefs (from $99/month) – industry-leading database, powerful filters
- Majestic ($49.99/month) – Trust Flow & Citation Flow metrics
These platforms integrate link audits to assess spam risk and highlight toxic links. Plus, they offer competitor backlink gap analysis, so you can identify who links to them but not you.
Example: A SaaS startup used Semrush to uncover 150 unlinked brand mentions, then reached out to reclaim those links—boosting referral traffic by 22% in one month.
“Lost backlinks can sometimes be reclaimed by contacting partners or offering compensation links.” – SayNine.ai
Actionable Takeaway: Sign up for a trial of one premium tool, map your current backlinks, and set up automated weekly alerts.
Competitor Backlink Analysis Techniques
Want to outpace rivals? Steal their secrets. In other words: analyze competitor backlinks.
How do you do that? Most SEO suites have a “Backlink Gap” or “Link Intersect” feature. Simply input your domain and two or three competitors. The tool highlights domains linking to them but not you.
- Select the Backlink Gap report.
- Enter your domain and top competitors.
- Review domains with high authority that link to competitors only.
- Outreach or guest-post to earn those same links.
Case Study: A digital marketing agency identified 25 high-authority publishers linking to its competitors. Personalized outreach led to 10 new backlinks in three weeks—doubling organic leads.
Actionable Takeaway: Pick the top 10 link gaps and draft personalized pitches focusing on mutual value.
Advanced Tips for Backlink Audits in 2025
Let me explain why a backlink audit is not just a one-time job. Links evolve, sites get penalized, and domains can turn toxic overnight.
In 2025, look out for AI-driven tools that automate toxic link removal recommendations. Many SEO suites now integrate real-time spam risk analysis.
Consider these steps:
- Use a spam risk filter (e.g., Ahrefs’ “Site Explorer”).
- Flag low Trust Flow or high spam score domains.
- Compile a disavow file for Google Search Console.
- Re-audit quarterly, not annually.
Interestingly enough, sites you once trusted may decline in quality. Regularly updating your audit ensures you don’t inherit penalties.
“Integration of backlink audit features helps assess link quality and spam risk in one dashboard.” – Industry report
Actionable Takeaway: Schedule a quarterly backlink audit using your chosen SEO suite; prioritize top 50 risky links for disavow.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here’s the thing: even experts slip up. Are you making these errors?
- Focusing only on quantity, not link quality.
- Neglecting to track lost backlinks monthly.
- Ignoring nofollow links that still drive referral traffic.
- Overlooking broken internal links when analyzing external profile.
Simply put, a holistic view matters. Keep an eye on all link types, and don’t assume once is enough.
Actionable Takeaway: Create a checklist for backlink audits that covers quality, relevance, and referral performance.
FAQ
How often should I check my backlinks?
Monthly checks are ideal—quarterly at minimum. Use real-time alerts where possible.
Can I see all backlinks in Google Search Console?
No, GSC shows a sample of ~1,000 rows. Combine with a premium tool for full coverage.
What’s a good backlink profile size?
It varies by industry. Focus on quality and domain authority over sheer numbers.
Conclusion
We’ve covered the full spectrum: what backlinks are, why they matter, and how to check my backlinks using free and paid tools. You’ve seen step-by-step instructions for Google Search Console, pro suites like Semrush and Ahrefs, competitor gap analysis, and advanced audit tips. Now, it’s your turn.
- Set up Google Search Console exports monthly.
- Test a premium tool trial and configure alerts.
- Perform a competitor backlink gap analysis and launch outreach.
Backlinks can transform your SEO, but only if you track and optimize them proactively. So, which step will you tackle first? Remember, knowing how to check my backlinks is the first step toward growth—and you’ve got this!
