Backlinks are one of the most important signals for search engines. They are essentially endorsements from other websites, showing that your site is relevant and trustworthy. Whether you want to monitor your own website’s backlink profile or analyze your competitors, you need the right tools and a structured approach.
This guide covers the main ways to check backlinks, from free options to advanced professional tools.
Start with Free Data from Google and Bing
Google Search Console
Google gives every verified site owner free access to backlink data through the Links report. Here you can see:
- The domains linking to your site
- The most linked pages
- The most common anchor text
It will not give you every backlink Google knows about, but it is a reliable starting point because the data comes directly from the search engine.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing provides a similar service with a more structured export format. You can download lists that include source URL, anchor text, and target URL. While Bing tends to report fewer links than Google, the organization of the data makes it easier to review.
Use these two platforms as your baseline before moving on to more advanced tools.
Comprehensive Data from SEO Tools
Free options are useful, but if you want a complete picture you need a third-party backlink tool. These companies run large crawlers that collect backlink data at scale.
Ahrefs Site Explorer
Ahrefs is one of the leading tools for backlink analysis. It has a constantly updated index and provides:
- Domain Rating (DR) and Ahrefs Rank (AR)
- Filters for link type, platform, and anchor text
- Broken link identification
- CSV and PDF export options
Even the free version of Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker gives a good snapshot, but the paid plan is much more powerful.
SEMrush Backlink Analytics
SEMrush has one of the largest link databases, with tens of trillions of links indexed. It offers authority scores, anchor text reports, and monitoring of new and lost backlinks. It is very effective for competitive analysis as well.
Moz Link Explorer
Moz focuses on metrics such as Domain Authority (DA) and Spam Score. These are helpful when you want to quickly judge the quality of a backlink. The tool requires a subscription, but trials are available.
BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is slightly different. It shows which content earns backlinks and who is linking to it. This makes it a strong option for understanding why your competitors attract links.
Majestic: Specialist in Link Intelligence
Majestic has built its entire business on backlinks. It offers two main indexes: the Fresh Index for recent links and the Historic Index for a full archive. Its unique metrics, Trust Flow and Citation Flow, are often used by SEO professionals to measure the authority of a site.
Free Online Backlink Checkers
There are also several free web-based tools that provide a quick backlink check without needing a paid subscription.
SEO Review Tools
This service shows the top 100 backlinks for a domain, including anchor text, domain authority, and whether the link is follow or nofollow. You can export the data to CSV for further analysis.
SmallSEOTools Backlink Checker
This tool lists backlinks with details such as link type, anchor text, and domain authority. It also provides information about referring IPs and some keyword data. It is a useful option when you need a simple overview.
Competitor Backlink Analysis
Backlink checking is not just about monitoring your own site. By reviewing your competitors’ backlinks you can:
- Identify link sources you do not yet have
- Discover which types of content attract strong links
- Understand overall linking patterns in your industry
This is one of the most effective ways to build a targeted link building strategy.
Which Tools Should You Use?
Here is a quick overview based on common goals:
| Goal | Recommended Tools | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Free and official data | Google Search Console, Bing | Reliable and free baseline data |
| Detailed backlink analysis | Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz | Large databases with advanced metrics |
| Quick free scans | SEO Review Tools, SmallSEOTools | Fast and cost-free overview |
| Historic backlink research | Majestic | Deep archive of links with unique metrics |
| Competitor strategy insights | Ahrefs, SEMrush, BuzzSumo | Strong for competitive research |
Final Thoughts
Backlinks remain one of the strongest ranking factors in SEO. Checking them regularly helps you understand your site’s authority, monitor risks, and find new opportunities.
Start with Google and Bing for free data. Move to tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Majestic for deeper analysis. Finally, always review competitors. Their backlink profiles reveal strategies you can replicate and improve.
The key is not just collecting backlink data but using it to guide smarter link building decisions.