If you are an SEO specialist or a small business owner with your own website, you should know that backlinks are the basis of SEO. Based on backlinks, the site is ranked in search engines like Google. And in turn, links can be helpful for search positions, but they can also have a negative impact. Let’s figure out what to pay attention to.
Table of Contents
To help you monitor your backlinks effectively, here are some best practices to follow:
1. Use a Reliable Backlink Monitoring Tool
The first step in monitoring your backlinks is to use a reliable backlink monitoring tool. Various tools, both paid and free, can help you track your backlinks and provide valuable insights into your link profile. Some of my favourite tools:
- Ahrefs: https://ahrefs.com
- Moz: https://moz.com
- SEMrush: https://semrush.com
- Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console
2. Regularly Check Your Backlink Profile
Once you have set up a backlink monitoring tool, you must regularly check your backlink profile. This will give you an idea of how many backlinks you have, the quality of these links, and any changes to your link profile over time. You can also use this information to identify and remove harmful or low-quality links affecting your search engine rankings. Try to monitor these metrics:
- Backlinks profile: Dofollow, Nofollow, UGC, Sponsored, Text, Redirect, Image
- Referring domains: Dofollow, Governmental, Educational, gov, edu
- Referring pages: main pages, internal pages, forum pages, spammy listings
- Referring IPs and Subnets: same networks may be a negative signal for Google
3. Monitor Your Competitor’s Backlinks
Monitoring your competitor’s backlinks can also be valuable in improving your search engine rankings. By analyzing your competitor’s backlink profile, you can identify link-building opportunities and gain insights into their link-building strategies. What to check:
- Target anchors used for backlinks
- Main topic category of websites
- Domain zone and percentage of country-specific domains
- Traffic for domains, GEO, and source of traffic
- DA and DR metrics for domains
4. Use the Disavow Tool for Harmful Links
If you have identified harmful or low-quality links affecting your search engine rankings, it is important to use the Disavow tool to remove them. The Disavow tool allows you to submit a list of URLs or domains you do not want to be associated with your website. Disavow Tool helps prevent search engines from considering these links as part of your link profile, improving your overall link quality and rankings.
Disavow links tool: https://search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links
5. Sometimes, it’s better to remove the link
From my point of view, this is a handy way to correct the situation. Especially considering all the latest Google updates. Let’s say you earned a link from a site you thought suitable. But the site may have been hacked, become spammy, or been banned by Google. In this case, this backlink will have a negative effect. Try writing to the webmaster with a request to remove the link or remove the link by yourself if you have access to this function.
Email template:
Dear [Webmaster's Name],
I hope you're well. I'd like to request the removal of the backlink from your site to mine at [Your Website URL]. The link can be found on [Specify the Page or URL] with the anchor text and URL [Provide Anchor Text and URL].
As my site's focus has shifted, I believe this change will benefit both of us. Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. Please confirm the removal or provide an estimated timeline.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
[Your Name]Comparison table
| Feature/Tool | Ahrefs | Moz Pro | SEMrush | GSC |
| Monitor New & Lost Backlinks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| View Backlink Growth Over Time | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Detailed Backlink Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Filter & Sort Backlink Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Export Backlink Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backlink Type Analysis | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Analyze Competitor Backlinks | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Database size | Huge | Average | Average | Limited |
| Authority & Trust Metrics | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Integration with Other SEO Tools | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free API Access | Limited | No | Limited | No |
| Historical Backlink Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Anchor Text Analysis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Disavow Tool Integration | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
In conclusion, monitoring your backlinks is a crucial aspect of SEO and can greatly impact your search engine rankings. By using a reliable backlink monitoring tool, regularly checking your backlink profile, monitoring your competitor’s backlinks, cleaning your backlink profile, and using the Disavow tool for harmful links, you can improve your website’s online visibility and achieve better search engine rankings.
Leave a Reply