How to Find Backlinks on Google: Step-by-Step Guide for All Tools

Why is it important to track backlinks to your website?

Backlinks are more than just digital shoutouts — they're one of the strongest ranking signals in Google's algorithm. When a high-authority site links to your content, it's like getting a vote of confidence. And Google takes notice.

Tracking your backlinks helps you understand where your site's authority is coming from. It allows you to:

• Measure the impact of your link-building efforts
• Discover valuable link opportunities
• Detect harmful or spammy backlinks that could hurt your SEO

According to Google’s SEO Starter Guide: “Links help our crawlers find your site and can give your pages greater visibility in our search results.”

Not all backlinks are created equal. Here’s a basic comparison:

Expert quote from Marie Haynes, SEO Consultant: “Backlink quality is more important than quantity. One strong editorial link can outweigh hundreds of low-quality ones.”

By regularly auditing your backlink profile, you’ll catch changes early, spot toxic links, and fine-tune your strategy.

How to check backlinks using Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) offers a free and reliable way to monitor who’s linking to your site. Here's how to check your backlinks:

1. Log in to Google Search Console .
2. Choose your verified property.
3. In the left menu, click on “Links.”
4. Under “External Links,” you’ll see:
   • Top linked pages : Your most linked content.
   • Top linking sites : Domains linking to you.
   • Top linking text : The anchor text used.

You can export this data for analysis by clicking the “Export External Links” button in the top-right corner.

Pro tips:

• Focus on the diversity of referring domains, not just the total count.
• Investigate spikes in backlinks — it could be a spam attack or successful PR.

Example: A blog post receives a sudden jump in links from obscure domains. Check if these are legitimate or need to be disavowed.

Screenshots in GSC clearly show the breakdown of URLs, domains, and anchor texts. Use this to prioritize high-performing content.

Can you find backlinks to your site using Google Analytics?

While Google Analytics (GA) doesn’t show backlinks directly, it helps you spot referral traffic — visits that come from other sites. This can act as a proxy for discovering some backlinks.

Here’s how:

1. Log in to Google Analytics .
2. Go to Acquisition > All Traffic > Referrals .
3. You’ll see a list of domains that sent traffic to your site.

Keep in mind:

• GA shows only links that brought actual visitors.
• It won’t display nofollowed or low-traffic backlinks.

To track backlinks more accurately in GA, use UTM parameters when doing outreach, guest posts, or PR:

Example UTM URL:

https://yoursite.com/post?utm_source=forbes&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=guestpost

Use GA filters to segment and compare link performance across campaigns.

Pro tip: Set up custom dashboards or alerts for unexpected referral traffic — it might signal a new backlink or content mention.

How to use Google search operators to discover backlinks manually

If you're not using paid tools like Ahrefs or Semrush, Google search operators offer a low-tech (but surprisingly useful) method to find backlinks.

Here are some of the best operators and how to use them:

1. link:yourdomain.com – Deprecated but sometimes still shows results.
2. site:yourdomain.com -site:yourdomain.com "your brand" – Find brand mentions on external domains.
3. "yourdomain.com" -site:yourdomain.com – Find exact match citations.
4. intitle:"your brand" – Locate pages with your name in the title.
5. inurl:"your brand" – Find links that include your name in the URL.

Example use:

site:quora.com "yourdomain.com"

This searches Quora for posts that mention your site.

Use Cases:

• Identify unlinked brand mentions.
• Discover forums or directories linking to you.
• Spot potential outreach leads for follow-up or corrections.

Although not as comprehensive as dedicated SEO tools, operators offer a good starting point — especially when you want fast, free insights.

What’s the difference between backlinks shown in GSC and Analytics?

At first glance, both Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA) seem to offer backlink data — but they serve very different purposes.

GSC shows who’s linking to your site, regardless of whether that link sends traffic. It’s SEO-focused, helping you understand link authority, anchor text distribution, and how Google views your link profile.

GA , on the other hand, only tracks referral traffic — meaning backlinks that actually brought a user to your site. If a link didn’t generate a click, it won’t appear in GA.

Here’s a side-by-side breakdown:

Bottom line: Use GSC for link audits and GA for traffic evaluation. Together, they tell a full story of performance + behavior.

How to find backlinks to any website using Google search

Even if you don’t own a site, you can still uncover its backlinks using clever Google search operators. These techniques are especially useful for researching competitors or tracking unlinked brand mentions.

Try the following:

1. "domain.com" -site:domain.com – Shows pages that mention the domain, excluding its own.
2. intitle:"brand name" -site:brand.com – Find pages with your brand in the title from third-party sites.
3. inurl:"domain.com" – Discover links using your domain in the URL.
4. site:quora.com "brand name" – Searches Quora (or any site) for brand mentions.
5. "brand name" + review – Uncover review-style backlinks.

For competitors:
"competitorname.com" -site:competitorname.com

This shows you who is talking about them — and potentially linking.

Note: These methods are not exhaustive. Google no longer supports the link: operator, and many results are limited by crawling frequency or personalization filters.

Visibility tip: Always check from incognito mode or logged-out sessions to avoid skewed results.

Can I use Google to check spammy or low-quality backlinks?

Yes — with some effort. Google Search Console is your best free tool to start identifying spammy links. Here’s how:

1. Go to GSC > Links .
2. Export “Top linking sites.”
3. Manually review the domains:
   • Is it a scraper site?
   • Is the language unrelated to your audience?
   • Does the domain have a high spam score (check with Moz or Ahrefs)?

Once identified, you can create a disavow file :

Create a .txt file listing each bad domain:
domain:spammydomain.com
domain:unrelatedstuff.org

Submit it via Google’s Disavow Tool .

Google recommends disavowing only when you’re sure the links are manipulative and affecting rankings.

Example: A user sees 100 links from Russian directories pointing to unrelated posts. The links don’t bring traffic and weren’t earned — classic disavow candidates.

Manual review + GSC = a basic but effective toxic link check.

What are the limitations of checking backlinks in Google tools?

While GSC and Google Analytics offer free insights, they come with notable blind spots — especially when compared to tools like Ahrefs or Semrush.

Limitations in GSC:

• Doesn’t show all backlinks (only what Google indexes and decides to share).
• No link strength metrics like DR (Domain Rating) or anchor context.
• Export limits and no historical comparison over long periods.
• No ability to sort by quality or toxicity.

Limitations in GA:

• Only shows referral traffic, not actual backlink structure.
• No data on link attributes (nofollow, UGC, sponsored).

Limitations in search operators:

• Not real-time or comprehensive.
• Results vary by personalization, location, and indexing.
• Can’t measure quality or impact.

Here’s a comparison of key blind spots:

Expert Quote:

Aleyda Solis (SEO Consultant): “GSC is a great starting point—but for serious link audits, you’ll need external tools. Google doesn’t show the full picture.”

For a complete view of your backlink profile — especially for link building or disavow campaigns — you’ll need a hybrid strategy: Google + third-party tools.

How to download and export backlink data from Google Search Console

Exporting backlink data from Google Search Console (GSC) is a must for SEO reporting and analysis. Whether you're auditing your link profile or prepping for a disavow file, GSC makes it easy to extract link data.

Step-by-step: Exporting backlinks from GSC

• Visit Google Search Console and choose your verified property.
• In the left sidebar, click on “Links.”
• Under the “External Links” section, click one of the following:
  • Top linked pages (externally)
  • Top linking sites
  • Top linking text
• In the top-right corner of each module, click the “Export External Links” button.
• Choose a format: Google Sheets , Excel (XLSX) , or CSV.

How to use the data :

• In Excel : Use filters to identify domains with the most links, sort by page importance, or analyze anchor text variation.
• In Looker Studio : Connect the exported file to a custom dashboard for link tracking over time.

Template Tip : Create a pivot table in Excel that shows link count per referring domain and anchor text diversity for each target page.

Visuals: Screenshots from the “Links” report showing export buttons and sample Excel data layout.

How often does Google update backlink data in Search Console?

Google does not publish an exact schedule for backlink updates in GSC, but there’s a general pattern based on crawl behavior and indexing.

Typical update cycle:

• Backlink data is refreshed every few days to once per week .
• Newly discovered links may appear with a delay of several days after crawling.
• Some links may never appear in GSC if Google deems them unimportant or spammy.

From Google Documentation:

"The Links report is based on data collected during crawling and indexing, so it may not reflect real-time changes."

Q&A Insight from Google’s John Mueller (Webmaster Central Hangout):

“Not all links are shown in Search Console. We try to give a representative sample, not an exhaustive list.”

If you’re waiting for a new backlink to appear, give it up to 2 weeks . For larger sites, the delay may be longer depending on crawl budget.

What’s the best way to validate backlinks using multiple Google tools?

To ensure your backlink profile is clean and actionable, use a cross-check method with GSC, Google Analytics, and manual search.

Step-by-step validation workflow:

1. Start with GSC : Export “Top Linking Sites” and “Linked Pages.”
2. Open Google Analytics : Go to Acquisition > All Traffic > Referrals to confirm which links bring traffic.
3. Use Google Search Operators : Run brand name or domain searches to discover additional mentions.
4. Cross-reference with spreadsheet : Highlight links found in GSC but missing from GA — these may be low-value or inactive.

Diagram Workflow:

GSC Links Export → Compare in GA → Verify via Search Operators → Manual Review → Final Link List

Checklist for backlink validation:

• ✅ Is the linking domain indexed?
• ✅ Does the link bring traffic?
• ✅ Is the content contextually relevant?
• ✅ Is the anchor text natural?
• ✅ Is the link marked as nofollow or UGC?

This approach helps detect fake links, identify high-performing partners, and prepare a clean disavow list if needed.

What does “Links to your site” mean in Google Search Console?

In GSC, the “Links” section gives insight into who’s linking to your content and how. It breaks into three major categories:

1. Top linked pages (externally) : Your pages with the most external inbound links.
2. Top linking sites : Domains that link to you the most.
3. Top linking text : The anchor text other sites use to link to your pages.

Definitions from Google Support:

• External links : Links from other domains to your site.
• Internal links : Links between your own site’s pages.
• Linking site : A root domain that contains one or more backlinks to your site.

These metrics help you:

• Discover high-performing content
• Understand how people describe your site (via anchor text)
• Spot spammy link patterns or over-optimized anchors

Example: If your top linking text is "click here" or "cheap deals," you might have poor-quality backlinks. Conversely, anchor texts matching your brand or topics show good relevance.

For definitions and guidance, see GSC Link Report Guide

Can I check competitor backlinks using Google without paid tools?

Yes — you can investigate competitor backlinks using only Google and some clever search operators. It won’t be as comprehensive as using Ahrefs or Semrush, but it’s free and surprisingly effective.

Start with this basic search:
"competitordomain.com" -site:competitordomain.com

This command shows mentions of your competitor’s domain on third-party sites. Refine it further with advanced operators:

• intitle:"competitor brand" – To find blog titles mentioning the brand.
• inurl:"competitor.com" – Reveals links embedded in URLs.
• site:reddit.com "competitor name" – Find forum discussions and niche backlinks.

Case Study: Brand Mention Discovery

A startup tracked competitor “SmartSEO” using:
"smartseo.com" -site:smartseo.com

They discovered a backlink from a small tech blog that listed alternatives to Ahrefs. The blog hadn’t listed the startup yet — so they reached out, got included, and secured a new backlink.

This kind of manual research helps:

• Uncover forums, reviews, and listicles with link potential.
• Identify unlinked mentions you can turn into backlinks.
• Find patterns in competitor link-building strategies.

Pro tip: Use incognito mode or a VPN to avoid geo-bias in results.

What to do after you find your backlinks: next steps

Once you’ve gathered backlink data — whether from GSC, Analytics, or manual search — it’s time to organize and evaluate them. This turns raw links into an actionable strategy.

Step 1: Classify each backlink

• Source domain (relevant or not?)
• Anchor text (natural or keyword-stuffed?)
• Page context (editorial or comment spam?)

Step 2: Score the link quality Use the following table:

Step 3: Take action

• Reach out for broken links or updates.
• Build relationships with valuable referring domains.
• Add harmful links to a disavow file if needed.

Regular backlink maintenance improves domain authority and protects against algorithm penalties.

Final guide summary: how to check backlinks in all Google tools

After exploring every angle, here’s the complete guide to checking backlinks using only Google tools:

Expert Quotes:

Cyrus Shepard (Zyppy SEO): “You don’t need 10,000 links to rank. You need 10 good ones. Tools help, but you can find most of them with Google.”

Aleyda Solis (SEO Consultant): “Manual backlink research is slow, but it helps you understand why people link — and how to earn better ones.”

Useful Links:

• Google Search Console
• Google Analytics
• Google Disavow Tool
• Google Alerts

By combining all tools, even non-premium users can get a 360° view of their link profile — and start building a smarter backlink strategy.

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Sources and References

• Google Search Central Docs
• Interviews with Cyrus Shepard and Aleyda Solis
• Reddit r/SEO examples
• Google Alerts Help Center
• Moz Link Quality Criteria