How to Check Your Backlinks for Free (And What the Numbers Mean)

Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Google treats each good one like a recommendation, which makes backlinks one of the biggest factors in how well a site ranks. The good news is you can check yours for free.

What is a backlink?

A backlink is any link on another website that points to yours. If a local news site writes about your bakery and links to your homepage, that's a backlink.

Not all backlinks are equal. One link from a respected, relevant website is worth far more than dozens from low-quality directories. That's why most tools count linking domains (how many different websites link to you), not just the total number of links.

Why backlinks matter for SEO

Search engines use links to judge trust. If many reputable websites link to you, Google takes that as a sign your site is worth showing. Links are also how Google discovers new pages in the first place.

Backlinks are the main part of off-page SEO. If you're new to the different types of SEO, our explanation of what SEO optimization is covers the basics.

Free ways to check your backlinks

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is free and shows links Google itself has found. Open the Links report to see your top linking sites and your most-linked pages. It's the most trustworthy free source, though it doesn't show every link.

Free backlink checkers

Several SEO tool companies offer free backlink checkers that show a sample of your links and your linking domains. Free versions are limited, but they're enough to get a sense of where you stand.

A website audit

A full website audit can also show your Domain Authority and how many linking domains point to your site, alongside the problems on your own pages. ValueTheWebsite's free scan includes Moz Domain Authority and linking root domains.

What the backlink numbers mean

• Linking domains (or linking root domains): how many different websites link to you. This is the number to watch.
• Total backlinks: every individual link, including many from the same site. Less useful on its own.
• Domain Authority: a 1 to 100 score from Moz estimating how established a domain is, mostly based on links. Our guide to what a good SEO score is explains how it differs from your site's health score.

Good backlinks vs. bad backlinks

Good backlinks come from real, relevant websites: local news, industry associations, suppliers, partners, well-known directories in your field.

Bad backlinks come from spammy sites, link farms or unrelated pages created only to sell links. Buying links breaks Google's rules and can hurt you. If you notice lots of spammy links you didn't create, you usually don't need to panic; Google ignores most of them.

How to earn more backlinks

1. Get listed in relevant directories, like your local chamber of commerce or industry associations
2. Partner with related businesses and link to each other where it genuinely helps customers
3. Create genuinely useful content, like guides, checklists or tools that others want to share
4. Get mentioned in local news by sharing community events or milestones
5. Ask happy partners and suppliers to link to you from their websites

Frequently asked questions

How many backlinks do I need?
There's no magic number. A handful of links from relevant, trusted websites often beats hundreds of low-quality ones. Focus on linking domains, not totals.

Should I buy backlinks?
No. Buying links breaks Google's guidelines and can get your site penalized. Earn them instead.

Why does Search Console show fewer links than other tools?
Each tool finds links in its own way, so the numbers rarely match. Search Console shows a sample of what Google has found.

How long until new backlinks help my rankings?
Google has to find a new link first, which can take days to weeks. The effect on rankings builds gradually over months.