1. Count referring domains
The number of different sites linking to you matters more than the total number of links. Check it with the referring domains tool.
2. Check quality
Are linking sites relevant and real? Many links from unrelated or low-quality sites can be a warning sign.
3. Look at anchor text
The anchor text analyzer shows the words used. A natural profile has many brand and URL anchors and only some keyword anchors.
4. Dofollow and nofollow
A mix is normal. Most sites have both.
Warning signs
- A sudden spike of links from unrelated foreign sites.
- Many links with the same exact-match anchor text.
- Links from pages full of links to unrelated sites.
- Sitewide footer links from sites you have never heard of.
Most of these are ignored by search engines, but if you bought links in the past, they deserve a closer look.
Good signs
- Steady growth in referring domains.
- Links from sites in your industry and region.
- Links inside articles, not just profiles and directories.
- Brand and URL anchors forming most of the profile.
Compare with competitors
Your numbers make more sense next to competitors'. If they have three times your referring domains, links may be part of the ranking gap.
5. Find lost value
Links pointing to pages that no longer exist waste value. The broken backlink finder lists them; redirect those addresses.
Repeat every few months and compare with your competitors.
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