TL;DR
This guide breaks down the purpose of backlink audits, when you need one, the detailed process, tools to use, and the benefits of conducting one.
Backlink audits involve analysing every link pointing to your website to assess its quality, identify risks, and uncover opportunities for improvement.
Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—act as endorsements in the eyes of search engines.
However, not all endorsements are beneficial, and a poor backlink profile can do more harm than good.
What is a backlink audit?
A backlink audit is a comprehensive evaluation of your website’s backlink profile. It involves gathering a complete list of all links pointing to your site, assessing their quality, and identifying harmful or spammy links that could negatively impact your search engine rankings.
The purpose of a backlink audit
The ultimate goal of a backlink audit is to maintain a healthy backlink profile that boosts your authority and visibility in search engines. By identifying low-quality or toxic links, you can take corrective action to avoid penalties and improve your website’s overall SEO performance.
Why backlink quality matters
Backlinks are one of Google’s top-ranking factors, but not all links carry the same weight.
- High-quality links: These come from authoritative, relevant, and trustworthy sources, boosting your rankings.
- Low-quality or toxic links: Links from spammy, irrelevant, or untrustworthy sites can harm your rankings and even result in penalties from Google.
Backlink audits are essential to ensuring that your website benefits from the right kind of links.
Signs you need a backlink audit
While it’s good practice to conduct regular backlink audits, there are specific scenarios where they become a must.
📉 Sudden drop in rankings or traffic
A sudden drop in your website’s rankings or organic traffic can be a red flag that toxic backlinks are affecting your performance.
🚩 Manual action or penalty notification
If you receive a notification from Google Search Console about “unnatural links,” it’s a clear sign you need to audit your backlink profile.
✅ Post-link-building campaign
After running a link building campaign, it’s wise to audit your new backlinks to ensure they meet quality standards and don’t introduce any risks.
🌐 Before major website changes
When overhauling your SEO strategy, redesigning your site, or migrating to a new domain, a backlink audit helps ensure your link profile is in good shape before making changes.
⭐️ Competitor analysis
If your competitors are outranking you despite having similar content, analysing your backlink profile against theirs can reveal gaps or issues.
Recommended tools for a backlink audit
Primary tools
- Ahrefs: Our preferred tool for backlink analysis. It offers insights into toxic links, domain authority, and anchor text distribution.
- Google Search Console: A free tool for monitoring backlinks and identifying potential issues.
- SEMrush: Useful for spotting toxic links and analysing overall link health.
Supporting tools
- Excel or Google Sheets: Use these to organise and categorise backlink data for easier analysis.
- Disavow File Generator: Built into tools like Ahrefs to simplify the creation of disavow files.
How to perform a backlink audit
Conducting a backlink audit requires a structured approach to ensure no stone is left unturned. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:
Step 1: Gather your backlink data
The first step is to collect a complete list of backlinks pointing to your website. This can be done using tools such as:
- Ahrefs: Provides detailed backlink data, including referring domains, anchor text, and link quality.
- Google Search Console: Free and reliable for identifying backlinks directly acknowledged by Google.
- SEMrush or Moz: Useful alternatives for gathering backlink data.
Step 2: Evaluate link quality
Once you’ve gathered the data, it’s time to assess the quality of each backlink. Here’s what to look for:
- Relevance: Is the link coming from a website in your industry or niche?
- Authority: Does the linking site have a strong domain rating (e.g., high domain authority in Ahrefs)?
- Natural Placement: Was the link earned naturally, or does it look spammy or paid-for?
- Anchor Text: Does the anchor text look natural, or is it over-optimised with exact-match keywords?
High-quality links typically come from reputable websites that are relevant to your industry.
Step 3: Identify toxic backlinks
Toxic backlinks are links that can harm your website’s rankings. Use tools like Ahrefs to identify these based on factors such as:
- Links from low-authority domains or sites with high spam scores.
- Backlinks from irrelevant niches.
- Links with excessive exact-match anchor text (which can trigger Google’s spam filters).
- Links from private blog networks (PBNs), link farms, or spammy directories.
Step 4: Create a removal or disavow plan
For toxic links, there are two main actions you can take:
- Request Removal: Contact the webmaster of the linking site and politely ask them to remove the harmful link.
- Disavow Links: If removal isn’t possible, create a disavow file listing the toxic backlinks and submit it to Google via Search Console. This tells Google to ignore those links when evaluating your site.
Step 5: Analyse lost or broken links
Identify links that were previously pointing to your site but are now broken or removed. These represent missed opportunities for reclaiming valuable backlinks. Reach out to the linking websites to suggest updating the link.
Step 6: Develop a strategy for high-quality links
Based on the audit findings, refine your link-building strategy to focus on earning backlinks from:
- Industry-relevant websites
- High-authority publications
- Natural placements through valuable content
Related read: How To Find Broken Links In Ahrefs
Additional tips for a successful backlink audit
To execute a backlink audit effectively, follow these tips:
- Set clear goals: Define whether you’re auditing for penalty recovery, performance improvement, or regular maintenance.
- Be thorough: Review all backlinks, not just a sample. Even a single toxic link can cause problems.
- Document the process: Keep records of toxic links identified, removal requests sent, and disavow files submitted.
- Be consistent: Perform audits regularly—at least every six months—to stay ahead of potential issues.
What happens once a backlink audit is complete?
When done thoroughly, a backlink audit can lead to:
🧼 Cleaner link profile
Toxic links are removed or disavowed, leaving a healthy profile that search engines trust.
🛠️ Recovery from Google penalties
Auditing your backlinks is often the first step in recovering from penalties caused by unnatural or spammy links.
📈 Improved rankings and traffic
With harmful links out of the way, your website is likely to perform better in search results, attracting more organic traffic.
🌱 Enhanced future link building
The insights gained from a backlink audit can help you refine your link-building strategy, focusing on acquiring high-quality links.
Looking to level-up your link profile?
Backlink audits are an essential part of any successful SEO strategy. They help you maintain a clean, high-performing link profile, recover from penalties, and refine your approach to link building.
Whether you’re addressing existing issues or preventing future problems, regular audits are key to sustainable SEO success. But, they take time. This is where our link building agency can help.
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Book a call with our link building experts today.
