Backlinks: Questions Answered
How many backlinks a site needs, how to check and track them, and when links from other sites can cause problems rather than help.
Each answer below gives the short version first. Open the full article for the steps, the reasons and the official sources.
4 questions on Backlinks
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Can you track backlinks? | Yes. Backlink tools and Google Search Console show which sites link to you, how strong those sites are, and which links you have gained or lost. Checking your competitors' backlinks also shows sites that link to them but not to you, which gives you a list of link-building opportunities. |
| How many backlinks does a website need? | There is no set number. It depends on your topic, your target searches and your competitors. Look at how many sites link to the pages ranking in the top three for your main searches and use that as your benchmark. A few links from respected, relevant sites count for far more than hundreds of low-quality ones. |
| How to check the number of backlinks? | Use the Links report in Google Search Console, which is free and shows which sites Google has recorded as linking to you and which of your pages they link to. Paid SEO tools cover more of the web and add authority scores for linking sites, history and comparisons with competitors. |
| Can too many backlinks hurt my site? | Links from many good sites are not a problem. Links can hurt when they come from sites that sell links, from networks built to link to each other, with the same exact anchor text repeated unnaturally, or in a sudden spike from low-quality sources. Google says most sites do not need to worry about or disavow ordinary low-quality links. |