Can you track backlinks?

17 June 2026 · By John Carlsson

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.

Yes, you can track backlinks, and doing so is a core part of any solid SEO strategy. You can monitor your own backlink profile and those of competing websites to understand where links are coming from, how authoritative those sources are, and whether links have been lost or gained over time. Analysing competitor backlinks is particularly useful for identifying potential link-building opportunities.

Why track backlinks: what the data actually tells you

When you track backlinks, you learn three practically useful things.

First, whether you're gaining or losing links over time — a site that was linked to by 100 external sites last year and 120 this year is building authority; one that's fallen from 100 to 80 external links should investigate why (pages that linked to you may have been removed or redirected). Second, the quality of your linking domains — links from high-authority, relevant sites contribute far more than links from low-quality or unrelated sites. Third, which of your pages are attracting the most links naturally — this reveals which content is genuinely worth amplifying.

Using competitor backlink analysis for link building

One of the most productive uses of backlink tracking is competitive analysis. By looking at which external sites link to your competitors but not to you, you build a targeted list of link-building opportunities: sites in your industry that have already demonstrated a willingness to link to content like yours. This is more efficient than trying to think of link opportunities from scratch, and typically produces a more relevant list than generic outreach directories. Most SEO tools allow direct side-by-side comparison of backlink profiles between any two domains.

How to tell a good backlink from a bad one

Not all backlinks help. Links from websites that exist primarily to sell links, from irrelevant foreign-language sites with no connection to your industry, or from networks of sites clearly built just to pass links are unlikely to help rankings and may actively harm them if they're numerous enough to look manipulative. The indicators of a good backlink: the linking site is relevant to your topic, the link is placed editorially within genuine content (not a footer or sidebar full of links), the linking site itself has real organic traffic and hasn't been penalised, and there's a reason a real person would have decided to include that link.

Key Takeaways

Backlink tracking reveals gains, losses, quality, and which pages attract links naturally.
Competitor backlink analysis provides a targeted, efficient list of link-building opportunities.
Quality signals: relevance, editorial placement, genuine traffic, penalty-free status.

Frequently asked questions

What does it tell you when you track backlinks?

Tracking backlinks reveals three useful things. First, whether you are gaining or losing links over time; a site that fell from 100 to 80 linking sites should investigate why, as linking pages may have been removed or redirected. Second, the quality of your linking domains, since links from high-authority, relevant sites contribute far more than links from low-quality or unrelated sites. Third, which of your pages naturally attract the most links, which shows which content is genuinely worth amplifying. Together these give a clear picture of your link profile.

How can competitor backlinks help with link building?

Looking at which external sites link to your competitors but not to you gives you a targeted list of link-building opportunities. These are sites in your industry that have already shown a willingness to link to content like yours. This approach is more efficient than trying to think of link opportunities from scratch and usually produces a more relevant list than generic outreach directories. Most SEO tools allow a direct side-by-side comparison of the backlink profiles of any two domains, making this analysis straightforward to carry out.

How do you tell a good backlink from a bad one?

A good backlink comes from a site relevant to your topic, is placed editorially within genuine content rather than in a footer or a sidebar full of links, and comes from a site that has real organic traffic and has not been penalised. There should also be a reason a real person chose to include it. Bad backlinks include links from sites that exist mainly to sell links, irrelevant foreign-language sites and networks built only to pass links. These are unlikely to help and may harm rankings if numerous enough to look manipulative.