If you want to rank on Google, you can’t ignore backlinks. This is your Backlink expert at Emerging Software, and I’ve spent years in this industry, and backlinks remain one of the most powerful signals of authority. Before you look for how to find backlinks, you need to understand their story. Think of them as a “vote of confidence” from one website to another. The more high-quality votes your site receives, the more trustworthy and authoritative search engines like Google consider you. This is the core of what we call PageRank. 

In this article, I’ll pull back the curtain on this critical SEO factor. I’ll show you exactly how to find and check your own backlinks, teach you proven methods for earning new ones, and finally, give you the unvarnished truth about whether you should ever pay for them. Let’s dive in.

What Is A Backlink?

When it comes to backlink analysis, you get what you pay for. While there are free tools, the industry leaders are premium suites that offer comprehensive and up-to-date data. Ahrefs is widely considered the gold standard, largely due to its massive and frequently updated database. Semrush and Moz are also top-tier contenders, each with unique strengths. 

Moz is often favored for its user-friendly interface and unique metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Spam Score, while Semrush is a powerhouse for all-around competitive analysis, including a solid backlink tool. My recommendation? Start with the free versions or trials of these top three to see which one’s data and interface best suit your needs.

How to Find Backlinks of a Website

Whether you’re analyzing your own site or a competitor’s, the process is similar. You simply enter the website’s URL into your chosen tool’s “Site Explorer” or “Backlink Analysis” feature. The tool will then provide a detailed report, which you can use to answer key questions:

• Total Backlinks – How many links does the site have?
• Referring Domains – How many unique websites are linking to it? (This is a much more important metric than total backlinks, as a single site can link to you hundreds of times.)
• Domain Rating/Authority – What is the overall strength of the linking websites?
• Anchor Text – What words are being used in the hyperlinks?
• New/Lost Links – Is the site actively gaining new links or losing old ones?

This data allows you to identify your best-performing pages, spot potential harmful links, and, most importantly, uncover exactly where your competitors are getting their high-quality links.

Google’s Official Stance and Tools

This is a question I get asked all the time – “Does Google have a backlink checker?” The short answer is no, not in the same way that Ahrefs or Semrush does. There is no official, standalone Google tool that lets you check any website’s backlinks.

However, Google does provide its own valuable, albeit limited, data through Google Search Console (GSC), and it’s something every site owner should use.

Does the Google Search Console Show Backlinks?

Yes, it does. For sites you own and have verified, the “Links” report in Google Search Console is your go-to source. It provides a list of your:

• Top Linking Sites – A list of the websites that link to you most frequently.
• Top Linked Pages – Which pages on your site receive the most external links?
• Top Linking Text – The most common anchor text used by external sites.

The data here comes directly from Google, which makes it highly accurate, but it’s not as comprehensive or detailed as what you’ll get from a premium tool. GSC is primarily a tool for monitoring, not for in-depth competitor analysis.

In short, to obtain a comprehensive backlink list, you’ll need to utilize the capabilities of premium tools. The data they provide is the key to both auditing your own profile and stealing a march on your competitors.

How To Find Backlinks Of Your Own and Your Competitors’

As an SEO professional, my first step with any new client is always a deep dive into their backlink profile. You can’t build a winning strategy without a clear understanding of what you’re working with. This process is crucial for both auditing your own site and reverse-engineering your competitors’ success.

How to Find Backlinks (General Methods)

While you might be tempted to start with manual checks—simply searching for your brand name or URL—this approach is extremely limited. It will only ever uncover a fraction of your backlink profile and is completely useless for competitor analysis. The only way to truly understand a site’s backlink landscape is by using specialized tools.

Using SEO Tools (Recommended)

This is where the real work begins. Top-tier SEO tools have massive databases of indexed links that no individual could ever replicate. My top three go-to platforms, which have consistently led the industry for years, are Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz.

Ahrefs

This is the undisputed leader for backlink analysis. Ahrefs’ crawler is second only to Google, and its database contains over 35 trillion external backlinks, making it the most comprehensive on the market. Its Site Explorer tool provides unmatched depth, speed, and accuracy, which is why it’s indispensable for serious link builders.

Semrush

How to find backlinks? Use this tool. Semrush has significantly improved its backlink analytics tools in recent years. While its index is slightly smaller than Ahrefs’s, it offers a robust all-in-one suite that integrates backlink data with other critical SEO metrics. Its Link Building Tool and Backlink Audit features are particularly powerful.

Moz 

For those on a tighter budget, Moz Link Explorer is a solid choice. While it lacks the sheer scale and speed of Ahrefs and Semrush, its proprietary Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) metrics are still widely used benchmarks in the SEO community.

Other noteworthy tools include Majestic, a backlink specialist with its own unique Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics, and Ubersuggest, which provides a great entry point for beginners due to its simplicity and more accessible pricing, albeit with a smaller data set.

How to Check Backlinks of a Website (Step-by-Step)

Once you’ve chosen a tool, the process is straightforward.

Enter the URL –  Simply navigate to the tool’s main backlink or site explorer feature and enter the URL of the website you want to analyze. This could be your own domain or a competitor’s.

Analyze the Metrics – The tool will generate a comprehensive report with key metrics.

Focus on these:

• Referring Domains – This is arguably the most important metric. It’s the number of unique websites linking to the domain. More high-quality referring domains typically correlate with higher rankings.
• Total Backlinks – The total number of hyperlinks. This metric is less important than referring domains, as a single website can have many links on a single page.
• Domain Rating (DR) / Domain Authority (DA) – A proprietary score (from Ahrefs and Moz, respectively) that measures the overall strength and authority of a domain’s backlink profile. The higher the number, the stronger the site.

Anchor Text – The clickable text used for the hyperlink. This is vital for understanding the context of the links and ensuring your anchor text profile looks natural.

New/Lost Links – This shows you which links have been gained or lost over a specified period, giving you a clear picture of a site’s link-building velocity.

Google’s Own Tools for Backlinks

A common misconception is that Google provides a backlink checker for any site. Does Google have a backlink checker? No, it does not. Google’s philosophy is to provide tools for your own site’s performance, not for competitor research.

However, does Google Search Console (GSC) show backlinks? Yes, it does—but only for your own, verified property.

To check your backlinks on Google:

• Log in to your Google Search Console account.
• In the left-hand menu, navigate to the “Links” report.

Here, you’ll find a list of your Top linking sites, your Top linked pages, and the most common Top linking text.

While this data comes directly from the source, its main limitation is its lack of depth. It doesn’t provide granular data like DR/DA, link velocity, or easy filtering, making third-party tools essential for a full analysis. Similarly, when people ask “Does Google have an SEO checker?” or “Does Google have a website checker?”, the answer is that Google provides a suite of tools (GSC, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse) that each check a part of your site’s health, but there is no single, all-in-one checker.

How to Get a Backlink List?

Once you’ve run your analysis, you can get a complete list of backlinks. In GSC, you can click on the “Export External Links” button to download a CSV file of your top linking sites. In premium tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz, you can export a full, filtered list of all backlinks. This is crucial for conducting a thorough backlink audit to identify and disavow any low-quality or spammy links that could harm your rankings.

How To Find High-Quality Backlinks Using White-Hat Strategies

Now that you know how to find and analyze backlinks, the next logical question is – “How can I get them?” This is where expertise separates the amateurs from the pros. Link building is not about shortcuts; it’s about earning credibility. The strategies below are what I call “white-hat,” meaning they are ethical, sustainable, and directly align with Google’s quality guidelines.

How Can I Get Backlinks?

The most effective link-building strategy is not a single tactic but a combination of methods, all centered on one core principle – creating value.

“Content is King”

This phrase is an SEO cliché for a reason. Data from Backlinko and others consistently show that long-form, data-driven content—such as in-depth guides (2,000+ words), original research, and case studies—earns significantly more backlinks than shorter content. Your content should be so valuable that others want to reference it. Create infographics, checklists, or interactive tools that solve a problem for your audience. These are what I call “linkable assets.”

Guest Blogging

The goal of guest blogging has evolved. It’s no longer about a quick, low-quality link. In 2025, it’s about establishing yourself as an expert and getting a contextual link from a relevant, high-authority site. A study by Seoptimer found that over 60% of marketers use guest blogging to build backlinks, and a single, well-placed guest post can drive significant referral traffic and brand visibility.

Broken Link Building

This is a classic and highly effective technique. You find a relevant website in your niche that has a broken link (a link pointing to a page that no longer exists). You then reach out to the website owner, notify them of the broken link, and suggest your own relevant content as a replacement. It’s a win-win – they fix a poor user experience, and you get a valuable backlink.

Resource Page Link Building

Many websites curate “resources” or “recommended links” pages for their users. Your job is to find these pages and pitch your valuable content to be included. This works particularly well for evergreen content, tools, and definitive guides.

Skyscraper Technique

Coined by Brian Dean, this method involves three steps – 

• Find the most popular, link-worthy content in your niche. 
• Create something even better, whether it’s longer, more up-to-date, or better designed. Case studies by Backlinko show the Skyscraper Technique can lead to a massive increase in organic traffic and backlinks within weeks. 
• Reach out to the people who linked to the original content and pitch your superior version.

Unlinked Mentions

Search the web for mentions of your brand, product, or key personnel that don’t have a hyperlink. When you find one, simply reach out to the site owner and politely ask them to add a link. Many site owners are happy to do so, as it improves their user experience.

Digital PR/Outreach

This is a powerful, proactive strategy. It involves creating a truly newsworthy piece of content, like a major study, survey, or innovative tool, and then pitching it to journalists and bloggers in your industry. This can lead to high-authority backlinks from major publications that would otherwise be out of reach.

How to Build 100 Backlinks in 30 Days or Less?

Let me set the record straight on this common question. A campaign focused solely on building 100 links in a month is likely chasing quantity over quality, which is a dangerous game. Most of the links you’ll acquire will be low-quality or from spammy sites, putting your site at risk of a Google penalty. A strategic approach is about earning a handful of high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative domains. This will deliver far better long-term results than 100 low-quality ones. Focus on scaling the right strategies—create one incredible piece of content and promote it relentlessly, rather than trying to achieve an arbitrary number of views.

How to Generate Backlinks for Free?

All the white-hat strategies I’ve mentioned are “free” in that they don’t involve a monetary transaction for a link. However, they are not without cost. They demand significant time, effort, and skill. You’re investing your expertise to earn a link, which is a much safer and more sustainable approach.

Here are some specific tactics you can execute without a budget:

• Content Creation – Invest your time in producing outstanding blog posts, guides, or videos.
• Social Media Promotion – Share your content on social platforms to increase its visibility and chance of being discovered and linked to.
• Forum Participation – Participate in industry-specific forums or Reddit communities, providing helpful, non-spammy answers and occasionally linking to your relevant content when it adds genuine value.
• Local Citations – If you have a local business, list it on local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and local chamber of commerce websites. While many of these links are “no-follow,” they build local authority and brand awareness.

The Controversy – Is Buying Backlinks Illegal or Acceptable?

This is perhaps the most debated and misunderstood topic in the world of SEO, and it’s critical to get it right. Many newcomers are lured by the promise of quick, easy backlinks for a fee. As an expert, I’m here to give you the unvarnished truth, which is far more complex than a simple “yes” or “no.”

Is it Illegal to Buy Backlinks?

Let’s address the legal question first. In the eyes of the law, buying backlinks is not illegal. You will not face criminal charges or civil prosecution for paying a website to link to yours. There are no government regulations against it.

However, this is a crucial distinction: while it may be legally permissible, it is a direct and serious violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

Is it Okay to Buy Backlinks? Google’s Stance and Penalties

Google’s position is crystal clear and has been for years. They explicitly prohibit any “link scheme” designed to manipulate their search rankings. This includes “buying or selling links that pass PageRank.” The reason is simple: if the web were a pay-to-play environment, search results would be dictated by who has the biggest marketing budget, not by who has the most valuable content.

If Google’s algorithms (like Penguin) or a human reviewer from their spam team detects a link scheme, your site can face severe consequences:

Algorithmic Penalties – Google can simply devalue the links you’ve bought, meaning you’ve wasted your money and received no SEO benefit.

Manual Actions – This is far more serious. A Google employee can manually apply a penalty, which can cause a significant drop in your search rankings, a loss of organic traffic, or, in the worst cases, de-indexing of your entire site from Google. Semrush’s analysis of link penalty cases revealed that manual actions for unnatural links are often linked to paid links, guest posts, and Private Blog Networks (PBNs).

There is an important exception to this rule. If a link is part of a paid advertisement or a sponsorship and its sole purpose is to drive referral traffic—not to manipulate rankings—it must be properly disclosed. This is done using the rel=”nofollow” or, preferably, the rel=”sponsored” attribute in the link’s HTML. These tags tell Google not to pass PageRank through the link, effectively making it a safe, compliant form of paid promotion.

Do You Need Permission for Backlinks?

Generally, no permission is needed to link to another site. The internet is built on the free flow of information, and linking is a core part of its architecture. However, you absolutely need permission when you are requesting a link from another site as part of a guest post, outreach, or partnership.

Should I Buy Backlinks from Fiverr?

My advice is a resounding no. The allure of a “1,000 backlinks for $5” gig is a classic black-hat trap. Services on platforms like Fiverr typically rely on automated tools, spam networks, or low-quality Private Blog Networks (PBNs). Google’s automated systems and its AI, called SpamBrain, are specifically designed to detect these manipulative patterns. Recent reports and case studies show that websites using these services often experience a short-term ranking boost followed by a devastating and long-term penalty. You are not only wasting your money but also actively harming your site’s long-term health and reputation.

Does a Backlink Cost Money?

Not all backlinks that require an investment are created equal. Organic, white-hat link building does not involve a direct payment for a link itself. However, it does require a significant investment in creating high-quality content, paying for outreach tools, or hiring a skilled link-building professional. The “cost” is for the time and expertise required to earn the link, not to buy it.

Legitimate link-building agencies or digital PR firms also have a cost, but they are not “selling” you a link. Instead, they are charging for the strategic work of creating valuable content and performing manual outreach to secure natural, editorial placements on authoritative sites—a strategy that is entirely compliant with Google’s guidelines.

Conclusion

To wrap this up, remember that in the world of backlinks, quality and relevance will always trump sheer quantity. Forget the quick fixes and the risky shortcuts. Building a powerful backlink profile is a continuous, strategic endeavour, not a one-time task. My strongest advice is to start by thoroughly auditing your existing backlink profile, then commit to implementing the ethical, white-hat strategies we’ve discussed. This long-term vision is the only path to sustainable SEO success.