The SEO landscape is in turmoil, and it’s hard to know exactly which content will make it to the first page on Google. However, one thing remains constant: backlinks are still one of the most important factors for ranking success.
But you can’t just build backlinks and forget them – you have to know whether they’re doing their job or not. Fortunately, there’s software for that! This article will walk you through the best backlink monitoring tools to add to your SEO arsenal.
What are backlinks?
First things first: backlinks, or “inbound” or “incoming” links are URLs from one website to another. When another site links to your content, congrats! You’ve got a backlink.
The importance of backlinks in SEO
Search engines like Google view backlinks as endorsements. The more high-quality backlinks a site has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search engine results. They act as a vote of confidence, signaling to search engines that other sites consider your content credible, authoritative, and valuable.
A strong backlink profile helps by…
- Increasing referral traffic (more links means more visitors)
- Boosting brand authority (quality backlinks signal credibility)
- Enhancing visibility (better rankings lead to increased search engine visibility and traffic)
What is backlink monitoring and why is it important?
Monitoring involves regularly checking the backlinks pointing to your site to ensure they’re high quality, relevant, and beneficial for your SEO. It helps identify new backlinks, identify lost backlinks, and spot harmful or spammy ones.
Backlink monitoring tools provide features that make this process easier, offering detailed insights on link quality, placement, and relevance.
The benefits of monitoring your links include:
- Improved SEO performance: Ensure your links are high quality, relevant, and beneficial for your rankings.
- Protecting your site’s reputation: Remove spammy or irrelevant links to ensure your site maintains good standing with search engines and avoids penalties.
- Capitalizing on new opportunities: Build relationships with authoritative travel sites to increase your site’s credibility and boost traffic.
- Enhanced content strategy: Understand which partner content is performing well. This can inform your future collaborations and link-building strategies.
Nine best backlink monitoring tools
This table gives a quick overview of the best tools in the biz. Below, you’ll find details on each service, then a short guide to backlink metrics.
| Tool | Pros | Cons | Price |
| Ahrefs | Huge backlink index, easy-to-use, comprehensive SEO features | Expensive for small businesses, limited reports on lower-tier plans | $129 per month One-week trial for $7 |
| Google Search Console | Free, data directly from Google, includes technical insights | Limited analysis, no competitor tracking | Free |
| KeySearch | Budget-friendly, competitor analysis, rank tracking | Limited advanced features, ticket-only support | $24 per month |
| Linkio | Anchor text optimization, automated monitoring, ideal for campaign planning | Limited SEO features, smaller database | $19.99 per month Free trial available |
| Linkody | Affordable, automated monitoring, Google Analytics integration | Limited to backlink monitoring, smaller backlink index | $14.90 per month for 2 domains and 500 links |
| Majestic | Trust Flow/Citation Flow metrics, detailed history, link context insights | No broader SEO tools, complex for beginners | $49.99 per month |
| Moz | Easy-to-use, spam score, includes site audits and keyword research | Smallish database, Domain Authority considered a vanity metric | $39 per month |
| SE Ranking | Affordable, user-friendly, detailed backlink reports | Smaller backlink index compared to major tools | $52 per month |
| Semrush | Advanced monitoring, competitor comparison, complete SEO solution | Complex for beginners, higher pricing | $117.33 per month |
1. Ahrefs
Ahrefs provides users access to comprehensive and real-time backlink data, which helps with detailed competitor analysis and accurate SEO insights. Its backlink analysis includes metrics like domain rating, referring domains, and anchor text distribution.
Beyond backlinking, Ahrefs also offers tools for keyword research, content discovery, and technical SEO audits, making it a complete tool for SEO management.
Pros:
- Huge backlink index (“arguably the largest database of its kind,” the company says)
- Detailed competitor insights
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons:
- Expensive for small businesses
- Limited in-depth reports for lower-tier plans
Price:
Plans start at $129 per month for their Lite plan. If you pay annually, you get two months free. They offer a one-week trial for $7.
2. Google Search Console
Google Search Console offers backlink tracking based directly on Google’s data. Although it lacks the advanced features of premium tools, Google Search Console provides valuable insights for site owners who need basic backlink tracking alongside performance metrics, and it’s 100% free.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Direct data from Google
- Includes performance and technical SEO insights
Cons:
- Limited backlink analysis features
- No competitor backlink analysis
Price:
Free
3. KeySearch
KeySearch is a relatively basic SEO tool that offers backlink monitoring features, including identifying whether a link is dofollow or nofollow. While it doesn’t provide the in-depth backlink analysis that other platforms do, it’s well loved by many travel bloggers, as it has great tools, is easy to use, and is attractively priced
Pros:
- Affordable
- Competitor analysis tools, including backlink checker and URL metrics
- Rank tracking to monitor keyword performance
- Content assistant for optimizing SEO content
Cons:
- Limited advanced features compared to competitors like Ahrefs or Semrush
- No live chat or phone support, only ticket-based assistance
- Occasional data inconsistencies in content optimization
Price:
Starts at $24 per month for the Starter Plan and $48 per month for the Pro Plan.
4. Linkio
Linkio helps users plan and execute link-building campaigns by providing clear anchor text ratios and monitoring changes in their backlink profiles. The service’s standout feature is its ability to recommend the optimal anchor text strategy to improve search rankings.
Pros:
- Automated backlink monitoring
- Anchor text optimization tools
- Easy to use for planning link-building campaigns
Cons:
- Limited general SEO features
- Small backlink database compared with major competitors
Price:
Starts at $19.99 per month for monitoring 10,000 backlinks and tracking 150 keywords. A free trial is available.
5. Linkody
Linkody monitors new and lost links and offers detailed reports on link status, page authority, and spam score. Linkody integrates with Google Analytics to track traffic from backlinks, making it a good choice for simplelink management. You can also quickly identify and disavow bad links.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Automated backlink monitoring
- Google Analytics integration
Cons:
- Limited features beyond backlink monitoring
- Less extensive backlink index than larger tools
Price:
Starts at $14.90 per month, including two domains and 500 monitored links.
6. Majestic
Majestic specializes in backlink analysis, focusing on metrics like Trust Flow and Citation Flow for assessing link quality and influence. Majestic provides a detailed map of your backlink profile, including historical data, anchor text distribution, and referring domains. Its “Link Context” feature shows the positioning of your links within their source pages, which helps you understand link relevance.
Pros:
- Detailed link quality analysis
- Detailed historical backlink data
- Link positioning insights with the “Link Context” feature
Cons:
- Lacks broader SEO tools
- May be complicated for beginners
Price:
Starts at $49.99 per month for the Lite plan and $99.99 for Pro, which includes all website tools.
7. Moz
Moz is best known for inventing the Domain Authority (DA) metric many use to measure site strength. Moz also offers tools like backlink tracking, keyword research, and site audits, making it a solid option for SEO beyond just backlinks.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Spam score for identifying harmful links
- Includes keyword research, on-page SEO, and site audits
Cons:
- Smaller backlink database than competitors
- Domain Authority is often considered a vanity metric
Price:
Starts at $49 per month, or $39 when you pay yearly.
8. SE Ranking
SE Ranking allows easy monitoring of your backlink profile and provides an automated system detecting new and lost links. It also includes competitor backlink analysis and is known for being user-friendly.
The service is also known for its rank tracking, keyword research, and comprehensive website audits, making it an all-in-one SEO tool.
Pros:
- Affordable
- User-friendly interface
- Detailed backlink reports
Cons:
- Smaller backlink index than competitors
Price:
The Essential plan is $52 per month and is suitable for individual creators, allowing you to track 500 keywords daily.
9. Semrush
Semrush tracks backlink types and anchor text and provides toxicity scores. The backlink audit tool helps identify and remove harmful links. SEMrush also includes analysis, showing which sites link to your competitors, and helps identify new link-building opportunities. Additional features like keyword tracking and site audits make it a complete SEO solution.
Pros:
- Advanced backlink monitoring
- Competitor comparison
- Additional SEO tools like keyword tracking and site audits
Cons:
- Complex for beginners
- Premium features are relatively expensive
Price:
Starts at $129.95 per month or $117.33 if you pay annually.
9 key backlink metrics to monitor
1. Referring domains
Having more referring domains indicates a stronger, more diverse backlink profile, which can positively impact your rankings. Quality is more important than quantity, so monitoring the authority and relevance of these domains is essential.
2. Anchor text distribution
Anchor text provides context to search engines about what your page is about. Monitoring the types of anchor text (exact match, partial match, branded, or generic) helps ensure a balanced, natural profile. Over-optimized or repetitive anchor text can trigger penalties.
3. Link placement
Where your link appears on a page matters. Links embedded within relevant content are more valuable than those placed in footers or sidebars.
4. New and lost backlinks
Gaining high-quality new links boosts your SEO, while losing valuable links can negatively impact rankings, so it’s essential to monitor these fluctuations.
5. Domain Authority (DA) / Domain Rating (DR)
While DA and DR are essentially vanity metrics, they still provide a snapshot of a domain’s authority relative to others. Monitoring the DA or DR of linking domains can help you assess the overall quality of your backlinks, though they shouldn’t be the sole focus.
6. Spam score
A high spam score can negatively affect your rankings, so it’s important to remove such links. Tools like Moz and Semrush provide spam or toxic score metrics to help track and manage harmful backlinks.
7. Link relevance
Backlinks from sites within your niche or industry carry more weight than links from irrelevant sites. For example, if a home renovation site links to your travel blog in an unrelated post about kitchen remodeling, that link won’t provide much value.
8. Dofollow vs. nofollow links
Dofollow links pass SEO authority from the linking site to your site, helping boost your rankings. Nofollow links, in contrast, don’t transfer this link mojo and are used to tell search engines not to consider the link for ranking purposes. While nofollow links don’t directly impact rankings, they can still drive traffic and build brand awareness. Monitoring your ratio of dofollow to nofollow links ensures a balanced link profile, as a natural mix of both types is ideal for SEO.
9. Backlink velocity
Backlink velocity refers to the rate at which your site gains or loses backlinks over time. A steady, organic growth in backlinks indicates a healthy link-building strategy, while a sudden spike in backlinks could appear unnatural to search engines and potentially lead to penalties.
How to choose the right backlink monitoring tool
When choosing a backlink monitoring tool, bloggers should balance functionality and affordability. Consider which features you need, like detailed backlink analysis, competitor insights, or automated alerts for lost and new links.
Also consider ease of use and whether you can find a service that meets your keyword SEO needs at the same time. Affordability and simplicity might take priority for smaller blogs, while larger sites may require more robust solutions with advanced metrics. The right software should offer flexibility and long-term value for your SEO strategy.