What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. They act like votes of confidence in the eyes of search engines. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy your site appears to Google, which can boost your rankings.

To acquire backlinks, you can:

• Create valuable, shareable content (like blog posts or infographics)
• Reach out for guest posting opportunities
• Reclaim unlinked brand mentions
• Use broken link building to replace outdated links with yours

What Is a Backlink Checker Tool?

A backlink checker tool helps you see which websites are linking to yours. These tools provide insights like referring domains, anchor text, domain authority, and the type of link (dofollow or nofollow). SEO professionals use backlink checkers to monitor link-building efforts, analyze competitors, and detect harmful links.

Best Free Backlink Checker Tools (Online & Browser-Based)

1. Backlink Checker by Neil Patel Digital

• Provides instant backlink report by entering a domain or URL.
• Shows domain score, page score, and backlink status (dofollow/nofollow).
• Ideal for quick top-level backlink audits.

2.  Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker

• Shows the top 100 backlinks for any domain.
• Displays referring domains, anchor text, and URL rating.
• Useful for competitive analysis and link research.

3. Ubersuggest Backlink Checker

• Offers backlink overview, domain score, and page authority.
• Identifies new, lost, and nofollow links.
• Limited daily searches in free version.

4. Moz Link Explorer

• Free access with login; limited daily reports.
• Shows domain authority, page authority, and spam score.
• Offers link analysis and anchor text overview.

5. Google Search Console

• For verified sites only.
• Displays top linking domains and anchor texts.
• Doesn’t show competitor backlinks but offers accurate data.

6. SEO Review Tools Backlink Checker

• No sign-up required.
• Provides basic link data and referring domains.
• Useful for quick checks.

7. Small SEO Tools Backlink Checker

• Allows checking up to 100 backlinks.
• Includes page rank, source URL, and anchor text.
• Suitable for quick, free audits.

8. LinkMiner by Mangools

• Offers preview of backlink profile.
• Chrome extension available.
• Shows metrics like Citation Flow and Trust Flow.

9. OpenLinkProfiler

• 100% free tool with no login required.
• Displays the freshest links and linking pages.
• Offers download of up to 1000 links.

10. RankWatch Backlink Checker

• Displays backlink sources, anchor text, and link type.
• Easy-to-use interface.
• No login needed for basic reports.

11. Backlink Tool by Sitechecker

• Shows backlinks, link influence, and destination URL.
• Part of a larger suite with other SEO tools.

12. LXR Marketplace Free Backlink Checker

• No sign-up needed and completely free.
• Lists referring domains, anchor text, and source URLs.
• Great for small websites and quick overviews.

13. Monitor Backlinks Free Plan

• Free for one domain with weekly email reports.
• Tracks new and lost links.
• Great for passive backlink monitoring.

Backlink Checker Chrome Extensions

1. MozBar

• Displays page authority and domain authority in-browser.
• Highlights links on pages with different attributes.

2. SEOquake

• Shows backlink data directly in search results.
• Includes other SEO metrics like Alexa rank, traffic estimate.

3. LinkMiner

• Highlights all links (internal, external, broken).
• Shows link strength and exporting options.

Backlink Analysis with SEMrush and Moz

SEMrush

• Offers a full Backlink Analytics dashboard.
• Detects toxic links, shows historical backlink growth.
• Free users get limited access.

Moz

• Allows comparison of backlink profiles.
• Displays spam score, PA, DA, and linking domains.
• Limited to a few reports per month for free users.

Key Metrics to Track with Any Backlink Tool

• Domain Authority / Page Authority: Quality of the linking domain/page.
• Referring Domains: Unique domains linking to your site.
• Anchor Text: The clickable text used in the link.
• Dofollow vs. Nofollow: Link types that impact SEO differently.
• Spam Score or Toxicity: Identifies potentially harmful backlinks.

Conclusion

There are many free tools available to check backlinks and monitor your website’s SEO authority. While free versions come with limitations, combining multiple tools can give you a more complete backlink profile. Start with tools like Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker, Moz, and Google Search Console, and scale to premium options as your needs grow.