Backlinks, or inbound links, are links to your website that appear on other websites. They are most valuable to search engine rankings. The number of domains that link to a page is the most significant predictor of Google rankings, according to research from Backlinko.
You need to monitor your backlinks to ensure they are helping rather than hurting your SEO efforts since the quality of your backlinks can significantly influence your rankings. After all, “When performance is assessed, performance increases” is a central tenet of Pearson’s Law. Accelerating progress is a typical result of regular performance measurement and feedback.
Therefore, you need the appropriate resources and procedures to monitor your backlinks and guarantee their efficiency. Learn the fundamentals of backlink tracking with this handy primer.
You can’t begin working on your project without creating a master spreadsheet that includes everything crucial to its completion. There are several pieces of information that must be present in every spreadsheet:
Backlinks
Monitor inbound connections from every source, including private blog networks, web 2.0, profile links, social bookmarks, forum profiles, and more. The following should be included in every comprehensive data set:
What Time Was The Connection Made?
Here you can see the link’s creation date.
Linking Words
You’ve linked to this exact phrase. Any of your brand name, domain name, keyword, etc., might serve this purpose.
The Web Address Of The Page On Which You Intend To Put A Link
Here is the web address of the page that contains your link. The URL will appear in the bottom left of your screen when you hover over the link; copy and paste it there (on Chrome).
Would You Like To Have Your Link Followed Or Not?
Nofollow links don’t give the linked page any credit for being linked elsewhere on the web, which might hurt its search engine rankings. That is to say, and it won’t improve the search engine rankings of the page you’ve linked to.
Is There An Indexing Status For This Link?
The search engine creates an index database to organize the websites to include in its search results. To put it simply, when a backlink is indexed, it becomes visible to search engines.
When Was This Connection Verified Last?
When you last double-checked to see if the connection was still active was on this date.
Relationship Status Links
A link’s status might be “live” (active) or “dead” (inactive). Consumers who click on a live link will be taken directly to your website. Conversely, a dead link is no longer active and redirects to a 404 Not Found page.
Transmission of Anchor Text
Keep in mind the anchor text distribution when working on your backlinks.
If you create a link, the text you highlight will become the anchor text. Any of your brand name, domain name, keyword, etc., might serve this purpose.
It’s essential to maintain a natural-looking anchor text distribution. That’s why it’s not a good idea to overuse branded anchor text or exact-match keywords.
Use software like Ahrefs to see how your anchor text is being used.
To begin, type your domain name into the search window and click “Explore.”
Following that, you’ll be sent to a screen that lists every incoming link that points to your domain. The distribution of your anchor text may be viewed in the “Anchors” section, which can be accessed by scrolling down it.
Rankings
The position of your website for a specific term in search engine results pages (SERPs) is your ranking. Having a good Google search ranking for your desired keywords is a must. As your website increases in search engine rankings, more people will find it naturally.
Use a tool like Ahrefs Rank Tracker to monitor your search engine rankings. Simply type your domain and term of interest into Ahrefs Rank Tracker’s search field, and click “Add to tracking.” After that, you’ll be sent to a website that details your individual position.
An Index of Search Terms and the Websites That Serve Them
It’s a document listing all the terms you’re trying to rank for and the web pages on your site that do so.
You can monitor your progress and determine which keywords are producing results with the help of this handy spreadsheet.
The following columns need to be added to a new Google Sheet in order to construct this spreadsheet:
- Keyword
- URL
- Rank
- Change
- Volume
- CPC
Then, you’ll be able to complete the information for each search term.
Methods Of Monitoring Backlinks With The Highest Probability Of Success
Dashboard For Google Searches
You may monitor your website’s organic traffic and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs) with Google’s free Search Console. Also included are tools to submit a sitemap and detect 404 issues. Go to “Links” under “Search Traffic” on the left side of Google Search Console to monitor your backlinks.
Ahrefs’ Site Explorer.
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) tools, Ahrefs is among the best-known options out there. Keyphrase research, site audits, and backlink analyses are just a few of its many features. Simply type your domain into the search field and click “Explore” to begin backlink tracking with Ahrefs Site Explorer. Following that, you’ll be sent to a screen that lists every incoming link that points to your domain.
Majestic
Similar functionality may also be found in Majestic, another widely used SEO tool. Furthermore, it offers a “Site Explorer” tool that monitors your inbound connections. Type your domain name into Majestic’s search field and click the “Search” button to track your backlinks.
Following that, you’ll be sent to a screen that lists every incoming link that points to your domain.
Moz Link Explorer
Moz’s “Link Explorer” is another famous SEO tool for keeping tabs on your backlinks.
Type your domain name into Moz Link Explorer’s search window and click the “Search” button to begin tracking your backlinks. Following that, you’ll be sent to a screen that lists every incoming link that points to your domain.
Keep An Eye On Inbound Connections
With Monitor Backlinks, you can keep tabs on both your own and your rivals’ inbound connections. The tool also has other functions like keyword research and link development. You may start using Monitor Backlinks to monitor your backlinks immediately after signing up for a free account and adding your website.
Then, you’ll be sent to your control panel, where you may survey every one of the inbound connections to your site.
