How to find and check any website’s backlinks [For Beginners]

By Karsten Madsen – SEO practitioner for +15 years. Link building expert. Speaker at SEO Day. Founder of Morningscore and our backlink tools

One of the most common questions business owners ask us when working together is, “How can we see all of our backlinks?” If you are wondering how to find the backlinks of a website, the reason this question is so frequent is that backlinks still play a major role in SEO rankings.

After all, how can a company improve its backlinks if they don’t know their current state? If the company wants to improve its rankings, it needs to know its current backlink profile and where it needs improvements.

And what about competitors – how do you estimate a website’s Google ranking potential if you can’t analyze the competition?

For this reason, today, I’ll show you the two easiest methods I show when I work with SMBs, both of which you can do for free.

How do I find and check backlinks?

As a general rule, finding the backlinks to your website or competitors can be done with third-party SEO tools. When only trying to find backlinks for your website, you can also use the completely free Google Search Console.

Keep in mind that Search Console requires an upfront setup. According to Google Search Central documentation, the Links report in Search Console is your authoritative source for which inbound links Google has discovered.

We will start by showing you how to check yours and your competitors’ backlinks in Morningscore.

First, make sure you have an active Morningscore account (14 days free) by signing up below.

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How to find backlinks of a website in 6 simple steps:

1. Click on “Links” in the navigational menu

Once you log in to the platform, you will find shortcuts to all tools in the navigational menu. One of them is the “Links” tool, marked with a chain icon.

Clicking on it will take you to all tools related to your backlinks. If you don’t have an account yet, remember you can try the platform completely free for 14 days.

2. Scroll down to see your and your competitors’ “Linkscore”

The first thing you’ll see once the tool opens is your Linkscore. The Linkscore is a single metric that gives you an idea of your (and your competitors’) website’s authority.

It correlates with your rankings based on how many qualitative links you have. In other words, it looks at both the quality and quantity of links.

For example, suppose you have many backlinks from low-authority websites. In that case, your Linkscore will likely be low – as Google itself won’t see your site as very authoritative.

Similarly, even if you have very high-quality backlinks, you need quite a few of those to have a high Linkscore. You might still have a low Linkscore if you don’t have many of them, simply because there are so few of them.

This calculation is done for your competitors as well, giving you a realistic estimate of who the industry leader in your niche is. You can also add new competitors to Morningscore here by clicking on the “Add competitor” button, located below the linkscore overview.

On the graph to the left of the competitor linkscore overview, you will be able to see a graph detailing your linkscore over time. If you want a visual representation of your competitors’ linkscores, you can add them to the graph by clicking on the “competitors” button above the graph. Here you can choose which websites to show on the graph. You can even select multiple websites at once.

Of course, having a low linkscore doesn’t stop you from ranking well. After all, your rankings are highly dependent on the overall competition in your industry. If you have many large competitors who produce spot-on content, you have a lower chance of ranking. Consequently, you will need a very high Linkscore to get to the top.

3. Go to the “All Links” tab

Once you’ve explored your and your competitors’ Linkscores, navigate to the section containing all of your backlinks. Clicking on “All links” in the navigational menu will take you to a page with a list of your links.

In this part of the link section, you can sort and filter all your links based on many of their qualities. One popular thing to do here is to look for your latest links. In this case, you will sort the table by clicking on the “Date” header.

Next to the “All links” button you will see another button called “New / Lost links”. I will not go into detail about it in this section, but the New/Lost link scanner is a very handy tool for seeing changes to your backlinks. In this section you can see which links you have gained or lost over a period of time of your choice.

4. Click on each link to show more details about it

Clicking on each link expands the window and shows you in-depth details about the backlink itself. For example, doing this shows you whether the link is dofollow or nofollow, whether it’s a regular text link or comes from an image, the anchor text of the backlink, etc.

Because of Google’s recent changes, some nofollow links can now be considered dofollow. Adjusting to those changes, we decided to display all of your links’ authority (i.e., value), including nofollow ones.

That way you will always be able to tell how much a specific link contributes to your overall linkscore by looking at the “page value” metric.

5. Export your links for Google Sheets or Excel

Sometimes you want to sort and filter your links in a more advanced way. Because of that, you can always get a compiled list of your links by exporting them.

At the bottom, the “Export” button allows you to get a .csv export of all your backlinks. The functionality allows you to select the exact CSV export format that fits you. This can be Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Open Office, or any other program.

Pro tip: Export your links and cross-reference them with Google Search Console data to identify any discrepancies. Combining data from multiple sources gives you a more complete picture of your backlink profile, as recommended by backlink analysis best practices.

6. See competitor backlinks by selecting their website

Lastly, to see your competitor backlinks, click on the button showing your page, just below the “All links” button. When you click this button, it will open a drop down menu where you can select the competitor whose backlinks you want to check.

Doing this will update the list of links and show you all of their backlinks in the table you previously used to see your links.

Additionally, if you want a more comprehensive overview of your competitive landscape, you also have the option to export the competitor links for a side-by-side comparison with your own. You can use our Competitor Backlink Analysis Tool for a detailed examination of your rivals’ backlink profiles.

Having an overview of your competitors’ backlinks is also practical when it comes to link building. Knowing competitor backlinks gives new link building opportunities, as many of the pages that are relevant to your competitors will also be relevant to you. If they already give out links to competitors, chances are they might be open to giving links to you as well.

This approach is known as competitor backlink analysis and is widely used by SEO professionals to identify link gap opportunities.

How do I find backlinks with Google?

Google Search Console is one of the best sources of data when it comes to backlinks. We’ll now look exactly at how to find backlinks using this tool. However, keep in mind three things about it.

Firstly, you need to set it up in advance. The earlier you add your site, the more data you’re going to see in it. In other words, if you’ve just started optimizing your website for search engines, setting up Search Console should be one of your top priorities.

Secondly, Search Console does not show you competitor data.

Lastly, you can’t see each link’s authority in Search Console. Although never fully accurate, third-party SEO tools try to show you a rough estimate of the authority of each link.

However, Google Search Console often shows more links than some third-party tools. There’s simply no competition when it comes to the speed of discovering your backlinks. Because of that, you can be sure that, in many ways, Search Console “knows best.”

1. Log in to Google Search Console

First and foremost, you need to log in to Google Search Console. As you can see, I’ve already set it up and have my website ready. This process can take a little while, depending on how you chose to authenticate your website on the platform.

Once fully set up, choose your website from the top-left menu right under the Google Search Console logo.

2. In the sidebar, scroll down and click “Links”

The “Links” tool is one of the last menu options, right above “Settings.” Opening it will update your window, and you should see four small tables split into two columns. Here’s what it should look like:

Let’s briefly look at the functionality of each of them. The “External links” tables show all backlinks pointing towards your website. In other words, it is the column that shows how your website “interacts” with other websites. Meanwhile, the “Internal links” column shows you backlinks between each page on your website.

Top linked pages (External) – This table shows you the pages on your website ordered by how many backlinks they have. Keep in mind; this is only for the links pointing from other websites to your website.

Top linking sites – This table shows you backlinks coming from other websites sorted by their number. The websites that link to you the most appear at the top.

Top linking text – Here, you can see all of the anchor texts used in your backlinks from other websites. Once again, they are sorted by their popularity.

Top linked pages (Internal) – Similar to the feature in External links, however, it applies only to your internal links. The table shows you your most internally linked pages.

3. Explore “Top linked pages” & “Top linking sites”

To see all of your backlinks, I recommend starting with “Top linked pages.” That’s because, especially for beginners, this table makes backlinks more tangible. In other words, you see how valuable each of your pages is based on its backlinks.

In contrast, by exploring the “Top linking sites” feature, you don’t necessarily get anything tangible except a nice-to-have overview. However, exploring all tables under “External” as a beginner is usually a good idea because this helps you better understand how Google sees your website.

Clicking on the “More >” button in “Top linked pages” returns the full list of your pages and the number of backlinks for each. You can expand the view by selecting a bigger number from the dropdown at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, you can use the pagination option at the bottom.

4. Select a page to see all its linking domains

The next step here is to click on one of your pages. This will update the window and show you all websites linking to your specific page.

At the top, you can see a quick overview that shows you the number of all outgoing and incoming backlinks. For example, one of our pages on “how backlinks work” has 93 external links and 42 linking websites.

5. Click on any of the websites – how do I find backlinks there?

Lastly, you want to click on one of the linking websites. Doing this will show you all the backlinks from that website to the specific page you selected in the previous step. Seeing this is important because one website can link to you from more than one page.

For example, clicking on one of our linking websites – systeme.io – brings up a report of the pages that link to us from that specific website.

Here, you can open the linking page and see what the link looks like on the actual page. However, always be cautious when opening those links – especially if you don’t recognize the website linking to you, as it can potentially infect your computer with malware.

6. Analyze your backlinks by clicking “Export”

Last but not least, Google Search Console also offers you the option to download your backlinks. The great thing about it is that it is a Google product – which naturally means it integrates with other tools from Google Workspace – in this case, Google Sheets.

Pro tip: Export your GSC Links report and compare it against third-party backlink tools to identify discrepancies. Google Search Console reflects links Google has discovered and is the authoritative starting point, as stated in Google’s official documentation.

In conclusion

And there you have it – these are the two most popular methods of finding the backlinks for any website. Third-party tools usually show you more in-depth data. However, take that with a grain of salt, as they rely primarily on estimations.

Meanwhile, Search Console shows you less data about each individual link. However, it tends to find more up-to-date backlinks.

As Jason Barnard (Kalicube) notes, “the best source of a link is a website that is both considered authoritative and relevant to your website” – so focus on quality and relevance over sheer quantity when analyzing your backlink profile.

If you have any more questions about backlinks, you can read our answers to commonly asked questions here:

 

How can the quality of a backlink be assessed beyond basic metrics?

Assessing the quality of a backlink extends beyond basic metrics to include the relevancy of the linking site to your content, the trustworthiness of the domain, and whether the link is a “follow” or “nofollow” link. High-quality backlinks typically come from reputable sources within your industry or niche that have content directly related to yours.

According to modern backlink analysis methodologies, you should also evaluate factors like anchor text diversity, the linking page’s content quality, and whether the link appears in the main content versus a footer or sidebar.

 

What strategies can improve a website’s backlink profile?

Improving a website’s backlink profile involves actively seeking opportunities for guest posting, engaging with relevant communities, and creating high-quality, shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks. Also, regularly auditing your backlink profile to remove or disavow low-quality or spammy links is crucial.

As covered in expert competitor backlink analysis guides, conducting link gap analysis helps you identify where your competitors are earning links that you’re missing. This gives you concrete outreach targets and content ideas that have already proven successful in your niche.

 

How do Google algorithm updates affect backlink evaluation?

Google’s algorithm updates continue to refine how backlinks are evaluated, emphasizing the quality, relevance, and natural acquisition of links over sheer quantity. Updates aim to penalize manipulative link-building practices and reward those sites contributing genuinely valuable content to the web ecosystem.

Google’s Search Essentials and spam guidance are regularly updated to reflect current policies. Stay informed by following official Google Search Central updates and current industry roundup reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find backlinks my competitors have that I don’t?

You can discover competitor backlinks by using backlink analysis tools like Morningscore, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to compare your backlink profile against theirs. Most tools offer a “link gap” or “link intersect” feature that shows you which websites link to your competitors but not to you. These are often your best link-building opportunities, as these sites have already shown interest in linking to similar content in your niche. Check out our guide on finding competitor backlinks for step-by-step instructions.

What’s the difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks?

Dofollow backlinks pass authority (sometimes called “link juice”) from the linking site to your website, directly influencing your rankings, while nofollow links include a tag that tells search engines not to pass authority. However, Google has updated how it treats nofollow links – they’re now treated as “hints” rather than absolute directives, meaning some nofollow links may still contribute to your SEO. Both types have value, as nofollow links can still drive traffic and brand awareness. Learn more about dofollow and nofollow backlinks on our dedicated guide.

How often are backlink reports updated in tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush?

Ahrefs updates its backlink database every 15-30 minutes, making it one of the freshest sources of backlink data. SEMrush and similar tools have variable update schedules, typically indexing new backlinks within 3-5 days, though this can vary based on the source and how frequently the linking page is crawled. For the most up-to-date backlink data for your own site, Google Search Console is unbeatable, as it reflects what Google has actually discovered and crawled.

Why don’t I see all my backlinks in Google Search Console?

Google Search Console may show different backlinks than third-party tools because it only displays links that Google has discovered and indexed. Third-party tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush use their own web crawlers, which may find links Google hasn’t crawled yet – or vice versa. Additionally, Google Search Console might filter out low-quality or spam links that it doesn’t consider valuable, while third-party tools often show everything they find. For the most complete picture, compare data from both Google Search Console and at least one third-party tool.

What are toxic backlinks and should I disavow them?

Toxic backlinks are low-quality, spammy, or unnatural links from questionable websites that can potentially harm your SEO rankings. These often come from link farms, spam directories, or sites with no relevance to yours. You should consider using Google’s Disavow Tool if you have a significant number of toxic backlinks that you can’t remove manually, especially if you’ve received a manual penalty from Google. However, Google has gotten better at ignoring bad links automatically, so disavowing should be a last resort after attempting manual removal.

Are there free tools to check backlinks of a website?

Yes, Google Search Console is completely free and shows the most authoritative backlink data for your own website. Additionally, tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Morningscore offer free backlink checker versions with limited data – typically showing a sample of backlinks rather than the complete profile. For example, you can try Morningscore’s backlink checker with a free 14-day trial to see both your own and competitor backlinks with full metrics.

How long does it take for new backlinks to show up in backlink tools?

New backlinks typically show up in tools like Ahrefs within 15-30 minutes to a few days, depending on how often the linking page is crawled. SEMrush and similar tools usually index backlinks within 3-5 days. Google Search Console can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to display new backlinks, as it depends on when Google crawls and indexes the linking page. Keep in mind that it takes an average of 10 weeks for backlinks to impact your rankings, according to industry research.