10 Recommended Backlink Checkers: Free & Paid Backlink Research Steps

Backlinks (links from other sites to your own) remain an important evaluation factor in SEO today. To grasp what sites your own site is receiving links from, and where competitors are earning backlinks, a backlink checker is essential. This article introduces 10 recommended free and paid backlink checkers along with each one's features, and also explains the actual steps for backlink research.

What Is a Backlink Checker? What the Tool Can Do

A backlink checker is a tool that lets you investigate which sites are linking to a specified domain or page. Most tools let you check the number of referring domains that serve as link sources, the distribution of anchor text, newly gained and lost links, and evaluation metrics for the linking sites (a score indicating domain strength).

Backlink checkers have three broad uses: an "audit" to grasp your own site's backlink status, "competitor analysis" to analyze competitors' backlinks and get hints for acquisition, and "cleanup" to find and deal with low-quality, harmful links. Choosing a tool that matches your purpose is important.

10 Recommended Backlink Checkers [Free & Paid]

From here, we introduce 10 representative backlink checkers. Let's look at them divided into all-in-one SEO suite types, tools you can use for free, and backlink-specialized types. Note that each tool's pricing plans and free tiers can change, so check the official site for the latest information before adopting one.

All-in-One SEO Suite Type (Backlinks + More)

These are multifunctional types that let you do keyword research, site audits, and more in a single tool, in addition to backlink analysis.

1. Ahrefs: a standard tool highly regarded for the scale and accuracy of its backlink database. Paid plans are central, but the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools lets you check your own site's backlinks. It's also strong at competitor analysis, and many SEO practitioners use it.
2. Semrush: an all-in-one tool that covers keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, and content measures in addition to backlink analysis. Its backlink audit feature can also detect harmful links. The free tier is limited.
3. Moz (Link Explorer): the tool that created the Domain Authority (DA) metric. In addition to DA, Page Authority, and Spam Score, it also has a feature to find sites that link to competitors but not to you.
4. SE Ranking: an all-in-one tool that, while lower priced than the major tools, handles rich data such as referring domains, anchor text, and new/lost links. It also has a monitor feature that continuously tracks backlinks.

Tools You Can Use for Free

These help when you want to grasp the general state of backlinks without spending money.

1. Google Search Console: a free tool officially provided by Google. From the "Links" report, you can check the top linking sites to your own site and the pages being linked to. It's the basis for grasping your own site's backlinks.
2. Ahrefs Backlink Checker (free version): lets you check the top 100 backlinks of any domain or page for free. Handy when you want to grasp the general state easily.
3. Ubersuggest: a relatively new SEO tool that lets you check the number of backlinks and referring domains. It's usable for free up to a certain number of times.

Backlink-Specialized Type

These are for advanced users and specialized uses who want to do backlink analysis more deeply.

1. Majestic: a long-established tool specialized in backlink analysis. You can evaluate link quality with its unique metrics (Trust Flow and Citation Flow). A characteristic is that it holds both historic and fresh indexes.
2. LinkResearchTools: a specialized tool that can analyze link quality and risk in detail. It's suited to advanced backlink management such as detecting harmful links and dealing with penalties.
3. SEO SpyGlass: a desktop-type tool that lets you investigate a domain's backlink profile in detail. Using it in combination with other tools broadens the scope of analysis.

Using Free and Paid Tools Appropriately

Which tool to choose is decided by your purpose and budget. The realistic approach is to first grasp the general state of your own site's backlinks with a free tool, then move to a paid tool as needed.

• You just want to grasp your own site's backlinks: Google Search Console is enough.
• You want to analyze competitors' backlinks too: a paid suite type such as Ahrefs or Semrush becomes necessary. Free versions greatly restrict competitor data.
• You want to investigate link quality and risk deeply: specialized types such as Majestic or LinkResearchTools are suited.

If you invest in a paid tool once you've obtained baseline information with a free tool and it's become clear what you need to dig into (coverage of data, monitoring, or link quality), there's no waste.

Basic Steps for Backlink Research

Once you've chosen a tool, research backlinks in the following steps. By repeating this regularly, you can grasp changes in backlinks early.

1. Enter your own domain to grasp the current state: check the number of referring domains, the total number of backlinks, and anchor text trends.
2. Check link quality: see what kinds of sites are linking to you and whether there are links from highly evaluated sites. Also check whether there are any spammy links.
3. Enter a competitor's domain to compare: analyze where competitors are getting backlinks and identify link sources you haven't acquired (link acquisition opportunities).
4. Identify harmful links: referring to Spam Score and the like, find low-quality, unnatural links. Consider disavowing them as needed.
5. Monitor regularly: check new and lost links periodically, and if there's a major change, confirm the cause. Making it a weekly or monthly habit is effective.

Summary

A backlink checker is an essential tool for grasping the backlink status of your own site and competitors and advancing SEO's external measures. First grasp the general state with Google Search Console or Ahrefs' free version, and when competitor analysis or a deep dive into link quality becomes necessary, moving to a paid or specialized tool such as Ahrefs, Semrush, or Majestic is recommended. Rather than ending with just using the tool, making the research steps a habit — checking referring domains, comparing competitors, identifying harmful links, and monitoring regularly — raises the precision of your backlink measures.