If you want to know how to find backlinks, start with a simple truth: a backlink is a link from another website to yours, and you cannot improve what you cannot see. A clear list of who links to you, which pages they link to, and what anchor text they use gives you a real starting point for outreach, content ideas, and clean-up. This guide shows you how to find backlinks for your own site and for a competitor’s site, using free tools first, then paid tools when you need more detail. You do not need to be technical. You only need a method, a spreadsheet, and time to check each link properly.
Start with your own site in Google Search Console
Google Search Console is the best free place to start, because it shows links Google itself has found for a site you have verified. Sign in, choose your property, then open Links in the left-hand menu. You will see three external reports and one internal report.
Top linked pages shows which of your pages attract the most links. Top linking sites shows the domains that link to you most often. Top linking text shows the anchor text other sites use. Click a domain to see which of your pages it links to, and click a page to see its linking domains. That drill-down takes you from a total number to a page you can actually open and read.
Export the data as well. An export gives you up to 100,000 rows, while on-screen tables are limited. Save each export with the date in the file name, so you can compare it next month.
Search Console has limits. It shows a sample, not every link ever made, it gives no third-party authority score, and it cannot check a competitor’s site. Use it as your baseline, then cross-check it with another tool.
Check any site with a free backlink checker
To check a site you do not own, use a free backlink checker. Ahrefs’ free backlink checker, for example, shows the total number of backlinks and referring domains for any website or page, along with its top 100 backlinks, including the referring page, anchor text, and target URL. That is enough for a quick competitor check or early prospecting, even though the full reports and exports need a paid plan.
Semrush offers a similar free check, with a smaller daily allowance. Treat the free version as a snapshot, not a full audit. Look for the pattern: which pages earn links, which domains repeat, and which topics attract attention.
Never compare totals across tools as if they were the same measure. Each tool crawls the web itself, so the same site shows a different number in every tool. Pick one tool as your main record and compare like with like over time.
Find a competitor’s backlinks, step by step
Competitor backlinks are often the most useful links you will find, because they show you sites that already link to content like yours. Follow these steps:
- List three to five competitors who rank for the terms you want to rank for, not just the biggest brands in your niche.
- Enter each domain in a backlink checker and export or note its referring domains, top linked pages, and anchor text.
- Sort by relevance first, not by authority score alone. A relevant niche blog or industry resource is usually a better prospect than a large unrelated site.
- Open the linking pages. Check whether the link sits in a real article, a resource list, or a footer, and whether the page still ranks and gets traffic.
- Note the gap: which domains link to two or more competitors but not to you? Those are your first outreach targets, because they have already shown they link to this kind of content.
A link from a page that covers your topic, in context, with natural anchor text, is worth far more than many links from unrelated pages. If a linking page looks spammy or copied, leave it out of your prospect list.
Find backlinks with Google search operators
Tools miss things, and Google search can fill some gaps, especially for brand mentions that have not yet become links. Try these searches:
- “Your Brand Name” -site:yourdomain.com — finds pages that mention your brand but may not link to you.
- “your topic” + “write for us” — finds guest post pages.
- “your topic” inurl:resources — finds resource pages and link lists.
- “your topic” + “link roundup” — finds curated roundups.
Use Google’s Tools filter to sort by time, such as Past month, so you contact editors while a page is still fresh. For an unlinked mention, send a short, polite note thanking them and asking whether they would add a link so readers can find you.
How to read a backlink list
A long list is not a good list. Judge each link on relevance, the trust of the linking domain, where it sits on the page, whether it is followed or nofollow, and whether the anchor text reads naturally. A followed link in the main body of a relevant article is strongest; a footer or sidebar link carries far less weight.
The table below puts the main research findings in one place, so you can see why this kind of checking matters.
| What the research found | Source |
|---|---|
| Referring domains had a 0.255 rank correlation and backlink count 0.248, across the top 1 million US keywords | Ahrefs, January 2025 study of 1 million SERPs |
| The number 1 result has about 3.8 times more backlinks than results in positions 2 to 10 | Backlinko, analysis of 11.8 million search results |
| About 96.55% of roughly 14 billion indexed pages were estimated to get no Google organic traffic | Ahrefs, 2023 analysis |
| A free backlink check shows the top 100 backlinks for any site, with referring page, anchor and target URL | Ahrefs free backlink checker |
Read those numbers with care. A correlation is not proof that one link caused a ranking. Links help strong pages rank; they do not rescue weak ones.
What to do after you find backlinks
Finding links is only half the job. First, protect what you have: check your best links still work, and fix broken pages that used to attract links. Second, update the pages that already attract links. Third, contact relevant domains that link to competitors but not to you. Fourth, turn mentions into links, as described above.
Keep one simple record: linking domain, linking page, target page, anchor text, date found, and next action. Review it monthly to see which content and outreach actually earn links.
If you want help with outreach, our manual link building services use real outreach to relevant sites, with no private blog networks. The aim is the same: links a reader would find useful, on pages that fit your topic.
FAQ
How do I find backlinks to my own website for free?
Use Google Search Console. Verify your site, open Links, and review Top linked pages, Top linking sites, and Top linking text. Export with the date in the file name. A free checker gives a second view, but totals will not match exactly.
How do I find backlinks to a competitor’s website?
Enter the competitor’s domain in a checker such as Ahrefs or Semrush. Look at referring domains, top linked pages, and anchor text, then open the linking pages. Focus on domains that link to two or more competitors but not to you.
Why do different tools show different backlink numbers?
Each tool runs its own crawl of the web and counts links in its own way, so no two tools see exactly the same web. Search Console shows links Google has found for a verified site, while Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz each show what their own crawlers found. Compare numbers from the same tool over time, rather than mixing totals across tools.
What makes a backlink worth pursuing?
Relevance comes first, then trust, placement, and natural anchor text. A link in the main body of a relevant, well-written article is usually worth pursuing. A link from an unrelated site, a footer, or a page packed with unrelated links is usually not, even if the domain looks large. Always open the page before you add it to an outreach list.
How often should I check my backlinks?
Check monthly for most sites, and weekly during active outreach. A monthly Search Console export, compared with the previous month, will spot lost links, sudden spikes, or a new domain worth thanking.
Should I worry about low-quality backlinks I find?
Yes, but do not panic over one weak link. Many links from unrelated or spammy pages is a warning sign; a few odd links are normal. Fix broken target pages first, and seek advice before disavowing, because removing good links by mistake can hurt.
Abdullah Zulfiqar is Co-founder and Client Success Manager at RankWithLinks, an SEO agency helping businesses grow online. He specializes in client relations and SEO strategy, driving measurable results and maximizing ROI through effective link-building and digital marketing solutions.