7 Best Backlink Checker Tools for Bloggers: Free and Paid Options (2023)

Finding the right backlink checker tools can be overwhelming for bloggers. With so many options available, it’s important to choose reliable tools that provide accurate data for your content marketing decisions.

To simplify your search, we’ve compiled a list of popular backlink checker tools and their key features. Whether you’re looking for free or premium options, this guide will help you find the perfect tool to boost your blogging strategy.

What Are Backlinks and Why Are They Important?

Backlinks are hyperlinks that connect one website to another. They play a crucial role in determining a website’s ranking on search engines like Google. There are two types of backlinks: inbound links and outbound links. Inbound links are links from other websites that point to your website, while outbound links are links from your website to other websites.

Why are backlinks important? Well, they act as signals to search engines that your website is trustworthy and credible. When other reputable websites link to your content, it indicates that your content is valuable and relevant. This, in turn, improves your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Tracking your backlinks is essential for two reasons. Firstly, it helps you understand where your backlinks are coming from, allowing you to identify which sources are driving traffic to your website. Secondly, it enables you to optimize your backlinks over time by focusing on quality sources and improving the relevance and authority of your content.

By actively managing and monitoring your backlinks, you can enhance your website’s visibility, increase organic traffic, and improve your overall search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

In addition to improving search engine rankings, backlinks offer several other benefits for website owners and bloggers:

1. Increased Referral Traffic: Backlinks serve as pathways for users to discover your website. When other websites link to your content, it can generate referral traffic from visitors who click on those links to visit your site. This can lead to an influx of new visitors and potential customers.
2. Enhanced Authority and Credibility: Backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites can enhance your website’s perceived authority and credibility. When well-established sites vouch for your content through backlinks, it helps to build trust among your audience and establishes you as a reliable source of information.
3. Faster Indexing by Search Engines: Search engines use crawlers to navigate the web and index web pages. Backlinks act as bridges between different web pages. When search engine crawlers encounter a backlink, they follow it to discover and index new web pages more efficiently. This means that having backlinks from reputable sites can help search engines discover and index your website faster.
4. Competitive Edge: Monitoring your backlinks can provide valuable insights into your competitors’ strategies. By analyzing their backlink profiles, you can identify potential link-building opportunities for your own website. This competitive intelligence can help you stay ahead in your industry and adapt your SEO efforts accordingly.
5. Relationship Building: Building backlinks often involves reaching out to other website owners or bloggers. This process of outreach and relationship building can lead to valuable connections within your niche. Collaborating with other content creators can open doors to guest blogging opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations, expanding your reach and audience.

Tool 1: Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a popular and powerful backlink checker tool widely used by bloggers and SEO professionals. It offers a comprehensive set of features to analyze and track backlinks effectively. Here are some key reasons why Ahrefs stands out:

1. Extensive Backlink Database: Ahrefs boasts one of the largest and most up-to-date backlink databases, providing you with a wealth of data to explore. You can discover and analyze backlinks not only to your own website but also to your competitors’ sites, gaining valuable insights for your SEO strategy.
2. Accurate Backlink Analysis: Ahrefs uses advanced algorithms to ensure accurate and reliable backlink analysis. You can easily view the number of backlinks, referring domains, and anchor text distribution for any website. This data helps you evaluate the quality and authority of your backlinks and make informed decisions.
3. Competitor Analysis: A standout feature of Ahrefs is its ability to analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles. You can identify their top-performing pages, and the sources of their backlinks, and even explore potential link-building opportunities that they might be leveraging. This competitive intelligence allows you to refine your own link-building strategy and gain a competitive edge.
4. Backlink Monitoring and Alerts: With Ahrefs, you can monitor your backlinks and receive email notifications when new backlinks are discovered or when existing ones are lost. This real-time monitoring helps you stay updated on changes to your backlink profile and take prompt action if needed.
5. Additional SEO Tools: Ahrefs offers a range of additional SEO tools, such as keyword research, content analysis, and rank tracking. This comprehensive suite of features allows you to holistically optimize your website for better search engine visibility.

While Ahrefs is a premium tool with a subscription-based pricing model, its robust features and accurate data make it a worthwhile investment for serious bloggers and SEO enthusiasts looking to maximize their backlink strategy and overall SEO performance.

Those who are new to Blogging can explore the free backlink checker tool by ahrefs. Here you can easily track the backlink profile of your competitors. If you want to see the complete list of your own backlinks you can signup for the free ahrefs webmaster tool.

Tool 2: SEMrush

SEMrush is another widely recognized and comprehensive backlink checker tool that provides valuable insights for bloggers and digital marketers. Here are some key features that make SEMrush a popular choice:

1. Backlink Analysis: SEMrush offers in-depth backlink analysis, allowing you to explore your backlink profile and monitor its growth. You can easily assess the authority and quality of your backlinks, identify referring domains, view anchor text distribution, and analyze the overall health of your backlink profile.
2. Competitive Research: One of SEMrush’s strengths lies in its ability to perform competitor analysis. You can gain valuable insights into your competitors’ backlink strategies, identify their top-performing pages, and discover new opportunities for link building. This competitive intelligence enables you to fine-tune your own backlink strategy and stay ahead in your industry.
3. Backlink Monitoring: SEMrush provides robust backlink monitoring capabilities, allowing you to track changes in your backlink profile over time. You can set up alerts to be notified of new backlinks or lost backlinks, enabling you to proactively manage your link-building efforts and identify any potential issues.
4. Disavow Tool: SEMrush includes a disavow tool that helps you manage and disavow toxic or spammy backlinks. By identifying and disavowing harmful backlinks, you can protect your website’s reputation and maintain a healthy backlink profile.
5. Integration with Other SEO Tools: SEMrush offers a suite of additional SEO tools that seamlessly integrate with its backlink checker. These tools include keyword research, site auditing, position tracking, and content analysis. This integration allows you to have a holistic view of your website’s SEO performance and make data-driven decisions.

SEMrush offers both free and paid subscription plans, making it suitable for bloggers with varying needs and budgets. Whether you’re a beginner looking for basic backlink insights or an experienced blogger aiming to refine your backlink strategy, SEMrush provides a wealth of features and data to support your SEO efforts.

Tool 3: Moz Open Site Explorer

Moz Open Site Explorer is a reliable backlink checker tool that offers valuable insights for bloggers and website owners. Here’s why Moz Open Site Explorer is worth considering:

1. Comprehensive Backlink Analysis: Moz Open Site Explorer provides a comprehensive analysis of your backlink profile, allowing you to explore the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your website. You can view metrics such as domain authority, page authority, and spam score to assess the credibility and relevance of your backlinks.
2. Link Opportunities: The tool helps you discover new link-building opportunities by identifying websites that are linking to your competitors but not to your own site. This feature enables you to uncover potential sources for valuable backlinks and enhance your link-building strategy.
3. Link Tracking and Monitoring: Moz Open Site Explorer allows you to track the growth of your backlink profile over time. You can monitor the acquisition of new backlinks, identify any lost links, and keep an eye on changes in your backlink metrics. This tracking capability helps you understand the impact of your link-building efforts and make data-driven decisions.
4. Anchor Text Analysis: Understanding the anchor text distribution of your backlinks is crucial for SEO. Moz Open Site Explorer provides insights into the anchor text used in your backlinks, helping you evaluate the relevance and optimization of your link profile.
5. Competitive Analysis: You can analyze the backlink profiles of your competitors using Moz Open Site Explorer. By identifying their top-performing pages and the sources of their backlinks, you can gain valuable insights and refine your own link-building strategy to stay competitive.

Moz Open Site Explorer offers both free and premium plans, allowing bloggers to access essential backlink insights without breaking the bank.

Tool 4: Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a versatile and user-friendly backlink checker tool that provides valuable insights for bloggers and website owners. Here are some key features of Ubersuggest:

1. Backlink Analysis: Ubersuggest offers a comprehensive backlink analysis, allowing you to explore the backlinks pointing to your website. You can view the total number of backlinks, referring domains, and the authority score of those domains. This data helps you evaluate the strength and quality of your backlink profile.
2. Competitor Analysis: With Ubersuggest, you can analyze the backlink profiles of your competitors. By studying their link-building strategies, you can gain insights into their successful tactics and identify potential opportunities for your own backlink acquisition.
3. Backlink Monitoring: Ubersuggest provides backlink monitoring capabilities, allowing you to track the growth of your backlink profile over time. You can receive email notifications when new backlinks are discovered or when existing ones are lost. This monitoring feature helps you stay informed about changes in your backlink profile and take appropriate actions.
4. Anchor Text Analysis: Understanding the anchor text used in your backlinks is crucial for SEO. Ubersuggest allows you to analyze the anchor text distribution in your backlink profile, helping you ensure a balanced and relevant anchor text strategy.
5. User-Friendly Interface: Ubersuggest offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and understand the data. Even for those new to backlink analysis, Ubersuggest provides clear visuals and straightforward metrics that are easy to interpret.

Ubersuggest offers a free plan that provides basic backlink analysis functionality, making it accessible to bloggers on a budget. Additionally, there is a premium plan available that unlocks advanced features for more in-depth backlink analysis. With its simplicity and valuable insights, Ubersuggest is a valuable tool for bloggers looking to understand and improve their backlink profiles.

Tool 5: Google Search Console

Google Search Console is an essential and free tool provided by Google for website owners, including bloggers. While not primarily designed as a backlink checker, it offers valuable insights into your website’s performance in Google search results, including backlink-related information. Here’s how Google Search Console can help with backlink analysis:

1. Backlink Monitoring: Google Search Console provides a list of the top linking sites that point to your website. While the data may not be as extensive as dedicated backlink checker tools, it still offers insights into the backlinks recognized by Google. You can see which sites are linking to your content and gain a general understanding of your backlink profile.
2. Disavow Tool: In case you encounter low-quality or spammy backlinks that could harm your website’s reputation, Google Search Console allows you to submit a disavow file. This file informs Google to disregard those specific backlinks when assessing your website’s ranking. The Disavow tool helps you manage and improve the quality of your backlink profile.
3. Performance Analysis: Google Search Console provides performance data, including the number of clicks, impressions, and average position of your website in Google search results. By analyzing this data alongside your backlink profile, you can gain insights into how backlinks impact your website’s visibility and search engine ranking.
4. Indexing Insights: Google Search Console alerts you to any indexing issues or errors that may affect your website’s visibility in search results. By ensuring that your website is properly indexed, you can maximize the impact of your backlinks and improve your overall SEO performance.

While Google Search Console may not offer as comprehensive backlink analysis as dedicated tools, it is a valuable resource for bloggers due to its direct connection to Google’s search engine.

By utilizing Google Search Console in conjunction with other backlink checker tools, you can gain a more complete understanding of your backlink profile and make informed decisions to optimize your website’s performance.

Tool 6: Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing Webmaster Tools is a free platform provided by Bing, the search engine owned by Microsoft. While primarily focused on optimizing your website for Bing search results, it also offers useful features for backlink analysis and monitoring. Here’s how Bing Webmaster Tools can assist bloggers:

1. Backlink Analysis: Bing Webmaster Tools provides insights into the backlinks that Bing has discovered for your website. You can view the number of external links pointing to your site, the domains that link to you, and the anchor text used in those backlinks. This data helps you understand the backlink landscape and assess the quality of the links.
2. Link Explorer: The Link Explorer feature in Bing Webmaster Tools allows you to explore specific backlinks and analyze their details. You can access information such as the source URL, anchor text, and the page on your website that the link is directed to. This helps you evaluate the relevance and impact of individual backlinks.
3. Disavow Links: Similar to Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools provides a disavow links tool. If you come across low-quality or spammy backlinks, you can submit a disavow file to Bing, asking the search engine to disregard those specific links when assessing your website’s ranking.
4. Indexing Insights: Bing Webmaster Tools offers information about how Bing crawls and indexes your website. It notifies you of any crawling issues, such as blocked or inaccessible pages, that might impact the visibility of your website and its backlinks in Bing’s search results.

While Bing Webmaster Tools may not be as widely used as Google Search Console, it is still valuable for bloggers and website owners looking to optimize their presence on Bing. By utilizing Bing Webmaster Tools alongside other backlink checker tools, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of your backlink profile across multiple search engines.

Tool 7: SEO SpyGlass

SEO SpyGlass is a comprehensive backlink analysis tool that provides detailed insights into your backlink profile. It offers a range of features to help bloggers and SEO professionals understand and optimize their backlinks. Here’s why SEO SpyGlass is worth considering:

1. Extensive Backlink Data: SEO SpyGlass gathers data from a wide range of sources to provide you with a comprehensive view of your backlink profile. It uncovers both external and internal backlinks, allowing you to analyze the complete link structure of your website.
2. Competitor Analysis: With SEO SpyGlass, you can perform in-depth competitor analysis to uncover backlink strategies. By analyzing your competitors’ backlink profiles, you can identify their top-performing pages, discover their most valuable backlinks, and find opportunities to enhance your own link-building efforts.
3. Backlink Quality Assessment: SEO SpyGlass evaluates the quality of your backlinks by analyzing various metrics, such as domain authority, PageRank, Alexa rank, and social media metrics. This helps you determine the authority and trustworthiness of the sites linking to your content.
4. Anchor Text Analysis: Understanding the anchor text distribution in your backlinks is crucial for SEO. SEO SpyGlass provides detailed insights into the anchor text used in your backlinks, allowing you to optimize your anchor text strategy and ensure it aligns with your target keywords and content.
5. Backlink Monitoring and Reporting: SEO SpyGlass offers monitoring capabilities to track changes in your backlink profile over time. It can automatically update your backlink data and provide reports on new backlinks, lost backlinks, and changes in backlink metrics. This helps you stay informed and take proactive measures to maintain a healthy backlink profile.

SEO SpyGlass is available as part of SEO PowerSuite, which offers a range of SEO tools. It is a premium tool with different pricing options based on the features and usage you require. With its comprehensive backlink analysis features, SEO SpyGlass is a valuable tool for bloggers looking to optimize their backlink strategy and improve their website’s search engine visibility.

Conclusion

In conclusion, backlink checker tools are invaluable for bloggers looking to improve their website’s visibility and SEO performance. Consider these final tips:

1. Choose the Right Tools: Select backlink checker tools that align with your specific needs, budget, and level of expertise. Each tool offers unique features and pricing plans, so evaluate which ones best suit your requirements.
2. Analyze Competitors: Take advantage of competitor analysis features offered by these tools. By understanding your competitors’ backlink strategies, you can uncover opportunities and refine your own link-building approach.
3. Monitor and Maintain: Regularly monitor your backlink profile to stay updated on new backlinks, identify any lost links, and ensure the health of your backlink profile. Use the insights provided by these tools to take proactive actions and maintain a strong link portfolio.
4. Quality over Quantity: Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant sources. It’s better to have a few authoritative backlinks than numerous low-quality ones.
5. Optimize Anchor Text: Pay attention to the anchor text distribution in your backlinks. Ensure it aligns with your target keywords and content, providing relevancy and improving your SEO efforts.

By incorporating these final tips and utilizing the power of backlink checker tools, you can enhance your backlink strategy, improve search engine rankings, and drive more organic traffic to your blog.