How to check backlinks in google search console Step by Step Guide

In today’s digital marketing landscape, understanding your website’s backlink profile is essential for enhancing its search engine visibility and performance. Whether you’re an SEO professional or a website owner looking to gain insights into how others are linking to your site.

Check Backlinks in Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console provide powerful tools for this purpose. This guide will walk you through how to check backlinks in Google search console and Google Analytics, make sense of the data in Google Search Console, and leverage these insights to boost your site’s SEO.

Diving into Google Search Console for Backlink Data

Getting Started

First things first, access your Google Search Console account and ensure you’ve selected the correct domain from the dropdown menu in the top left corner. This step is very important for accurate data analysis.

Navigating to the “Links” Section

Once you’re in, scroll down to the “Links” section. Here, you’ll find a treasure trove of data related to your site’s backlinks, including:

• Top Linked Pages: Discover which pages on your site are attracting the most backlinks.
• Top Linking Sites: Identify which external domains are linking to your site and how often.
• Anchor Text Analysis: Analyze the text used in these backlinks, which can provide insight into how others view your content.

By diving deeper into these sections, particularly the “Top Linking Sites”, you can uncover the specifics of these backlinks, such as the number of linking pages from a domain and the target pages on your site they link to. This level of detail is invaluable for understanding the breadth and depth of your backlink profile.

Exploring Third-Party Tools for Advanced Insights

Although Google Search Console offers a wealth of data, sometimes you might need more advanced analytical capabilities, especially for competitor analysis. Tools like Ahrefs or Semrush come into play here, offering detailed insights into not just your own backlinks but also those of your competitors. However, these are premium tools, so consider your budget and specific needs before diving in.

Utilizing Google Analytics 4 to Track Backlink Performance

Moving over to Google Analytics 4, the focus shifts from analyzing backlink sources to understanding the impact of these backlinks on your site’s traffic.

Pairing Google Search Console with GA4

By pairing the data from Google Search Console with GA4, you can get a comprehensive view of your backlink profile, including which backlinks are driving traffic and contributing to your site’s goals.

Traffic Acquisition in GA4

In GA4, navigate to the “Acquisition” section and then to “Traffic Acquisition” to start analyzing your backlink traffic. Change the dropdown menu to “Source/Medium” to get granular data, and use the search bar to filter for “referral” traffic. This will highlight which backlinks are actively driving users to your site.

Crafting a Custom Referral Traffic Report

One of GA4’s strengths is its customization capabilities. Rather than going through multiple steps each time, you can create a custom referral traffic report:

1. Customize Your Report: Start from the traffic acquisition report and customize it to focus on referral traffic.
2. Set Up Filters: Add filters to show only referral traffic, providing a cleaner view of which sites are linking to you.
3. Adjust Metrics: Configure the report to prioritize metrics that matter to you, like conversions and engagement rates.

This custom report can then be saved and easily accessed in the future, streamlining your analysis process.

Enriching Your Reporting Library

To further enhance your workflow, add your new referral traffic report to your GA4 reporting library. This makes it readily accessible and simplifies routine checks on your backlink traffic.

Integrating Google Search Console and GA4 for Comprehensive Insights

For a well-rounded backlink analysis, combine insights from both Google Search Console and GA4. This approach gives you a full picture of not only who’s linking to you but also the quality and impact of those links on your site’s traffic and conversions.

Conclusion

Efficiently monitoring and analyzing your backlinks is crucial for SEO success. By harnessing the combined powers of Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console, you can gain deep insights into your backlink profile, understand the value of each backlink, and strategize accordingly.

Remember, the goal is not just to accumulate backlinks, but to foster quality connections that drive real value to your site. Adopting these tips and techniques will not only enhance your backlink analysis efforts but also significantly contribute to your website’s overall SEO performance.