Keep your SEO strong and healthy with Backlink Monitoring
Backlinks are links from other websites to your site. They are like votes: the more good votes, the higher you rank in search engines. But just as votes can disappear or change in quality, links can also change. That is why backlink monitoring is essential for your SEO.
What is backlink monitoring?
Backlink monitoring means that you constantly keep track of which links point to your website, who places them and what their quality is. You want to know:
- Which new links are added
- Which links have disappeared
- Whether there are spam links
Why is monitoring important?
Imagine that you have many valuable links from reliable sites. Suddenly they disappear, or they no longer lead to your page. Then your position in Google can drop. Or maybe someone on an unreliable site places spam links to your site. This can even negatively affect your ranking.
Examples of situations
1. Lost backlinks
Webshop X had a link from a popular blog. After a redesign, the blog removed the link. As a result, X lost traffic and their ranking dropped on important keywords.
2. Spam links
A forum placed an automatic link to your site in comments. Those links are of low quality and can harm you. By discovering them early, you can disavow them.
Which tools can you use?
- Ahrefs – Known for its extensive backlink index and clear reports.
- SEMrush – Offers a backlink audit and warnings for changes.
- Monitor Backlinks – Specially focused on tracking links and direct advice in case of loss.
- Moz Link Explorer – Provides insight into domain authority and spamscore.
How to perform a check yourself?
- Create an account with your chosen tool.
- Enter your domain and let the tool scan your current links.
- View reports for new, lost and spam links.
- Take action: ask webmasters to put back recovery links or use the disavow file in Google Search Console to disavow harmful links.
Tips for effective backlink monitoring
- Check your backlinks at least once a month.
- Set up email notifications for new and lost links.
- Watch for trends: a sudden surge of new links can also be spam.
- Keep a log of important changes and actions.
Sample action: Restore lost link
Let's say Blog Y previously linked to your product page, but you no longer see the link in your tool. You send a friendly message:
"Hi [Name],
I noticed that your blog post about [Topic] no longer links to my page about [Your Product]. That link provided some extra information for your readers. Could you restore it? Thanks!"
Often, blogs are happy to put the link back if they know it adds value.
Sample action: Disavow spam link
You discover dozens of links from an unknown forum with low authority. In Google Search Console you can upload a disavow file:
# Disavow file forumspamwebsite.nl spamcomments.example.com/page
Google ignores links in this file when determining your ranking.
Conclusion
Backlink monitoring is a simple step that can make a big difference to your SEO. By doing this regularly, you maintain strong links, recover lost links, and protect your site from harmful spam links. With the right tools and a set process, you can keep your backlink profile healthy and improve your position in search engines.
Backlinks are links from other websites to your site. They are like votes: the more good votes, the higher you rank in search engines...
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