How to Check Backlinks: 5 Backlink Checker Tools Compared for 2026
To check your backlinks for free, open the Links report in Google Search Console for your own site, then compare it with the Backlinks report in Bing Webmaster Tools. To see links to a competitor, or to track new and lost links in more detail, you need a third-party backlink checker such as Semrush, SE Ranking or Mangools LinkMiner. Each one crawls the web with its own index, so expect different totals from each tool and read the trend rather than the exact count.
This guide compares five backlink checkers that hold strong ratings from users, explains what a backlink report should show you, and walks through what to do with the links you find. Tool details were checked on each vendor’s own pages in November 2026; plans and limits change, so confirm them before you buy.
Backlink checkers at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free option | Link metrics it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Your own site, as Google sees it | Free | Top linking sites, top linked pages, top linking text |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | A second free view, plus comparisons | Free | Backlinks to your site, comparison with other sites |
| Semrush | Competitor link research | Free backlink checker; full data in the paid Backlink Analytics | Authority Score, referring domains, anchor text, new and lost links |
| SE Ranking | Link audits on a budget | A few free checks a day; full report in paid plans and the 14-day trial | Domain and page trust, toxicity score, new and lost referring domains, broken backlinks |
| Mangools LinkMiner | Quick checks with a simple interface | Free account | Citation Flow, Trust Flow, all, new and lost links |
Our SEO team plans, fixes and reports on the work in this guide every month for Canadian businesses.
What a backlink checker does
A backlink is a link on another website that points to yours. A backlink checker lists those links and groups them by the site that links (the referring domain), the page they point to, and the words used in the link (the anchor text). Good tools also show when each link was first seen and when it disappeared.
Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools report links their own crawlers found to sites you have added and verified. Third-party checkers run their own crawlers across the web, which is why they can show links to any domain, including a competitor’s. The scores they add, such as Authority Score, Trust Flow or a toxicity score, are each vendor’s own estimates. Google does not use them, so treat them as a way to sort and compare links, never as a measure of how Google ranks you.
The five backlink checkers compared
Google Search Console: the free starting point for your own site
The Links report in Search Console shows which of your pages have the most links from other sites, which sites link to you most, and the text they use in those links. It covers only sites you have verified, so it cannot show a competitor’s links. Because the data comes from Google itself, it is the first place to look when you want to know which links Google has found.
Use it to confirm that your best pages earn links, to spot a sudden spike from one unfamiliar domain, and to export the list for a deeper review in a spreadsheet.
Bing Webmaster Tools: a second free view with comparisons
Bing Webmaster Tools includes a Backlinks report for your verified site and lets you compare your link profile with other sites. It is free, no index holds every link on the web, and a second crawler often surfaces links that the first one missed.
Semrush: the deepest view of a competitor’s links
Semrush offers a free backlink checker on its site, and its paid Backlink Analytics tool is the full version. The report shows Authority Score (Semrush’s own measure of a site’s strength), referring domains, anchor text, the share of followed links, and tags for new and lost links. Exportable reports are part of the paid tool.
It fits marketers who research competitors often and want backlinks next to keyword and traffic data in one account.
SE Ranking: link audits with a toxicity score
SE Ranking’s backlink checker gives a few free checks a day as a snapshot, and the full backlink tool is included in every paid plan and in its 14-day trial. Its reports cover referring domains, domain trust and page trust, a backlink toxicity score, new and lost referring domains, broken backlinks, anchor texts and the pages that attract links.
The toxicity score and broken backlink list make it a practical choice for a yearly link clean-up.
Mangools LinkMiner: simple checks for small teams
LinkMiner is part of the Mangools suite and starts with a free account. It shows link strength metrics such as Citation Flow and Trust Flow, filters for all, new and lost links, an option to show one link per referring domain, and the anchor text highlighted in context. Paid Mangools plans include backlink data at every tier.
It suits owners who want a clean interface and do not need the depth of a full SEO suite.
How to check your backlinks, step by step
- Verify your site in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Both are free, and verification also unlocks indexing and search performance reports.
- Export the top linking sites from each. Combine them in one sheet and remove duplicates by domain.
- Run your domain through one third-party checker. Add any domains it finds that the free tools missed.
- Sort by referring domain, not by link count. One site that links from every page footer can add hundreds of links and still counts as one relationship.
- Mark each domain. Keep, watch, or investigate. Most links fall in the first group.
- Check your top pages. Note which pages earn links and which important pages earn none.
- Repeat monthly or quarterly. The new and lost views matter more than the totals.
How to read a backlink report
Referring domains matter more than total backlinks
Ten links from ten relevant businesses usually say more about your site than a thousand links from one directory. Watch the count of referring domains over time; a steady climb from relevant sites is the healthy pattern.
Anchor text shows how others describe you
Most natural links use your business name, your web address or plain words such as “this guide”. A profile full of exact keyword anchors from unrelated sites is a warning sign, because it often points to paid or automated links.
New and lost links tell you what changed
A lost link from a local news story or a supplier page is worth a polite email to restore it. A burst of new links from sites you have never heard of deserves a closer look.
Vendor scores are estimates
Authority Score, Trust Flow, Citation Flow and toxicity scores help you sort a long list quickly. They are built by each vendor from its own index, so two tools can rate the same link very differently.
Why backlink checkers show different numbers
Each tool runs its own crawler, visits pages on its own schedule and drops links it cannot find again. Some count every link on a page and some count one per domain. Google’s own report also leaves out links it has not crawled or chooses not to show. Pick one tool for tracking, use the free tools as a cross-check, and compare a tool only with itself over time.
What to do about bad backlinks
Almost every site picks up some spammy links, and Google’s systems ignore most of them. Google’s disavow tool is meant for sites with a considerable number of spammy, artificial or low-quality links that have caused a manual action, or are likely to, such as links someone paid for. If Search Console shows no manual action, the better use of your time is earning links from relevant sites.
If you do find paid links or a link scheme tied to your site, remove what you can at the source first, keep a record of the requests, and disavow only what remains. A careless disavow file can throw away links that were helping you.
Where Canadian businesses earn their first good links
For a local business, the first useful links are usually the ones that also send customers: your local chamber of commerce, trade and professional associations, supplier and partner pages, sponsorships of local teams and events, and accurate listings in well-known directories. Our guide to local citations and where to list your business covers the directory side. Links from local news and community sites tend to follow real activity, such as an event, a hire or a project people care about.
If you would rather have specialists handle link research, audits and the wider plan, our SEO services in Toronto cover links alongside content and technical work. For the rest of the toolkit, see our comparison of the best SEO tools in 2026 and our guide to estimating a competitor’s website traffic.
Backlink check checklist
- Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools verified for every version of your domain.
- One third-party checker chosen for tracking, used the same way each time.
- Referring domains logged monthly or quarterly, with notes on what changed.
- Lost links from valuable sites followed up within a few weeks.
- Manual actions checked in Search Console before anyone talks about disavowing.
- Top pages reviewed for links, and important pages with none given a reason to earn them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my backlinks for free?
Verify your site in Google Search Console and open the Links report, which lists your top linking sites, top linked pages and top linking text. Bing Webmaster Tools adds a second free view. Several paid tools also offer a limited free check, such as Semrush's free backlink checker and a few daily checks in SE Ranking.
What is a backlink report, and what should it show?
A backlink report lists the sites that link to you, the pages they link to, the anchor text used and, in most tools, when each link was found or lost. The most useful columns are referring domains, anchor text and the new and lost views, because they show what changed.
Why do different backlink checkers show different numbers?
Each tool runs its own crawler and keeps its own index, visits pages on its own schedule and counts links in its own way. Compare a tool only with itself over time, and use Search Console as a cross-check for what Google has found.
How do I find the backlinks of a competitor's website?
Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools only show links to sites you have verified, so competitor research needs a third-party checker such as Semrush, SE Ranking or Mangools LinkMiner. Look for sites that link to several competitors but not to you; those are often the most realistic targets.
What is the difference between a backlink and a referring domain?
A backlink is one link from one page. A referring domain is the whole website the link comes from. A site that links to you from every page footer can add hundreds of backlinks but counts as one referring domain, which is why referring domains are the better number to track.
Which backlinks should I worry about?
Look closely at links you did not earn: paid links, link networks, large numbers of exact keyword anchors from unrelated sites, and sudden bursts from unfamiliar domains. Most low-quality links are simply ignored, so a few spammy links are rarely a problem on their own.
Should I disavow bad backlinks?
Usually not. Google's disavow tool is meant for sites with a considerable number of spammy, artificial or low-quality links that have caused a manual action or are likely to. Check the Manual actions report in Search Console first, remove problem links at the source where you can, and disavow only what remains.
What do Authority Score, Trust Flow and toxicity scores mean?
They are scores each vendor builds from its own index to help you sort links: Authority Score comes from Semrush, Trust Flow and Citation Flow appear in Mangools LinkMiner, and SE Ranking adds a toxicity score. Google does not use them, so treat them as sorting aids rather than ranking factors.
How often should I check my backlinks?
Monthly is plenty for most small businesses, and quarterly works for a site that changes slowly. Check sooner after a site migration, a press mention or a sudden drop in rankings.
Do backlinks still matter for SEO in 2026?
Yes. Links help search engines discover pages and are one of many signals they use, and links from relevant local sites also send customers. Relevance and quality matter far more than volume. Our SEO services in Toronto treat links as one part of the work alongside content and technical fixes.
How can a Canadian small business earn good backlinks?
Start with links that also bring customers: your chamber of commerce, trade associations, suppliers and partners, local sponsorships and accurate directory listings. Our guide to local citations lists where to start.