If you’ve just stepped into a new SEO role—whether that’s taking on a client or managing your own company’s site—a backlink audit should be one of your first tasks.
The reason is simple: it gives you a clear understanding of what you’re working with before making any changes. Specifically, you want to catch low-quality or spammy backlinks that might hurt your SEO performance, or even expose the site to penalties from search engines.
When it comes to a backlink audit, you are inspecting the site’s “link foundation” to make sure there’s nothing problematic hiding beneath the surface.
This early step helps you avoid inheriting problems caused by questionable SEO practices in the past. More importantly, a backlink audit doesn’t just highlight red flags—it also surfaces opportunities that can shape smarter link-building strategies moving forward.
This guide walks you through a straightforward backlink audit process that takes roughly 30 minutes for most websites.
Step 1: Get a High-Level View of the Backlink Profile
Start by pulling a snapshot of the site’s backlink data. You want to see the total number of backlinks and referring domains, and how these numbers compare to others in your space.
A high backlink count might seem impressive, but it doesn’t mean much in isolation. To get context, look at the same data for competitors. If they’re earning links at a faster pace or from higher-quality domains, that’s worth noting.
Also look at how the site’s link profile has grown over time. A steady increase in referring domains typically suggests healthy, ongoing link acquisition. Flat growth—or sudden spikes followed by drops—may point to stagnation or suspicious activity.
Watch for Negative SEO Patterns
Keep an eye out for sudden surges in backlinks that disappear just as quickly. This can signal a negative SEO attack—where someone intentionally builds spammy links to hurt rankings. Search engines are better than ever at ignoring these, but it’s still smart to flag any unusual activity.
Review Top-Level Domain Distribution
Another useful snapshot is the distribution of backlinks by top-level domain (TLD), especially country-code TLDs like .cn, .ru, or .gq.
A natural backlink profile usually includes a broad mix of common TLDs, like .com, .org, or country-specific ones that match your target market. If a large chunk of links are coming from unexpected regions—or from domains known for spam—it’s worth digging deeper.
That said, context matters. If the site targets users in a specific region, a higher percentage of local TLDs is to be expected.
Evaluate Anchor Text
Check how people are linking to the site—specifically, the anchor text they’re using. Branded anchor text (your business name, domain, or related variations) is usually a sign of organic, natural linking.
If you see a high number of keyword-stuffed or irrelevant anchors—like adult terms, foreign phrases, or exact-match commercial keywords—that could be a sign of manipulative link building.
Make sure to go beyond just the top 10 anchor texts. Scan a wider sample to spot any odd patterns or over-optimization issues.
Step 2: Dig Deeper Into the Data
Once you’ve reviewed the big-picture trends, start zeroing in on specific problems and opportunities that wouldn’t show up at first glance.
Identify Broken or Underperforming Link Targets
Some backlinks might be pointing to pages that no longer exist—resulting in 404 errors. These links are effectively wasted, since they don’t pass any value to your current content. Set up redirects or rebuild key pages where appropriate.
Also look at links pointing to live pages that aren’t pulling in any organic search traffic. These are still technically working, but they aren’t pulling their weight. If the content is thin or outdated, consider updating it and optimizing around search terms with stronger potential.
Spot High- and Low-Quality Referring Domains
Sort your list of referring domains by quality—typically based on their own backlink strength and authority.
Low-authority or obscure sites aren’t necessarily bad, but if they make up a significant portion of your link profile, it’s worth a closer look. Sometimes this happens due to automated link schemes, expired domain networks, or cheap backlink services.
On the flip side, identify the most reputable sites linking to you. These are high-value relationships you may want to nurture or build upon.
Also check for domains that link to your site unusually often. Hundreds or thousands of links from the same domain might suggest sitewide links—like from footers or sidebars. These aren’t always harmful, but they’re worth reviewing for context.
Scan the Full Anchor Text List
Beyond the high-level overview, take a deep dive into the full anchor text list. Use search or filters to find suspicious or overly optimized phrases.
A helpful approach is to focus on highly commercial terms—these are often the result of unnatural link building efforts, especially from legacy campaigns or external agencies.
Even if you find something questionable, don’t rush to disavow. Investigate the context first. Sometimes anchors are weird but harmless.
Check for Unusual IP Patterns (Advanced)
This one’s a bit more technical: look at whether many linking domains share the same IP subnet, often called the “C-class IP.”
A cluster of links from sites on the same IP block may indicate a private blog network (PBN)—a collection of sites owned by one party, used to manipulate rankings. While not always harmful, this can be risky if the network gets flagged or penalized.
Treat this as a red flag to investigate further—not a smoking gun.
Step 3: Review Individual Pages and Their Links
Auditing the full domain can be overwhelming. Instead, focus on individual pages—especially those with a high number of backlinks.
Prioritize Pages That Attract Links
Start with pages that have attracted the most referring domains. These are often cornerstone pieces of content, like in-depth guides or popular blog posts.
Analyze the backlinks pointing to one of these pages. Filter out any that are nofollowed, then review the details—anchor text, link context, and source domain.
Sort by Referral Potential
Rather than focusing only on link metrics, try evaluating backlinks based on potential referral traffic. Links from pages that rank well or get a steady stream of traffic are more likely to drive visitors your way—and can be more valuable than links from obscure, high-authority pages no one sees.
Identify Patterns in Link Types
This is where real insight comes in. Look at the types of content that are linking to your pages.
Are they roundups? Lists of tools or resources? Blog posts covering related topics? Are there common themes in the anchor text or the surrounding content?
Recognizing these patterns can help you reverse-engineer what’s working—and find more opportunities just like them.
If a guide about content strategy gets frequent links from blog writing tutorials, you might find new link opportunities by reaching out to others in that niche. The more you understand what makes a page “link-worthy,” the easier it becomes to repeat that success.
Final Thoughts
Backlink audits don’t need to be overly technical or time-consuming. With a basic understanding of link profiles and a methodical approach, you can uncover meaningful insights in under an hour.
Start by reviewing the big picture—then zoom in to investigate issues and surface opportunities. And once you’ve done that for your own site, consider running the same process for a competitor.
You’ll often learn just as much, if not more, by seeing what’s working for others in your space.
