Referring Domains
Review each unique linking domain with provider metrics, link count, topic and first-seen context.
Backlink and Link Explorer
Analyse referring domains, individual backlinks, anchors, attributes, new and lost links, linked pages and competitor Link Intersect opportunities with visible source context.
Planned high-cost metered module. Link index, history, metrics, competitors, refreshes and exports will depend on provider coverage and account entitlements.
Demonstration estimates separating referring domains from individual backlinks.
Eight link-analysis capabilities
Useful link research separates domains, pages, attributes, history, relevance and provider methodology before recommending action.
Review each unique linking domain with provider metrics, link count, topic and first-seen context.
Inspect source page, target URL, anchor, surrounding context, attributes and crawl state.
Follow first-seen, last-seen, lost reasons and broken target or source-page changes.
Analyse branded, topical, URL and unusual anchors with follow, nofollow, sponsored or UGC context.
Find pages attracting links, identify broken linked assets and protect valuable targets.
Find domains or pages linking to relevant competitors but not to the selected target.
Review provider-labelled authority, traffic, topic and placement context without relying on one score.
Save opportunities, recovery tasks and suspicious patterns with evidence and controlled exports.
Link-quality context
Provider scores can support filtering, but relevance and editorial context determine whether a link deserves outreach, recovery or investigation.
How it works
Choose domain, subdomain, path or exact URL and the approved link-data source.
Review domains, links, anchors, attributes, target pages and historical states.
Separate outreach, recovery, monitoring, irrelevant noise and evidence requiring review.
Assign opportunities, monitor important changes and preserve evidence in reports.
Practical use cases
Find relevant publications, directories and resource pages linking to several competitors.
Investigate valuable links lost through redirects, removed pages, changed content or crawl issues.
Understand which guides, tools, reports and data assets naturally attract citations.
Monitor unusual anchors, network patterns and sudden changes without assuming automatic harm.
Source → target → context → history → action
Evidence before outreach or removal
The workspace should separate observed link facts, provider estimates, automated flags and human decisions.
Connected link intelligence
| Link question | Provider-backed Link Explorer | Owner Search Console links |
|---|---|---|
| Which targets can be analysed? | Owned websites, competitors, domains, paths and URLs within provider coverage. | Verified property data for the website owner. |
| What detail is available? | Backlinks, referring domains, attributes, anchors, history and proprietary metrics. | Top linking sites, top linked pages and top linking text reported by Google. |
| Can competitor gaps be found? | Yes, through domain comparison and Link Intersect. | No competitor backlink database. |
| Is the dataset complete? | No. Coverage depends on the commercial crawler and index. | No. Google describes the report as a sample rather than a complete backlink list. |
| Best use | Competitive research, history, prospecting, recovery and provider comparisons. | Owner confirmation and Google-reported linking-site, page and anchor context. |
Clear limitations
Backlinks, history, competitors, refreshes and exports depend on provider and plan limits.
Different providers can discover different pages, links and first-seen dates.
Authority, trust, toxicity and spam scores are provider methodologies, not Google verdicts.
Most websites do not need disavowal, and incorrect use can harm search performance.
Related modules
Link Explorer FAQ
A Link Explorer analyses backlinks and referring domains pointing to a website, section or page. Useful analysis includes source page, target page, anchor text, link attributes, first and last seen dates, new or lost status, topical relevance and provider-labelled authority context.
A backlink is one hyperlink from another page to the target. A referring domain is one unique domain that provides one or more backlinks. Ten links from one domain remain ten backlinks but one referring domain.
The planned module will use approved commercial link-data providers and owner-authorised sources where applicable. Each report should retain the provider, index date, target scope and known coverage limitations.
The product direction supports first-seen, last-seen, new, lost and broken link states where the selected provider offers historical observations.
Link Intersect finds referring domains or pages that link to selected competitors but do not currently link to the target. Results still require relevance, editorial and risk review before outreach.
No. Authority scores are provider-specific estimates. Relevance, source-page quality, editorial context, placement, traffic, link attributes and the surrounding website should also be reviewed.
The planned workflow can flag unusual patterns for review, such as irrelevant anchors, sitewide links, sudden spikes or low-quality networks. A flag is not proof that a link is harmful.
No automatic disavowal should occur. Google describes disavowal as an advanced action that most websites do not need. Any export must require owner review, clear evidence and confirmation.
The product direction supports referring-domain comparison, backlink gaps, linked-page comparison and Link Intersect, subject to provider coverage and account limits.
Metered link intelligence
Create an account, add the website project and record relevant competitors, important pages and link goals for provider-backed analysis when the module becomes available.