Backlinks have always been an important aspect of optimizing websites for search engines. This was, in fact, a crucial role in Google’s ascension to the top of the search heap. Links, particularly the value provided by them from one website to another, have been the single most significant off-page SEO ranking criteria in the years thereafter. This is why it is important to know how to check backlink quality.
The way ultra high quality backlinks influence rankings has also changed over time. Previously, simply having a large number of backlinks pointing to a web page was enough to propel it to the top of SERPs. However, Google’s updates (AKA Penguin algorithm) have shifted the focus from quantity to quality when it comes to backlinks.
Keeping the importance of backlinks in mind, we have created a one-of-a-kind 32-step checklist to follow if you want to know how to check backlink quality and how to get high quality backlinks in 2023.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it:
What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks are one of the most commonly utilized search engine optimization Tactics. Backlinking with well-known and respected websites is vital to Google’s algorithm. They can determine whether a website climbs or drops in Google’s SERPs.
So, what are they?
Backlinks are links that connect one website to another website. In other words, when someone links to your website, you get a backlink. Conversely, when you link to theirs, they get a backlink.
The anchor text can be displayed as a hyperlink, button, or image with descriptive text. The anchor text normally appears in a different color to make it stand out from the surrounding text. Plus, it is clickable. Besides, it is frequently underlined.
A backlink is beneficial to UX since it allows any user to obtain additional desirable information if necessary. By clicking on the link associated with the anchor text, the user can easily follow it.
Let’s take a look at a few examples:
In the image below, you’ll see an image of SE Ranking’s blog. It points directly to Homebrew’s landing page. This means that The Homebrew has a backlink from SE Ranking.
Source: SE Ranking
Let’s look at another example.
The screenshot below shows content from Search Engine Land’s website. Their landing page directly links to an article on the Insider Intelligence website.
Source: Search Engine Land
So, Insider Intelligence has a backlink from Search Engine Land.
Why Are Backlinks So Important?
Before learning how to check backlink quality, it is important to know why they are so critical for SEO and ranking.
Ultra high quality backlinks from other sites are critical votes that tell search engines that your blog or website (and the content on it) is reputable and worthwhile. As a result, the more votes of confidence your website receives, the higher it will rank in Google and other search engines’ SERPs.
Obtaining backlinks is not a novel concept. It has existed since the inception of Google’s core PageRank algorithm. Despite various changes to the algorithm over the years, backlinks continue to be a major ranking signal. So, if you have been thinking of learning how to check backlink quality, now is a good time to start.
Backlinks indicate to Google that other users (businesses and readers) like your content. They trust you for information. Once search engines realize that your website is worth linking to, they start showing it in the SERPs. Therefore, when several websites link to your website, your search visibility and website ranking skyrocket.
What Makes a High-Quality Backlink?
Ultra high quality backlinks are hard to find. However, that does not mean they are entirely unattainable. Here is a comprehensive high quality backlinks checklist for you to ensure all the characteristics that are responsible for ultra high quality backlinks:
Anchor Text Relevance
Anchor text is the text that appears when you click on a hyperlink. It’s often emphasized in blue. When Google crawls a website and finds a link, the anchor text is used to determine how and if the destination URL corresponds to the connecting page.
An ultra high quality backlink will ideally have anchor text that combines the target keyword of the connected website in a natural, non-spammy, and relevant manner. So, if there is an article on interior designing linking to pages selling decoration items, offering floor plan services, and interior designers, those are relevant backlinks.
Source: NY Times
On top of that, relevant anchor texts would be words like mirror, bench, stool, living room, or anything similar to it.
Source: NY Times
Anchor text should also be relevant to the information on your page as well as the connected page.
Number of Incoming Links
The quantity of backlinks leading to a website indicates the website’s credibility or authority. The more credibility that a website linking to your content possesses, the more credibility it can pass on to your website.
However: When it comes to ultra high quality backlinks, Google’s algorithm is increasingly turning to prefer quality over all else. While having a large number of inbound backlinks is required for websites that link back to your website, quality always comes first. Creating a large number of low-quality backlinks will hurt your rankings. In the end, quality should always reign supreme rather than quantity.
Natural Placement and Inclusion
Google makes every effort to prevent link builders from meddling with its system. Previously, SEO specialists would place backlinks in the footer of their website to hide external links without compromising the user experience. However, Google soon identified this method and downgraded footer backlinks as a result. Consequently, Google now considers link placement when working on how to check backlink quality.
Google’s crawlers will most likely disregard any forced link placement. If a site linking to you participates in unethical SEO practices and mistakes, your site may get penalized, resulting in a significant drop in your organic profile.
Earned Naturally
Another important factor that comes into play when you want to know how to check backlink quality is whether you obtained your backlink naturally or not.
Natural backlinks are inbound links that are obtained without actively or passively developing them. The most important thing to remember is that you should avoid paying for backlinks.
Buying backlinks is frowned upon by Google. If you are detected paying for backlinks, your site will most likely be penalized, affecting your ranks and causing considerable traffic loss.
All ultra high quality backlinks to your website must be obtained using effective outreach practices or organic placements.
Link Location
Every link on a website distributes a fraction of the link juice on that website, but not all links on a web page contribute the same amount of link juice. The position of a link on a page has a significant impact on its value for SEO purposes.
A basic web page on a website comprises the following sections:
- Right Sidebar
- Left Sidebar
- Body Content
- Header
- Footer
Only the backlinks that present a webpage’s body content are regarded as valuable for SEO and immune from modifications in Google’s algorithms.
Source: Forbes
The placement of a backlink in the body text will also have an impact on how much link juice it passes. Therefore, the higher it appears on your web page, the more significant it is to your web page’s content. Plus, it is more valuable to your readers as well. As a result, such links will carry more weight than those found further down on your website or in the article.
The position of a backlink with respect to other links influences its SEO value.
Linking Page and Domain Relevance and Quality
The overall relevance of a web page is also very significant in determining the quality of a backlink. Ultra high quality backlinks from ultra high quality web pages will pass far more link juice than backlinks from irrelevant and/or low-quality pages. The only condition is that the website needs to be relevant to the content on your page.
The position of that web page within the domain also influences how much link juice flows through the backlinks. Orphan pages (web pages with zero internal links pointing towards them) are less valuable than non-orphan pages (pages with links) since they do not convey any of the domain’s accumulated value.
Unfortunately, determining the quality of a linking domain or page can be subjective. There are numerous tools available such as Majestic SEO, Moz, and Ahrefs. Or you can always learn how to check backlink quality and domain relevance.
How to Check Backlink Quality?
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No Write for Us Websites
The first thing to watch out for when you are just getting started with how to check backlink Quality is whether a website has a ‘write for us’ feature. For ultra high quality backlinks, you need to avoid any ‘write for us’ website because the quality can suffer
Source: A List Apart
When it comes to getting high quality backlinks via guest posts, watch out for spammy websites because they are exceedingly trigger-happy. It implies that you must conduct due diligence to determine whether a website is worth a guest post and, consequently, a backlink. So, any website with a write for us section is a big red flag.
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No Sponsored Posts
Sponsored posts, when trying to build high quality backlinks, are a huge risk. Therefore, when you are evaluating the quality of a backlink, make sure that it does not come from a sponsored post.
A sponsored post will not only alienate you from your readers but also harm your website’s ranking in the search engines. So, is it worth it if you want to make a quick buck? No!
Source: Blog Tyrant
Plus, Google penalized sponsored guest posts between 2012 and 2013, Google penalized famous sponsored posts networks, including MyBlogGuest and PostJoint. So, how do you ensure that you get the best backlink when learning how to check backlink quality? You make sure that there is no sponsored post associated with it.
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No Link Farming Sites
Link farming sites are detrimental to SEO. Ultra high quality backlinks on these websites may be of excellent quality, yet they have little effect on search results. If Google’s ranking system discovers that your site contains sponsored links, they will penalize you, particularly if the backlink is fraudulent.
Make sure that you stay as far away from link farming sites as possible. Search engines, such as Google, penalize websites that utilize link farms because they perceive low-quality links as unnatural and spam. Instead, focus on obtaining relevant, high-quality backlinks from credible domains. Link farming sites are one of the most important metrics when understanding how to check backlink quality?
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No Guest Post Selling Sites
Guest post selling sites will decrease your website’s authority and deprive you of your loyal clients and readers. To prevent page rank manipulation, Google has severely restricted guest blogging in order to ensure that only high-quality articles receive attention. Because of these regulations, any link schemes, such as providing poor content or paying for links, may cause your website’s rank to decrease.
Moreover, backlinks from sites that sell guest posts can lead to poor integration with your conversion funnel. Plus, there are high chances of content syndication, and as an expert, you would not want another site to benefit from your content more than you are.
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No Obvious Link Building Websites
To subtly place backlinks is the art of link building. Anyone can insert a backlink in a guest post and call it a day. However, a high quality backlink is always acquired in the most subtle way possible.
Obvious link building and too many links are the two horsemen of spam. They will make your backlink look unnatural and spammy, which can hurt your rankings.
Source: Zupyak
When getting a grip on how to check backlink quality, you can use different backlink quality checker tools. Plus, natural link building will help your audience navigate your website and result in better link equity distribution.
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No Contributor Accounts
Contributor accounts are people who contribute to the blog regularly. They submit articles under their name and have the authority to add their blog’s URL, biography, photo, the logo of their blog, and all their social media accounts.
Source: Eleventy Documentation
Now, what makes contributor accounts a red flag when you are learning how to check backlink quality? Well, contributors can write their own blogs, but they are unable to publish them. They write and then submit their post for review. The post is reviewed and published by an editor or administrator.
Source: Eleventy Documentation
This leaves a window for the editor to remove your backlink if they deem it unimportant or unnecessary. So, say no to contributor accounts.
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No Author Bios
It’s no secret that getting ultra high quality backlinks and building a link portfolio is difficult. You have to conduct the keyword research yourself. Moreover, you also have to determine your anchor text. While you can add backlinks in bios, it is better to stay natural by linking within the copy of the text.
It is better to avoid adding links in the author bio of websites and blogs. They alert search engines like Google that you are publishing a guest post with the intention of promotion. As reported by the Search Engine Journal, most author bios are promotional, and as a result, Google is beginning to notice that there are guest bloggers and webmasters out there that are playing the system.
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No PBNs Links
A private blog network is a group of websites that have been built particularly to connect to another website and increase its search exposure. The notion is that the feeder sites will transmit back link equity to the principal site, boosting its authority and, thus, ranking power.
However, PBNs are bad news. Make sure that you do not use them for backlinks and avoid any backlinks from PBNs. The most serious risk of utilizing a PBN is being penalized by Google.
If Google discovers that you are utilizing a PBN, your website will be deindexed. To put it another way, your entire SEO enterprise will implode.
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No Unnatural Swings in Traffic or Links
Stay as far away from unnatural swings in traffic as possible. Websites with unnatural spikes in traffic are bad news, especially if you are looking to acquire ultra high quality backlinks from those websites.
Some potential reasons for unnatural traffic trends (be they positive or negative) include content scraping, on-page violation, website hacking, paid links, user-generated spam, and unnatural incoming links. You wouldn’t want to have a backlink from such sites, would you?
So, keep this in mind when you embark on your journey of how to check backlink quality. If you get a backlink from such sites, you will only end up impeding your website’s optimization, credibility, and traffic.
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No Penalization History
One of the most common answers by SEO experts, when asked how to check backlink quality, is to check the penalization history of the website. If you truly want an ultra high quality backlink, you need to make sure that the website providing you with the link has never been penalized.
A website can get penalized for plenty of reasons. These include, but are not limited to:
- Sneaky Redirects
- Sneaky Mobile Redirects
- Cloaked Images
- AMP Content Mismatch
- Hidden Text
- Keyword Stuffing
- Pure Spam
- Spammy Freehost
- Structured Data Issue
- Thin Content With No Added Value
- User-Generated Spam
- Dangerous Content
- Manipulated Media
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Stable or Upward Google Traffic Graph
A stable traffic graph entails that a site does not have any traffic drops. This, in turn, means that the site in question has not done anything wrong to have its traffic dropped drastically.
According to Google Search Central, there are five major reasons why a website’s traffic may drop significantly. These include technical issues, security issues, manual actions, algorithmic changes, and search interest disruption.
So, when you are checking backlink quality, make sure that the website hasn’t made any major blunders and has a stable and/or traffic graph on Google.
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Less Than 2 Spam Score
One of the first things to learn when learning how to check backlink quality is spam score. Originally developed by Moz, spam score is used to determine whether a website is spammy or trustworthy. There is a scale starting from zero and ending at 17, with zero being the most credible and trustworthy site and 17 being the most spammy (and the least trustworthy).
So, when you are checking backlink quality, make sure that you go for sites that have a spam score of less than two. Websites that have a high spam score are normally built with the sole purpose of deceiving search engines and internet users. And the last thing you would want is to be associated with a website that uses black hat SEO strategies like PBNs.
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DA/DR between 30-90+
Domain Authority and Domain Rating are two of the most important SEO metrics that are used to determine whether a site is good enough to build ultra high quality backlinks or not. Sites with a high Domain Rating or Domain Authority normally have a lot of backlinks linking to them. As a result, Google’s algorithm considers those sites to be credible and authoritative.
Therefore, when you are looking for a good quality site for good quality backlinks, make sure that its Domain Authority or Domain Rating is somewhere between 30 in 90. If you can find a website with a Domain Authority of 90+, consider yourself lucky because that is truly a rare feat.
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TF/CF More Than 15
Apart from Domain Authority and Domain Ranking, there are two more metrics that are extremely important to measure the impact of a backlink from a website. These metrics also determine the likelihood of a particular website ranking well in SERPs for a particular keyword.
Trust Flow reflects the quality of the websites that link back to your site. In other words, this metric measures the trustworthiness of a web page. On the other hand, Citation Flow determines the amount of link juice that a particular website has and is able to pass on to other websites through backlinks. So, make sure you keep an eye out for these two metrics when working on how to check backlink quality.
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More Than 300 Indexed Pages on Google
If you’re not aware of indexing, it is the process by which search engines like Google and Bing classify information before a search to make sure that users get super fast responses to their search queries.
Why is it important for you?
Because in order for your website’s content to be included in the search engine result pages of your keyword, your web pages need to be included in the Google index. The same goes for the websites you approach in order to get a backlink. So, make sure that any website that you reach out to you for ultra high quality backlinks has more than 300 indexed pages on Google.
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Article Placed in the Relevant Category
Relevance is of utmost importance when it comes to search engine optimization and ranking well in search engine result pages. The better your page’s content or text aligns with a search query, the greater the probability it will earn a high ranking. The same principle applies to any other website on the Internet.
Here is an example of relevant categories by Globex Outreach:
Source: Globex Outreach
Therefore, when you are scouring websites for backlinks, you need to make sure that their article is in the relevant category. Moreover, the article needs to satisfy the searcher’s intent, breadth of appeal, and relevant keywords.
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Ahrefs/Semrush Traffic 1000+
High organic traffic is key to ranking well on Google. Website traffic is still one of the most influential ranking factors, no matter how many new factors come and go. A website with high traffic signals to Google that it has higher authority and it’s providing value-added content to its users.
When you acquire a backlink from a website with high traffic, you also end up enjoying the benefits of its high reputation by association. So, ensure that you go for websites that have high traffic (1000+) in SEMrush or Ahrefs. The higher the traffic, the more people click through to your website.
As simple as that!
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Words Contents With Relevant Links
The relevancy of anchor text is another metric that helps search engines determine what a web page is about and what the article entails. So, you need to make sure that the website you reach out to provides you with the relevant anchor text for your backlink.
For instance, if your website is about ‘dog foods’ and the website links back to your article with an anchor text that says ‘cat foods,’ it will impede your website’s optimization. Moreover, the anchor text of your backlink gives your readers an insight into what to expect from your website and the content on it.
Therefore, remember that relevance is key!
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Niche Relevant Sites
This backlink check builds on the previous one. Just like the anchor text needs to be relevant, the site you are getting a backlink from also needs to be relevant to your niche.
You cannot have a backlink for your ‘dog foods’ website from a website that writes about ‘computers and mobile phones.’ It will throw your readers off the track and decrease your credibility.
When working on how to check backlink quality, make sure that you get backlinks from niche relevant websites because they help search engines like Google determine whether your site is a credible source of information on a certain topic, service, or product.
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Preferably USA Hosting Country
Another factor that you need to keep an eye out for is USA hosting countries. While USA hosting websites can be a bit more expensive than other country-specific websites, they are a better option, especially when you want to acquire ultra high quality backlinks.
USA hosting websites normally offer faster access, faster speed, faster loading times, and better chances of getting ranked high in search engine result pages. Moreover, if you get a backlink from a website that is being hosted in the US, your website will have more trust and credibility.
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Traffic Origin Mainly from the USA
Prioritize looking for backlink websites that originate from the USA mainly.
Why do we say that?
Source: Ahrefs
Well, website traffic from the USA is important for multiple reasons. The more people from the USA come across your website, the more potential customers you will have. Furthermore, traffic from the USA comes with a number of opportunities for your business or company. Lastly, traffic from the USA can generate qualified leads, share your brand, and help you build meaningful relationships for your brand.
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Trending Up Traffic and Referring Domains
Trending up traffic and referring domains represent how well your website ranks on search engines like Google and Bing. These factors can help you increase your site’s credibility in the eyes of the readers and the search engines.
When looking for ultra high quality backlinks, try to approach websites with high quality referring domains. As a result, when such websites will link to your website, search engines will view your web page as relevant and authoritative in your industry or niche. Moreover, you will be able to build a diverse and ultra high quality backlink profile.
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Last Updated in 30 Days
In order to maintain your ranking in SERPs and keep up with your competitors, you need to make sure that your website is updated continuously. The same principle is applicable to the websites you get backlinks from. In other words, you don’t want high quality backlinks from websites that haven’t been updated in the last ten years or so.
Updating a website with the most up-to-date information is one of the most important ways to stay relevant to a particular search query. The majority of web pages make it clear to their readers when their page was last updated. Therefore, we strongly suggest only approaching websites whose content has been updated in the last 30 days.
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User-Friendly Websites
Did you know that if a website or web page doesn’t load quickly, users become uninterested and leave it?
Therefore, you need to look for websites that are user-friendly. In other words, websites need to make it easy for their users to look for information and articles on any topic or service.
Now, if you have a backlink from a website that is user-friendly, people will spend more time interacting with it, and eventually, they will stumble upon your website. So, see to it that not only is your website user-friendly, but the website that you are getting a backlink from is user-friendly as well.
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Websites with SSL Certificates
If you don’t know what an SSL certificate is, let us explain it to you. An SSL certificate makes sure that user information on any website is safe from hackers. Plus, companies and brands need SSL certificates in order to secure online transactions apart from the users’ information.
You need to make sure that your readers are safe from criminals who are capable of modifying information transferred between two different systems. How can you do that? By acquiring ultra high quality backlinks from websites that have an SSL certificate.
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Penalty-Free Websites
There are many reasons why a website can get penalized by Google. Google penalties can be categorized into four common types. These include algorithmic penalty, partial manual penalty, manual penalty, and site-wide penalty.
Moreover, the reasons why Google can’t penalize a website include duplicate content, internal 404s, over-optimized use of H1 tags, keyword stuffing, slow page speed, missing site maps, reciprocal links, excessive affiliate links, and non-responsive websites.
What you need to do is avoid any website that has been penalized before for one of the above-mentioned reasons, and you will be good to go.
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Websites With Healthy Link Profiles
A website’s link profile comprises all the backlinks that are directed toward that website. You need to make sure that the website you are getting a backlink from has a healthy backlink profile. Websites with healthy link profiles are most likely to be recognized by Google as non-spammy, authoritative, natural, and trustworthy.
How can you identify healthy link profiles when you are learning how to check backlink quality? You need to look for the depth, freshness, relevance, and naturalness of the website. These four metrics will tell you everything you need to know about the website.
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Properly Audited Relevant Websites
Not only does a website need to be relevant to your niche or industry, but it also needs to be properly audited. You need to keep in mind that anything shady with the website linking back to your website is going to affect your website in the long run.
So, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
You must see to it that a website is properly audited. This will help you determine whether or not it is optimized to help you achieve your traffic goals. In addition to that, it will also help you determine whether you need to stick to that website or you need to look for other websites to improve your link profile.
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Categorically Relevant Websites
A categorically relevant website is just as important as other checks you need to go through when you are teaching yourself how to check backlink quality.
A website that is properly categorized according to a niche helps potential readers understand how to make sense of the website. If they find it relevant to their search query, they will stay on it, and they will also click on the links it has.
In other words, if a website linking back to your website is not categorically relevant, people will not click through to your website. Consequently, you will not be able to achieve the goals you were hoping to. So, keep a special eye out for the categorical relevance of a website.
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Properly Formatted Content
Formatting is of utmost importance in content writing. Properly formatted content arouses a greater sense of interest in readers. Some factors that make a piece of content better include images, proper paragraphs, H1s, H2s, H3s, and FAQ tags.
If the content on a website is organized into separate sections, ideas, or subjects, people will find it easier to read and they will potentially click through to your website when they see a link. On top of that, a properly formatted website offers a consistency that readers love.
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Websites With Strong Social Presence
Did you know that link sharing across social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, or LinkedIn increases brand exposure and also influences Search Engine Optimization?
In other words, social media can help increase your website’s organic search rankings and search visibility through social signals and social metrics. When looking for a website to get ultra high quality backlinks from, make sure that you check out its social media metrics like comments, likes, and shares. These metrics will consequently help build brand awareness, customer loyalty, and trust.
All of these factors will work in your favor in the long run!
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Lowest Publishing Fees Guaranteed
Lastly, in order to get high quality backlinks, you do not need to break the bank. No one wants to create a hole in their pocket just to get the best backlinks on the Internet.
Therefore, while you need to ensure all the above-mentioned 31 metrics when you are getting accustomed to the process of how to check backlink quality, you also need to consider the fees. Look for websites that offer the lowest publishing fees while offering the best quality backlinks.
It’s a win-win situation if you ask us!
You will get high quality backlinks and the lowest publishing fees at the same time if you hit the nail in the right spot.
Backlink Quality Checker Tools
If you do not want to hire an agency or outsource it to someone else, you always learn how to correctly assess backlink quality yourself. Obviously, in order to do so properly, you will need the help of backlink quality checker tools.
We have compiled some of the best paid and free backlink checker SEO tools. Let’s take a look at them one by one:
| Name Of The Tool | Free Version | Pricing | What Else To Know |
| BuzzSumo | Basic version is free | $99/month, $79 annually | They offer a 30-day free trial period too |
| Moz Pro | No, but free tools are available | $99/month ($79/month paid upfront annually) | They offer a 30-day free trial period too. |
| Ahrefs | Free tools are available |
$99/month ($82/month if you pay for the year upfront) |
There is a 7-day trial of Ahrefs’ Site Explorer for just $7 |
| Ubersuggest | No | $29/month or $290/year | 30-day “no questions asked” money-back guarantee |
| LinkMiner | Free extension available | $26.91/month | Free 10-day trial available. |
| AIOSEO (All in One SEO) | No | $49.50 per year. Internal Link Assistant feature is available in the Pro version ($199.50 per year) | Every premium package comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Semrush | Free tools available | $119.95/month to $449.95 per month | You can get an exclusive 7-day free trial |
Building Ultra High Quality Backlinks
After you have learned how to check backlink quality, you can build how to check backlink quality by deploying two major methods:
Pitching a guest blog is an excellent approach to getting an ultra high quality backlink from a high-quality domain. Plus, it will also help you gain exposure. Guest blogging gives you the authority to choose your content as well as the anchor text associated with your backlink. Just be mindful of not overdoing it with guest posting since this might result in a spammy and unnatural-looking link profile.
Or you can include a link in articles already posted. Send an email to the blogger or the owner of the website. Tell them about your content. Add a bit of context.
Plus, provide them with important background information and how it will benefit their readers in some way.
Regardless of the approach you use, gaining ultra quality high backlinks necessitates the creation of high-quality, relevant, and helpful content for others to link to.
What Backlinks Should I Avoid When Making My High Quality Backlinks Checklist?
Years ago, you could purchase bulk backlinks from vendors – websites that existed simply to link to other websites. Those days are long gone; today, Google strictly policies link-buying. As a matter of fact, buying backlinks is a definite way to incur a Google penalty or be removed from the index entirely. If you want to build backlinks in 2023, you must do so in a professional manner.
Also, be wary of irrelevant backlinking. For example, if an article about sneaker trends links back to your article on Chat GPT for link building, that link will not help you. It might even harm you and your website if it occurs frequently.
Other bad backlink sources to avoid are dofollow links in unrelated comment sections and links from spammy sites (or PBNs even) with inconsistent substance. Avoid using automated link building software and programs, as they frequently use questionable sites, and be cautious about links in sidebars or footers.
How Many High Quality Backlinks Do I Need?
To be competitive for SEO and rank at the top, a website needs to have 40 to 50 backlinks pointing to its homepage and 0 to 100 backlinks pointing to every web page. The PageRank scores of such backlinks matter a lot because the higher their value, the fewer links you require to increase total ranks.
Your object for long-term keyword competitiveness and improved ranks should be to obtain as many backlinks as possible. When it comes to creating ultra high quality backlinks, quality always trumps quantity.
As a result, obtaining a single strong ultra high quality backlink is preferable to obtaining ten low quality backlinks.
Should I Buy Quality Backlinks?
Buying backlinks can make or break your business and SEO efforts, so be certain you follow the regulations. Avoid spamming outbound links and overly optimized anchor texts. Lastly, see to it that your links are contextual, relevant, and meaningful.
Also, you must know how to check backlink quality of the links you are considering against your basic requirements – Do follow links, no no-follow links (because they do not pass link juice), and high DA.
In addition, do quality checks on your backlinks and ask relevant questions before purchasing them. Basically, do your homework.
What Is Google’s Stance on Link Buying?
Google expressly prohibits the exchange of money for building backlinks.
This monetary exchange can occur in a variety of ways, and Google does not guarantee that all link schemes will have a negative influence on a website’s rankings in the SERPs. Rather, it claims that these tactics can harm a site’s ranking in the search engine results pages.
The bottom line is that the more direct a monetary exchange for a link is, the less natural it is. The less natural it appears, the more likely Google is to give you a penalty. The reason Google uses the word can rather than will is that some link building tactics do not fall into the same spammy category (even if they involve the exchange of money) as some paid-for link schemes.
And That Is a Wrap, Folks!
As they say, go big or go home!
For a comprehensive ultra high quality backlink analysis, it is important to follow a proper high quality backlinks checklist. So, how to check backlink quality? You start with identifying linking domains using backlinks data sources. Then you check the domain authority, verify every page where you are getting backlinks from, optimize your anchor texts, follow the social share traces, and make your backlinks look natural.
While it is easier said than done, it is a good place to start. Also, make sure to maintain a bigger proportion of nofollow backlinks links than dofollow backlinks links because that is what a natural ultra high quality backlinks profile looks like.
We hope that our checklist helped you understand how to check backlink quality thoroughly. Just keep in mind that you do not resort to shortcuts or shady schemes. Doing so will only do you more harm than good. Therefore, when you sit down to teach yourself how to correctly assess backlink quality, make sure that your link building strategy is centered around white hat techniques only.
Best of luck!
