DPS.MEDIA has supported hundreds of SMEs in improving backlinks to increase traffic and credibility online. Monitoring backlinks not only helps detect bad links but also expands valuable cooperation opportunities for businesses.
The importance of backlinks in SEO strategy for small and medium businesses
What are backlinks and why are they important?
Backlinks (links from other websites pointing to your website) are one of the top ranking factors in Google's algorithm. According to research from MOZ (2023), over 55% of websites in the top 3 have a stable and high-quality backlink system. For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), backlinks help:
– Increase website credibility on search engines
– Increase traffic from external sources
– Improve indexing speed and evaluation of new content
Advantages and challenges for SMEs
Compared to large enterprises, SMEs often lack budget and personnel for intensive SEO campaigns. However, if used correctly, backlinks can still bring high efficiency without large investments.
Tip: Prioritize backlink building strategies from local sources (local directories) or industry communities (forums, reputable groups).
Types of backlinks to invest in first
Some types of backlinks suitable for the initial stage of SMEs:
– Backlinks from reputable local blogs and newspapers
– Links from industry-related websites
– Guest posts on partner or expert blogs
– Backlinks from social networks (social backlinks) such as LinkedIn, Facebook
Checklist for checking the value and quality of backlinks
- backlinks from reputable domains (DA > 30)
- Not from spam or blacklisted websites
- Link content relevant to the business field
- Natural anchor text ratio, no keyword stuffing
- The page containing the backlink is indexed by Google
Case study: Optimizing backlinks increases traffic by 48%
An SME accounting service business in Hanoi implemented a cross-review campaign on 12 industry blogs. After 3 months, organic traffic increased by 48% and the conversion rate from Google Search improved by 22% (Google Analytics, Q2/2023).
Note: Avoid buying large quantities of backlinks from link farm systems – Google may impose severe penalties (according to Google Search Central, 2022).
Comparison table of popular backlink types
| Type of backlink | Advantages | Risks |
|---|---|---|
| Guest Post | Stable links, content control | Time-consuming to build relationships |
| Forum/community | Easily accessible, low cost | Easily considered spam if abused |
| Social Link | Increase brand recognition | Low SEO impact if not optimized |
Summary takeaway
Backlinks are a crucial foundation helping SMEs increase visibility on search engines. However, you should prioritize quality over quantity and avoid “quick win” tactics. Regularly checking and selecting reliable link sources will bring sustainable results for long-term SEO strategies.
Choosing a free backlink checker tool suitable for actual needs
Defining goals when checking backlinks
Before choosing a tool, you need to clearly define your usage goals to avoid wasting time and resources. For example:
– Track the number of new/total backlinks of the website
– Analyze backlink quality (do-follow vs no-follow, DR/UR)
– Check for bad backlinks affecting SEO
If you only need to quickly look up backlinks from domain A to website B, simple tools like Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker are sufficient.
Popular tools and key features
The comparison table below helps you identify the most suitable tool:
| Tool | Outstanding free features | Specific limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Backlink Checker | Display top 100 backlinks / domains | No anchor text data or chart available |
| Ubersuggest | Analyze total backlinks, anchors, no/do-follow | Limit of 3 queries/day for free accounts |
| Google Search Console | Natural backlinks filtered from Google data | only manage websites you own |
Checklist for choosing a backlink checker tool
Below are 5 practical steps to choose the right tool:
– ✅ Identify main goal (monitor, analyze, remove bad links…)
– ✅ Measure website size (small site < 50 pages can use GSC)
- ✅ Check how often you need to update backlinks (weekly/monthly)
- ✅ Compare free data limits of each tool
- ✅ Prioritize tools with API or integration if you are an agency
Practical example: A logistics start-up only used Google Search Console and Ahrefs Free in the first 3 months. Result: Displayed 450 backlinks, of which up to 18% were from low-quality sources (Ahrefs, 2023). Thanks to early detection, the SEO team manually disavowed and improved quality score after 1 month.
Some challenges when using free tools
Although convenient, free tools still have clear limitations:
– Data is often limited in quantity and depth
– No advanced analysis (e.g.: spammy or toxic backlinks)
– Updates are slower than paid versions (can be delayed 1-2 weeks)
Brief takeaway
Free backlink tools are a good starting point, but you should choose ones that fit your specific needs and combine 2-3 different sources to get the most comprehensive and accurate view.
Step-by-step guide to using popular and simple backlink checker tools
Choose a reputable backlink checker tool
Currently, there are many free tools that help check backlinks quickly. Some popular tools you can start with:
– Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker
– Ubersuggest (SEO by Neil Patel)
– OpenLinkProfiler
– Google Search Console (free & available if the website is verified)
Tips: If the website is less than 6 months old, you should use 2 tools at the same time to compare data.
Step-by-step backlink checking
For example, with the Ubersuggest tool, you can apply as follows:
- Go to https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
- Enter the URL you want to check backlinks for
- Select region (Vietnam, Global depending on SEO goals)
- Switch to the “Backlinks” tab on the left
- View the list of backlinks, referring domains, Authority, and link type
Below is an example of data exported from a new website after 3 months of SEO implementation:
| Landing page | Referring domain | DA | Link type |
|---|---|---|---|
| /dich-vu-seo | exampleblog.net | 47 | Dofollow |
| / | wikianswers.com | 85 | Nofollow |
Checklist for backlink analysis
Below is a list of specific actions:
- ✔️ Prioritize backlinks from domains with DA > 40
- ✔️ Check Dofollow/Nofollow ratio → minimum recommendation is at least 60% Dofollow
- ✔️ Remove links from spammy or penalized sites (use Spam Score from Moz)
- ✔️ Evaluate anchor text – avoid keyword stuffing
Source: Backlinko 2023 report shows that 91% of top 3 Google pages have at least 1 quality backlink (Backlinko, 2023).
Warning: Low-quality backlinks or those showing signs of SEO manipulation can cause your site to be flagged for violating Google's guidelines (Google Search Central, 2022).
takeaway notes
Regularly checking backlinks helps you steer your SEO strategy correctly and detect risks early. Combine tool data with manual analysis for a more comprehensive view of your link profile.
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DPS.MEDIA – Support businesses in controlling high-quality, sustainable backlinks.
📧 Contact: marketing@dps.media | ☎️ 0961545445
Analyze check results to identify quality and bad backlinks
Criteria for identifying quality backlinks
To assess the quality of a link, focus on the following factors:
- Domain authority: Backlink from a site with DR/DA > 50 (as rated by Ahrefs/Moz, for example).
- Relevance: The content and topic of the referring page must be relevant to the website's field.
- Type of link: First dofollow backlink, appears in the main content (editorial backlink).
- Anchor text ratio: Limit anchor text that exactly matches the main keyword.
Signs to recognize bad backlinks
Bad backlinks not only reduce SEO value but also carry the risk of Google penalties. Some common characteristics:
- Links from spam sites: Sites with low-quality content, excessive advertising, or containing malware.
- Unusual anchor text: Excessive density of money keyword anchors.
- Links from unrelated sites: Example: A real estate website has a backlink from a weight loss blog.
- Links from PBN/public link farms: These sites have thousands of outbound links and no organic traffic.
Backlink classification checklist (Action items)
- ✓ Check the DR/DA and Organic Traffic of the referring domain (using ahrefs, ubersuggest)
- ✓ Evaluate the relevance from the topic and anchor text
- ✓ Label as “Good” / “Suspicious” / “Bad” to create a handling list
- ✓ Submit a Disavow file to Google if there are many toxic links
Summary table of common backlink types
| Type of backlink | Quality | Prioritize keeping? |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks from news sites (vnexpress.net, cafebiz.vn…) | High | Yes |
| Forum profile links | Low | No |
| Comment backlinks | Medium/low | Conditional |
| Blog content guest posts (related field) | Average to high | Yes |
| Backlinks from PBN or low-quality sites | Very low | No – need to disavow |
Real-life example from an SME project
A client's (anonymous) interior design website has nearly 700 backlinks, but 37% of them come from unrelated sites with DA <15. Sau khi phân tích và từ chối 182 liên kết,lượng traffic tự nhiên tăng 22% trong 3 tháng (Dữ liệu: Ahrefs,Q1/2023).
Takeaway
A bad backlink is not only “useless” but can also be harmful. Carefully analyze each type of link with a clear checklist to determine timely actions. This is a solid foundation for building a clean and safe backlink profile.
Tips to protect your website from toxic backlinks and how to handle spam when detected
Identifying toxic backlinks is the first step
To effectively protect your website, you need to know which backlinks are harmful. Common signs of toxic backlinks include:
– Coming from unrelated domains or sites with adult/gambling content
– Having irrelevant or over-optimized anchor text
– IPs pointing from countries not compatible with your market
💡 According to the Ahrefs 2023 report, 55% of websites dropped in rankings due to unaddressed link spam.
Free tools to check for bad backlinks
Some free tools that effectively support the process of checking and evaluating backlink quality:
– Google Search Console (GSC): view list of unusual backlinks
– Ahrefs Backlink Checker free: check top 100 backlinks of a domain
– SEMrush (Trial or free version): categorize anchor text, toxic score
– Ubersuggest: shows domain score, international backlinks
Tip: Checking backlinks monthly helps you detect spam links early and avoid Google penalties.
How to properly handle toxic backlinks
If you detect suspicious backlinks, follow these steps:
- Create a list of backlinks to disavow (toxic list)
- Contact the admin of the spam website to request link removal
- Use the Google Disavow Tool to reject those backlinks
A small business in Ho Chi Minh City once lost over 40% of its traffic due to 35 backlinks from foreign spam content sites. After using the Disavow Tool and optimizing internal links, the website recovered its ranking after 3 weeks (Source: Internal case study DPS.MEDIA, 2023).
Checklist to protect your website from spam backlinks
- Plan regular backlink audits (at least once a month)
- Monitor anchor text for diversity and naturalness
- do not buy bulk backlinks from unverified sources
- Use GSC to track unusual redirect links
- Set up alerts in Ahrefs / SEMrush for new links
Risk classification table for bad backlinks
| Type of backlink | Risk level | How to handle |
|---|---|---|
| Irrelevant foreign language websites | High | Disavow |
| Buying links through forums/link farms | Very high | Stop immediately + Disavow |
| Comment spam containing links | Average | Delete/moderate |
takeaway
Maintaining clean and natural backlinks not only optimizes SEO but also preserves your website's reputation. Don't wait until Google issues a warning to take action – proactively audit and prevent issues regularly.
Optimize backlink building strategy based on reports from free tools
Analyze strengths & weaknesses from existing backlinks
Using reports from tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker helps you understand:
– Total number of backlinks and referring domains
– Dofollow/nofollow backlink ratio
– Which pages are most linked to
– Most commonly used anchor texts
An example from an anonymous DPS.MEDIA client: after analyzing with Ahrefs Free Tool, only 32% of backlinks were from sites with DR > 30. As a result, they prioritized building more links from high-quality local news sites.
Optimization actions: 5 specific steps
To take practical action based on the report, you can apply the following checklist:
- ① Identify links from low-quality sources (SPAM Score > 81%)
- ② Remove or disavow unnatural links
- ③ Prioritize building backlinks from sources with related topics
- ④ Increase the proportion of brand anchor text to diversify
- ⑤ Monitor monthly using the same tool to measure changes
Tip: Use Google Search Console to filter by the most linked pages. Usually, a few “hot” blog posts attract most backlinks – reuse similar content formats for other articles.
Compare effectiveness before & after backlink optimization
| Indicators | Before Optimization | After Optimization (after 3 months) |
|---|---|---|
| Referring domains | 41 | 77 |
| Anchor text diversity | 12 types | 24 types |
| Organic traffic | ~580 visits/month | ~1,320 visits/month |
Source: DPS.MEDIA internal data, comparison report May-August 2023.
Warning: Avoid unnatural links
Although some free tools may not detect all toxic backlinks, Google can still identify them.
– Links from cheap PBNs (Private Blog Networks) pose a risk of content penalization
– Placing too many backlinks with commercial anchors can be seen as manipulation
– Submitting an inaccurate Disavow List can negatively affect the entire site
Note: Limit using the same anchor text to link to multiple different URLs – this can easily be flagged as an unnatural pattern (according to Google Spam Policies, 2023).
Brief takeaway
Taking advantage of free tools to monitor backlinks is an important first step in building a sustainable SEO strategy. Act based on real data, don't chase backlink quantity at the expense of quality.
Effective backlink development orientation contributes to improving ranking and brand credibility
Understand quality over quantity
In modern SEO strategies, a few high-quality backlinks from trustworthy sources are more valuable than hundreds of irrelevant backlinks. According to Ahrefs (2023 Report), 91% of websites receive no traffic from Google due to a lack of or poor-quality backlinks.
- Prioritize websites with DA (Domain Authority) ≥ 50
- Choose sources related to your field of activity
- Avoid repeated link exchanges or public PBN networks
Long-term backlink strategy: Focus on SEO & brand value
Not just for SEO, quality backlinks also help increase brand credibility when appearing on news sites and industry forums. Example: A tech startup in Ho Chi Minh City increased referral traffic by 47% after 3 months of guest posting on 5 reputable industry blogs.
Effective backlink building checklist:
- Analyze competitor backlinks using Ahrefs or Ubersuggest
- Contact for guest post publication on related blogs/industries
- Create shareable content (infographics, guides)
- Monitor and remove toxic backlinks
Monthly tool and activity checklist
| Task | Support tools | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Backlink analysis | Ahrefs, OpenLinkProfiler | 2 times/month |
| Post guest posts | Email outreach | 1-2 posts/month |
| Remove toxic backlinks | Google Disavow Tool | Quarterly |
Risk notes and prevention methods
You should not buy cheap backlinks or use automatic backlink creation tools, as you may be penalized by Google (Google Spam Update 2022). Always check periodically to ensure your backlink profile is clean and not artificially manipulated.
Quick takeaway:
Focus on building a sustainable backlink system – fewer but high-quality, relevant, and clearly contextual – to bring long-term SEO effectiveness and enhance brand trust.
A person's perspective in life
Checking backlinks with free tools helps businesses grasp the quality of their links.
From there, it's easy to optimize SEO in a sustainable and effective way.
Try analyzing your backlink list today.
Choose a tool that suits your needs and start reviewing.
You should also learn more about how to build high-quality backlinks.
Or explore SEO ranking strategies tailored for SMEs.
DPS.MEDIA is always ready to accompany you on your digital transformation journey.
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