How to Analyze Backlink Quality Like a Pro

A backlink is simply a link from one website to another. It tells search engines, “Hey, this site is good.” Backlinks are one of Google’s top-ranking factors because they act like votes of credibility. The more trusted sites that link to you, the better your chances of ranking higher.

In fact, the #1 result on Google has 3.8x more backlinks than those ranked between #2 and #10.

But not all backlinks are equal.   

A single link from a trusted + relevant source can do more than 100 random ones. That’s why 93% of link builders now focus on link quality over quantity.

So, how do you know which links are helping and which are hurting? That is where backlink quality analysis can help. In this blog, we will show you how to analyze backlink quality like a professional, even if you have never done it before. 

What is Backlink Analysis?

Backlink analysis is the process of reviewing all the websites that link to your site and evaluating how those links affect your SEO. This doesn’t just involve counting links. It is about understanding three key things…

• Where the links come from
• How trustworthy they are
• What kind of impact they have on your search rankings

It is a key part of SEO because not every backlink helps your site. Some links help with rankings while others can damage your reputation. 

Backlink analysis helps you track what is working, fix risky links, and improve your long-term SEO. It is something you should do regularly to keep your site healthy.

What Makes a Good Backlink?

A good backlink comes from a trusted, relevant site and is placed naturally within the main content. The anchor text should make sense and vary, not repeat the same keyword. These links help search engines see your site as valuable. So, what makes a good backlink? These five key factors:

1. Authority

The site linking to you should have strong authority. This means it is trusted by both users and search engines. A backlink from Forbes or HubSpot will carry more weight than one from a new or inactive blog. Google trusts authoritative sites, so links from them carry more weight.

2. Relevance

The linking website should be in the same or a related niche as yours. You run a fitness blog. A link from Men’s Health (a health publication) is highly relevant. But a link from a car dealership site? That won’t help your rankings because it is unrelated.

3. Context

Where your link appears is important. The link should appear naturally within meaningful content – not in a random or spammy spot. For example, a backlink inside a helpful blog like “10 Best Tools for Project Managers” pointing to your productivity app is a good link. But if it appears in a list of 50 unrelated tools with no explanation, it loses value.

4. Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in the hyperlink. It should be relevant and varied – not the same keyword every time. For example, if every backlink to your dog food website says “buy dog food online”, it looks unnatural. But if some say “natural dog food” or just your brand name – that feels more organic and Google-friendly.

5. Placement

Backlinks placed in the main content area (editorial links) are stronger than those in footers, sidebars, or comment sections. Here is an example, A link placed inside a product review or article is valuable. But a link dumped at the bottom of a page with 20 others? Google gives it very little weight.

Each piece plays a role –

• Authority brings trust
• Site relevance keeps the link on-topic
• Natural appearance avoids spammy placement
• Contextually fit guarantees the link makes sense in the content
• Anchor text relevance helps search engines understand what your page is about

Miss one, and the link loses value. Get all five right, and you have got a backlink worth keeping.

“High-quality backlinks come from relevant, authoritative sources that drive traffic. It’s not just about metrics like DR or DA. Relevance and intent matter more.”
— User on Reddit

Top Metrics to Evaluate Backlink Quality

To figure out if a backlink is actually worth keeping or chasing – you need to look at the right metrics. Here are the five most important ones you should know.

1. Domain Rating (DR) / Domain Authority (DA)

DA vs DR Explained

When analyzing backlinks, one of the first things people check is the strength of the linking domain. Two popular metrics used for this are Domain Authority (DA) by Moz and Domain Rating (DR) by Ahrefs. These scores are used to estimate how powerful or trustworthy a website is in terms of its link profile.

What Is Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR)?

• Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz. It scores a website on a scale of 1 to 100 based on how likely it is to rank on search engines, using factors like link quality and quantity.
• Domain Rating (DR) is a metric from Ahrefs. It also scores from 1 to 100 but focuses mainly on the strength of a site’s backlink profile – especially how many high-quality links it has.

Both metrics increase as your site earns better backlinks.

Moz vs Ahrefs: What’s the Difference?

• Moz’s DA uses a wider range of factors including linking root domains, total links, and their quality. It is designed to mimic Google’s ranking behavior more closely.
• Ahrefs’ DR is calculated by measuring the strength of a site’s backlinks in comparison to all other sites in their database. It doesn’t consider on-page SEO or content, just links.

In short, DA is broader, while DR is more backlink-focused.

Which One Should You Trust More?

There is no perfect metric. Both are third-party estimates and don’t reflect Google’s real algorithm. But,

• Use DR if you care more about backlink strength.
• Use DA if you want a broader view of site authority.

2. Semrush Authority Score

Semrush Authority Score is a composite metric (out of 100) that evaluates the overall quality of a domain. It combines –

• Link power – Quality and quantity of referring domains
• Website health – Toxicity level, spam signals, backlink cleanliness
• Organic traffic – Based on the number and quality of ranking keywords

Why It Matters

• Gives a balanced view by merging link metrics and search visibility
• Helps in comparing multiple domains quickly during link prospecting

What’s a Good Authority Score?

Note – Semrush itself says there is no “perfect” score, but high-authority sites often fall in the 60+ range, especially in competitive industries.

Use it for – Evaluating site quality based on both link strength and SEO performance in one place.

3. Page Authority (PA)

While DA looks at the whole domain, PA (Moz) looks at the authority of a specific page on that domain.

Example – A link from example.com/blog/seo-tips with PA 45 is more useful than one from example.com/about-us with PA 20.

Use it for – Judging how strong the actual page linking to you is.

4. Trust Flow & Citation Flow

These metrics come from Majestic and offer a different view.

• Trust Flow – Measures how trustworthy a site is based on the quality of links pointing to it.
• Citation Flow – Measures how influential a site is based on the number of links, regardless of quality.

What to watch – A high Citation Flow but low Trust Flow can be a red flag. It may mean spammy links.

Use it for – Spotting risky domains or identifying high-trust links worth pursuing.

5. Spam Score

This comes from Moz and tells you how likely a domain is to be spammy based on common patterns seen in penalized websites.

• 0-4% is safe
• Above 10%? Investigate
• Above 30%? Avoid or disavow

Use it for – Flagging suspicious backlinks that could hurt your SEO.

6. Organic Traffic (of the Linking Page)

Just because a page links to you doesn’t mean it is valuable – unless real people are visiting that page.

Check if the linking page ranks for anything useful.

If it has traffic, your link has more visibility and SEO power.

Use it for – Prioritizing links that send actual value and not just empty metrics.

Do-Follow vs No-Follow Links: What Really Matters?

When analyzing backlinks, one of the first questions people ask is: Is this a do-follow or no-follow link? And yes, the difference matters – especially if you care about rankings.

What Are Do-Follow and No-Follow Links?

At the core, both are hyperlinks. But they send different signals to search engines.

• Do-Follow Links: These allow search engines to pass link equity (also called “link juice”) from one site to another. Google counts these links when ranking your pages.
• No-Follow Links: These contain a small tag (rel=”nofollow”) that informs search engines not to pass link equity. Originally used to fight spam, these links are now common across the web – especially in comments, ads, and user-generated content.

Which Passes Link Equity?

Only do-follow links pass link equity directly. These are the links that can boost your domain authority and search engine rankings. However, no-follow links are not worthless. Google has said they now treat no-follow links as “hints,” meaning they might count in some situations – especially if they come from trusted sources.

The Role of No-Follow Links in a Healthy Backlink Profile

A natural backlink profile has a mix of both. If you only have do-follow links, it looks suspicious – like you are buying links or trying to manipulate SEO.

Example

A no-follow link from Wikipedia, Reddit, or Forbes still drives traffic and builds credibility. It may not pass full SEO value, but it adds trust and diversity.

How to Measure Backlink Quality (Step-by-Step)

If you are building backlinks or auditing your current ones – knowing how to measure backlink quality is the most critical part of the entire process. Here is a practical way to assess each backlink step by step – without needing to be an SEO expert.

Step 1. Check Domain and Topical Relevance to Your Niche

Start with the basics – Is the linking site related to your industry or niche?

• A backlink from a site that covers your topic builds trust with Google.
• Irrelevant backlinks (e.g., a health blog linking to a finance site) may be ignored – or worse, raise red flags.

How to do it

• Visit the page linking to you.
• Read the content around the link.
• Ask yourself: Would my audience find this page useful or relevant?
• If it feels unrelated to your niche, it likely offers little SEO value.

Tool (optional)

Use Ahrefs > Referring Domains and filter by categories to quickly spot off-topic links.

Step 2. Evaluate Authority of the Linking Domain (Check Domain Strength)

Yes, tools like Moz (DA) and Ahrefs (DR) give you a quick idea of domain strength. But don’t stop there.

What to look for

• Does the site rank for real keywords?
• Is it indexed on Google?
• Does it have links from trusted sources (like news outlets or niche authorities)?

A backlink from a DR 40 site with great traffic and content is often more valuable than one from a DR 80 site full of spammy guest posts.

How to do it

• Paste the domain into Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush.
• Check:
  • DR or DA score
  • Number of referring domains
  • Organic keywords (in Ahrefs or SEMrush)
  • Estimated organic traffic

What to avoid

Sites with high DR but no traffic or low keyword rankings – this often means the domain is inflated with spammy links.

Step 3. Review Site Trustworthiness

Some domains look good on the surface – but are filled with paid links, low-effort content, or automated posts. These are risky.

How to do it

• Use Majestic to check Trust Flow vs Citation Flow.
  • Trust Flow under 10 = likely poor quality
  • If Citation Flow is double or more than Trust Flow, it’s risky
• Use Moz Spam Score.
  • Under 4% = safe
  • 5–10% = review manually
  • Over 10% = potentially toxic

Manual check

• Look at the homepage. Does it look spammy or outdated?
• Are there random ads, spun articles, or too many outbound links?

Example – A site linking out to online casinos, dental tools, and travel agencies on the same page? That is a red flag.

Step 4. Analyze Anchor Text Usage

Anchor text is the clickable part of the link. Google uses it to understand what your page is about. But overusing the same exact keywords looks manipulative.

How to do it

• Go to Ahrefs > Backlinks > Anchors
• Review the variety of anchor texts
• Look out for red flags like –
  • Too many exact-match anchors (e.g., “buy blue shoes online”)
  • Anchors that feel forced or stuffed with keywords

Ideal mix

• Brand names (e.g., Nike.com)
• Generic terms (e.g., “click here”)
• Descriptive natural phrases (e.g., “learn about running shoes”)

Tip – If 80% of your backlinks use the same anchor text, you are over-optimizing.

Step 5. Assess Real Traffic Metrics and Page Value

A backlink from a high-traffic page is more useful than one buried in a dead page nobody visits.

How to do it

• Enter the URL of the linking page into Ahrefs or SEMrush
• Check:
  • Organic keywords
  • Organic traffic
  • Referring domains to that specific page

If a page ranks for 0 keywords and gets no visits – its backlink value is very low.

Free alternative

Use Google Search to check if the page is indexed:

Site:example.com/page-url

If nothing shows up, it is not even in Google’s index.

Example – A link in a “Top Marketing Tools in 2025” article with 2K visits/month is far more valuable than a footer link on a forgotten homepage.

Step 6. Judge Link Placement and Visibility

Google gives more weight to links placed where users are likely to click.

Best placements

• In the middle of a relevant paragraph
• Surrounded by supporting context
• Above the fold or early in the article

Poor placements

• In comment sections, footers, author bios, or sidebars
• Lists of “partner sites” with no content context

Identifying and Dealing with Toxic Backlinks

Some backlinks are toxic – and they can silently harm your site’s SEO. If you are wondering why your rankings are dropping despite link-building efforts – toxic backlinks might be the hidden problem.

What Are Toxic Backlinks and How Do They Hurt SEO?

Toxic backlinks are links from low-quality or suspicious websites that Google may view as manipulative, spammy, or part of a black-hat SEO strategy. 

How they hurt

• Make your backlink profile look unnatural
• Break Google’s quality guidelines
• Increase your risk of algorithmic or manual penalties
• Reduce your site’s trustworthiness

Common Signs of a Toxic Backlink

Here is how to spot bad backlinks in your profile –

• Spammy domains – Sites overloaded with ads, popups, or created solely to sell links.
• Link farms – Pages filled with random links and zero real content.
• Irrelevant content – Backlinks from unrelated niches like gambling or adult sites.
• Over-optimized anchor text – Too many exact-match keywords or forced, unnatural phrases.
• Low traffic and no indexing – If the page has no visitors or isn’t on Google, the link holds no value.

Understanding Spam Score in SEO

Spam Score (from Moz) is a useful signal. It measures how similar a site is to domains that have been penalized by Google in the past.

• 0–4% – Safe
• 5–10% – Needs review
• 10%+ – Risky
• 30%+ – Likely toxic

When and How to Disavow Harmful Links

You should only disavow links when –

• You are confident they are toxic
• You have tried reaching out to the site owner (optional but recommended)
• You are seeing ranking drops and suspect a link penalty

How to Disavow a Backlink (Step-by-Step)

1. Collect bad backlinks – Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console.
2. Review and verify – Don’t disavow links just because they look low-quality – make sure they are actually harmful.
3. Create a disavow file – A simple .txt file with all the domains or specific URLs you want to reject. 
4. Submit it to Google – Go to Google Disavow Tool, select your property, and upload the file.

Pro tip – Use this only if you know what you are doing. Disavowing good links by mistake can hurt your SEO more than toxic ones.

Best Backlink Audit Tools

If you want to keep your backlink profile clean and powerful – using the right tools is key. Here is a quick overview of the best backlink audit tools and how they help you spot quality and SEO risks.

1. Ahrefs

• Shows total backlinks, referring domains, DR, anchor text, traffic, and spammy links
• Great for deep link analysis and historical data
• You can filter backlinks by type, language, platform, and more
• Helpful for spotting sudden spikes in bad links

2. SEMrush

• Offers a detailed Backlink Audit Tool with toxic score
• Connects with Google Search Console for real-time data
• Flags potentially harmful links and suggests disavow actions
• Visualizes overall backlink health in one dashboard

3. Moz

• Provides Spam Score for each linking domain
• Good for beginners who want a simple backlink overview
• Tracks DA, PA, and anchor text diversity
• Useful for spotting suspicious domains at a glance

4. Google Search Console (GSC)

• Free and direct from Google
• Shows who links to you and your most linked pages
• Doesn’t give toxicity or authority scores, but good for cross-checking
• Ideal for manual reviews and spotting sudden link changes

5. Majestic

• Focuses on Trust Flow and Citation Flow to assess link quality
• Lets you analyze topical relevance and link neighborhood
• Helpful for spotting unnatural link patterns
• Offers a visual link graph to map link clusters

Why These Tools Are Important

Regular backlink audits help you catch harmful links before they cause damage. Even a monthly check with one or two of these tools can improve your SEO.

Pro Tips for Ongoing Backlink Monitoring

Backlink building is not a one-time job. Links can be added, removed, or turn toxic over time. That is why regular monitoring is key if you want long-term SEO success. Here are three simple but powerful habits to keep your backlink profile in check.

1. Set Up Automated Alerts

Backlink tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush let you set up email alerts when –

• You gain new backlinks
• You lose existing ones
• Toxic or suspicious links appear

Why it helps

You don’t need to log in every day. The tool does the watching for you. If a competitor suddenly links to you – or if someone links from a shady site – you will know immediately.

2. Schedule Monthly Backlink Audits

Once a month, go through your backlink profile to check –

• New backlinks added
• High-risk links (spam score, low Trust Flow, etc.)
• Anchor text patterns
• Lost high-quality links (so you can reclaim them)

Use a spreadsheet or audit tool to track changes and flag risky links.

3. Benchmark Against Competitors

Use tools like Link Publishers, Ahrefs or SEMrush to see –

• Where your competitors are getting links
• What their top linking domains are
• Gaps in your profile you can target

Why this matters – If your competitors are growing fast in authority, you will know why – and where to focus your outreach next.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced SEOs can fall into traps when managing backlinks. These small mistakes can weaken your SEO efforts over time. Here are four common errors – and how to avoid them.

1. Blindly trusting DA or DR – High DA or DR doesn’t guarantee link quality. Some spammy sites inflate these metrics with link exchanges or bulk posting.

2. Ignoring no-follow links completely – No-follow links from trusted sources like Reddit, Wikipedia, or news sites can still bring traffic and trust signals. They help diversify your link profile, which looks natural to Google.

3. Not checking page context or link placement – A link hidden in the footer or dumped in a spammy list brings little to no value. Worse, it can make your backlink profile look artificial.

4. Skipping regular backlink audits – Spammy links can sneak in over time. Lost backlinks can go unnoticed. Without audits, you can’t protect or improve your SEO health.

Final Thoughts 

Backlink quality matters more than numbers. One strong, relevant link is better than 50 weak ones. To build lasting SEO success – focus on links that are trustworthy + contextual + placed on respected sites.

Don’t just chase metrics.

• Does this link make sense here?
• Is it useful for real readers?

Run regular backlink audits with tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, and keep your profile clean. In the end, Google rewards clarity, trust, and relevance – so build links that truly add value.

FAQs

Related Content:

• Link Building Campaign: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
• Top 7 Backlink Checker Tools
• Types of Backlinks for Link Building: The Good, the Bad