Link building can feel like a game where everyone’s rushing to collect as many backlinks as possible. But it’s easy to get caught up and forget that not all links actually help your SEO.
You put in the work, reach out to websites, get some backlinks, and still, your rankings don’t move.
Two words: metrics matter. When you track the proper metrics, you understand what works, what doesn’t, and where you need to focus your improvement efforts.
In this article, you will learn:
- Essential metrics to evaluate link quality and authority.
- How to track link building success over time.
- Tools and techniques to analyze and improve link building efforts.
Why link building metrics matter
If you’re spending time on link building, you want results. That’s a given. But results aren’t a given, especially if you’re not tracking your progress.
You might have dozens of backlinks, but if they’re coming from low-quality sites or irrelevant sources, they won’t help your rankings much. You’ve probably spent hours crafting perfect pitches and scoring backlinks.
Maybe it looks something like the screenshot below. You see noticeable growth in your backlinks. But now what? Why isn’t anything changing?
Perhaps this is why link building is the hardest part of SEO, says nearly 54% of digital marketers. (Source: Geal Breton of Authority Hacker)
This is why you need link building metrics. They give you clarity. When you know what you’re measuring, you can adjust your strategy based on accurate data.
You can uncover reasons why you’re not getting the rankings you desire, such as:
- Low-quality backlinks: Are you getting links from low-authority sites? They can harm your rankings instead of helping them.
- Irrelevant backlinks: Links from sites that aren’t related to your industry or niche don’t carry much weight.
- Overemphasis on quantity: Chasing hundreds of backlinks without focusing on quality doesn’t help. A handful of strong, authoritative links is far more valuable than many low-value ones.
- Lack of diverse backlink sources: Relying on the same sites or sources for backlinks creates a narrow backlink profile. Diverse, natural backlinks from a variety of sources are more effective. It’s why websites with more unique root domains outrank websites with less unique root domains on average. (Source: Backlinko)
- No follow vs. do follow links: Getting mostly “no-follow” links won’t improve your rankings because they don’t pass on authority. It’s the “do-follow” links that actually boost your SEO.
- Backlinks from low-quality content: If the content surrounding your link is thin, low-quality, or irrelevant, the link loses its value.
- Anchor text issues: If your backlinks use generic or overly optimized anchor text, they could raise red flags for search engines or hurt your rankings.
- Link profile imbalance: Does the majority of your backlinks come from one type of source, like directories or guest posts? This can create an unnatural link profile. A healthy mix of link types is essential for SEO
- High link velocity: A sudden spike of backlinks in a short time can look unnatural to search engines. To avoid penalties, it’s better to build links gradually over time.
Key metrics to evaluate link quality
When you’re evaluating link quality, it’s easy to get distracted by numbers that don’t actually matter. Raw link count, for example, doesn’t mean a thing if the links aren’t coming from high-quality, relevant sites.
For example, the below screenshot provides a great snapshot of a site’s backlink profile. However, having more specific data is even better for helping the site owner understand what part of the backlink profile exceeds expectations or needs improvement.
The focus should be on metrics that give a sense of the value of those backlinks, such as:
- Domain Authority (DA) & Domain Rating (DR): Both Domain Authority and Domain Rating measure the overall strength of a website. However, they come from different tools. Moz developed DA, while Ahrefs created DR. They indicate how well a site is likely to perform in search engine rankings. The higher these scores, the stronger your site’s backlink profile.
- Page Authority (PA): DA or DR assesses the entire domain. PA, on the other hand, measures the strength of an individual page. This is key when evaluating backlinks. Why? Because a high-PA page on a strong website is more likely to pass value to your site. A strong DA but low PA on a particular page doesn’t necessarily guarantee the same SEO benefit.
- Trust Flow & Citation Flow: Trust Flow focuses on the quality of the sites linking to a page. Citation Flow looks at the volume of links. Trust Flow is often more important because it tells you whether the links come from trustworthy, high-authority sources. A site with a high Citation Flow but a low Trust Flow could be a red flag. This could indicate that you have many links that aren’t highly credible.
- Relevance: A link from a highly authoritative source doesn’t mean much if it’s not relevant to your industry or topic. Links from sites closely related to your niche carry more weight because they show search engines that the content is relevant to what the users are searching for. Relevance directly impacts how much link equity you gain.
- Anchor Text Distribution: The text you use in a link (anchor text) is crucial. Let’s say you overly optimize your anchor text and use keyword-heavy phrases. You risk a penalty from search engines. It’s better to have a natural, verified distribution of anchor texts. Search engines prefer you to use links that are organic within content.
- Dofollow vs. Nofollow Links: Dofollow links pass on SEO value, while nofollow links don’t directly affect rankings. However, nofollow links can still help you generate traffic and diversify your backlink profile. Keeping a good balance between dofollow and nofollow links helps ensure your link building efforts are natural and not spammy.
Metrics to measure link building success
Once you’ve gained backlinks, measure how well those links contribute to your overall SEO strategy. Here are some SEO metrics to track to evaluate success:
- Total Number of Referring Domains: This metric tracks how many unique domains link to your site. The more unique domains link to you, the more likely search engines will view your site as authoritative. A high number of referring domains is a sign of strong, diverse backlink coverage.
- Link Velocity: This metric refers to the pace at which you’re acquiring backlinks. If you get a sudden spike in links, search engines might see this as unnatural. So, make sure you’re keeping link acquisition at a steady, consistent pace.
- Traffic from Backlinks: This tracks how much traffic you get to your site from backlinks. While links improve rankings, they should also generate real users. If you see referral traffic from a variety of quality backlinks, it means your link building efforts are helping you engage with your target audience.
- Keyword Ranking Improvements: The ultimate goal of link building is to improve your rankings for relevant keywords. Tracking keyword performance before and after acquiring specific links helps you measure the impact of your link building efforts. If you see lots of positive movement in keyword rankings after a link, it’s a sign your link strategy is paying off.
- Conversion Rate from Referral Traffic: Gaining traffic is great. But it’s only useful if it leads to conversions. This metric tracks how many of the visitors coming from backlinks actually take action. For example, maybe a site visitor makes a purchase, subscribes to your newsletter, or fills out a contact form.
This backlink report shows other helpful metrics for link building that show the results of your link building efforts. These metrics include Visibility, Organic Keywords, and Keyword Position Distribution.
Best tools for tracking link metrics
Now, you know what link metrics to measure. But what’s the best way to track them?
Here’s a breakdown of the top tools you can use to get the most accurate and actionable link metrics.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a go-to tool for tracking link quality and growth. It’s one of the most comprehensive backlink analysis tools on the market. It offers a massive database of backlinks to analyze. You can track your backlinks, analyze competitors’ backlink profiles, and get detailed metrics like DR, URL Rating (UR), and more.
If you want to see how your backlinks are evolving over time or find new link building opportunities, Ahrefs is a solid choice.
It’s important to keep in mind that Ahrefs offers limited functionality on the free version. You can see some backlink data but can’t get in-depth insights or features. The paid plan unlocks full access to its backlink database, historical data, and other detailed metrics.
Key features:
- Extensive backlink database
- Competitor backlink analysis
- Anchor text analysis
- DR and UR metrics
- Backlink history
Moz
Moz is another powerhouse, especially when it comes to measuring DA and PA. Moz’s Link Explorer shows you who is linking to your site, the quality of those links, and how your DA is changing.
Moz is great for tracking the overall strength of your backlink profile. It’s also easy to use, which makes it a popular choice for site owners who don’t want to get bogged down in technical details.
Key features:
- Link building recommendations and link opportunity suggestions
- Detailed report of incoming links and anchor text usage
- Regularly updated link index for fresh backlink data
- Spam Score feature
- Link Explorer
Moz offers a free version with limited queries and features. This might be perfect for essential backlink monitoring or small-scale link building efforts. However, to get full access to features, the paid Pro version is necessary.
Majestic
Majestic offers one of the most detailed backlink analyses with its Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics.
Trust Flow helps you assess the quality of the websites linking to you. Citation Flow gives you a snapshot of link volume. Together, they provide a solid understanding of both the quantity and quality of your links.
So, if you want to dive deep into the trustworthiness of your link sources and maintain a more natural, organic link profile, you can’t go wrong with Majestic.
With Majestic’s free version, you get limited access to backlink data and basic metrics like Citation Flow and Trust Flow. But if you want unlimited access to Majestic’s full database, consider investing in the premium version.
Key features:
- Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics
- In-depth backlink analysis with link history tracking
- Detailed competitor link analysis
- Site Explorer tool
SEMrush
SEMrush is well-known for its comprehensive SEO capabilities and user-friendly interface.
Its backlink tracker is no different. It allows you to monitor the quality and quantity of backlinks, assess your competitors’ link strategies, and even discover new backlink opportunities.
With SEMrush’s free version, you get a handful of backlink checks and a limited number of reports per day. The paid version, however, unlocks access to its full backlink audit tools, detailed competitor research, and ongoing backlink growth tracking.
The paid plans are worth the investment if you’re managing multiple projects or need a comprehensive tool that combines backlink analysis with other aspects of SEO.
Key features:
- Comprehensive backlink analysis
- Link building opportunities
- Backlink growth tracking
- Competitor comparison
- Backlink audit
Google Search Console (GSC)
SEOs often overlook Google Search Console when it comes to tracking backlinks. But it’s one of the most reliable tools for monitoring your backlinks directly from Google’s perspective.
With GSC, you can track which sites are linking to you and identify any potential issues with your backlink profile.
Google Search Console is entirely free to use.
Key features:
- Detailed report or referring domains and specific links
- Insights into anchor text distribution and link diversity
- Notifications of new links and link removals
- Access to Google’s backlink data
- Ability to disavow harmful links
Linkody
Linkody is a tool that tracks backlinks, gives you detailed reports on link growth, and lets you monitor the health of your link profile over time.
What makes Linkody stand out is its ability to alert you if a backlink goes dead. That way, you can stay proactive about fixing broken links. It’s a good option for smaller link building efforts where you want to track the effectiveness of individual links and get notifications about changes in real time.
Linkody offers a 30-day free trial. The paid plans start with basic tracking features. If you want to unlock advanced link management tools, high-tier plans are available.
Key features:
- Automated backlink tracking and real-time notifications about link changes
- Integration with Google Analytics
- Detailed link health reports
- Backlink history tracking
- Link management tools
How to improve your link metrics
Unfortunately, building high-quality backlinks isn’t a quick fix or a numbers game. You must focus on earning links from reputable sources that align with your niche and audience.
Follow these tips to earn those links and improve your link metrics overall:
Create Content That Stands Out
A piece of content that answers questions in a way no one else does is always a prime candidate for organic backlinks.
Use Targeted Outreach
Don’t send generic emails asking for a link. Be specific. In your link outreach, tell website owners or bloggers why your content adds value to their audience. If your content helps clarify or expand on a topic their readers care about, you’re more likely to get a positive response.
Avoid Spammy or Toxic Links That Hurt SEO
Not all backlinks are suitable for your SEO. Spammy or toxic links often come from low-quality sites, irrelevant pages, or black-hat SEO practices. These links can hurt your DA and potentially result in penalties from Google.
If you spot links from untrustworthy or irrelevant websites, take action. Also, stay clear of link farms, paid links, and sites with high spam scores. Disavow toxic links through Google Search Console so they don’t impact your site’s ranking.
Use Competitor Analysis to Find Link Building Opportunities
Competitor analysis can help you understand where your competitors are getting their backlinks and find opportunities for your own site. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Mox let you see which sites link to your competitors. Use these platforms to analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles and look for trends.
Are they getting links from specific blogs, publications, or forums? Is there a pattern in the type of content that attracts backlinks? Once you identify these patterns, you can replicate their success. But don’t stop there. Use this information to identify gaps. Maybe your competitors have missed out on a key resource or topic within your industry.
You can create superior content and target the same links but offer more value. You don’t have to copy everything they do, but use their link profile as a blueprint to help guide your own efforts.
Conclusion
Gaining backlinks doesn’t automatically mean better SEO. So, when you see your rankings aren’t improving after earning links, there’s usually a good reason behind it.
Tracking link metrics is a great way to uncover this reason. So, take the time to assess your link building efforts carefully. Invest in the right link building tools, and don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy when something’s not working.
Stick with it, and you’ll likely start to see a difference. If you want help with your link building, give us a call, and we’ll be happy to discuss a customized solution for you!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about link building metrics
Ready for even more info on link building metrics? We’ve got you covered.
1. What are link building metrics?
Link building metrics evaluate the quality and effectiveness of backlinks to a website. These metrics help determine a site’s authority, trustworthiness, and potential search engine ranking.
2. What are the most important link building metrics?
Some of the most widely used link building metrics include:
- Domain Authority (DA) – A score (1-100) by Moz predicting a site’s ranking potential.
- Domain Rating (DR) – Ahrefs’ metric measuring backlink strength.
- Page Authority (PA) – Moz’s score for the ranking potential of a specific page.
- Trust Flow (TF) – Majestic’s metric measuring the quality of links.
- Citation Flow (CF) – Majestic’s metric measuring link quantity.
- Spam Score – Moz’s measurement of potentially harmful links.
3. How do search engines evaluate backlinks?
Search engines assess backlinks based on:
- Relevance – Links from related websites carry more weight.
- Authority – High-authority sites pass more value.
- Anchor Text – Descriptive text in a link impacts rankings.
- Placement – Links in content have more value than sidebar or footer links.
- Dofollow vs. Nofollow – Dofollow links pass ranking value, while nofollow links do not.
4. What’s the difference between DA and DR?
Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR) both measure a website’s backlink strength, but they come from different SEO tools and use different calculations.
Moz developed DA, which predicts how well a site might rank in search engines based on factors like backlink quality, linking root domains, and other ranking signals.
DR, from Ahrefs, focuses specifically on the strength of a site’s backlink profile by evaluating the number and quality of referring domains. While DA takes a broader approach, DR is more backlink-focused. Neither metric directly affects rankings, but both help compare a site’s authority against competitors.
5. How can I improve my website’s link metrics?
To enhance your link metrics:
- Acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources
- Avoid spammy or low-quality backlinks
- Use guest posting on reputable sites
- Publish valuable, shareable content
Need help? Book a consulting call with uSERP. You’ll connect with an SEO expert who can guide you in the right direction and help you design a strategy to build incredible backlinks to your website.
6. Does a high spam score hurt SEO?
A high Spam Score (as measured by Moz) may indicate harmful links, but it doesn’t directly impact rankings. However, removing bad backlinks can protect your site from potential penalties.
7. How do I monitor my backlink profile?
You can track backlinks using tools like:
- Google Search Console
- SEMrush
- Majestic
- Ahrefs
- Moz
8. What is a good domain authority (DA) score?
A good DA score depends on your industry and competitors. Generally:
- 1-30 – Low (new or small sites)
- 31-50 – Moderate
- 51-70 – Strong
- 71-100 – Very high authority
Rather than aiming for a specific number, focus on improving your score relative to competitors.
9. Do all backlinks help improve SEO?
No, only high-quality, relevant backlinks positively impact SEO. Low-quality or spammy links can hurt rankings and may require disavowing through Google Search Console.
10. What is the difference between referring domains and backlinks?
Referring domains and backlinks both relate to a website’s link profile, but they measure different aspects. Referring domains are the unique websites that link to your site, while backlinks are the total number of links pointing to your site, including multiple links from the same domain.
For example, if a single website links to your page five times, it counts as one referring domain but five backlinks. A higher number of referring domains is generally better for SEO than multiple links from the same site, as search engines value diverse and authoritative sources.
