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Google backlink check - I'm lost

by peejaydee
7 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I'm not sure whether I'm completely misunderstanding how to check the backlinks in Google or not, but I'm definitely confused.
When I search with:

link:mydomain.com

...to see the number of backlinks that Google thinks I have, I get only 1 result and that's from another site of mine. If I lose the 'link:' element of the search, I get ~11,500 results. Now I know I've got links in various places, albeit far fewer than I'd like (and I think the 11.5k result is more than a bit generous), but every time I do a 3rd party backlink check I also get a zero result in the Google backlink check - yet my SE traffic predominantly comes from Google.

What is going on here? Anyone else noticed this?
#backlink #google #link #seo #traffic
  • Profile picture of the author RichardF
    Yeah you're not going to get a good backlink list from Google, unless you add your site to Webmaster Tools and check it there. The link: command is basically useless.
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    • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
      Originally Posted by RichardF View Post

      Yeah you're not going to get a good backlink list from Google, unless you add your site to Webmaster Tools and check it there. The link: command is basically useless.
      That makes a lot of sense. My Webmaster account shows several hundred links, which is much more like I'd expect to see from the link: search term if it wasn't useless. Glad to hear I'm not alone in considering it useless.
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  • Profile picture of the author asciscopecunia
    So far, that has never showed the accurate amount of backlinks for me.

    Try using Yahoo Site Explorer and Backlink Watch - pretty consistent in their figures
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  • Profile picture of the author cuttingedgeoffers
    I know there's an option on Market Samurai that checks backlinks... I forget where they get their data from but it's reliable. Although to me Market Samurai is a little slow...

    Asciscopecunia hit on both of the other options I would recommend: Yahoo Site Explorer and Backlink Watch.

    But make sure you pick one and stick with it in order to get a consistent reading, because they will both give you different results.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
    Google doesn't share all of the backlink data they have on any site.
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    • Profile picture of the author harchenko
      Originally Posted by Mick Meaney View Post

      Google doesn't share all of the backlink data they have on any site.
      Yes, it's true. I think, it's made for protect of black SEO mathods. So you can use alternative servises, like Yahoo Site Explorer or MagesticSEO.
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  • Profile picture of the author DannyS
    you are using good method. you should also trying link:www . yoursite . com etc..
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