Link Analysis Checklist
Use this checklist to check and optimize your project's links. Leave a request to get test access to this and other checklists to track progress on SEO projects and organize work in the To Do List tool from Serpstat.
Development
1. An anchor list is compiled
Texts of links are one of the factors affecting ranking. Make a list of anchors that you will use when increasing the number of backlinks. Read more
2. Outreach is conducted. Conduct outreach - collaborate with sites from your niche
The most important indicator of the quality of a backlink is the relevance of the site that posted it. A backlink from a thematically related website is more valuable than a link from an authoritative but thematically unrelated website. That's why it's important to publish guest posts on blogs that are popular in your target business niche. Read more
3. Link building is done
Link building is one of the methods of external link building, which allows getting quality links from thematic sites. Read more
4. The number of backlinks is increased
Backlinks are among important ranking factors. Increase the number of quality backlinks to improve the visibility of your website in search engines. Read more
Analysis
1. Competitors are analyzed
To understand how natural links appear, it's important to examine which pages users are linking to. These can be pages with interesting content, user profile pages, contacts, etc. Next, it is worth thinking about the strategy of getting natural links.
2. Backlinks are analyzed in terms of their traffic
If a backlink brings traffic, consider the site from which it comes as an additional source of traffic. It's worth establishing closer contact with such sites so you don't lose additional visitors. Read more
3. Anchor list is analyzed
Link texts are one of the factors that cause a site to fall under search engine filters. Check the list of link anchors that you use when increasing the number of backlinks. Read more
4. Dynamics of changes in the number of links are analyzed
Abrupt changes in link building dynamics show that black methods of link building are being used. Watch out for changes in the dynamics to protect yourself from being filtered. Read more
5. Donors are checked for server response codes
Check link donors for server response codes to get rid of inaccessible and non-existent pages. They are useless for promotion and won't bring you any traffic. Read more
6. Rented and permanent purchased links analyzed
Buying links is a violation of search engine requirements, which can lead to the imposition of filters. Read more
7. The distribution of links' parameters is analyzed
Monotonous links indicate the use of blackhat methods of link building. Analyze the quality of backlinks of your site and make them more diverse. Read more
8. Analysis of backlinks is performed
Analyze external links to monitor the condition of your link strategy and the quality of links and to limit the possibility of falling under search engine filters. Read more
Cleaning
1. Bad links rejected via Google Disavow Tool
If you cannot remove bad external links, use the link rejection tool to stop them from affecting the site in Google. Read more
2. Dubious outbound external links are closed with the nofollow attribute
Dubious outbound external links are closed using the nofollow attribute To avoid violating search engine requirements for links, add the rel="nofollow" attribute to all dubious outbound links or remove them. Read more
3. Among the referring sites, there are authorities in the subject
A link from an authoritative source gives traffic to the site, has a positive impact on promotion and brand awareness. Read more
4. Links are located on sites in the same or nearby region
For a business based in a certain region, it's more likely that natural external links to it will come from that same locality. Read more
5. Referring sites do not participate in link exchange networks
The presence of such links can be taken by a search engine as a violation, and filters can be imposed on the site. Read more
6. There are no links from sites that advertise gray topics
A search engine can consider the presence of such links as a violation of the requirements and impose filters on the site. Read more
7. The absence of link-dumping pages is checked
Remove pages that are created only for outbound external links. They are useless to your site visitors and can lead to the imposition of filters. Read more
8. External advertisement links and links from partner sites have a nofollow or sponsored attribute
To protect your website from being filtered by search engines, set the rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" attribute for external links. Read more
9. No automatic purchase of links
Link purchase is perceived by search engines as a violation of requirements and leads to the imposition of filters on the site. Read more
10. Referring sites do not use spammy promotion methods
The presence of such links can be considered by search engines as a violation of requirements, and filters can be imposed on the site. Read more
11. Referring sites do not use their own linking networks
A search engine can consider the presence of such links as a violation of the requirements and impose filters on the site. Read more
12. Referring sites have the same or related subject matter
If referring sites are different in subject, this means they use methods that are forbidden by search engine regulations. Read more
13. The use of satellites, PBN is verified
Artificial schemes of manipulation with backlinks indicate the use of methods prohibited by the requirements of search engines to promote the site. Read more
14. Referring sites are not infected with viruses and are not under filters
A search engine can consider the presence of such links as a violation of the requirements and impose filters on the site. Read more
How to use a checklist in your project?
The Link Analysis Checklist is part of Serpstat's To Do List. Create your to-do lists or use templates from experts to track project progress. Ready to learn more about Serpstat features and get free trial access?
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