Link Audit: The Impact of Backlinks on Visibility

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What Is a Link Audit?

The process of reviewing and categorizing backlinks to a website is known as a link audit. During this process, links are analyzed to determine whether they have a positive or negative impact on the website’s rankings. A link audit is essential for evaluating a website’s link profile and is particularly relevant if a Google Penguin penalty is suspected or has already been applied. In cases of a suspected negative SEO attack, a link audit can help identify harmful links and potentially even uncover the source of the attack.

In off-page optimization, backlinks play a crucial role in the growth and development of a website. Today, there are many different types of backlinks, but not every single one provides real value. To ensure that a website’s backlinks are of high quality and do not cause harm, it is important to conduct regular link audits.

A link audit is a process in which existing backlinks are evaluated based on their quality and relevance. It also helps identify new opportunities for high-quality backlinks. Through a thorough link audit, potentially harmful backlinks can be removed, and valuable new backlink sources can be discovered. This contributes to improving the website’s visibility and rankings in search engine results.

It is important to understand that not all backlinks are equal. A backlink from a high-quality and relevant website can positively influence rankings, while backlinks from low-quality or irrelevant sites can have the opposite effect. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully analyze backlinks and ensure they meet quality standards.

When conducting a link audit, several factors should be considered. These include the domain authority of the linking website, content relevance, the anchor text of the backlink, and the ratio of follow to nofollow links. A balanced mix of different types of backlinks is also important to maintain a natural link profile.

It is equally important to watch out for potentially harmful backlinks. These may come from spam sites, link farms, or other unethical sources and can negatively impact a website’s rankings. Regularly reviewing and removing such harmful backlinks helps minimize the risk of Google penalties.

Another key aspect of a link audit is identifying new opportunities for high-quality backlinks. This can be done by analyzing competitors’ backlink profiles, researching relevant industry directories, or reaching out to influencers and bloggers. Building high-quality backlinks strengthens a website’s authority and credibility.

Overall, conducting regular link audits is essential for a sustainable SEO strategy. By reviewing and optimizing the backlink profile, potential issues can be identified and resolved early. This ensures that a website maintains strong visibility in search engine results over the long term.

Finally, it is important for website owners to stay up to date with the latest developments in off-page optimization and adjust their strategies accordingly. Regularly reviewing and optimizing the backlink profile is key to achieving long-term success and reaching business goals effectively.

By the way: Ralf Seybold is a contributor to “The Art of SEO”, the global standard reference for SEO, and has contributed his specialized expertise and experience—particularly in the area of links and penalties (link penalties)—to the current edition.
 

Link Audit: Disavow Harmful Backlinks with These Tools

Link audit tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs are used to quickly provide a compact overview of the current backlink situation. They are suitable for analyzing backlinks, displaying various anchor texts (names of links), and evaluating the strength and quality of each link.

A particularly valuable feature is competitor monitoring. This allows you to see which backlinks competitors have built in the past and which new ones are being added. As a result, you can easily replicate relevant backlinks from competitors.

In addition, well-known tools also offer backlink tracking. This means you are notified whenever a backlink is removed or newly added, helping you maintain a clear overview.
 

Create a Link Audit Without Tools: Useful or a Waste of Time?

It is entirely possible to review your current backlink profile independently instead of relying on tools to analyze link sources. In doing so, key factors such as the number of website visitors, outgoing and incoming backlinks, and on-page optimization should be taken into account. There are valid reasons to support conducting a manual link audit, as existing tools do not always evaluate all necessary criteria. However, these tools have been continuously improved in recent years, and they can now analyze nearly all important aspects of a website.

It may therefore be advisable to save time and carry out a link audit using a professional tool.

If you want to conduct a link audit manually, this free Excel file will help you: Template for Manual Link Audit

 

How to Identify Harmful Backlinks

The quality and origin of backlinks have a significant impact on a website’s ranking. High-quality backlinks can increase visibility and trust with search engines like Google, while low-quality backlinks can negatively affect rankings and may even lead to the website being removed from the index. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly review backlinks before building them to ensure only high-quality links are used.

Low-quality backlinks often come from websites that attract little to no traffic. This indicates that these sites do not hold relevant positions in Google’s search results. For this reason, it is important to carefully analyze a website’s backlink profile to ensure it does not contain harmful links. Google closely evaluates the link environment of a website, and a backlink from a site with poor-quality links can negatively impact your own site.

A link audit is an effective way to assess backlink quality. It involves analyzing the sources of backlinks to ensure they come from trustworthy and relevant websites. High-quality backlinks strengthen search engine trust and can help improve rankings.

It is also important to ensure that backlinks come from thematically relevant websites. Links from sites that are unrelated in content can harm rankings. Therefore, backlinks should always come from a relevant context and align with the topic of your own website.

Additionally, it is advisable to regularly monitor your website’s backlink profile and remove harmful links when necessary. This helps minimize the risk of search engine penalties and improves long-term visibility.

Overall, it is essential to focus on quality over quantity when building backlinks. High-quality backlinks can sustainably improve a website’s ranking, while low-quality ones increase the risk of penalties. Through careful analysis and ongoing maintenance of the backlink profile, both visibility and trust with search engines can be strengthened over time.

A detailed guide on how to identify harmful backlinks can be found in the professional book “Negative SEO Attacks: Detecting and Eliminating Them” by Ralf Seybold. You can find the Kindle version of the book here.

Harmful Backlinks Identified – What to Do?

If you discover low-quality backlinks in your website’s backlink profile, they can be removed. One way to do this is by using the Disavow Tool, which allows you to request the permanent removal of specific links. However, this tool should be used with caution, as the links are permanently disregarded.

Another tool for removing harmful backlinks is Link Detox. This software, developed by LinkResearchTools GmbH, not only helps eliminate toxic links but also assists in distinguishing between good and bad backlinks.

 

When Should a Link Audit Be Conducted?

A link audit should be conducted in several situations to ensure that a website remains optimized both technically and in terms of SEO. Here are some key moments and reasons for carrying out a link audit:

  • Regular review: A link audit should be conducted at least once a year to ensure all links are up to date and functioning properly.
  • After major website changes: If a website undergoes a redesign, restructuring, or domain change, a link audit is necessary to ensure all internal and external links are correctly updated.
  • SEO issues: If the website suddenly experiences a drop in search engine rankings or organic visibility, a link audit can help identify harmful or unnatural links that may be causing the issue.
  • Content updates: After major content updates or when new content is added, to ensure that all internal links are meaningful and helpful.
  • After search engine penalties: If a website has received a penalty from Google or another search engine, a thorough link audit is required to identify and fix all problematic links.
  • After backlink purchases or link-building campaigns: Following extensive link-building campaigns or purchased backlinks, an audit should be conducted to evaluate the quality and nature of the new links.
  • User feedback: If users frequently report broken links or poor user experiences related to links, an audit is necessary to resolve these issues.
     

A thorough link audit can help improve user experience, identify technical issues, and optimize the website’s SEO performance.

Who Are Backlink Analyses Suitable For?

Backlink analyses are useful for a wide range of individuals and businesses. Here are some groups for whom such analyses are particularly beneficial:

  • Website owners and webmasters: To ensure their website is well-linked in order to achieve better search engine rankings and more organic traffic.
  • SEO experts and agencies: To monitor and improve the link profiles of their clients’ websites and achieve better search engine rankings.
  • Content marketing strategists: To understand which content generates the most backlinks and which strategies are most effective for acquiring links.
  • Competitive analysis teams: To analyze competitors’ backlink profiles and understand which links help them achieve high search engine rankings.
  • E-commerce businesses: To ensure their products and services are well-linked in order to increase traffic and sales.
  • Bloggers and influencers: To increase their visibility and authority in their niche by gaining high-quality backlinks.
  • Digital marketing managers: To optimize the overall digital marketing strategy by monitoring and adjusting the effectiveness of backlink campaigns.
  • PR and outreach teams: To measure the success of their PR campaigns and identify which publications and content generate the most attention and backlinks.
  • Business consultants: To provide clients with well-founded recommendations for improving their online presence and digital marketing.
  • Startups and small businesses: To build a solid foundation for SEO and gain high-quality backlinks early on to support their growth.
     

Backlink analyses provide valuable insights into a website’s online presence and SEO performance and are therefore relevant for anyone who wants to build or maintain a strong and visible online presence.

When should a link audit be conducted to analyze backlinks and remove harmful links using the disavow file?

Not all websites require a link audit. However, there are certain scenarios in which we recommend conducting a link audit to gain a comprehensive overview of all backlinks. If:

  • It is identified during a visibility analysis that there may be issues with the backlink profile
  • There is suspicion of being affected by Google’s Penguin algorithm
  • There is suspicion that you are a victim of a negative SEO attack
  • Links have been bought or artificially built in the past instead of being naturally “earned”
  • There is a possibility that you have been (or are being) exposed to a negative SEO attack
  • You have received a notification from Google
     

Manual Execution of a Link Audit

A manual audit ensures the best possible evaluation of a website for our clients.

 

John Mueller from Google states: “There are unnatural links from good websites, and there are good links from bad websites.” This means that an automated evaluation of links cannot be carried out without limitations.

Johannes Müller, Web Trends Analyst at Google

The biggest issue with automated link audits is that a large portion of unnatural links are overlooked or missed. Often, an entire website (i.e., the whole domain) is classified as poor, causing a genuinely good link from that site to be automatically devalued.

Or—worse still—a website classified as high-quality links to a company site, but the link itself is clearly unnatural. This bad link is overlooked. As a result, even after a link audit and disavow process, no improvement in your website’s visibility occurs in the case of a Google penalty.

In automated link audits, a significant number of unnatural links are often missed. Alternatively, the system may recommend disavowing links that are actually valuable.

Therefore: link audits should be conducted manually.
 

Backlink Analysis

Backlink analysis involves examining the links from external websites that point to your own website.

Through backlink analysis, website owners gain valuable insights into the quality and relevance of their backlinks. It’s not just about how many backlinks point to your site, but also about the quality of the linking websites. Not all backlinks are equal—one backlink from a high-quality, relevant website can be far more valuable than several from low-quality sites.

An important aspect of backlink analysis is evaluating anchor texts—the clickable text used in links. The anchor text should be relevant to the content of the linked page so that search engines recognize it as a high-quality backlink. Additionally, backlinks should be acquired naturally, not through manipulative practices such as buying or exchanging links. Search engines like Google can detect such manipulations and may penalize the affected website.

Another key factor is analyzing link sources. Backlinks should come from relevant and trustworthy websites. Links from spam sites or low-reputation domains can harm rather than help your website. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly review backlink sources and remove harmful links when necessary.

Backlink analysis can also help identify potential partners. By analyzing which websites already link to your site, you can find potential collaborators who have shown interest in your content. Strategic partnerships with such sources can lead to more high-quality backlinks and improved search rankings.

In addition to external backlinks, it is important to review your internal linking structure. A well-structured internal linking strategy helps search engines crawl and index your site more effectively. It also encourages users to stay longer and explore more pages, which can positively impact rankings.

Backlink analysis should be conducted regularly to ensure link quality remains high and to prevent penalties from harmful backlinks. It’s not only about reviewing existing links but also identifying new opportunities for high-quality link building. Continuous and natural link growth is essential for strong search engine rankings.

In summary, backlink analysis is a crucial part of search engine optimization. It provides valuable insights into the quality and relevance of backlinks and enables targeted improvements. Regular and thorough backlink analysis is essential for long-term success in search engine rankings.

 

How Does a Link Audit Work?

Identify Harmful Backlinks

If no manual actions are reported in Google Search Console, the first step is to collect all backlinks—meaning all backlinks. It is not sufficient to rely on a single backlink checker, as tools like Ahrefs and others may not provide the full set of backlink sources. Relying on just one source is therefore not enough.

Negative SEO

Unfortunately, competitors or other entities may create harmful links using manipulative anchor texts. This is especially common in highly competitive markets. A link audit allows you to analyze your backlink profile (as well as those of competitors) to quickly detect and contain negative SEO. In some cases, it is even possible to identify the source of such attacks.

Remove Harmful Backlinks

Once harmful backlinks have been identified, they need to be reviewed. During this process, a disavow list is created. In the next step, these links are declared invalid so that they no longer influence your rankings. The backlink profile is cleaned, allowing Google to evaluate a healthier link profile.

Disavow Links

To invalidate harmful links, you need to create a so-called disavow file. This file is uploaded via Google Search Console and tells Google which links should be ignored. However, mistakes in the disavow file can have serious consequences. For example, if the linking site switches from HTTP to HTTPS, it may be treated as a new link and no longer be disavowed—potentially harming your backlink profile again. Proper implementation is therefore critical.

Disavowing harmful links also signals to Google that your company is serious about maintaining a clean and trustworthy backlink profile.

For this reason, it is essential to set up link alerts and regularly monitor backlinks as part of link risk management to detect harmful links early.

Is Backlink Analysis, Link Audits, and Disavow Only for Large Companies?

No. Small and local businesses can also be severely affected by harmful backlinks. An audit helps small and medium-sized companies identify bad links within their backlink profile. Especially when Google penalties have already been imposed, a link audit combined with a disavow process enables a fast response and can quickly resolve the penalty (since Google Penguin 4.0).

The importance of backlinks for rankings was once again highlighted by the 2024 ranking study by Marcus Tober (Semrush). A video summary of the study can be found here: Ranking Factors 2024 – Study by Semrush. This makes it clear that analyzing backlinks is essential. However, the necessary expertise is required.

It is always important to be able to assess the risks associated with backlinks.

 

Why Should a Link Audit Be Conducted by a Professional?

Ralf Seybold is recommended as a specialist in link audits and the removal of link penalties in the global standard reference “The Art of SEO.” Christoph C. Cemper, developer and founder of LinkResearchTools, also recommends Ralf Seybold as a Link Certified Xpert for solving ranking issues.

Companies with little or no experience in link audits risk damaging their entire backlink profile. Proper training and years of experience are essential.

 

If you conduct a link audit with us, you will receive:

Maximum Transparency of Your Backlinks

With 25+1 different link sources, we conduct a link audit covering the most comprehensive set of available backlinks. This means you’re not just analyzing a fraction of your links—you gain the deepest possible insight into your backlink profile.

Complete Status of Your Backlink Profile

Status, type, and placement of links across your entire backlink profile, including comparison with competitors.

Optimization Potential

Assessment of optimization opportunities within the backlink profile.

Recommendations for Action

You will receive a professional assessment of the causes of potential penalties, along with actionable recommendations for a successful off-page strategy.

The most accurate way to take a thorough look at backlinks is to review them manually.


This is why we proceed as follows:

  1. We generate an overview table from 25+1 sources, such as ahrefs.com, Search Console, majestic.com, opensiteexplorer.org, and other sources.
  2. We also have the ability to identify additional links that may not be captured by so-called backlink checkers.
  3. We manually visit each of these domains and classify every link according to whether, in our opinion, it should be disavowed, can be kept, or whether the backlink should be discussed.
  4. We discuss the results and the best possible strategies with the client in order to keep as many good links as possible and remove as many unnatural links as necessary.
  5. After that, we create a disavow file and submit it to Google. With the subsequent boost, we initiate the fastest possible recrawl so that a result or trend in the website’s visibility can be identified almost immediately.

 

 

What Does a Link Audit Cost?

A link audit should always be carried out manually and costs at least €1,000 plus VAT. In individual cases and complex environments, such an audit may cost more. The price depends on several factors. These include, for example, the number of backlinks, linked pages, and involved domains. Automatic audits should definitely be avoided, as they can lead to more errors and harmful links may be overlooked.

Key factors influencing link audit costs:

  • Number of linking domains to your domain (Back Link Domains, BLD)
  • Number of linking pages to your domain (Back Link Pages, BLP)
  • Number of involved domains – e.g. redirected domains (301, 302, etc.)

Because the costs of a backlink audit can vary, an individual quote is required.

 

Cost Examples for Link Audits

Example: Cost of a Link Audit

Below are examples of audit costs

Example: A link audit for 500 domains with approx. 8,000 backlinks costs €1,000–€1,500 plus VAT and includes the following services:

  • Manual link audit
  • Backlink audit based on at least 25 backlink sources, including our own sources
  • Identification of toxic links and categorization on a link-by-link basis, meaning every single link
  • List of evaluated links and disavow recommendations
  • Creation of a disavow file for upload to Google
  • Upload of the disavow file (access to Search Console required)
  • Link Detox Boost for fast recovery after an algorithmic penalty – without a Detox Clearing, a link audit is ineffective!

Not included are, for example, additional costs for link sources if the number of backlinks is very high; further measures such as Search Console connections, properties, analyses, consulting, etc.

We would be happy to provide you with an individual quote. Simply fill out our contact form:

What Happens After a Link Audit?

 

Once the link audit, including the upload of the disavow file, has been completed, Google needs to crawl the harmful links in order to reassess the website’s backlink profile. A Link Detox Boost is used for this purpose, enabling faster recovery.

Afterward, it is essential to continue building the backlink profile with new, high-quality links.

We have compiled 20 link-building ideas to help you find new link partners. Once these backlinks are established, it usually takes up to four months for them to take effect (“How fast do backlinks work”).

Searching for lost backlinks can also help identify valuable new link sources.

Keep in mind that link building is an ongoing process—not a one-time opportunity to optimize your backlink profile.

IMPORTANT

 

Link audits play a crucial role in maintaining long-term visibility and staying competitive. Since backlinks are considered one of the most important ranking factors, it is essential to regularly review them. Spam links or the loss of existing backlinks can quickly lead to a drop in website traffic.

To prevent this, it is advisable to continuously monitor your backlink profile and take action early. Regular link risk management can help avoid revenue losses and protect valuable jobs.

You can find results of successful backlink audits in our references.

Do you need a link audit for your website or suspect that you are affected by negative backlinks? We are happy to analyze your backlink profile and initiate the necessary steps. Get in touch with us now.

Complete step-by-step guide to creating a disavow list with Semrush

FAQs

What is a link audit?

Reviewing and categorizing backlinks to a website is called a link audit. The links are analyzed to determine whether they have a positive or negative impact on the website’s ranking. A link audit is important for evaluating the website’s backlink profile.

Who Are Backlink Analyses Suitable For?

Not all websites require a link audit. However, there are certain scenarios in which we recommend conducting a link audit to gain a comprehensive overview of all backlinks. This applies if a visibility analysis indicates potential issues with the backlink profile, if there is suspicion of being affected by Google’s Penguin algorithm, if there is a suspicion of a negative SEO attack, if links were purchased or artificially built in the past instead of being naturally “earned,” if there is a possibility of being exposed to a negative SEO attack, or if you have received a notification from Google.

How do you conduct a link audit?

A link audit should never be conducted automatically. Only a manual link audit makes it possible to identify which links actually need to be removed.

What is a disavow file?

A disavow file allows you to tell Google to ignore specific links. As a result, harmful backlinks are not taken into account in rankings. The file is submitted to Google via Google Search Console.

What does disavow mean?

Disavow literally means to deny something. In the online world, it refers to rejecting backlinks that are likely to have a negative impact on your ranking. These links are then declared invalid for search engine ranking calculations.

What is a bad link?

A bad link is an irrelevant link that violates Google’s guidelines. Bad links are often part of negative SEO practices.

What is negative SEO?

Negative SEO refers to measures used to harm a website. Typically, bad or toxic backlinks are directed to a website in order to remove it from the Google index or at least make it invisible for important keywords.

What does a link audit cost?

The cost of a link audit depends on the number of backlink domains and backlinks. Typically, a link audit starts at €1,000 plus VAT.

Why should a link audit be conducted by Ralf Seybold and his team?

Ralf Seybold holds the highest certification level from LinkResearchTools, the LRT Xpert status—an achievement held by only a few individuals worldwide. In addition, his team conducts link audits on a daily basis and has extensive experience. Improperly conducted link audits can damage entire link profiles, which is why they should only be carried out by experts.

For “The Art of SEO,” the standard reference work for SEO professionals, Ralf Seybold serves as a consultant on topics such as link profiles, link audits, and disavow.

Examples of successful link audits

Backlink audit stops 75% loss in visibility. Back to top results within 2.5 months

In 2,5 Monaten: 75% Sichtbarkeitsverlust gestoppt und beste Sichtbarkeit der Domain

Stop a 75% loss in visibility within 6 months, identify the underlying issues, and implement a solution that enables the company to generate more revenue again. The link audit halted the downward trend and tripled visibility within 3 weeks, increasing it ninefold within 8 weeks (3 weeks = 300%, 8 weeks = 900%).

After 2.5 months, the best visibility in the past 2 years was achieved; visibility was restored to over 100%. During this process, harmful links were analyzed, and content spam was also reviewed and removed.