How to Use the Google Search Console Links Report

What Is the Google Search Console Links Report?

The Google Search Console (GSC) Links study gives you accusation astir your site’s backlinks—i.e., links from outer sites pointing to yours—and soul links—i.e., links connected your tract that constituent to different pages connected your site.

Search engines mostly spot backlinks arsenic votes of confidence. Which intends backlinks from reputable and applicable sites whitethorn thief your contented rank higher successful hunt results. 

Internal links, connected the different hand, thief hunt engines observe pages connected your site. And thief users navigate to different pages. 

Why Is the Links Report Helpful for SEO?

GSC’s Links study helps you find applicable information astir backlinks and internal links, truthful you tin refine your linking techniques to effort to amended rankings.

The Links study shows you the pursuing data:

1. Top linked pages: Pages connected your tract that get the astir backlinks
2. Top linking sites: External sites that nexus to you the most
3. Top linking text: The astir communal anchor text (link text) utilized successful links to your site
4. Top internally linked pages: Pages connected your tract pinch the astir soul links

And it looks for illustration this:

The Links study successful GSC doesn’t supply the afloat image because the information is sampled, it tin show links you’ve since lost, it doesn’t separate betwixt valuable travel links and little valuable nofollow links, etc.

So, it’s useful to supplement that information pinch accusation from Semrush’s Backlink Analytics tool.

How to Access and Navigate the Google Search Console Links Report

Access the Google Search Console Links study by logging successful to your GSC account.

After logging in, prime the applicable spot from the drop-down astatine the top. Then, click “Links” astatine the bottommost of the left-hand menu. 

Let’s look astatine what you tin do from here.

Get External Links Data

The “External links” file shows information for illustration which of your pages has the astir backlinks, which websites nexus to each page, and what anchor matter those sites used.

Click connected 1 of the links nether “Top linked pages” to see:

• How galore backlinks the target page has
• How galore sites nexus to that page
• A database of domains that nexus to the target page

Get Internal Links Data

The “Internal links” file shows information for illustration really your pages are linked to each other, which tin thief Google find applicable and related pages connected your site.

Click connected 1 of the pages nether “Top linked pages” to see:

• How galore soul links constituent to that page
• A database of pages that nexus to that page

Export Links Report Data

You tin export some outer and soul nexus information for further study to an Excel archive aliases akin software.

Click connected "Export External Links" successful the precocious correct area and prime "Latest links" to export a database of the astir caller backlinks to your site.

Or, prime “More sample links” to export a sample of the afloat database of backlinks to your site.

You tin besides extract much granular information by clicking “MORE >” underneath the main dashboard reports and clicking the “Export” fastener connected the corresponding page. 

How to Interpret Link Data

The Google Search Console Links study tin thief you amended your outer and soul linking strategies. Here’s really to usage each report:

Top Externally Linked Pages

Use this study to corroborate you person much backlinks pointing to important pages (like your homepage and merchandise pages) compared to little important pages.

Review which pages whitethorn request much backlinks, truthful you cognize wherever to attraction your link outreach efforts.

Top Linking Sites 

Look done your database of apical linking sites to guarantee they’re each applicable and high-quality. And see whether location are immoderate sites you mightiness want a nexus from that you don’t spot listed.

For instance, a healthcare business would greatly use from receiving a backlink from WebMD, an charismatic root of aesculapian news. 

Links from low-quality aliases spammy sites are improbable to amended your site’s ranking.

Top Linking Text

Review your link’s anchor matter to understand really hunt engines whitethorn position your site.

Anchor matter gives discourse to hunt engines astir the contented of the linked page. Ideally, the anchor matter utilized successful your backlinks should beryllium applicable and varied. 

Search engines mightiness spot over-optimized anchor matter (like utilizing exact-match keywords excessively) arsenic manipulative. Which tin wounded your rankings.

Top Internally Linked Pages

Check the Top Internally Linked Pages study to guarantee each pages connected your tract person soul links and that cardinal pages person the astir links. 

For instance, a B2B SaaS startup mightiness prioritize linking to merchandise landing pages to guarantee these pages person a amended chance of showing up successful hunt results.

How to Thoroughly Analyze Any Site’s Backlinks

Use dedicated backlinks devices to analyse your backlink floor plan successful extent and reappraisal rival site’s backlinks to place untapped backlink opportunities.

Here’s how:

Open the Backlink Analytics tool, participate a domain you want to study, and click “Analyze.”

Go to the “Backlinks” tab to spot the websites presently linking to the site. Including what pages they nexus to and the anchor matter they use.

Use the filters on the apical of the study to find caller and mislaid backlinks, travel and nofollow backlinks, and more.

If you’re analyzing your ain website, it’s a bully thought to look for mislaid backlinks. 

You tin past scope retired to the astir reputable domains (gauge this by looking for sites pinch a precocious number successful the “Page AS” column) to effort to get that nexus reinstated.

Pages pinch higher scores whitethorn person a greater effect connected your tract and whitethorn thief you rank higher. 

Check Your Backlink Profile’s Health 

Performing a backlink audit helps you find the quality, quantity, and relevance of your backlinks. So you tin uncover ways to fortify your backlink strategy.

Open the Backlink Audit instrumentality and travel our configuration steps to adhd your site. You tin link the Backlink Audit instrumentality pinch your Google Search Console to summation the accuracy of each audit.

The “Overview” tab highlights wide accusation astir your backlink profile. Like the toxicity score—a motion that you whitethorn person excessively galore low-quality links. And really galore domains nexus to you (shown arsenic “Referring Domains”).

Google mostly intends to ignore spammy links alternatively than penalizing the target domain. 

So, there’s usually nary request to worry. And you tin activity to equilibrium retired a debased people by getting much high-quality links. 

And that’s elemental pinch Semrush’s Link Building Tool.

Try it today.

This station was updated successful 2025. Excerpts from the original article by Ajdin Perco whitethorn remain.