You want to make sure your backlinks are healthy ones that increase your SEO. SEO, or search engine optimization, is what allows users to find you online, provided you have a high ranking for it.
A spammy link can easily damage your Google ranking, especially if a spammer has a nasty sense of humor. You also want to make sure that any links your website has are also in good standing and provide value to your visitors. High ranking means that your website will appear in Internet users’ search results for designated keywords.
How do you check your backlinks? You can use various tools; for this article, we’re going to dive into how to best utilize Google Search Console. It’s another free program that can assist you with understanding what could trip up your ranking. Alternatively, it provides perspective on what the Google algorithm sees, and how you can fix it. Having that perspective can make a difference in improving SEO.
What Is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console is a companion to Google Analytics, the free tool that allows you to check website traffic. The company developed it so that people can find the errors that trigger the Google bots regarding spam and the search algorithm’s logic.
As long as you have a Google account, and can verify that you own the website, using the tag they provide to incorporate into your HTML, then you can get a diagnosis on your website health. Also, verify your identity when signing up for an account.
Features That Assist With Backlink Analysis
The Search Console has several features that you can use to study your backlinks and how they are affecting your SEO:
Sitemap
The sitemap feature allows you to tell Google which pages of the Internet you own on a particular website. That way you can assemble all of your pages and streamline them into a unified theme. This is useful for when other sites link to you.
Disavow Backlinks
When you need to get rid of the toxic backlinks that are bringing you down, this tool tells Google not to count them in your SEO ranking. This is extremely useful for getting rid of potential spam and anyone that is messing with your web reputation.
Penalties
Has Google levied a penalty against you? If so, that may be why your ranking has sunk. You won’t get a fine, but you will have to pay in online reputation. Usually, a website receives a penalty if they violate the guidelines that Google has set, notably “don’t deceive your users”. Google won’t notify automatically if you receive a penalty, however; that’s why this tool is useful.
How BackLink Patrol Can Help
Backlink Patrol has computer experts that will help to navigate Google Search Console and how best to use them. We are dedicated to improving website rankings and fighting against
Reach out to us today. We can provide a healthy diagnosis of your backlinks and SEO, as well as the means to refine both and disavow any links that are hurting you.