What a healthy link profile looks like
- Relevant sources: links from sites in your industry, region or topic.
- Many different domains: links from many sites count for more than many links from one site.
- Natural anchor text: mostly brand names, URLs and descriptive phrases, not the same exact keyword again and again.
- Steady growth: links that build up over time as the site earns them, rather than sudden spikes.
- Editorial links: links placed because the content deserved them, in the main text of real pages.
Warning signs
- Many links from unrelated or low-quality sites
- Links from private blog networks, link farms or paid link lists
- A high share of exact-match keyword anchors
- Site-wide footer or sidebar links from sites you have no relationship with
How to check your link profile
The Links report in Google Search Console shows the sites that link to you most. Tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush and Majestic show more detail, including new and lost links and anchor text. Review it every few months, and focus on earning links rather than counting them.