Link data sources
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There are many sources of link data available from a range of suppliers. Some data is provided free, and some isn’t.
As part of a link audit it may be necessary to use a range of sources – not just one – to ensure that you have the ‘fullest’ data set with regard to linking URLs and domain. This may especially be the case if working with large link profiles, where the link data in Bing & Google webmaster tools has been sampled.
Link Data Sources
Please note that the following link data sources are not produced by, or necessarily endorsed by SpamFlag.com. They are listed because they help with a manipulative link audit.
| Supplier/Brand | Free | Paid | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Webmaster Tools | Yes | No | Data may be sampled. Especially an issue with large link profiles. | https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/55281 |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | Yes | No | Data may be sampled. Especially an issue with large link profiles. | http://www.bing.com/webmaster/help/using-the-inbound-links-tool-a75f3640 |
| Majestic | Yes | Yes | Free link data for your own domain | https://majestic.com/ |
| Ahrefs | No | Yes | https://ahrefs.com | |
| Open Site Explorer | No | Yes | Limited data set, doesn’t find the low quality links usually | https://moz.com/researchtools/ose/ |
| ? | ? | ? | Other? Why not recommend a link data source? | ? |
Link Metrics
In addition to supplying the linking URL (or domain), many paid-for commercial tools also offer their own interpretation of a link via various link metrics. Whilst these link metrics may be useful for a variety of tasks when looking at link profiles, they are ultimately calculated by parties external to search engines, and as such may or may not be how a search engine algorithms interprets the link.
More information about link data can be found here via this excellent blog post.