Use this checklist to systematically audit your backlink profile. Complete each section before moving to the next.
Phase 1: Preparation
Set Up Your Tools
- Access to backlink analysis tool (Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz)
- Google Search Console access
- Spreadsheet software for analysis
- Previous audit data (if available)
Document Current State
- Record today's date
- Note total backlinks count
- Note total referring domains
- Screenshot key metrics for comparison
- Document any known issues
Phase 2: Data Collection
Export Backlink Data
- Export full backlink profile from primary tool
- Export Google Search Console link data
- Export data from secondary tool (optional, for comparison)
- Combine datasets, remove duplicates
Data Points to Include
For each backlink, capture:
- Source URL
- Target URL on your site
- Anchor text
- Link type (dofollow/nofollow)
- Source domain authority/rating
- First seen date
- Link context (if available)
Phase 3: High-Level Analysis
Profile Overview
- Total referring domains
- Total backlinks
- Referring domain growth trend
- Dofollow vs nofollow ratio
- Distribution across target pages
Anchor Text Distribution
- Calculate anchor text type percentages
- Flag over-optimised anchors (>5% exact match)
- Identify unnatural anchor patterns
- Note branded anchor percentage
Domain Distribution
- Top referring domains by link count
- TLD distribution (.com, .org, .edu, etc.)
- Geographic distribution
- Industry/niche relevance distribution
Phase 4: Quality Assessment
Domain-Level Review
For each significant referring domain:
- Check domain authority/rating
- Verify site is legitimate (not spam)
- Assess topical relevance
- Check for spam signals
- Determine if real site with real traffic
Page-Level Review
For important links:
- Page exists and loads properly
- Link is actually present on page
- Link is contextually placed
- Surrounding content is quality
- Page has real content (not just links)
Phase 5: Toxic Link Identification
Red Flag Indicators
Check for links from sites with:
- Obvious spam patterns
- Irrelevant foreign language content
- Excessive outbound links (>100 per page)
- Thin or auto-generated content
- Known link networks
- Unrelated industries/topics
- Porn, gambling, pharma spam
Spam Score Assessment
- Run through Moz Spam Score
- Flag domains with high spam indicators
- Manual review of flagged domains
- Document findings for each
Link Pattern Analysis
- Identify unnatural link spikes
- Check for link scheme patterns
- Review site-wide links
- Assess comment/forum spam links
Phase 6: Categorisation
Create Link Categories
Sort all links into categories:
Keep (High Quality)
- Relevant, authoritative sources
- Natural editorial links
- Legitimate guest posts
- Quality directory listings
Monitor (Neutral)
- Low but not harmful
- Irrelevant but not spammy
- Unknown quality
Review (Potential Issues)
- Some spam signals
- Questionable sources
- Unusual patterns
Remove/Disavow (Toxic)
- Clear spam sources
- Link scheme participation
- Known bad neighbourhoods
- Harmful patterns
Phase 7: Action Planning
For "Remove" Category
- Attempt removal requests first
- Document removal request attempts
- Allow 2-4 weeks for response
- Move non-removed to disavow list
Removal Request Template
Subject: Link removal request
Hello,
I'm reaching out regarding a link from your site to ours:
From: [source URL]
To: [your URL]
We're cleaning up our backlink profile and would appreciate
if this link could be removed.
Thank you for your help.
[Your name]
[Your website]
For Disavow Decision
- Compile final disavow list
- Include clear documentation
- Review list with team/stakeholders
- Understand disavow is last resort
Phase 8: Disavow File (If Needed)
File Preparation
- Use correct format (domain: or URL level)
- Include comments explaining reasoning
- Review file for errors
- Keep backup of previous disavow files
Disavow File Format
# Backlink Audit - [Date]
# Toxic links identified through audit process
# Spam domain - link farm
domain:spamsite1.com
# Comment spam links
domain:spamsite2.com
# Individual URL (site otherwise OK)
https://example.com/spammy-page-with-link/
Submission
- Submit via Google Search Console
- Document submission date
- Set reminder to monitor impact
- Plan follow-up check in 2-3 months
Phase 9: Competitor Comparison
Benchmark Against Competitors
- Identify 3-5 main competitors
- Compare referring domain counts
- Compare domain authority distribution
- Identify link gaps (they have, you don't)
- Note opportunities for outreach
Gap Analysis
- Export competitor backlink data
- Cross-reference with your profile
- Prioritise gap opportunities
- Add to prospecting pipeline
Phase 10: Documentation
Create Audit Report
- Executive summary of findings
- Profile health assessment
- Key metrics (before/current)
- Issues identified
- Actions taken
- Recommendations
Record Keeping
- Save all exported data
- Document decisions made
- Record disavow file contents
- Note date of next scheduled audit
Phase 11: Ongoing Monitoring
Set Up Alerts
- New backlink alerts (if available)
- Lost backlink monitoring
- Competitor backlink alerts
- Brand mention monitoring
Schedule Regular Reviews
- Monthly: Quick metrics check
- Quarterly: New link review
- Annually: Full audit
Audit Checklist Summary
Quick Reference
Prepare
- Tools ready
- Data exported
- Spreadsheet set up
Analyse
- Profile overview complete
- Anchor text reviewed
- Quality assessed
Categorise
- Links sorted by quality
- Toxic links identified
- Actions determined
Act
- Removal requests sent
- Disavow file created (if needed)
- Documentation complete
Monitor
- Alerts configured
- Next audit scheduled