# Backlink Audit Checklist: Complete Step-by-Step Process Complete backlink audit checklist. Step-by-step process for auditing your link profile, identifying toxic links, and planning cleanup actions. Canonical: https://backlinkgrid.com/resources/audit-checklist 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 --- ## Related Resources - [Link Quality Checklist](/resources/link-quality-checklist) - [Backlink Audit Guide](/backlink-audit) - [Toxic Links Guide](/backlink-audit/toxic-links) - [Disavow Guide](/backlink-audit/disavow-guide)