backlink-analysis

What this skill does

# SEO Off-Page: Backlink Analysis

Guides backlink profile analysis: assessing quality, identifying issues, and planning improvements.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Scope (Off-Page SEO)

- **Backlink audit**: Analyze profile; toxic links; competitive analysis
- **Authority Score**: Monitor domain/page authority; referring domains

## Initial Assessment

Identify:
1. **Domain**: Site to analyze
2. **Tool access**: SEO tools (e.g. Ahrefs, Semrush) or free alternatives
3. **Goals**: Audit for issues, competitive analysis, or growth planning

## Key Metrics

| Metric | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| **Referring domains** | Number of unique sites linking |
| **Backlinks** | Total number of links |
| **Domain Rating (DR) / Domain Authority (DA)** | Domain strength score |
| **Anchor text distribution** | Mix of branded, generic, exact match |
| **Link velocity** | Rate of new links over time |

## Analysis Framework

### 1. Quality Assessment

- **Relevance**: Do links come from related niches?
- **Authority**: Are referring domains trusted?
- **Context**: Editorial vs. footer/sidebar links?
- **Anchor text**: Natural or over-optimized?

### 2. Risk Signals

| Signal | Action |
|--------|--------|
| **Toxic links** | Consider disavow (use cautiously) |
| **Spammy anchors** | Diversify anchor text naturally |
| **Link schemes** | Remove or disavow |
| **Sudden spike** | Investigate; may trigger penalty |

### 3. Competitive Comparison

- Compare backlink profile to competitors
- Identify link gaps (sites linking to competitors but not you)
- Find link opportunities from competitor backlinks
- See **competitor-research** for full methodology

## Disavow File

- Use only when necessary (manual penalty, toxic links)
- Submit via Google Search Console (see **google-search-console** for Links report and disavow submission)
- **Caution**: Over-disavowing can harm; use sparingly
- **References**: [Google Disavow](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing#disavow-links)

## Output Format

- **Profile summary**: Key metrics, trends
- **Quality assessment**: Strengths and weaknesses
- **Risk signals**: Toxic or suspicious links
- **Recommendations**: Link building priorities, disavow if needed
- **Competitive insights**: Link gap opportunities

## Related Skills

- **google-search-console**: Links report, disavow file submission
- **seo-monitoring**: Backlink metrics in full SEO monitoring; quality vs quantity, referral ROI
- **link-building**: Use analysis to plan link building
- **competitor-research**: Competitor backlink analysis; link gap methodology