How to perform a netlinking audit in SEO ?
The netlinking of a site is qualified by the quantity of its incoming links. We are not talking about just any incoming link, but a quality link. This is a very important point in the referencing of a site. For this, you will need a tool to improve its quality. The number of incoming links is also very important. Number and quality are two points that cannot be separated for a good SEO. Doko seo agency will guide you in your netlinking campaign.
Definition of the quality and quantity of the referent domain
The number and quality of referring domain names is a very important point in a netlinking audit. This is why they are the first points that must be taken into account. While quantity is easy to determine, quality is not so easy. This is why the use of certain SEO tools is necessary to make your task easier.
Tools for measuring the quality of netlinking
First of all, Ahref offers Domain Rating, also known as DR. This tool is used to evaluate the quality of a referrer’s domain name by rating it from 0 to 100. The closer the number is to 100, the higher the quality. This rating method has recently been changed. The effects of this change on the Domain Rating of sites therefore remain to be seen.
Next, we have Majestic which offers a metric called Trust Flow. The particularity of this method is that it applies more to the backlink than to the referring domain name. Like Ahref, this is a paying tool. However, you can analyse your link profile for free with Search Console.
To go further :
That’s not all, you can go further to get an idea about the relevance of domains. To do this, you will use an Excel file. All you have to do is carry all the referring domain names in the file. In this way, you can retrieve the IP address of the domain and the geographical origin without forgetting the title tag of the homepage.
Finally, don’t forget to pay attention to the theme of these domains. Indeed, if most or all of your SEO domains are off-topic, you should revise them. If, on the other hand, it is well within it, then you are on the right track.
Quality and quantity of inbound links
It is possible to retrieve the inbound links that lead to your site. To do this, you can proceed in the same way as with the incoming domain name. You can also use the Majestic Trust Flow. This is a metric that applies to backlinks that lead to your site. Some sites, such as media sites or Wikipedia, are said to be trusted sites. For the links that come from them, the Trust Flow will be even higher.
If the Trust Flow represents the quality of the backlink to your site, the Citation Flow represents its quantity. These two points, which cannot be separated, determine the quality of the link profile. A higher Trust Flow than Citation Flow means a good profile. However, it must be remembered that this depends on the number of links.
However, you should not rely on one metric alone, as both can be manipulated. To be sure of the result, it is therefore advisable to carry out several seo audits to reduce the risks.
Follow and Do Not Follow Links
In addition to the quality and quantity of incoming links, there are a number of other points that need to be emphasised. Firstly, the share of nofollow links which have no weight against dofollow. Secondly, the share of links on images, compared to the share in text. Finally, there is also a link called sitewide. These are usually found in the footer of the referring domain name. This means that the backlink is present on almost every page of the site. However, this is not very qualitative. What you have to do is to obfuscate these links in JavaScript.
The ratio of the number of inbound links to the number of referring domain names
This ratio is also a good indicator for qualifying the link profile. Indeed, it has a good quality when the ratio is close to 30 to 40 links per domain. It should be noted, however, that this number is not definitive. It can be influenced by the number of incoming links and their quality. On the other hand, don’t just take advantage of links from spammy domains. Otherwise, even if your ratio is good, the profile may not be as qualitative.
Link anchors and their type
Link anchors can appear as images or phrases. Their role is to serve as a support for the links. For an anchor to be more effective, it should be optimised. It is therefore preferable to vary their typology.
For a better result, it is also advisable to place your incoming link on a page with few links. In fact, the link juice between all outgoing links is shared equally. If you place your link on a page with many links, it will have less weight.
How to find netlinking spots ?
After the seo audit, you will see whether your link profile is good or poor. In the first case, you are already on the right track. In the second case, here are some tips you can apply. First of all, get the referring domains of your competitors. After transporting them into Excel, delete the names of the domains that have already linked to you. You will then have to look at the DR or Trust Flow of each domain as well as its theme. Finally, you can acquire backlinks with the help of paid services that will be there to help you.
