7 Steps to Investigating a Drop in Backlinks

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7 Steps to Investigating a Drop in Backlinks

Monitoring backlinks is necessary for website owners and marketers to keep their website’s ranking and visibility in search engines. The traffic to a website can be significantly impacted by a sudden drop in backlinks, therefore it’s critical to look into and resolve the problem right away. Finding the reason for the drop in backlinks. Here I will share seven steps to investigate a drop in backlinks:

Check the backlink profile: Use a tool like Ahrefs, Majestic, or SEMrush to check out the website’s backlink profile. Look for any sudden decreases in the number of backlinks or referring websites.
Check for manual actions: Check Google Search Console to discover if any manual measures have been taken against your website. If there are any, it may be due to a violation of Google’s webmaster guidelines.
Check for algorithmic changes: Look for any recent algorithmic updates from search engines like Google or Bing that may have changed the website’s ranking or backlink profile.
Check for changes to the website: Look for any recent changes to the website that may have caused a drop in backlinks. For example, if the website underwent a redesign, some backlinks may have been removed or broken.
Check for broken links: To identify any broken links on the website, use a tool like Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker. A broken backlink may result in a decrease in the number of backlinks.
Check for competitor activity: Look at the backlink profile of competitors to see if they have gained new backlinks or if they have engaged in any negative SEO tactics that may have caused a drop in backlinks for your website.
Take corrective action: Take corrective action: Once you have identified the cause of the drop in backlinks, take corrective action. This may involve reaching out to websites to request the restoration of lost backlinks, disavowing toxic backlinks, or making changes to the website to improve its backlink profile.

Losing backlinks can be a significant setback for any website, leading to a drop in traffic and ranking. However, identifying the cause of the drop and taking corrective measures can help regain lost traffic and improve the website’s visibility. By following the seven steps mentioned in this article, website owners and marketers can investigate and address the issue of a sudden drop in backlinks effectively. Regular monitoring of backlinks and proactive measures to prevent link loss can also help maintain a website’s ranking and visibility.

Nigetha Rajah Edited comment May 14, 2023

Hi Mathushi,

You have brought an important topic over here, as you mentioned in the 5th point, can you explain how to check the backlinks for a website using “Screaming Frog” or “Broken Link Checker” tools. if you can demonstrate this that will really supporting to others.

Check for broken links: To identify any broken links on the website, use a tool like Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker. A broken backlink may result in a decrease in the number of backlinks.

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