Intro
A link building audit is essential for identifying what’s working, what’s hurting your rankings, and where you have opportunity to grow. In 2025, with Google’s link spam policies tightening, every site should regularly audit its backlink profile.
Below is a free, copy-ready link building audit template you can use for clients or your own website.
🔍 Link Building Audit Template (2025 Edition)
** Website Audited:** [Insert Domain] Auditor: [Your Name / Agency] Date of Audit: [Insert Date] Tools Used: Ranktracker, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, etc.
1. Overview of Link Profile
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Total Referring Domains: [X]
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Total Backlinks: [X]
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Do-Follow vs. No-Follow Ratio: [Do-Follow: X%, No-Follow: X%]
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Domain Rating (DR): [X]
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Average DR of Linking Domains: [X]
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Top Linking Countries: [List]
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Anchor Text Diversity:
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Branded: [X%]
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Exact Match: [X%]
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Generic: [X%]
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Naked URLs: [X%]
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2. Link Quality Assessment
| Metric | Result | Notes |
| % of links from real traffic sites | [e.g., 78%] | Aim for sites with 500+ monthly traffic |
| % from relevant niches | [e.g., 65%] | Relevance boosts rankings |
| Toxic links identified | [e.g., 12 domains flagged] | Use Ranktracker's Toxic Link Detection |
| PBN/Spammy domains | [e.g., 5 suspected] | Should be removed or disavowed |
| Link velocity | [e.g., 40 new/mo, stable] | Avoid unnatural spikes |
3. Top Performing Backlinks
List your most valuable backlinks by impact:
| Linking Domain | DR | Traffic | Target Page | Anchor Text | Type | Notes |
| example.com | 82 | 12K | /pricing | Ranktracker tools | Guest Post | High-authority, niche match |
| blogsite.net | 65 | 3.2K | /blog/seo-tips | best seo tools | Niche Edit | Good traffic & relevance |
4. Toxic or Risky Links
Flag links that may hurt your SEO:
| Linking Domain | DR | Spam Score | Anchor Text | Action |
| badsite.xyz | 18 | 90% | payday loans | Disavow |
| randomauto.net | 12 | 70% | cheap SEO | Remove or replace |
Use Ranktracker’s backlink monitor to track indexation status and link health over time.
5. Anchor Text Analysis
Check for over-optimization or spam:
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Too many exact-match anchors for one page?
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Any keyword stuffing from spam links?
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Missing branded or natural anchor usage?
Healthy anchor text profiles appear balanced and natural.
6. Competitor Backlink Gap
Compare against top-ranking competitors:
| Competitor | Total Links | Unique Ref Domains | You Have? | Opportunity? |
| rival1.com | 6,200 | 850 | 430 | Yes – 420 gaps |
| rival2.net | 4,900 | 670 | 510 | Yes – 160 gaps |
Identify gap targets and add to your outreach list.
7. Link Acquisition Opportunities
Based on this audit, here are actionable next steps:
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Reclaim lost links from [X domains]
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Remove/disavow [X toxic links]
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Build new links to [X pages] with low link equity
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Target [X anchor variations] for natural distribution
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Outreach to [X competitors’ backlinks] using Ranktracker’s Backlink Checker and Outreach Tools
8. Final Recommendations
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Improve topical relevance in future link placements
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Focus on high-traffic domains over DR alone
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Increase % of links to commercial pages
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Monitor link indexation monthly
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Use Ranktracker to automate tracking and stay ahead
Why Use Ranktracker for Your Link Audits?
Ranktracker's all-in-one SEO platform includes:
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Backlink Checker for domain and URL-level scans
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Backlink Monitor for tracking link loss and index status
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SERP Checker to evaluate competitor link strength
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Keyword Tracker to correlate link impact on rankings
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AI SEO tools to guide link planning and strategy
Whether you're auditing for clients or fine-tuning your own SEO, Ranktracker makes it effortless to manage, improve, and protect your backlink profile in 2025.
