RESEARCH · BACKLINK ANALYSIS
Backlink analysis that shows whether links moved your traffic.
Referring domains, anchors, new, lost and broken links, set against your Google clicks and confirmed Google updates. Review link quality and recovery candidates before you change a live URL.
- New, lost and broken links
- Clicks vs referring domains
- Ahrefs Domain Rating lookup
Trend
referring domains and clicks by month
Anchors
anchor text distribution, branded to generic
Recovery
lost and broken links by destination
2 providers
DataForSEO, plus Ahrefs DR where configured
INSIDE THE PRODUCT
Links in context, not just a count.
See the link profile, what changed, and which changes deserve a response.
Link profile
Understand the links behind a domain
Review backlinks, referring domains, dofollow and nofollow links, link quality flags and the anchor text distribution, with filters for a focused investigation.
- Anchor text distribution
- Dofollow and link quality flags
- Domain filters and exports
Recovery
Recover the links you are losing
Inspect unusual link-loss periods and broken backlinks grouped by the destination page that no longer works, then review each suggested recovery before changing a URL.
- Lost backlinks by period
- Broken backlinks by destination
- Links reaching a live page
- 14 links/promo/black-friday-2025/Returns 404 · strongest from tech-blog.co.ke
- 9 links/blog/phone-buying-guide/Moved without a redirect
- 6 links/brand/xiaomi/Redirect loop
- 3 links/old-shop/Domain-level 410
New & lost
See which links arrived and which ones left
Follow new and lost backlinks over time, with the first-seen date and the linking page, so a sudden change has a visible cause.
- New and lost backlinks chart
- First-seen dates
- Bing Webmaster link data where connected
| Referring domain | Link type | First seen |
|---|---|---|
| tech-blog.co.ke | Dofollow | 3 Oct |
| news-site.co.ke | Dofollow | 11 Oct |
| forum-site.com | Nofollow | 14 Oct |
| business-news.co.ke | Dofollow | 22 Oct |
Anchors & spam
See how sites describe you, and which links look risky
An anchor text distribution separates brand, URL, generic and keyword anchors, and spam scores flag the referring domains worth a closer look.
- Brand, URL, generic and keyword anchors
- Spam score per referring domain
- Dofollow and nofollow balance
Links & traffic
Did links move your traffic?
Google clicks and referring domains are plotted by month with Google updates marked, so you can judge whether links look like a real lever for your site.
- Clicks and referring domains by month
- Google updates marked
- A plain-language reading of the pattern
Top linked pages
Find what attracts links
See the pages on a site with the most backlinks and referring domains, to learn what earns links and where internal links should pass that value on.
- Pages by referring domains
- What content earns links
- Broken pages that still have links
| Page | Ref. domains | Status |
|---|---|---|
| / | 118 | 200 |
| /blog/best-phones-2026/ | 34 | 200 |
| /phones/phone-a/ | 21 | 200 |
| /old-deals/ | 9 | 404 |
WHAT IT MEASURES
What the link profile measures.
What each metric tells you, and where it comes from.
| Metric | What it tells you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks | Links from other sites to the target. | DataForSEO Backlinks |
| Referring domains | Distinct sites linking, a better guide than raw link counts. | DataForSEO Backlinks |
| New and lost links | Links that appeared or disappeared, by date. | DataForSEO Backlinks |
| Broken backlinks | Links pointing to pages that no longer work, grouped by destination. | DataForSEO + live status |
| Anchor text | How linking sites describe the page. | DataForSEO Backlinks |
| Spam score | A provider score for referring domains that look like link sellers. | DataForSEO |
| Domain Rating | Ahrefs’ authority metric, where available. | Ahrefs (optional) |
UNDER THE HOOD
How backlink analysis works.
How the numbers are produced, so you can judge them for yourself.
A provider index
Backlinks, referring domains, anchors, spam scores and new and lost links come from DataForSEO’s backlink index.
Broken links grouped by destination
Links that point to pages returning an error are grouped by the broken page, with a suggested live destination for you to review before redirecting.
Loss periods flagged
Unusually large link-loss periods are highlighted, so a removed directory or a site migration stands out from normal churn.
Links beside traffic
Monthly Google clicks and referring domains are plotted together with update dates, and the pattern is described plainly rather than claimed as cause.
HOW IT WORKS
From a link profile to links worth keeping.
Four steps from connecting your data to a decision you can stand behind.
Open the domain
Read backlinks and referring domains with filters.
Check the changes
Look at new, lost and broken links, and unusual loss periods.
Recover what matters
Review the suggested destination for each broken link before redirecting.
Compare and prospect
Use link gaps against competitors to find relevant sites.
WITH YOUR AI AGENT
Ask which links you lost, and how to get them back.
Your agent reads the profile and broken backlinks, and suggests recovery you review.
- Uses the same data as the web app
- Paid tools estimate their cost first
- Saves the report to the project
YouWhich valuable links have we lost or broken this quarter?
get_backlinks_overviewget_backlinks_profile
AgentTwelve referring domains link to /old-deals/, which now returns 404. Redirecting it to /deals/ would recover them. Separately, a business news site removed the page that linked to you in September.
YouIs a redirect to /deals/ the right call?
AgentThe old page listed phone deals and /deals/ covers the same intent, so yes. Check the redirect does not chain before you ship it.
Illustration · sample data
USE CASES
Built for the way you work.
How teams put it to work.
Explain a traffic change
Check whether lost links, a Google update or neither line up with a drop in clicks.
Plan outreach and recovery
Prioritise broken links to fix and sites worth approaching, with evidence for each.
Recover links after a catalogue change
Find discontinued product pages that still have links, and redirect them to the closest live page.
Learn what earns links
See which guides attract referring domains, and plan more like them.
ALSO INCLUDED
More from backlink analysis.
More capabilities that come with it, in the same project.
Ahrefs Domain Rating
Look up Domain Rating for the domains in the table where Ahrefs is configured.
Backlink gap
Find sites that link to competitors but not to you.
Google updates
See confirmed Google updates on the same timeline as links and clicks.
DATA & LIMITS
Know what the numbers can and cannot tell you.
Where the data comes from, how fresh it is, and the questions it cannot answer on its own.
| Source | What it provides | Freshness & limits |
|---|---|---|
| DataForSEO Backlinks | Backlinks, referring domains, anchors, spam scores, new and lost. | Provider index; paid requests; not every link on the web. |
| Ahrefs | Domain Rating. | Only where the deployment has Ahrefs access. |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | Backlinks Bing reports for your site. | Your own site only. |
| Google Search Console | Clicks, for the links-and-traffic view. | About three days behind. |
No index sees every link
Each provider sees part of the web; totals differ between tools.
A redirect needs judgement
A recovery suggestion is not proof a redirect is right. Check the destination matches the old page’s purpose.
Spam score is a hint
A high spam score is a reason to look, not proof of harm.
Links are one factor
The links-and-traffic view shows a pattern, not cause.
WORKS WITH
Connected to the tools you already use.
The sources and clients this feature reads from or works alongside.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT VIEW
Which view answers which question.
Start where the question points. Each view keeps its own source.
| Your question | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Who links to my site? | Backlink analysis | The full link profile. |
| Who links to competitors but not me? | Competitor analysis | Backlink gaps. |
| Which internal links are broken? | Technical site audit | Links found in your own crawl. |
LEARN & TRY
Guides and free tools for the same job.
Read how the evidence works, or try a free check before you connect a project.
Backlink CSV analyzer
Summarise a backlink export.
Anchor text analyzer
See how links describe a page.
Redirect map generator
Map old URLs to new ones.
Link prospect cleaner
Tidy a prospect list before outreach.
FAQ
Backlink analysis: common questions.
Straight answers about what it does, what it costs and where its limits are.
Where does backlink data come from?
From DataForSEO’s link index, a paid provider, with Ahrefs Domain Rating where the deployment has Ahrefs access and Bing Webmaster link data where connected.
Does backlink analysis cost credits?
Yes. Backlink data uses paid provider requests.
Is Domain Rating a Google metric?
No. Domain Rating and Domain Rank are provider scores, not Google ranking factors. They help compare domains, nothing more.
Will Ndovu create redirects for broken links?
No. It shows broken links and suggested recovery destinations; you review and apply any redirect in your own website.
Can I disavow links in Ndovu?
No. Ndovu helps you review risky referring domains by spam score. If you decide to disavow, do it in Google Search Console.
Can I export backlinks?
Yes. Backlink tables export for analysis or outreach.
How fresh is the data?
As fresh as the provider’s index. New and lost links show the dates the provider observed them.
Does Bing show my backlinks too?
Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools’ backlinks for your site appear in the Bing view.
Can my agent prospect for links?
Yes. The link prospecting skill guides an agent through gaps, relevance and a shortlist you review.
What are the limits of the data?
Backlink data comes from paid providers and reflects their indexes. A recovery recommendation is not proof that a redirect is appropriate, or a guarantee that a link or ranking will return.
How do I get access?
Platform access is reviewed. Request access with your website and the data sources you use, and the team will help you connect them.
See it with your own data.
Tell us about your website. We will review access and help you connect the right sources.