E-commerce
September 17, 2026
Are you wondering how to audit your backlinks with Google Search Console to strengthen your SEO? The answer is simple: this free tool allows you to analyze external and internal links pointing to your site, in order to measure their value and guide your netlinking efforts.
For an e-commerce merchant, understanding where your links come from and how they are formulated is essential to improving your domain authority and your ranking in search results. However, not all backlinks are created equal, and knowing how to distinguish quality links from low-value links requires a precise method.
So, how do you audit your backlinks with Google Search Console? On the agenda:
What link reports are available in Google Search Console?
How to analyze the most linked pages of your site?
How to identify the sites that bring you the most value?
How to evaluate the quality of your link anchor texts?
How to use this data to improve your content strategy?
Let's get started.
Summary
Why are backlinks essential for your store's SEO?
Backlinks, those links from other sites to yours, are a signal of trust and authority for search engines. Google views them as citations in a research article: the more your site is cited, the more relevant and noteworthy it is deemed.
For an e-commerce store, a good backlink profile can make the difference between a product page that ranks on the first page and one that remains invisible. The overall value of these links, known as "link equity", is a major component of the algorithms of all search engines.
Analyzing the links that contribute to this equity helps you focus your link acquisition efforts on what really works. This allows you to identify partnerships to strengthen and content to create to attract more quality links.
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What are the four link reports available in Google Search Console?
The "Links" page in Google Search Console is a goldmine for auditing your backlink profile. It is divided into four distinct sections, each offering a different perspective on your linking strategy.
Top linked pages (external): the pages on your site that receive links from other sites.
Top linking sites (external): the external domains pointing to your site.
Most common anchor text (external): the anchors used by external sites to link to you.
Top linked pages (internal): the pages on your site that receive the most internal links.
These reports give you a clear view of your linking ecosystem, both external and internal. They allow you to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of your internal linking.
How should I interpret the total number of backlinks detected by Google?
Google Search Console displays the total number of links to your site that it has detected during its crawl. This number may seem impressive, but it does not reflect the quality of your link profile.
For example, a site may show 34,506 backlinks, but the export of external links will only contain a sample, sometimes only 27% of the total. This sample is not necessarily the most representative, but it offers a starting point to assess the types of sites linking to you.
By visiting the pages in this sample, you can gauge the nature of the sites pointing to you. A site with a lot of ads and little original content, like some online translators, is probably considered of low value by Google. Conversely, a link from a well-known blog in your industry is a strong signal.
How to use the "Most linked pages" report for your e-commerce?
The "Most Linked Pages" (external) report shows you which pages on your site attract the most backlinks. This is a valuable indicator for understanding what other sites deem worthy of being cited.
For example, if your homepage receives 14,927 links from 375 different sites, it means your brand is well known and your domain is a reference. By clicking on a specific page, you can see which sites refer to it and which exact pages contain those links.
You can also filter the results to only see links to your product pages or category sheets. This analysis helps you identify the content that performs best in terms of awareness and replicate its success for other pages in your catalog.
How to filter and export link data in Search Console?
Google Search Console offers filtering and export options in all its link reports. These features are essential for refining your analysis and tracking the evolution of your backlink profile over time.
You can filter pages by including or excluding specific characters in the URL, for example, to keep only links to your product pages. Data export is also available, allowing you to keep a record of your performance.
It is recommended to export this data regularly, as Search Console only retains it for a period of 16 months. By archiving this information, you can compare your link profile from one year to the next and measure the impact of your netlinking actions.
How to analyze the sites that link to you to assess their value?
The "Top Linking Sites" report lists the top 1,000 domains that point to your site. It is the ideal tool for assessing the quality of your backlink network.
Search engines prioritize the number of unique, unaffiliated domains that link to you over the total number of links. Fifty sites with one link each are more valuable than a single site with fifty links. By browsing this list, you can identify domains that bring real value and those that are of low interest.
Sites with paid links, little unique content, or belonging to the same company as yours are considered of low value. Google no longer systematically penalizes sites with many low-quality links, but these links also do not contribute to your link equity and your ability to rank well.
Why is the number of unique domains more important than the total number of links?
For search engines, the diversity of sources is an indicator of naturalness and popularity. A link profile with many different domains is perceived as more authentic than a profile concentrated on a small number of sites.
This is why fifty sites with one link each are more beneficial than a single site with fifty links. This diversity shows that your content is recognized by a broad audience, and not just by a specific partner or platform.
For your e-commerce strategy, this means that it is more effective to diversify your link sources than to try to multiply links from the same domain. Seek to establish relationships with different blogs, media, and partners in your sector to strengthen your domain authority.
How to identify low-value links in your backlink profile?
Not all backlinks are created equal, and knowing how to spot low-value links is crucial for optimizing your strategy. By analyzing the list of sites linking to you, you can identify domains that bring no real benefit.
Sites with paid links, duplicate content, or very little original content are generally of low value. Affiliate sites—that is, those belonging to the same company as yours—are also considered of little use for your link equity.
Although Google no longer penalizes sites for having many low-quality links, these links do not help you either. They do not contribute to your domain authority and do not help you rank better. It is therefore preferable to focus your efforts on acquiring quality links rather than quantity.
How to evaluate the quality of your link anchors in Search Console?
Anchor text is the visible text that contains a link. It has a double value: it contributes to the contextual relevance of both the page containing the link and the page it points to.
The more specific the anchor text, the more valuable it is. Generic anchors like "click here" or "read more" send weak relevance signals for both pages. Conversely, descriptive anchors that include relevant keywords are much more beneficial.
The "Most common anchor text" report allows you to scan the anchors used by external sites to link to you. Texts that do not contain your brand or domain are generally the most advantageous, as they indicate that other sites are citing you for the value of your content, not just for your name.
How to use the internal links report to improve your link building?
Internal links, those that connect the pages of your site to each other, are just as important as external backlinks. They tell Google which pages are the most important for your business.
The "Most linked pages" (internal) report shows you which pages of your site receive the most internal links. Ideally, these pages should be your business priorities, such as your product pages or your main categories.
By scanning this list, you can verify that your high-value pages contain an appropriate number of internal links. If they do not, it is time to review your internal linking strategy. To go further, consult our guide on e-commerce internal linking strategy for SEO.
How does Qstomy help strengthen your e-commerce SEO strategy?
Qstomy, as an AI agent for Shopify, helps you get the most out of your organic traffic by optimizing the shopping experience. While backlink auditing is a technical task, converting this traffic is just as crucial.
Qstomy guides your visitors toward purchasing through personalized recommendations, complementary product suggestions, and smart cart management. It also handles package tracking and responsive after-sales service, which improves customer satisfaction and encourages repeat visits to your site.
By combining a solid backlink strategy with a user experience optimized by Qstomy, you maximize the return on investment of every visitor. To understand how SEO works for e-commerce sites, check out our article on how SEO works for e-commerce sites.
Which checklist should you follow to effectively audit your backlinks?
Here is a concise checklist to audit your backlinks with Google Search Console and boost your SEO.
In brief
Analyze the four link reports in Search Console.
Regularly export your data for long-term tracking.
Prioritize domain diversity over the total number of links.
Identify and ignore low-value links.
Optimize your link anchor texts for stronger relevance signals.
FAQ
How often should I audit my backlinks? It is recommended to do this at least once a quarter to monitor the evolution of your profile.
What should I do with low-quality links? You can ignore them or use Google's disavow tool if you believe they are harming your rankings.
Are internal links as important as backlinks? Yes, they help distribute link equity across your site and signal your priority pages. To learn more, discover how to optimize your e-commerce site for Google.
To go further: Can you build an e-commerce site for free? - Qstomy, How to create a payment gateway for an e-commerce site? - Qstomy, Can you use Wix for an e-commerce site? - Qstomy, E-commerce searchandising: optimizing internal search with customer words - Qstomy.
Enzo
September 17, 2026
