Guide section 5, and the backlink part of your report

Backlinks: why links from other websites matter

When another website links to yours, Google treats it like a recommendation. The more trusted and relevant the websites that point to you, the more confident Google is about showing you. AI assistants read many of the same websites, so these links help in both places.

Updated 1 November 2026

In your report email, section 5

How many other websites link to you, how that compares with a year ago, some of the sites linking to you, and any problems we found.

What is a backlink?

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. If your trade body lists you on its "find a member" page and links to your website, that is a backlink. So is a link from a local newspaper story about you, or from a directory you are listed in.

Why links matter

Google uses links in two ways. It follows them to discover pages, and it counts them as votes of confidence. A business that respected local websites link to looks more established than one nobody mentions. AI assistants also read many of the same websites, such as directories, review sites and local news, so being mentioned there helps you in both places.

Quality matters more than quantity

One link from a respected, relevant website is worth more than hundreds from websites nobody visits. A link from your trade body or a local newspaper carries real weight. A link from a random list of thousands of unrelated businesses carries almost none.

Good places to get links

Trade associations, schemes and registers you belong to. Many have a "find a member" page.
Suppliers and manufacturers with a "find an installer" or "where to buy" page.
Local directories and review websites that customers actually use.
Your local business group or chamber of commerce.
Local clubs, schools or charities you support or sponsor.
Local news, when you do something worth a story: an anniversary, a community project, an award.
Businesses you work alongside, who may be happy to recommend you.

Our own free directory is one place to be listed, and it is only one of many. A listing gives your website a link from a site that applies the same checks to every business. It does not guarantee a place in Google or anywhere else.

Avoid

Never pay for links, and be wary of anyone offering "hundreds of backlinks" for a small fee. Google is very good at spotting bought or fake links. At best they are ignored. At worst they count against you.

How our report shows your links

The links part of your report counts different websites, not individual links. Ten links from one website count as one. It is a short summary, and here is how to read each part.

You see	What it means
Other websites linking to you	The number of different websites with a link to yours.
About N a year ago	Whether the number is growing or shrinking. Links fade over time as directories close or listings lapse, so a slow drop is common and worth keeping an eye on.
Some of the sites linking to you	Up to six of them, so you can see where your links come from. Sites that look spammy are left out.
(our own directory)	That link is Best Rated Company's own listing for your business.
Links that lead to a missing page	Other websites link to pages on your site that no longer exist. See below.

These figures come from a large database of links that is updated all the time. It will not include every single link on the web, so treat the numbers as a good guide rather than an exact count.

Links that lead to missing pages

This usually happens after a website is rebuilt and some page addresses change. Other websites still link to the old addresses, so their visitors hit an error page and the value of those links is lost.

The fix is a redirect: a rule that sends anyone asking for the old address straight to the closest current page. Ask for a "301 redirect", which tells Google the move is permanent. For example, yourbusiness.com/services.html sent to yourbusiness.com/boiler-repairs/. Google Search Console lists missing pages under Pages, then "Not found (404)".

If you lost links over the year

Links disappear when directories close or listings lapse. Check that your old directory and trade listings are still live, and that they point to your current website address.

You can see this part of the report in the example report, or check your own website free first. The links section is part of the full report.

Questions

Backlinks: common questions

What is a backlink?

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Google treats it a bit like a recommendation, and follows it to discover your pages. Links from respected, relevant websites count for much more than links from sites nobody visits.

How many backlinks does a local business need?

There is no magic number. As a rule of thumb, our report treats fewer than 20 other websites linking to you as "not many" for a local business, and fewer than 5 as "hardly any". That is our guide, not a Google rule, and a handful of links from the right places beats hundreds from the wrong ones.

Should I buy backlinks?

No. Never pay for links, and be wary of anyone offering hundreds of backlinks for a small fee. Google is very good at spotting bought or fake links. At best they are ignored. At worst they count against you.

Do directory listings count as backlinks?

A listing that links to your website is a backlink, but not all directories are worth the same. A few links from relevant, well-run directories are a modest help, not a shortcut. Look for ones that check their businesses, link to your website and are aimed at your trade or area.

How can I see who links to my website for free?

Google Search Console has a Links report that lists the websites linking to yours. It is free once you have verified your site. Our report adds a count of linking websites, how that compares with a year ago, and links that lead to pages that no longer exist.

Keep reading

Try it on your own website

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