Looking for the Best Tool for Backlink Analysis Part 1: Overview of Backlink Tools

The analysis of existing backlinks for one’s own domain, for a competitor, or – in our case – for a client, is part of the daily tasks related to search engine optimization. While on-page analysis of a page is primarily done manually, backlink analysis is not possible without the use of appropriate tools.

We often face the problem: Which tool provides the most meaningful data? Which backlink tool is worth its price, and which delivers exactly the analyses needed for an in-depth assessment? From the multitude of available tools, we selected a few and examined them closely. This detailed comparison shows what can be expected from each tool.

In the first part, we provide an overview of the tools we compared. In the second part, you can read the evaluation of our comparison.

SEOmoz Open Site Explorer

• Over 65 billion URLs

• Over 9.2 trillion links

• 140 million domains

• No information about the number of keywords

The SEOmoz Open Site Explorer is part of the SEOmoz package, which is claimed to be the most popular SEO software on the internet. All tools are only available with an SEOmoz Pro membership, costing $99 to $499 monthly, depending on the number of campaigns and monitored keywords.

Majestic SEO

• Fresh Index: over 100 billion URLs, over 18 billion crawled pages

• Historic Index: over 3.7 trillion URLs, over 365 billion crawled pages

The Majestic SEO tool, from Majestic-12 Ltd. in England, offers only backlink analysis. Other modules like SEO or SEM are missing. According to them, Majestic SEO has the largest link database with the most current data. Analysis for your own site is free, but for competitors or other domains, there are three pricing tiers from €39.99 to €299.99 monthly, based on the number of domains and evaluation options.

Sistrix Toolbox

• Over 1 million keywords and over 10 million long tail keywords No information about the number of domains

The Sistrix Toolbox is one of the oldest German SEO tools. The backlinks module can be booked individually for €100 per month, and when adding additional modules, there is a discount from the third module onwards. According to them, the "largest database" and the most extensive history advocate for the tool, but the stated figures are somewhat confusing in light of this statement.

Searchmetrics Essentials

• Over 100 million keywords

• 75 million domains

Essentials is the latest tool from the German SEO agency Searchmetrics, known mainly for the Searchmetrics Suite. Essentials replaces Searchmetrics Rapid, a pared-down and cheaper version of the suite in individual modules. The link module, still in beta, is currently free to use upon registration. However, the display and export functions are limited. Once the beta testing phase is completed, the tool will be integrated into the Essentials pricing model. In addition to usual data like the number of backlinks, Searchmetrics provides values such as link strength, SEO visibility, or page strength, calculated using their own algorithm, to help evaluate backlinks.

SEOlytics

• No information about the number of keywords or domains

The SEO tool from SEOlytics GmbH offers comprehensive software, only available as a complete package. The starter version of SEOlytics costs €39, and the advanced Pro version is available from €299 per month. This tool also features a unique value to assist in evaluating domains: the SEOlytics Visibility Rank (SVR).

Sitefactor

• No information about the number of keywords or domains

The Sitefactor SEO tools from seonative GmbH are relatively less known than their older counterparts. Backlink analysis is one of the four modules of the tool, costing between €24 and €59 per month, depending on the scope. Unfortunately, there is no information about the extent of their own backlink database.

Raven Tools

• No information about the number of keywords or domains

Raven Tool is a US-based tool with various modules offered as a package at a price of €99 per month for up to two users. The Backlink Explorer uses data from MajesticSEO and the SEOmoz Open Site Explorer. The extent of the data base is not revealed in numbers. Raven Tools also provides a measure to help evaluate backlinks: the ACRank.

Xovi

• No information about the number of keywords or domains

The tool from Xovi GmbH consists of several modules that are booked as a package for €99 monthly. The backlink tool cannot be booked separately. Although the site mentions a comprehensive database, a precise and thus comparable specification with other tools is lacking. Xovi's own value for domains is called OVI (Online Value Index) and represents the visibility of a domain. The OVI is meant to assist in evaluating individual links in the backlink tool.

So far, this is the summary of our selection of the most important backlink tools on the market. Other paid tools, which could not be considered due to time constraints, include SEO Diver, LinkResearch, and the wise SEO Suite. The evaluation becomes truly exciting in the second part.

Part 2>